4/06/08

Sunday, 8:00 AM. 30 degrees, wind ENE, moderate to gusty. Barometer down, predicting partly cloudy skies, which are at presently mostly overcast.
The ferry made its first run through the ice this morning and it went fairly quickly it seemed, but then it proceeded very slowly into the harbor at La Point where the ice must have been quite thick.
In the few moments I watched the ferry with the glasses a very large area of open water appeared in the channel from the south almost all the way to Bayfield, several miles long and as wide at its widest. I would not have believed this if I hadn’t witnessed it myself. I can’t say “saw it,” because it was ice one moment and the next moment open water. Telling about something like this is akin to reporting a UFO sighting, people are likely to think you are nuts.
4:00 PM: looking at one of the ice flows from the window I saw an ice fishing tent upon it. I watched it for quite a while until it floated behind a large pine tree that obstructed my view. I saw no one waving frantically so I assume it was left on the ice yesterday and now is floating towards Ashland. They cost hundreds of dollars but are not worth risking a life for, obviously. Last week two guys had to be rescued from the water off Roy’s Point after they went through the ice with their 4 wheelers. Several weeks ago two snomobilers were pulled out near Stockton Island. It happens every year…snow mobiles, pickups, ATV’s, but I haven’t heard of any deaths in the Bay Area this year as yet.

4/05/08

7:00 AM. 29 degrees, wind WNW, calm. The barometer is up, predicting mostly sunny weather. Skies are mostly blue.
Robins are in the yard this morning, and have been around everywhere for several days. Crocus are blooming on the south side of the house, yellow, white and blue.
The sap run was light yesterday, only about 15 gallons. Andy bottled 5 quarts of syrup yesterday from the previously collected sap, and has plenty to cook off today. A winter storm watch is in effect for the area tonight through Monday morning, and we will see how that affects the sap run. I think we could all use a little break, as we probably have two more weeks of sap run left.
The Bayfield Regional Conservancy annual pancake breakfast this morning is being held at the Mt. Ashwabay recreation area and I am going there now to flip pancakes. Ruth Oppedahl, BRC executive director, is having a trail named after her; it is a surprise, and a welcome recognition of her tireless efforts for the community and the environment.

4/04/08

Friday, 8:30 AM. 38 degrees, wind NW, calm. Barometer predicts partly cloudy skies, which are currently blue with some haze.
Yesterday’s sap flow was only about 20 gallons, evidently because it did not get cold enough the previous night. That’s all right, as Andy still has about 60 gallons of sap to boil down today anyway. Today may also be a light run.
Joan made soup and a cake and we went out to the Larsen’s in the evening and had a good dinner and conversation by kerosene lamp light with Andy and Judy and talked a lot about our respective experiences in New York where we all lived in the ’70 ‘s (but we did not know Andy and Judy back then). The sunset fit the conversation, as it was a stratification of colored clouds…blue, cherry, green, peach…which looked for all the world like Italian Spumoni ice cream on a blue-sky plate. Maybe we should have made pizza.

4/03/08

Thursday, 7:45 AM. 27 degrees, wind SE, calm. The barometer is down, predicting precipitation. Skies are blue with considerable haze on the E horizon. It was a soft, pink dawn, the Island emerging out of the fog and haze, its blue-gray mass distinct between the white ice and the lightening sky.
The sap run was full-scale yesterday afternoon, most of the tree buckets full to the brim, three or four filling a five gallon bucket. We collected at least 75 gallons of sap, Mike and Jim collecting and hauling from the east grove, with the snowmobile, and I collecting closer to the sugar shack. Snowshoes are still necessary, at least for myself. It is hard work, even for Lucky, who often broke through the crust and almost disappeared. I didn’t have to rescue him, but he was tuckered out last night.
Andy said he started cooking before 5:00 AM and didn’t quit until 5:00 PM. A long day emptying buckets, stirring, stoking the stoves and bottling, but we are at last getting some real production. Today should be a repeat of yesterday.

4/02/08

Wednesday, 8:00 AM. 22 degrees, wind W, light. Barometer predicts sunny skies, now blue with some haze.
The woods were pristine yesterday afternoon, the sap flowed well and 47 gallons were collected. I did fine on snow shoes in 7” of new snow on top of two feet of slush. I did the rounds of the tapped trees, securing the taps by tapping them in with a hammer, as many had become loose. Andy, the syrup master, cooked and cooked. Jim and Mike collected sap by snowmobile. Today should be a large run.

3/31/08

Monday, 24 degrees, wind ENE, light. Barometer up, predicting partly sunny skies, which currently are overcast but clearing. We were hit with a spring blizzard last night, about 5” of heavy wet snow, now removed from the driveway. I see a cloud of white moving across the channel. Putting the glasses on it I see it is the wind sled, so the ice road is closed. Viva spring!

4/01/08

Tuesday, 8:30 AM. 24 degrees, wind ENE, light. Barometer up, predicting partly sunny skies. Skies are currently overcast but clearing. We were hit with an “April Fool” spring blizzard last night, leaving about 5” of wet sticky snow, now shoveled from the driveway. I see a cloud of white moving across the channel, and putting the glasses on it I see it is the wind sled, so the ice road is closed. Viva spring!