Soon Week

April 3rd through 9th
Lake Lucerne started last week white and cracking. Small chunks of lake ice near the shore broke off the main sheet and a bit of ski-able water peaked through the fissure. The gaps were small, but big enough to launch a model boat and have mice or squirrels to do a keyhole or two. When asked if it wanted to try a ski run, a local squirrel clamped onto a branch and stared at us in nutty silence. Clearly, no. By midweek, there was some speculation about the thickness and nature of the remaining lake ice. No one wanted to be the first this year to accidentally go swimming, so the best we can say is that it was strong enough to support two ducks. A short time later the ice strength was upgraded when it was observed that the main sheet covering the lake could support two geese. The trees are budding, the maple syrup season is ending, but not before one last run. Sugar mules were dispatched to the maples and the final full week of collections was on. The cookers would be busy for some time. Batches were boiled down and eventually run through the plate filter and bottled. This year, the volume of the runs has been a bit of a disappointment. We only got about 60% of the sap we had expected. While the quantity of the syrup was lower, the quality has been some of the best. Grade AAA light amber is suitable for the finest candies or the fanciest of pancakes. The rope that is keeping the "Nail Pier" up and away from moving ice destruction has stretched. That, or the lake has gone up. Our guess is that it's a little of both. The ice that is threatening piers and lifts close to the water is this thick. On the weekend the air grew more saturated with water. Sheets of fog flowed across the lake and condensed on its surface further pushing up the lake level, albeit not by much. By the weekend the taps slowed and then stopped altogether. There might be one more run left if the maple buds can control themselves. Most of the local lakes opened up last week. The College of Loons is at Looncon 1 and the media have gathered outside the sap shack on Knott Lane to watch for the tell tail blue smoke from the stack that marks official ice-out. Lake Lucerne has entered the final stage of ice out. A cold snap could prolong the frozen layer by a few days, but it's unlikely that it'll make Easter. It also rained. Not just the spring shower that dampens the grass rain, but rain that causes one to wonder how may feet in a cubit. The lake is going up. Huzzah!<br><br>-Nemo's not taking two mosquitoes on the ark.