19 DEGREES OUTSIDE

Yes, it was 19 degrees outside today with the sun shining and the sky clear.  The fish weren't biting as well as they should have been (or was it the "catching" of the fishermen that wasn't so good) but such an enjoyable couple of days on the ice it was. 

So with just a few perch in the pail, I decided to sit outside of my fish house in the afternoon and "rough it" instead of sitting inside of my 70 degree home-away-from-home.  What an enjoyable winter this has been so far.

THE SOUND OF ICE

You've heard “The Sound of Music”, right? Well did you know that the ice on a frozen lake makes beautiful music too? And by beautiful music I mean crashing crescendos, explosive cracking, painful popping, and giant groaning. No, not even my feeble attempt to use descriptive words comes close to describing the sounds that ice makes. If you haven't heard the sounds first hand, you wouldn't know what I am trying to describe.

I would liken it to, perhaps, the sound of an avalanche, which of course most of us have not heard first hand or up close. Or maybe the sound of a giant glacier when it calves. That sound I have heard while in Alaska. But I was so far away that I had no way of appreciating the sound it must have made up close. I could also describe it as the power and rumbling of an earthquake, several of which I have been through. The only way I can describe the sound that ice makes, though, is to think of the wildest 4^th of July pyrotechnic show you have ever been to. Or the most severe summertime thunderstorm you have ever experienced. Perhaps, even, if both of those events were happening at the very same time, you would come close to what the sound of ice moving and building on a cold night would sound like.

As I lay in my bunk one night when the temperature was well below zero, the lake came alive. When ice is forming, or “building” it expands and contracts. It's hard to understand the awesome force and power that a chunk of ice can have. The LOUD popping, cracking and groaning is perhaps like all of the above sounds put together. Especially when you hear the crack starting in the distance and the sound of the crack gets closer and closer and finally the crack goes right under the fish house and the house shakes a bit. I closed my eyes as the groaning, popping and crashing started and visualized a fireworks show that went right along with the sounds....Ooooh,.... Ahhh, isn't DAKOTA LIFE great ! !

FISHING DEVILS LAKE

The Devils Lake Volunteer Fire Department's annual ice fishing tournament was a great success in that many fish were caught and between four thousand to five thousand participants were involved. Not only that but the weather was so good. Yes, there were a couple of snow showers that weekend but the temperatures were in the 30s during the day.

Even though sufficient fish were caught to make the tournament a success, overall the catching was a little slow on the lake. By slow I mean that the Walleyes that I caught were mostly pretty small. Usually the Walleye population in the lake is quite substantial in size. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago an eleven plus pound Walleye was caught near to where I was set up. Devils Lake was once renowned for its jumbo Perch too. I did catch one of these jumbos on this trip and that is always a thrill to pull one of those up through the hole in the ice.

LIVING ON THE ICE

Four days of living in my fish house on the ice of Devils Lake this last week of January, 2012 was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in quite a while. The peace, the quiet, watching the snow fall and then blow into drifts across the lake. I don't need to go far to enjoy God's wonderful creation and enjoy the LIFE here in DAKOTA !

I realize that some people wouldn't think that spending several days sitting on top of twenty inches of ice which is floating on forty feet of water is anything but enjoyable. But as I have always said, “I love the challenge of something different and new experiences”. Especially when it involves the outdoors!!

I might have had a different outlook if I had been out there last year (or the past several years for that matter) since it was such a severe winter those years. But this year has been so nice and mild. Yes, I thank God for blessing me with being able to enjoy the solitude and beauty of his wonderful creation.

BUCKET LIST

OK, another item can be crossed off my bucket list!!! That's right. The Devils Lake Volunteer Fire Department's annual ice fishing tournament was held this weekend: always the last weekend of January. I have always purchased an entry ticket in years past but “things” always got in the way for me to go to it. Some years it was prior obligations, some years it was the weather and some years I just didn't feel like it. The entry ticket not only got you into the tournament, but also made you eligible for the door prize drawings which this year amounted to $190,000 in prizes.

As most of you know, I am not a fan of big crowds and this event draws a VERY LARGE crowd. So I was quite happy to just be there but not necessarily participate in the shoulder to shoulder fishing contest consisting of several thousand fishermen. No, I was happy enough to just be on Devils Lake, if nothing else to be able to say, “I was there during the tournament”.

Shoulder to shoulder fishing!

Besides that, I am always looking for something new and different to do and to take advantage of seeing new sights and experiences. Also, I've always heard about the excellent fishing there, so I hooked up my fish house and headed out!

New Belt?????

I don't mean to be bragging or boastful but rather to give thanks to Creator God for the encouragement he has given me through my blessed family and my many friends.  For the past nine months I have purposed to get back down to the weight at which I feel most comfortable.  So far I have met two of my goals and wondering now whether I should shoot for my high school weight!!!!!

When my health was threatened by the excess poundage that I found and held onto over the past couple of years,  I had no choice.  I recently had another major physical (thanks to Medicare which I am now on) and was found to be on the road to good health with a re-newed spring in my step. 

Yes, I suppose a new belt is in order since I am running out of space for new holes!!!

NOW THIS IS REALLY EMBARRASSING ! ! I thought I'd look through my picture file to find a before photo to use as a comparison to the photo that I took today. I found one of me at work taken in August of 2010, six months before I started taking care of myself. I really hesitated posting it. But since I will NEVER look like this again, here it is.......UFFDA ! ! !

Red Sky

Red sky at night,
Sailor's delight.

A fisherman's delight as well.....

When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’.  Matt. 16:2