I'm Back, says Mr. Winter.

2-23-23 VERMONT: We got six or seven inches so far, and more is still falling. The cruddy, dirty, icy snow is gone, covered by a pristine blanket of white. It’s cold at 25°, but there’s no wind, so far the power has stayed on. We’ve been plowed, and Judy shoveled the steps. The road is also plowed, but there is almost no traffic—everybody is at home.  

There was a nice sunset a few days ago, and before the new snow, I had been out walking. Across the road, Steve was boiling sap, making syrup. The horses are wearing blankets, their Mom was here to feed them.

Judy won a big oil-on-canvas of horses in a barnyard at Smith's auction. It's from the late 1800’s.  

New snow, there'll be more before April and mud season.

You can see how much we got before sitting down at the picnic table for lunch.

Sunset earlier in the week.

Red squirrels are smaller than the grey squirels, who are driving them out of their habitat.

Maizie on her tenth birthday.

Sap drips into the buckets...

And gets concentrated here in the Sugar Shack. Smoke and steam coming out the top.

Painting by B. Aplin Howe. Anybody know him?