Even though Huck reported that his back was giving him a lot of trouble, when we arrived, we found him unloading a wheelbarrow full of wood in his living room. He'd managed to get the wheelbarrow from the woodshed and up over the back step. It wasn't that long ago that he couldn't get himself over the back step. His biggest concern now is that the belt that raises and lowers the snowplow isn't the right size, so it take a long time to lift the plow. The Jeep is also a bit hard to start and may need to have the carburetor rebuilt. The grandson of a now-deceased friend is willing to do the work. The Jeep isn't registered, though, so getting it to the grandson's home is a problem.

After the visit we walked a short segment of the Mass. Central Rail Trail. In most places, the going was easy, the cross-country skiers having packed down the snow nicely. Many people were out for a walk. One man pulled a sled that carried a six-month-old baby who was bundled up like a sack of laundry. We kept Marley on a leash, but he enjoyed the walk all the same. Even in the snow, there are lots of interesting smells.

On Saturday morning, Lily won a first-place gold medal in a skating competition. Her path to victory was eased when the only other girl in her class called in sick. Lily stood on the platform to receive her medal. All that was missing was the Florence village anthem.

Amazon.com reports that Holden residents are buying this music. Make of it what you will.