Nemo and the Sorcerer's Spile

February 29th through March 6th

Tapping season. That magical time of year when Winter's curses of ice and cold are countered with spells of sun and warmth. Sometimes it takes awhile for the counter-curses to take effect. So far this year, the wizardry has been almost instantaneous.

Around the middle of last week, just before the waving of the wands of warmth, we snuck in the last falls down the hills of Ski Brule. The conditions were good and the hill was largely empty.

On the weekend, it was time to start the alchemy by joining spile to maple. There were also drills, buckets, lids, and an ATV with feet.

House Tappendor won the match with 360 trees tapped, bucketed, and lidded

Water with a sugary enchantment was soon filling the buckets. Collecting those drops and boiling them down starts Monday.

Back at the Lake, we have peak ice. The 17.5 inches is about a foot less than usual. We don't think the ice will make it to May.

Sometimes the season changing magic can be a messy thing. Knott Lane's condition is best described as sloppy.

It's still frozen. At Water's Edgeworts school of seasonal witchcraft and wizardry, the lake ice is referred to as the final horcrux of the season that must not be named. We'll have to spend some time in the school's library and bar to come up with the other shards of Winter's soul. The weekly reports of the demise of these artefacts of shivery evil will be watched for and reported on during the next few weeks.<br><br><br>-Nemo, not too ascared of the season that shall not be named.