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	November 19th through 25th, 2013

The week started out with typical weather before deer hunting. Highs were above and lows were just below freezing. There were bits of flurries mixed in with the rain which paired nicely with the bits of ice on the shore of the lake. There was no sign of The Fear.

There was even water in the creeks. The lake continues to rise (albeit slowly).

It started on Tuesday and continued through Saturday. The Great Gathering of Loons (and other water birds) saw huge flocks of the winged plunking down on Lake Lucerne during their trek South. The synchronized fish diving of the loons was amazing to watch. Hundreds of loons dove at the same time. Catching and eating all those walleye fry put into the lake just months before.

On Saturday, the last day of the Great Loon Gathering and opening day of the 2013 gun deer season, it got cold. Not the cold that invites you to put on a hat, but the cold that exclusively accompanies Deep Winter. It was an elemental cold that can take ears, toes and webcams. By Sunday morning, much of the lake had succumbed to the Arctic cold. Strong winds from the South beat up most of the ice by the afternoon. The loons did not wait for the more open lake. They surrendered to The Fear and have not been seen since.

I think the ice will go in sooner rather than later this year. The College of Loons has met. By the end of the week, all eyes will be on the sap shack's stack. Much of Wisconsin and the UP will be watching for the white smoke that signifies ice-in on Lake Lucerne. <br><br>The bar was opened on Saturday night complete with weaker drinks and four hot soups. Stronger drinks were forbidden, management was concerned that fresh frozen hunters might not drink them as much as light them on fire in a desperate and ill-conceived attempt to thaw faster. We lacked the bouncers and snow banks of sufficient size into which to throw flaming hunters. The knottlane deer camp got three of the fender denting beasties by Sunday night. There was some question as to whether the deer were taken for the meat or to try to thaw a frozen hunter (think Han Solo and a tauntaun) depending on which hunter you ask.<br><br><br>-Nemo, member of the College of Loons

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