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Deep Winter's End

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January 52nd through February 27th, 2022

Deep Winter ended late last week. Gone are the parade of sub-zero mornings and air dry enough to chap lips from over 100 meters away. In the end, Deep Winter did not go quietly. Over 6 inches of snow, wind gusts over 40 mph, and a morning low of -16°F is many things, but quiet is not one of 'em. The strong wind and the fresh snow made for some impressive drifting around the bottle rocket war forts. The few days that went above freezing combined with the brutally cold ones to turn the fort walls from a light, Styrofoam like material to something resembling rock. Then the wind filled the south end with over 2 feet of snow. The drifting on local roads was equally impressive. The drifts on the bar's drive were both impressive and troubling. On the weekend, after the winds, snow, and Deep Winter died, we cleared the white piles from the drive and found that some of the bigger ones were taller than the blower's auger housing. The condition of West Shore Drive is a little better than Knott Lane. The ice base under the snow on top of Potawatomi Trail is great for snowmobiling or roving bands of wild turkeys. Friday's sunrise (January 56th) was cold. After all the snow and wind, the -16°F morning low was a fitting end to the longest Deep Winter in decades. The squirrels of Knott Lane have turned the deer shaped suet feeder into a Halloween decoration. The squirrels that empty the bar's bird feeder have enjoyed the Deep Winter truce. After seed raiding, they impressed all with some one armed push-ups. Under the squirrel feeder, conga lines of wild turkeys have been picking off spilled seeds. We are tossing some extra seeds on the ground to keep the turkeys big and happy. They make good pets, especially around the end of November. We'd like to be the first to welcome the third (and last!) sub-season of Winter; Thaw. Gone are the long strings of sub-zero mornings and the numb post-outside fingers. Well...maybe not completely gone. The early days of Thaw are not all taps and trillium, but with each passing day, the sun will start to burn the ice from the roads and golf tees. Given the forecast, it's unlikely that there will be any golf this March unless you count chipping around on the lake and you know we don't.<br><br><br>-Nemo enjoys frost free windows and chipping in for par.

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