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November 11th through 17th

Last week started off with little lake ice, a little more snow, and a whole lot of cold. It would get worse before it got better. We started the week in the extreme southwestern corner of the lake area where the temperatures were close to 80°F and many of the plants look like a cross between a porcupine and a bowling ball. With the last motion being floored and the tanning butter running out, it was time to cross the lumpy area between the Knottlane Board Meeting and Pool Party and the lake. The more knobbly areas had got hit by up to a foot of snow the week before. Copper still looked closed, but not for long. Overnight on Sunday a storm dropped temperatures to 6°F. It rained before the temperature drop. Monday's road conditions were interesting. Not even beer trucks were spaired. Knott Lane had less ice and more snow. It's been more treacherous, but still running is discouraged. One of the tasks on our list was to remove our raft from the lake. A cold, still night made that chore much more interesting. By the time of removal, some of the ice had melted. As the guy who went in and swam a rope to the float and attached it, I can attest to the water temperature not being warm. The thin ice on parts of the lake was blown into a soupy mush by sunset. It was totally gone by the next day. The thicker ice formations on the shore will be around until April. Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away and some locals are getting a little tetchy about it. The <b>Great Loon </b>(and other water foul) <b>Gathering of 2019</b> is currently floating up the lake and bullying small fish for their lunch money or just lunch. With the warmer weather and football spreads in the rear view mirror, it's time to focus on ice-in and soup. On Wednesday morning there were signs that the lake could be frozen over by the weekend. Some strong winds and more moderate temperatures made that not happen. Given the forecast and the current state of the lake, it's unlikely that the lake will set an ice-in record (before November 26th) this year. Ice-in before December? Maybe, but it's not as much of a sure thing as it was just a few days ago. As for soup, we recommend doubling the recipe. <br><br>-Nemo vows no more swimming this year.

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