Clear and Cold...

Greetings Everyone!

Yesterday we explored the lake shore for fun.  The ice is forming rapidly across the lake since we have had no winds and the temperatures are continuing to stay at 10 degrees F. -- we expect the temperatures to go below zero soon.

Ernie's pine and groove project is finished in the living room area.  I'm looking forward to putting the room back in order for Christmas. In the next day or two  Ernie will put up pine and groove paneling in the bedroom.

My shrinking waterhole which Ernie tells me is a small duck pond.  With the ice becoming thicker, there is no doubt that I will need to go much, much smaller.  When I do, I will have a very small hole that a two inch hose can fit into.  In the meantime, I'm having fun playing at 'my duck pond.'
 Speaking of ducks, we no longer see waterfowl near our cabin but, have seen small flocks way, way out on the open waters.  

Ernie checking the ice thickness with his portable drill and eighteen inch bit.   The ice is three inches thick where he drilled.  As you can see, the lake is turning into one big sheet of clear glass.  No snow on the ice which, make the ice very slippery.

Another test for ice thickness.  This spot is three inches as well.  Since we are new at being on the ice, we did not venture further out from shore to check thickness.  We need more ice thickness to support our weight.  As I mentioned, the ice is very slippery.  I was using ice crampons and they are okay for small slick spots.  Ernie said that when the ice is thicker and if there is no snow on top, we may just need to bring out our 'glacier crampons' to walk on the smooth, slick ice -- those crampons are 'serious' looking things with triangle blades.  

Me - making rye bread.  I generally make bread in the late afternoon so that when the bread is ready to go into the oven, it will be late in the day -- and the oven heat will add to the cabin's warmth.  Also, the smell of baking bread filling the cabin is a cozy feeling as we settle in for the evening. 

After exploring the lake shore yesterday, we finished our day with a late evening walk - around 10:00 pm.  The weather forecast tipped us off to 'Auroral Activity'  being visible in our area.  So off we went to see the Northern Lights.   With the moon at 80% illumination, we could only see a bit of red and yellow streaks.  It was fun anyway -- to be out under the night sky.  With the moon being almost full, we could see the lake from a different perspective.
We were also treated to the sounds of the lake - they were awesome - some sounds sounded like vibrating saw blades and whip snapping.  We spent a good half an hour just listening to the lake making sounds.  

Take Care Everyone and Happy Holidays!