Snow, snow, and more snow. The groundhog was darn right when he saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. My budget for plowing is way over the limit, and so are most of the towns in this vicinity.

I know I asked in the last column I wrote, there was none last for news, but what little I have for you today isn't exactly the kind I wanted. After some warning signs gave Mike Thompson a clear indication that he ought to get to St. Andrews for an EKG and a stress test, he went. More signs on Super Bowl Sunday sent him again. (For Patriots fans, the loss of that game was enough to give anyone pains). From St. Andrews he was sent onto Maine Medical. When Lynn called me she was expecting him to have triple bypass surgery, but when the surgeon got into him, it turned out that they did a quadruple bypass. He came through with flying colors, as Lynn reported to me right after his surgery. The surgery was on Friday and when Lynn saw him on Saturday, he was sitting in a chair responding well and very upbeat as she says a "young healthy man" should. The girls are close by and visiting as well as his folks. Prognosis is great, but he is NOT allowed to work for three weeks once he gets home. So, if you are in the Boothbay vicinity he'd love to have a short visit to keep him from going "stir-crazy." Cards and prayers are also well accepted. If you don't have your island list with you, the home address is P.O. Box 375, Boothbay, ME 04537. I have received an island e-mail about this so if you check your e-mail you may already know all this.

At 8 a.m. today (Monday) with the temperature at 17º at my house, a flock of crazy robins camped in my black cherry tree. So even though the groundhog was right, there is hope that spring will be here soon.

Hope your birthday was happy, Molly Bogart. I missed a family brunch to celebrate her 17th natal day on the 9th due to snow piled high in my driveway.