The Lake Continues to Freeze...

Greetings Everyone --                                                      

                                                                                  

Although we've not posted lately, we have been busy - mainly watching and listening to the lake freeze.  Well, I do need to add that we've continued to do our daily chores - and yes, constantly  working on renovations and additions to our cabin projects. 

Ernie is finishing the inside of the storage shed - putting up plywood walls and constructing storage shelves/benches.   Oh - and we removed a window from our cabin and installed it into the storage shed.  The recycled window was one that we didn't need in the cabin - it had no significant use - it faced a wall into the artic entryway. Now the window can truely serve as a window - letting light into the shed and providing a view of the cabin.

With the temperatures dropping to below zero for the past few days - we've been treated to unsual lake sounds. Ernie compares the lake noises to recorded whale 'voices' and/or distant artillary.  To me, the lake sounds like distant thunder and the grumplings of a hungry stomach. Sometimes the lake noises are loud enough for us to hear while we are inside our cabin.

Someone told us the lake makes these noises while making ice - pressure, shifting and cracking.  No matter what - the sounds are unique and at times - errier.  With all that said, we've been taking walks around the island and witnessing the slow closure of the lake from the north shore of the mainland to the northside of the lake - east to west.

As below zero temperatures continue - we anticipate measuring the ice further out so that we can evntually use our snow machine to cross over to the mainland.



Looking east from the southeast corner of the island. The mounds are thin sheets of ice pushed up onto thicker ice near the shore.




View looking towards the Lower Landing. 
 The snow is actually hoar frost. We've not had any snow since it all melted a couple of weeks ago.



View looking towards lower landing on the north shore of the mainland.

Standing on the ice looking down through thick shore ice.
 The ice here is approxmiately 12 inches thick.  However, ice further from shore is 3 - 4 inches thick.  Ernie will go further out to measure ice in the next few days - temperatures are predicted to go 10-20 below for the next few days.

Tonight - we will stay snug and warm - temperatures are expected to go down to minus18 degrees!

Take care -- we'll keep in touch!