Alec Whitman, of Burlington, Vt., dries bricks he laid on a path and steps at a home on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Thetford, Vt. Whitman, who grew up in Lyme, N.H., had laid the bricks earlier in the job but they were wet after doing side work on the project. Whitman did not want the water on the bricks to freeze and interfere with the curing process of the polymeric sand he had put down. The night before he used insulated blankets so the materials did not freeze. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Valley News – Jennifer Hauck