January 8. I am slowly recovering from Christmas and this January thaw is just what I needed. The past month has been a mish mash of snow, rain, sleet, ice and wind. All manner of weather has been flung at us sometimes all in the same day. At times the roads have been nearly impassable causing me to use alternate routes to get to and from the school and post office. Yesterday when the thaw was well underway I optimistically thought I might be able to walk the dog. However I found that the Deadman's Cove road was still a sheet of ice and had to settle for the Ice Pond and back again.

The Christmas season began with the Black Duck Christmas party. A few days before, the Christmas trap tree was built on the church lawn by willing volunteers. Everyone brings a dish for the party which is hosted by Pamela Rollinger and Barbara Hitchcock. The Black Duck is beautifully decorated for the occasion. It's a fun, new tradition that everyone enjoys.

Ten days later the community party at the school took place. New teacher Jessie Campbell did a great job with the play which incorporated all the holidays in one fun play. Then it was on to the potluck dinner with roast beef and eggnog. Santa arrived shortly after dinner and handed out presents to the girls and boys. Then school vacation began.

The Nunes family left the island to spend the rest of their sabbatical in Costa Rica. Gabe and Marian Church left to spend Christmas inshore as did Dalton and Quinn Burroughs. That left my two kids to amuse themselves until Santa arrived. Thank god for Netflix, the computer and X box. Although we had been skating and sledding earlier in the month the conditions were not right over the vacation.

Mia and Claire Boynton came home for the holidays and we had all of then over for supper one night. Jack Walker came home for two days after Christmas. Jessie Schnell is home for vacation and helping me out in the store. The Hitchcock family was all together on the island including Tigger's new wife Jessica. More people left than stayed however. This was never the case in the olden days when the lobstering season started on January 1.

The Laura B. came out the day before Christmas in a gale with their traditional holiday feast on board. As the season ended there was New Year's Eve party at the teacher's house. I threw the tree out the door the next day. Marian and Gabe came back and last Saturday we attended two birthday parties. One was for Gabe Church who turned 12 on January 4. Then we went over to the fish house to say happy birthday to Shermie Stanley who was sixty and also to John Paul Kordak who is out here fishing with Dave until he goes back to school.

I am sorry to report that Larry Cooper has passed away at the age of 98. He and his wife Anna, who passed away last year, were long time residents of the island. I can't say they were summer residents as they were here from early spring until late fall. They left to be with family in North Carolina as their health declined. He was always the nicest man, very involved with the church and Monhegan Associates. I remember him spending hours in the woods spraying the poison ivy. I must say it has come back since he stopped. Both of them were very devoted to the island and contributed in many ways for many years.