February 20, 1936
"The severe winter weather is the talk of the town and the nation. Records of fifty-one years have been broken by severe prolonged low temps. This morning was from 10 degrees to 16 degrees below. Now it is getting warmer and I'm hoping for a gradual thaw but looking for cold well into the middle of March because of the general frozen conditions. Everyone is apprehensive of the ice in the river, It is gorged from Rock Run to above the bridges. The slush ice running in the free water just below the rat trap has been lodging on the upper edge of the jam and extending the covered water 25 to 30 feet up the river each day. The ice came in at flood stage but slopes two or more feet down from the bank now. It is covered with snow and impresses one with the great quiet strength of nature's hand. If this ice gets blockaded in some narrow place it will back up the water rapidly with serious consequences. But it will probably go out less spectacularly, probably rafting and letting go on a slowly rising river.
A sap sucker has found the suet that I nailed on the window sill and his little anvil-like bill makes quite a knocking when he feeds."
February 20, 1936
D.C. Richard's Journal
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