Please, let this be the last week of Winter

Winter has clearly overstayed its welcome. The lake received about three more inches of snow this week. Lake ice may be thicker than last week. On the hopeful side, we did get some sunshine and it felt warm.

A hole was cut into the lake to check the thickness of the ice. Twenty three and a half inches of what is being called perma-ice. I hope not, but seriously, it might be around until June at this rate.

During winter, snowplows are not kind to mailboxes. This Winter was no exception. I think to them it's like a vertical version of the pull-the-table-cloth-from-under-the-set-table-trick. "TA-DA! Yes, the pole is still standing!"

The condition of Knott Lane continues to improve. The ice is gone and snow is more of a gravel/mud mixture as this is written. Wipe your feet off before coming in.

The boat needed some minor work. It'll be ready for the water next week. It's unlikely that the water will be ready for the boat.

Tapping continues. The trees were running well until the arrival of near record cold. The foot tall puck 'o sap seen here closely resembles the other 369 puck 'o saps in the woods. It did have a liquid center, like some sort of a northwoods coconut. A few were cracked open to drain the watery sap but that got old fast.

Before the buckets created the now dreaded northwoods coconuts, lots and lots of liquid sap was collected calling for round the clock boiling.

I love the "cone of flame" that tops the stack of a well packed firebox.

The weekend was used to carefully, or not so carefully here, take the sap down to syrup.

By the end of Sunday, several more canned gallons were cooling in the window. The color and taste of the final product this year has been excellent.

The sun, when it's out, is up longer these days.

Vodka tonics. They look good in the sun and stay very cold in the "Spring" air.

This picture was taken on Saturday, April 20th. Wow. The lake has not even started to thaw. Many streams flowed from the watershed into the lake earlier in the week. All that runoff froze by the weekend. Next week has been forecast to be warmer. Only 5°F to 15°F below normal. That will be good enough to rid the woods of a lot of snow and start the lake on its way to liquid. I think you'll be able to put piers in by Memorial Day. Or is that Labor Day? One of those days for sure!

-Nemo put the lime in the northwoods coconut and drink it all up.

Please, let this be the last week of Winter

April 15th through 22nd, 2013