The annual freeze-up isolation

The big ice freeze is going pretty fast this year. After a few starts and stops, we got a good covering of ice over the lake early Saturday morning, November 23rd. Because it was so cold -- nearly 0 degrees Fahrenheit -- overnight that night, the ice was thick enough for us to take the sparks out on Sunday morning. We stayed close to shore, of course.

The ice this year, with no snow yet, is an ice-skater's paradise. Sparks are the next best thing -- and much safer!












This morning -- Tuesday, November 26th, two days before Thanksgiving -- Gary did his daily check of the ice thickness. It's already about 5 inches thick, which is unusually fast, from 0 to 5 inches in 4 days. Normally, the ice thickens at a rate of about 1/2" per day. This year, the temperature has been in the single digits, and it sure speeds up the ice-making. And it's been LOUD! I woke up in the middle of the night to a constant roaring, groaning sound, and realized it was the lake, making ice. I would love to see a video of what that must look like from under the water.

It's likely safe enough to cross on, but we'll wait one more day before trying it out. We're never in a hurry to rejoin the world this time of year.

One unfortunate incident has happened during this freeze-up isolation: the pump on our septic system went on the fritz. So it's back to outhouse living until we can get a technician out to replace it. Last night we took a sauna, followed by an outdoor shower in the cold wind. It was actually kind of pleasant, maybe because we were both long overdue for a shower.

We haven't run out of anything yet -- not even milk -- and it looks like we likely won't, at this rate of ice-making.