I'm SO Tired of Winter

It's the last day of February. All ice fishing houses must be removed from the lakes no later than today, so lots of guys will be out on the lakes with their trucks and snow vehicles of all makes and models to hitch up their houses and get them off the lake before the thaw (which really seems as if it will never actually come). Apparently moving the houses off the lakes this year will be quite difficult because of the high snowfalls which basically encased the lower inches of the houses into newly-formed ice. I was just watching a video report of one guy's fish house removal and how long it took. For this one guy it took four hours, a bobcat and a truck with a snowplow attachment, pry bars and cables to get his fish house off the lake. (Video report link)

Ice fishing houses can range from basic to very elegant with
furnishings, cook stoves and fancy heating devices. 

Yesterday it was -11 when I left the house. Today I'm experiencing a heat wave, it is -8. Pass those umbrella drinks and start playing that ukelele. FEH! I'm so f-ing tired of these temperatures. By the end of next week we might actually have some temperatures in the 20's and we're all looking forward to it with the same anticipation as we would look forward to a Caribbean vacation. How silly! But I guess we're all desperate. This has been a very Long, Cold Winter and we're all really tired of it. Enough already!

Some of you may remember Tiny Tim and his 1968 hit "Tiptoe Through
the Tulips". I'd be happy to see a single dandelion, a snowdrop, or any other
flower at all. Of course, they're all buried under many feet of snow...*sigh*

I'll stand out and say that winter is a beautiful season. There is something so fabulous about the beauty of icicles in the sunshine, fresh snow in the mountain meadow, or untouched powder just waiting for the first skier or snowboarder. It's not the snow I have issues with, even though we've had more than our fair share this winter. It's the snow added to the intense cold that had finally gotten to me.

Icicles in the winter sun are beautiful, even breathtaking. But enough
already! I want spring, I want a thaw, and I want some warm weather. 

Every year they check how thick the ice is over Lake Pepin to get an indication of how cold it has been over the season. This is done at the end of February and they drilled down yesterday. We're frozen lower than ever before. In the past, the previous record was 30 inches of ice. This year we had 33 inches of ice before the auger broke through into clear water. ICK! Can I repeat please? ICK!!!

People will have to remember the basics about ice thickness soon. There are
places in Minnesota where people just drive across rivers instead of using
bridges. It saves time, but it can cost lives as the ice thins in the spring. 

I hope you have a warm and safe and happy Friday.