The Last Week of Winter

March 13th through 19th

Almost 17 inches. That's the total amount of lake ice for the Winter season. It was a cold one last week. The ice was building most nights and the taps have frozen.

Before the taps froze, there was a race to get the the sap out of the woods before it turned to rock.

We got some liquid out but the winner of the race was rock.

The last full week of Winter was celebrated with a trip to Ski Brule to watch the groomers do their thing and ride the lifts.

On the back of the hill, there was a grooming artifact that resulted in a small (very small) jump on one of the runs. It kept us entertained for much of the day.

For a few days, the weather grew favorable enough to fly around and take pictures.

We really wanted to get a picture of the old Cheney's Supper Club before machines finished off the job started by a fire a few months ago. Missed it by 3 days.

One evening last October, we were seated near the fireplace. It was a little cool in the dining room, so the fireplace was turned on to warm us. It's a little strange to see it in its current state.

I don't think they are taking tee times just yet, but the golf course looks to be just a few 45℉ days away from a light golfer infestation.

Over! The word takes on a special meaning to year round lake residents when applied to Winter. There probably will be more ice and snow, but it's comforting to know that the light at the end of the seasonal tunnel is more likely to be the sun rather than the headlights of a plow truck.<br><br>-Nemo ordered the fish fry.