It wouldn’t bother me if we keep getting these light snowfalls here on the coast. They make driving, walking and shoveling a bit easier. Plus, the fallout from the one on Friday produced beautiful scenic views over the weekend. But we still must be careful when traveling by car or foot. Any kind of snow is slippery.

We have made it into the second week of January without much snow this winter. I know a few people who are probably growling because they are skiers or snowmobilers, or enjoy sliding and skating. Perhaps the weather in February and March will brighten their mood. We aren’t out of the woods, yet!

Maine in known for its winters … We just “celebrated” the 25th anniversary of the Ice Storm of 1998. And we have had many memorable ones. My friend, Munro Dodge, recently reminded me of a couple of storms in the 1970s that closed schools for several days. We’ve also had a few memorable ones during the past two decades.

While thinking of winter this week, I presume the purchases of ice skates as a Christmas gift are hardly thought of these days, due to the warming winters. We used to get skates on Christmas on a regular basis – my first ones were double blades, followed by figure skates, and finally by hockey skates.

Pat’s Pond was our go-to skating arena. Oval in shape, it was perfect. By the way … another friend of mine, Bob Cochran, and his sisters who frequented the skating days and nights on the pond, this week inquired about the name of the pond. If anyone out there knows, please call or email me. An early search to find out how it became Pat’s has turned up nothing.

Keep the shovels handy and have a great week.