After the shopping was done and the chores were finished, my husband and I decided to take a late afternoon walk out on the ice. We had each taken our little dog out earlier, so felt less guilty about leaving her behind, as we knew for sure; she could never handle these temperatures for any length of time.
I've included a picture of me to show you what one needs to dress like to be warm enough (note the fourteen layers and that by the time we were home that hood was up and cinched tight) plus another picture of how quickly the day is over. Remember, I am writing this before 5:00 in the evening, so that speaks for itself. Having lived in Alaska for some time before coming to Maine, I always appreciate what the day has to offer, as those daylight hours can be very short, and should you suffer the woes of seasonal disorder; (thank heavens I do not) you certainly need to pay homage to the sun's presence, no matter how short.
We made the trek out to the middle of the pond to talk with a few of the Ice Fishermen about the day's catch, and to get the latest scoop on what's happening on the pond. We heard that most of the fish were not the coveted rainbow trout that had been stocked in quantity earlier in the year, but only a few "measly yellow perch" had been caught for an entire days effort. However, there was a vast quantity of antifreeze of various brands consumed, as was evident buy the boxes laying about the site surrounding their Ice Shanty.
This is Ice Fishing at it's best or perhaps I should say winter! The last piece of advice one of the fishermen gave was, "A walk around the pond requires at least a fifth, so you shouldn't venture too far away from home without the proper beverages." Probably good advice, as once we made it back home it was getting dark and we were both cold and ready to go in and sit by the fire.
Ahhh, the comforts of winter . . . and now for the impending snowstorm. We are ready and may even drop a line (that's Ice Fishing terminology - and we would hope to see the
flags fly which refers to the tip-up flags that pop up when you have a bite) tomorrow. The "low pressure"; one of the Ice Fishermen told us, would surely help in the fishing, versus the full moon that was messing up today's efforts.
Must go stoke the fire . . .
MJ
Classic Cottage Living (website soon to come)
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I asked if they had all the fixin's to dress up the snowman and found out they have a snowman kit. Now how cool is that? Everything you need to dress your snowman, all in one box: the hat, scarf, charcoal eyes, buttons, carrot nose and even a heart.
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