Lake View Store

05/27/2026

5/27/26
6AM
59 Degrees
Some Clouds
Wind: 2 Knots SSE
Moon: Waxing Gibbous 88%

It’s been awhile since I posted, but I am begging a good excuse. I’m now 3 weeks or halfway into my supposed 8 week knee replacement journey. I’m doing very well according to the Surgeon & the Therapist. I’m almost rid of the walker….maybe a few days.

The pain was excruciating in the beginning, but it’s ok now. It certainly isn’t the “some discomfort” like the Drs say! Anyway, thanks for all of the well wishes. I am certainly looking forward to getting back into a normal physical life.

The pups have been extremely supportive of the whole thing. They are helping Lisa care for this grumpy, curmudgeonly human. I’m getting a lot of canine love.

Early this morning, the sunrise was very briefly a glowing red/orange and I barely got a pic before it completely disappeared. I think that we are finally going to be the recipients of our usual 99 day warm spell. (Some call it “summer”, but I can’t really bring myself to calling it that.)

We just have to enjoy it every day and spend nights by the bonfire. This week, we will get our last bouts of 50 degree rain, before we break into 60 & 70 degree sun & cloud filled adventures. As usual, no plants go in the ground until 6/12/26. Maybe I can do some of it?

Last weekend, we were pretty busy. A ton of ppl came in to open their camps and generally enjoy the place.
As we slide into June, those numbers will increase exponentially and we will all get to watch the daily portrait of Averill evolve.

A rare Blue Moon—the second full moon in a single calendar month—will appear on May 31, 2026. Because it happens when the moon is near its farthest point in orbit, it is a "micromoon" and will appear slightly smaller than usual. Note that it will NOT be blue, it stems from 16th-century slang that is like to an absurd impossibility. “Once in a Blue Moon.”

I’m getting some indications that gas prices are starting to drop. Hopefully, they will continue to do that…maybe lower than before. I just ordered the Kingston Wine for this year…it should be in soon.

I’ll be posting more as I feel better. If you are in the area, stop by to visit the store, partake in some beverages and visit this basically ambulatory guy.

05/02/2026

5/2/26
9AM
33 Degrees
Flurries
Wind: 2 Knots SSE
Moon: Waning Gibbous 99%

Last night, traveling west on 114, just cresting the ridge by Brousseau, the Full Flower Moon was hovering at the horizon in all of it’s glory. It was orange and huge! By the time we were on the shores of Great Averill Pond, it had risen to illuminate the entire area.

That moon was actually a “micro-moon, in contrast to a “super moon.”
It’s just a matter of perspective and distance in actual sighting. We will get a second Full Moon this month on the 31st…making it a “Blue Moon.”

This morning opened with a burst of snow. It didn’t last long, but it is hardly unexpected in early May around here. Sometimes, we can receive a substantial amount, though by mid-month it’s rare.

It is just starting to look like Spring. The trees are budding and some have leaves just beginning to emerge. I think that we are going to have another extremely light Mud Season this year. There will be a ton of ppl happy about that. I happen to like it, but I’m not really considered normal…🤪.

The weather this month, as usual, will be abnormal also. Temperatures will fluctuate wildly and the pattern of warmth will get progressively more consistent. There no way to know when. No matter what, I will not put anything in soil until the 2nd weekend in June.

It is finally here…on Wednesday morning, my left knee will be replaced. I’m told that the procedure takes 1/2 hour and I’ll be home in 4 hours. I am & am not looking forward to it. (I Am.) I will see how much I can write here throughout the experience.

Here’s to getting my mobility & life back. Maybe I can actually plant that stuff myself in June? We went to the “Derby Line Village Inn” last night for dinner. What a great place to eat & celebrate a couple birthdays and also the first sentiment.

For a while, I’ll be in a chair behind Lisa, while she runs the store, (probably better than me…definitely better looking). We may get some help from our favorite Idahoans later. As that goes on, so does some further store renovations & we’ll see if they are recognizable.

May 5th, around 3AM, check out the Southern Sky for the Aquariid Meteors. They are swift and produce long trains on flyby. Also, check out Arcturus, the 4th brightest star in the night sky. The moon will be in its last quarter.

We are all looking forward to our friends returning to our favorite place on Earth.

05/02/2026

04/20/2026

4/20/26
7:15AM
26 Degrees
Moderate Snow
Wind: 4 Knots Westerly
Moon: Waxing Crescent 13%

Winter has returned to Averill, VT & it’s vewy, vewy qwiet.

That is Norton, Canaan & surrounding environs. It is not unusual at all to go from mid-60s and Ice out to 3-4” of snow in 24 hours. The pups love this.

There are lots of friends who have spent many summers here & have never experienced the bulk of the year and its unpredictable weather.
This one is for you!

I’ve seen snow and used the wood stove at least one day in each month of the year. The nights can get cool and I’ve seen furries on Sable MT on July 4th. Conversely, it can get quite warm. 10 years ago, we never topped 75. As in all things, the pendulum will swing back eventually. One human lifetime means nothing to the Earth clock.

We will enjoy this blast for a few days. For what it’s worth, any and all of the members of the insect world that were emerging and/or leaving our houses, will be meeting their demise today. Maybe this will significantly reduce their presence this year…Especially those Asian Lady Beetles. (Bad this year.)

Everyday going forward into the first week of May, we won’t see anything above 50 and the weather will stay undecided. It will just make it that much better down the road. May will warm up and June will see colorful plants & the tiny beginnings of bountiful berry harvests to come.

By July Fourth, for our 250th, I should be walking around and dancing!

Happy 420.

04/19/2026

4/19/26
11AM
32 Degrees
Snow
Wind: 2 Knots SSW
Moon: Waxing Crescent 7%

It’s been awhile, (late March), since I posted. I was waiting for a really nice day to show the contrast between our favorite winter scenes and a bright warm day. However, in Typical NEK fashion, I’m reporting a snow event instead.

In fact, temps are going to be in the teens or 20s every night this week with nothing higher than 50 daily. Rain and snow will appear repeatedly. (It was 62 yesterday.) After that, we will try to slide back into Spring-like weather, but we shall stay prepared for the usual unusual.

Yesterday, Big Averill attained Ice Out. That’s about 12 days early, so it’s not like we were tending toward today’s conditions before. All of the other lakes are out and Norton Pond has been out for weeks. Sugaring has pretty much ended as well. It wasn’t a bad year at all, but it wasn’t spectacular either.

We will just continue to move toward the 99 day warm period here…while considering what flowers/plants to acquire for the new window boxes. Of course, nothing goes into soil until the 2nd weekend in June! It’s just my time to ponder them. Another year without much mud!

Another sign of the times is the Annual Doggo Shed, Averill is by far the winner every year with enough floof to create 3+ other dogs. The other pups go by unnoticed. Bought a mega-blower to help.

So it will be slow here until Memorial Day or so. That certainly doesn’t mean that everyone should adhere to that. Stop by for a visit if in the area. The beverage & Ice Cream companies are distributing new stock.

The last meteor showers were the Quadrantids in January, so don’t forget the Lyrid meteor shower, they’ll be best after midnight and before dawn on April 22. Look northeast in a relatively moonless sky for up to 100 per hour.

Lastly, my May 6 Knee Surgery is quickly approaching. I’m starting to get nervous. Lisa has been practicing her Drill Sergeant routine, so all is well. Maybe there are some chess players out there to help with recovery.

Auf Wiedersehen

03/22/2026

3/22/26
11:30AM
24 Degrees
Heavy Snow
Wind: 4 Knots SSE
Moon: Waning Crescent 17%

It’s just like this place…we were just coming to grips with sled season ending and now we get a serious snowstorm. We got about 5-6”yesterday & we’ll probably get anywhere from 5-8 through to tonight.

I had around 8 sleds in yesterday and the same today, with 3 just leaving now. It’s always a great pic to see the machines shrouded in snow. The air smells terrific.

It’s not strange at all to see good snowstorms now through to early May…some of our heaviest. This portrait of Norton is normal to me and preferable. I know that Averill, Luna, Zeva and Augie feel the same way.

The upper trails never really closed and the feeder trails east of IP are still open. Since yesterday, my access road is covered, as well as others. Check the Vast map for updated info.

The temperatures will pretty much stay below freezing until about March 30th, so a bunch of folks are taking advantage of this gift and getting in one more ride. It is definitely ephemeral, so you’ll have to really think about it.

Also, my app says that the Aurora Borealis may show a few times this week, if the clouds disburse. Use the phone camera.

Be well…

03/20/2026

3/20/26
8AM
24 Degrees
Clear
Wind: 4 Knots SSW
Moon: Waxing Crescent 4%

Today marks the 2026 Vernal Equinox marking the official start of spring. On this day, the Sun shines directly over the equator, providing nearly equal parts daylight and darkness.

The weather appears to be aware of the change and also the line between March & April. This weekend will be mostly below freezing with a few bouts of snow….1-3, 3-5 & so on. The upper sled trails are still open, but there are only a couple of access points near Island Pond.

I haven’t seen any sleds all week, which was expected, as the season wound down. Depending on how much snow we get, there might be a small window to ride. Though most ppl have moved onto dealing with mud season.

As I said, Mother Nature seems to be aware of April, because starting on the 1st, temps move immediately into the 40s, when March only had 30s. So begins our short “warm spell” until we settle into winter again.

We get to enjoy Spring and fall in there for an always undetermined amount of time, but the “summer” is fleeting at best…time to enjoy sitting by the fire, cooking out and outsmarting the insect hoards, beginning with Black Flies-everyone’s favorite. We’ll again try to grow a few things, mostly flowers, as cultivation time is short.

The next serving of meteors are after midnight & before dawn on April 22. It will be under a dark and moonless sky that the peak of the Lyrids will materialize. Expect 10-20 per hour.

Enjoy the longer days….as I’m counting down to a knee replacement.

Gute Besserung

03/14/2026

3/14/26
8:30AM
26 Degrees
Snow
Wind: 3 Knots Westerly
Moon: Waning Crescent 21%

Over the last week or so, we lost all of our snow on paved surfaces and a lot on feeder trails. The upper trails are still open, though showing yellow-caution. There are many closed trails that access the elevations.

However, there are also some open around Island Pond and points south. It snowed all day & night yesterday & it is going to do the same today. Hence, we will have gained a bit on the lower trails and such.

At least it looks like winter again-for now. March in the NEK is always a roller coaster of conditions. This time around we will have mostly 20s & 30s, but we will also see 50s and eventually 60s thrown in. (Plus teens & singles)

I had about 15 sleds in yesterday and I expect more today. You should check the VAST map and decide what you want to do. It is so hard to let it go…especially this year. You can definitely ride, but there will be rough spots.

Ice Fishing ends tomorrow for the most part and I still have minnows left if you want to get in one more day. I am about to enter one of two dead periods here. Soon I’ll have almost no traffic until Memorial Day.

Yesterday, my furnace stopped. I only really use it to keep the basement warm for the pipes, but it does provide some warmth to the house & store. I’m 80% wood/20% oil. There are some single digit nights coming.

My good friend and fellow angler, Larry Fuller, came out and replaced the motor within 5 hours. I can’t ask for better than that. He is another reason why this place is better than any other. The pups think so too.

Tonight, look for the Northern Lights. Remember to take some shots with your phone…it picks up things your eyes can’t see. Oh…I know that the flags need to be replaced. I do it every April, when the wind dies down.

We are still looking for Dixie the Doberman. She is probably still in the Norton area…keep an eye out.

再见 (zàijiàn)

03/12/2026

3/12/26
9AM
33 Degrees
Rain/Snow
Wind: 2 Knots Westerly
Moon: Waning Crescent 38%

Please keep a sharp lookout for Dixie. She is a black & Tan Doberman that weighs about 60 pounds. She ran off about 2 miles south of the Norton Store.

She may be wary of people, but she is very friendly. She has a stomach condition, so she might be drooling.
She is very missed and any info would be greatly appreciated.

Her owner is Scott and can be reached at 860-324-8967. You can also call me at the store at 215-279-3642. Thanks a million.