Musing

I've resumed my winter lurking on various web forums to keep abreast of the conditions on/around the lake. My old haunt (Rice Lake Today) folded so I'm getting creative. Two new boards have cropped up (Rice Lake Forum and Rice Lake Cottaging), although neither is particularly active, and there are also winter ice fishing boards to troll, such as Ice Shanty.

So far, I know that the lake is fully frozen and ATVs and snowmobiles have been out on the ice. From the ice fishing board I was able to find someone that stopped near Marvin's to check the ice thickness with a power auger, and it's 10" with 2" of snow on top.

I'm starting to wish the kids had cross-country skis!

There have been reports of people spending Christmas on the Island. I'm conflicted. It sounds heavenly, but it also sounds stupid to me; my cottage is poorly insulated *and* poorly heated, which amounts to a heaping dollop of no-thank-you-very-much.

How cool is this, though:

Island cottager building a rink out front of their property.

Truth be told, apart from some curiosity as to the condition of the flooring*, I don't have a burning need to get out there this winter. I still have some sewing projects to wrap up, some cabinet doors to paint, and some items to purchase (kitchen dishes, for instance).

C. Contemplating the cottage from the warmth of her office with a steaming cup of tea.

*I had read negative reviews about the flooring when used in non-winterized edifices that indicated it tended to shrink and the joints would separate in extreme cold. Eeeee. I honestly can't see that happening though. Those floor panels are stuck together for good. Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.