Lakes Are Open!

The lakes up here on average lose their ice around April 20.  Several years ago they opened up the first week in April, the earliest we could recall.  This year they opened up this past week.  Last Saturday there were still ice fisherman on the lake; by Thursday the lakes were ice free.

Once the lake opened up the ducks were everywhere, Common and Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, and Mallards.  We were tempted to put the outboard on the fishing boat and take a cruise but then we remembered it was March...really don't want to have to chip ice out of the inside of a boat.



Eagles

With the warm weather the eagles have become very active.  They've been around all winter but primarily solitary, now there is much more activity and interaction.  With the thawing ice there are new food opportunities.  In these first two shots an eagle found a fish and was soon joined by three of his best friends.

Several days later one perched at the very top of one of the pine trees by the lagoon.  The first shot is through one of the upper windows in the Great Room.

Other species have been on the move.  The huge flock of Common Redpolls that spent the winter with us are gone, headed to the Arctic Circle.  Juncos, Pine Siskens, and White Throated Sparrows have arrived.  For many the Junco is a winter feeder...we're too far north, they're just passing through as they did in the fall.

When It Rains...

We'd been hoping for more snow before the winter ends and last week we got it...20" in less than 12 hours.  We were snowed in for about 24 hours, but the pantries were full so we enjoyed the seclusion.

Winter Walks

With the lake frozen and the trees bare we can hike out on the lake and get an entirely different perspective of the area.  Here's just a few pics from a recent hike mostly focused on getting a few shots of the house from the lake and lagoon.

Who Be Da Coolest?

Beckett Fix

Here's a couple of shots of Beckett.  The first one I title "No You're Not! Yes I am!"  Aunt Renee and Uncle Scott were nice enough to give him finger paints for Christmas.

This is a great shot that Doug took over New Year's in Nebraska.  Feeling good about being able to reach the table top.

It's all relative

This winter we're having above average temps and below average snowfall...but it's all relative.

It snows a little pretty much every day, sometimes even when the sun is shining.  Lake Superior is 40 miles or so away, but any wind out of the north puts us on the edge of lake effect snow.  We have about 12" on the ground, 20 miles north of here they have 40".

But it's the way it is and everyone copes; we're really enjoying living up here.  I went x-country skiing yesterday and the conditions were perfect;  Macy didn't go she had a cold.  Ice fisherman are out on the lake almost everyday, and it's fun to be able to walk out on the lake and get a very different perspective of things.

And I had to throw in a bonus shot, the twins are still frequent visitors.