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January 6th through 12th

The lake got a little snow last week along with mild temperatures and more than a little sun. It was the kind of week that makes the long journey to spring seem more like a cautious, well lit, and unexpectedly pleasant stroll rather than the normal dark, freezing death march. Even many of the nights were well lit with a waxing moon perched above the pines. The days had mild temperatures. Nights did not. The result of this dichotomy was frozen hard onto the roads by morning. The surface of Knott Lane is different and maybe a little worse. The tree cover prevents the sun from converting the snow cover to slush, but traffic has sintered the white stuff into an ice-like covering anyway. There remains enough snow cover to prove that the deer are active. There seems to be a small herd of them deering up the North end of Lucerne. Staying hydrated and warm during long, sheepshead filled nights is important. It has been observed that some beers will keep you warmer, bolder, and more undone than others. After recovering from the undoing, all that remained was to check the lake ice. A small patch of Lucerne was cleared and a hole was started. Huzzah!. There's currently 9 inches of very good ice under a 2 inch frozen sheet of snow. Enough snow remains to keep the snow-goers in full noise for now, but we could use another foot or so to keep them happy and clamorous.  Ice fishing shacks are starting to cover other lakes, but lake Lucerne is largely fisherman free. This is due in no small part to the lack of fish under the 9 inches of ice. Oh, there are a few fish whisperers that will tell you different, but don't believe them. If you want fish, hole Metonga. If you want the 29th annual Lake Lucerne Bottle Rocket war, head to the North end of Lucerne after sunset next Saturday (Fort building starts Tuesday).<br><br>-Nemo's undone, but getting better.

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