April 5, 2014

Oh where art thou, Lake Wicwas?  Buried deep under that layer of ice and snow, I know you are there, waiting to be freed from the shackles of the polar vortex. 

April 5, 2014

It has been four weeks since we were last here, and I'm sad to say it doesn't look much different than when we left back on March 8th, with a heavy snow pack still in place.

North-facing slopes still have plenty of snow

The ice is still solid, but there is a foot of water and slush on top of it, so I don't know how much ice is actually present.  There are small openings around the edges of the lake where the runoff from the recent rains eroded the ice, and it indicates the ice isn't safe for travel.  Even the openings at the inlet and the outlet have only small slices of open water. 

But there are signs that provide hope.  I saw the first chipmunk yesterday, and I heard the call of the geese somewhere on the lake.

There are also a few green shoots of plants pushing their way up right through the snow;  they are not inclined to wait any longer.

Lilly Shoots

A flock of four turkeys took a stroll through the yard yesterday, enjoying the dropped seeds from the bird feeders.

When they became aware of our presence they fanned out their tail feathers - probably to make themselves look larger to any attacking predators.

These were pretty large birds anyways - I wouldn't be surprised if they were well over 20 pounds.  They aren't enjoying the deep snow at all, as heavy birds on tiny feet broke through the soft crust repeatedly, crashing down until their bodies hit the snow. 

By this evening, with another warm, sunny day to strengthen its resolve, Lake Wicwas had taken a little more ground from its nemesis, but it still has a long battle ahead.

April 6, 2014

2014 has been a long winter.