Signs and Portents

April 23rd through 29th

At the start of last week the snow, that just a week ago had deeply covered the North, was melting and filling the inflows to impressive, if not record, levels. In addition to rushing streams and bubbling brooks, there were many other changes that pointed to the final fading of Winter.

The snow and ice that had covered the bar's driveway was gone and replaced with a softer, more reflective surface.

The replacing of the ATV's feet with wheels is the surest sign that Winter is over.

The maples continued to run, but the sugar content of the sap dropped.

Warmer temperatures promote bugs that eat the sap, driving the sugar content down even lower. The sugarmen arrested this sweet thievery by boiling it down as fast as possible.

During more than one night, the over fueled cookers sprouted the popular "Cone of Fire".

The smoke from the fires wafted over the lake in thin threads on calm nights and mornings.

By the weekend, the air temperatures were higher and the sugar content lower. It was time for the most irrefutable sign of the demise of Winter; The pulling of the tapping buckets.

The washing of the tapping buckets occurred soon after. This year, we had a full crew, several washing towels, 2 hoses, and 5 gallons of bleach.

Still, it took more than a while.

The Bar Night that celebrated the end of Maple Syrup season was festive and well populated with just a hint of fatigue.

Last Sunday, the lake ice was checked. There's 22 inches of the cold stuff on Lake Lucerne. Will the ice be out by Memorial Day? We'll see.

On a more positive note, if you prefer your lakes liquid, it is starting to pull away from the shore in places.

Ice-out can be destructive. We'll be watching docks and shore structures that have been on the lake for a good part of a century to see how they fair this year's lake clearing event.

High above all that ice, there was one more sign of the end of Winter. Great Vs of honking birds were heading North all weekend.

We're not sure if we will be able to get another ice check this season. The ice on Lake Lucerne should be thick enough, but the edges are getting thin. Getting to the ice could involve a brief and extremely refreshing swim. No thanks. If another measurement is not possible, we'll get a feel for the impending ice-out by monitoring the progress of other lakes and the freeing of the islands on Lucerne.<br><br>-Nemo: Occasional bartender and bad influence