A Bluer Shade of Winter

December 10th through 16th
Cloudless and mostly cloudless skies separated last week from the several weeks that preceded it. The sunlight danced on the snow, uplifting spirits and putting rickets into remission. It also made photography easier. Early in the week, just before the clouds passed, the image of a large bird appeared on the ice in front of Water's Edge. The image remained for several days until a dusting of snow erased it. The clearer sky made for much better sunsets, too. The waxing moon, combined with a clear that pushed past sunset, made for some relatively bright nights. The snow on the bar's lawn is about 4 inches deep. The snow on the lake is not. We hope to get more than the current single inch before the 28th Annual Lake Lucerne Bottle Rocket War or forts are going to be more fun sized and participants more bonked. One week after the entire lake officially froze over, a hole was made to check the ice thickness. For this time of year, 6.75 inches is pretty good. At worst, those fun sized forts shouldn't fall through. The warmer weather and sun have put a nice, hard ice coat on the lane. If you are gonna run, ditch the hat for a helmet. Elbow and knee pads are optional but highly recommended. Usually the ATV gets its shoes changed in late January to pack the tapping trails and mine the early season sap. This year broke with tradition and feet were added during a 40℉ day rather that a -40℉. The 80℉ differential didn't make the task any more fun, but did make it less frostbitey. It was nice having the sun around last week. A tinge of blue still in the sky after 5 PM is way better than pitch black by 4:30 PM. The lack of snow has kept the snow-go traffic down. This is welcome if you like your nights sans the 2-cycle whines, not so welcome for motels and bars that like the traffic. The snow will come and then the shovels and sleds, but currently the cold, silent, star filled nights are a delight.<br><br>-Nemo won't be cultivating or mulching to control weeds anytime soon.