Winter to Spring

We have had spring weather these past couple of days. I even got to sit out on the porch on the lodge without a coat and drink my morning tea. Probably the biggest thrill was I washed my car in town and washed off six months of mud. My arm was so tired from spraying the car I could barely lift it at the end but it sure was nice to drive around with a clean car for a few hours. Of course, by the time I returned to the lodge it had a fresh coat of mud from the dirt roads.

Wildlife in the Lodge

I carry my camera everywhere I go. I even got a new digital camera this year because I really enjoy taking pictures. For some reason this winter I have not been very lucky with wildlife pictures. I know the wildlife is out there because I see the tracks in the snow. Steph saw a lynx on the other side of Clearwater Road yesterday but when I get out there with my camera, I saw the snow bank.

So, I am treating you to a picture of the 'wildlife' that lives with me in the lodge. This is Victoria, my personal wild cat and purring furball. In this wilderness shot, she is carefully checking out the terrain into her room from the hallway. She wants to make sure that her personal nemises Sarah the dog is not in the path she wants to travel. These two have a very uneasy truce that they have maintained for 4 years.

It is not quite Spring

We had a little blast of winter weather before spring weather returns later this week. In fact, it is still snowing out now. This picture is of Sarah enjoying a few more 'snow days' outside the lodge.

Team Clearwater

This is a great photo of the team that goes to Canoecopia each year to represent Clearwater. In the front row sitting is Chris and Ben (Ben is Peggy and Mike's oldest son). In the back row is Travis, Josh, Stephanie, Kyle and Jared.

This is the group that also comes up every spring and helps out for spring opening before they go on a canoe trip. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get them back in the fall also. Travis and Stephanie will be returning as part of our Clearwater crew this summer.

Team Clearwater picture was sent to us by Jared.

Burrrrrr

After several days of really nice spring like weather, we had 4 degrees this morning. Our parking lot went from a lake to an ice pond. When Sarah, the dog, got out of the car this morning after our mail box run, she fell right on her belly and slide on the ice. If you know Sarah, who has plenty of belly to slide on, it was pretty funny. She was fine - just her pride was hurt. She couldn't feel too bad, I feel a few minutes after her.

This picture is from Canoecopia in Madison this past weekend. It is of Ben Trace, Stephanie Gunter and Travis Gunter. Ben brings some friends from OH and they all meet up at Canoecopia to man the Clearwater info booth and enjoy the show.

Water on the ice

We have had such warm weather the past few days the top layer of ice has melted on the lake so there are puddles of water on the ice. This won't last long with a cold front coming in soon the top layer will refreeze.

Our crew is back from the Canoecopia Sports show in Madison, WI. They reported that there over 20,000 visitors to the show and they think they talked to each one! It is a very helpful and paddling show and they came back with ideas and gadgets for us to check out.

Lynn

Spring Melt

So much for my ice candle holders - they are no more. We have had a spring warm up the past few days with temperatures in the upper 40's and even 50's. Although we have had a significant of snow melt and the resulting mud there is snow in the forecast starting tonight for the rest of the week. I think this is just a little reprieve from winter but the normal winter temperatures will return.

Sorry I have not written in the blog recently. I have been migrating all our files and reservation systems to a new PC.

Lynn

Ice Candle Holder

I experimented with making ice candle holders this winter. I wanted to line them up on the lodge porch. I was successful with a few of them, but then those blew off the porch this past weekend with the high winds. They shatter just like glass.

To make these, you feel a balloon with water and put it outside on a flat surface to form a base. Depending upon the temperature outside you bring it in when the outter walls are frozen but there is still water in the center. For me, at 20 below zero, this took about 5 hours. You break out the balloon and pour the water out. If your timing was right, you have have a hollow ball of ice that you put a candle in. If your timing is wrong, the walls are either too thin and break or you have a solid ball of ice. I had a few of both of those before I figured out the timing.

This is a great project for kids during the winter.