Sunday Stroll: Winter Lake

We departed for the Big Lake right after church. Partly because at that location we are already 1/3 of the way there, and partly because the temperature was in the 50's, and mostly because we hadn't the opportunity to go since the big ice storm. We assumed if anything catastrophic had occurred on our property, a neighbour would have alerted us.

It has been many years since we stopped in during Christmas Week, not since the year Chap's sister spent a super-white holiday with us. Usually we don't go up till February.

At the tip of the Bay we found ice cover, though not yet thick enough to support the seasonal airstrip, or any ice fishermen's bob houses. The farther up the Bay we drove, the less ice we saw. Our bit of the Bay has open water still.



The trees on our hillside offer good shelter from snow, not much cover. At this time of year, the entire cottage--stretching across the ridge--is visible from the dock. In summer the foliage conceals a part of it.



Down by the water, our dock wears a dripping, icy skirt.



And the rocks are decorated with a dripping fringe of icicles.



The red berries look very festive round Ruth's favourite swimming spot.



Icebergs were floating up the Bay.



Before we leave, I perform my ritualistic "tossing rock to break up ice floes" routine.



Up on the path, we find mysterious scat. Much too big for a deer. We don't know what it was, but something used our property as a lavatory.



On our road we saw only one of our year-round neighbours--met him twice, as we drove in and as we drove out.

The village is very quiet and still at this time of year. It will be busier when the ice is all the way in.

For other strolls, head in this direction!