January in Vermont

Below are excerpts from Ellen’s journal. She has kept her Walden Hill Journal going since we moved from Illinois. We hope you enjoy reading them for a vicarious experience of Vermont.

Jan. 2, 2006 We’re fortunate to have snow on the ground to offset this otherwise drab and dreary start to 2006. A little sunshine would go a long way to add a bit of cheer. First Night celebration in St. Jay, however, was just the ticket to bid farewell to the old year and ring in the new. The temperature hovered in the teens which was just right to keep the cheerful crowds moving along main street, enjoying good food and fun-filled entertainment. We started off with participating in a 6:00 performance with Pumpkin Hill Singers (our last concert of the year!) and then put the instruments away and joined in on the audience side of things. By 11:00 we were fading so headed home to watch fireworks from our loft. Unfortunately they were only visible as flashes of pulsating brightness diffused by the clouds. Today, Monday, is the official New Year’s Day bank holiday so we have an extra day to sit tight by the woodstove and lazily greet the New Year. Today reminds me of being in Italy where if a holiday falls on a weekend, they just extend the “day off” onto the next day. It’s frustrating if you’re hoping to catch a museum open as scheduled but ultimately a sensible approach to “the good life”.

Jan. 4, 2006 A little bit of sunshine and somewhat milder temps and lack of wind have made for good snowshoeing weather. The snow is hard packed and easily negotiated. I’ve laid out several loops in the woods that interconnect for an aerobic 45 minute snowshoe right out our back door. The snow is patterned with all sorts of tracks, the most interesting being definitely feline. They seem too large for a house cat and might just be bobcat trails. Whichever they are, they are quite extensive. The Sicards have packed down a nice series of trails on their side of the road as well, with lots of canine tracks over there. The straight ahead ones are probably coyote while the bounding more exuberant larger tracks are definitely the Sicard’s dog Syra. On both sides of Walden Hill Road, snowshoe hare tracks abound along with the usual 3 prong grouse pattern and mice trails, complete with their delicate thin tail line. There’s still a good deal of open and flowing water to beware of in the marshy areas.

Jan. 6, 2006 The deciduous trees have sprouted delicate frosty leaves that stand out feathery white against a steel gray sky. Light snow is gently falling, adding to the 4 or so inches that accumulated yesterday. Fortunately temperatures are staying in the high 20’s, taking the usual bite out of January.

Jan. 7, 2006 4° and bright sunshine greet the day. The sky is that intense, true blue that only the clear cold days of winter can produce. Flocks of red polls swoop and dive en masse from tree to tree, to feeder to tree and then momentarily disappear only to just as suddenly return. A large hairy woodpecker clings to the suet cage while the air around him swarms with a redpoll ballet. He is definitely outnumbered but holds his ground, unperturbed by the frantic, swirling masses. Frost remains on the trees and glistens in the morning sun. Dawn and Syra took me exploring on their side of the road. We climbed up behind Bill’s tree farm and into a more protected woods. Deer or possibly moose tracks and circular depressions show that the larger animals have been bedding down there. Short stumps of beaver-gnawed trees old and new led us to the beaver pond. We crossed over on the dam but didn’t trust the ice for further exploration there. We were out for two companionable hours. This magnificent winter day is ending with a rosy-glow sunset, the White Mountains retreating back into soft blue shadows. A waxing half moon hangs high in the sky.

Jan. 12, 2006 Went to sleep last night to the sound of falling rain and awoke to a 40° morning. It looks like we’re in the midst of a January thaw. Some snow remains but a few spots of bare ground are showing through. The driveway is washed down to its original layer of ice which will hopefully melt away before the temperatures drop. We’re merely in a brief winter lull, a time for mother nature to shake off her winter coat and run around in her shirt sleeves for a short while before bundling up again. We took a drive to Montpelier and then on to Waitsfield. The Mad River was flowing quite full and swiftly except for a more narrow, windy section which was dammed with ice flows. Very rough, jagged clumps of ice had collided and were churned up into a bumpy composite mass that covered the rapidly flowing water underneath. It was quite a sight, reminding us of the extreme power of nature.

Jan. 15, 2006 Our 3-day January thaw has moved on to make way for winter’s return. 12° on the thermometer after mid-forties yesterday, with a howling wind that’s redistributing the few inches of new snow and baring the underlying ice which formed first as the temperature dropped. It’s a dreary day. Hopefully we’ll see more snow to lay a firm footing over the ice. Looks like a good indoor day to sit by the woodstove and read or do some inside chores. Fortunately there are no prior outside commitments on our calendar for today. We’ll just bundle up and snuggle in. 4° and dropping. The sun made a brief afternoon attempt to shine through but clouds prevail. ~ It’s 2° below zero with a very nasty wind-chill factor. I’ve heated up my rice pack and I’m going to bed!

Jan. 16, 2006 It’s wonderful to see the full sun on this subzero morning. Colorful “ice-bows” shoot up on both sides of the rising sun, bending and arcing to the curvature of the earth. The wind sweeps and swirls across the frozen ground, creating sand patterns in the snow. Snow dust sparkles in the light of the sun. Drove into town this evening to visit with friends and were treated to a large, orange moon rising through a thin wisp of clouds as we headed down Walden Hill. Another frigid night has brought out the stars, “shivering” and shimmering in the crystal clear sky.

Jan. 18, 2006 Steady, heavy rain and 40° temps have turned the icy morning winter advisory into a flood watch. More snow is promised but for now it’s a watery mess.

Jan. 25, 2006 It’s been a week of more rain and thaw with lots of open ground which is good news for the deer and moose. We finally began seeing some drop in temperature and snow two days ago. Slowly but surely our snow base is rebuilding. The sudden change in temperature combined with all this moisture has stirred up some fog which clings as ice on the trees and is especially elegant on the slender, long delicate needles of the white pines. We drove west on Rte. 2 yesterday. The Winooski River is running high and furious. Joe’s Pond is still open in deeper areas. “Ice Out” tickets are being sold but the clock that times the great event can’t be put in place until the pond is well frozen. Maybe this year’s jackpot should revolve around ice-in rather than out. We have an apple tree full of evening grosbeaks with one bluejay to offset all that yellow. A gently falling snow provides the perfect backdrop.

Jan. 31, 2006 The sun is finally breaking through the rapidly moving and dissipating cloud layers. Trees thickly coated with a fresh layer of wet, globby snow, sparkle against a darkened sky. Eaves drip as the temperature rises into the mid 30’s. January has been warmer than usual with a constant flux between snowing and thawing. We’re measuring accumulated snow in inches rather than feet and are still seeing lots of open, wet areas in the field and woods. Even saw a skunk out foraging last night. Those little stinkers are usually denned up tight this time of year. There have been very few single digit or subzero days so far in 2006 but I’m sure we’ll be in for a change before winter gives way to spring. We had a new bird at the feeder this morning. I think it may have been a female pine siskin.