Sunny Skies, Opening Lakes, and Round Squirrels

March 4th through 10th, 2024

Lake Lucerne
Last week was warmer than average, but not by much. The lake thawed during the day and would solid up overnight. By the weekend, the results of the above/below freezing was clear. The area's snow was mostly gone and the roads were ice free. Lake Lucerne not so much.
Lake Lucerne
Bird feeders on the north end of the lake are harder and harder to keep filled. There doesn't seem to be any more birds, so all eyes turn to these guys. J'accuse! To mark this new era of round seed thieves, we are creating a special drink at the bar this summer. The "Pudgy Squirrel", ask for it by name.
Lake Lucerne
The thaw/freeze cycles have given the lake the kind of finish that delights ice skaters and extreme curling fans. I'd guess that pushing a stone from the north end of the lake to the channel between the islands would be like a hole in one on a par four.
Lake Lucerne
Around mid-week, the ice on Wabikon began to break up. It was mostly gone by the weekend.
Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne remained covered with ice.
Lake Lucerne
As did Lake Metonga.
Lake Lucerne
There aren't more than a few days a season where you get a sunset reflected off the lake ice. This year we've seen more than our share.
Lake Lucerne
There was one sunset (Friday's) of special note.
Lake Lucerne
During the warmer middle of the week, the lake lost its shine and adopted a more matte finish. The weekend was colder and the high gloss look was back.
Lake Lucerne
On Sunday, with no boats in the water yet, the Crandon Ski Show team held a practice at the Forest County Potawatomi Community Center.
Lake Lucerne
Sunday night was unusually clear for this time of year. You could almost read by the light of Orion's belt stars.
Lake Lucerne
And if some trees blocked those stars, there was always Aldebaran in Taurus and the Pleiades.
Lake Lucerne
There was also a comet! In the northwest just after sunset, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks (nice name, I wanted to use that name for our first child) is just barely visible. If you miss it this month, it'll be back in 71 years.
Lake Lucerne
See it now?
Lake Lucerne
It's been a while since we've had a good comet. It looks like it will be a while longer. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks's (nice name, I really wanted to use that name for our first child) magnitude is less than 5 and will not get much brighter. We did not get an ice thickness check last week partly because the smooth nature of the ice makes it hard to journey out onto the lake but mostly because we did not want to get this year's first swim. If you're going to wander out onto Lucerne this week, don't forget your PFD! I'm not sure if we'll get the record early ice-out several of the men have predicted. It's warmer than normal, but not the kind of hot we had in back in the spring of 2012. All will become clear in a few weeks.


-Nemo: Not complaining, not swimming, not allowed to name babies.