| December 1st |
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand, and for a talk beside the fire. It is the time for home. -- Edith Sitwell (circa 1925) |
| December 2nd | The snowmobile trails officially opened yesterday, but of course that's irrelevant because there's no snow on them. Sigh....... |
| December 3rd and 4th | I have nothing to say. |
| December 5th | The lake is frozen!!!!!! However, did it freeze yesterday (before midnight last night) or today (after midnight)? Considering how much open water was still there when the sun went down yesterday, my feeling is that it froze after midnight, hence today is the day. Click HERE. Ruth D (in California), your guess of December 6th was the closest. Good one Ruth!!!! |
| December 6th | There's a fishing house on Big Jay Gould Lake already. That takes guts!!!! |
| Pearl Harbor Day |
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| December 8th | Here's a random thought. What does it mean when someone (a resorter presumably) says "I finally got my boats out"? Well, it depends upon what time of the year it is. In the spring that means they are in the water; in the fall it means that they're on the shore. Weird, eh? And by the way, "I finally got my boats in" means exactly the same thing. |
| December 9th | As was the case many times last year, there was a gorgeous storm down-state and here we sit........with only a couple of inches of snow. |
| December 10th | 13 below zero this morning.......beware the Pogonip! |
| December 11th | Frosty Featherstone called yesterday, which was a nice surprise. He and his fishing buddies from Indiana haven't been here since August of 2008, but they're thinking about returning next year. I sure hope it works out. Thanks for the chat Frosty. |
| 12/12/12 | January 1, 2001 was the beginning of a series of twelve years which contained the dates 01/01/01, 02/02/02, 03/03/03, etc. respectively. Today (12/12/12) is the last year in the series. Wow! Can it really be that long ago that we were concerned about the Y2K problem???? |
| The Ides | The ice is about 4 inches thick where the front porch usually is; on this date in 2007 it was 9 1/2 inches thick. Of course that year the lake had been frozen for nearly a month already, as oppose to just barely over a week for this year. |
| December 14th | Although the website for Snowmobile and Ski Trail Conditions has not been updated since last winter, I have been told by a Chamber of Commerce person that most of the ski trails have been "packed" but there's not enough snow to put "tracks" in them. That means that they're ski-able but not in real good condition yet. And by the way, I have a couple of cabins open this winter, so if you're interested in a skiing get-away, send me an e-mail (to do that, click HERE) or give me a call (218-328-5037). Did you get that Cindy and Mike? |
| December 15th | I'm not admitting to being an old Scrooge or anything like that, but since Christmas decorations have always been a rarity at LBLR, this is an unusual sight. Thanks for making it for me Shirley. Click HERE. |
| December 16th | Only five more days until the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. So what is the Summer Solstice? The tallest day of the year? (I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't make that up, but I had to say it.) |
| December 17th | The Lord of Misrule, that's today. It's the first day of the Roman festival Saturnalia, which was a period of great feasting and festivity, with a lot of drinking and eating. Slaves would become masters during the festival, and everything was turned upside down. And by the way, happy 79th birthday Larry! |
| December 18th | Big Jay Gould Lake is crawling with ice-fishing houses.......Grumpy Old Men style. |
| December 19th |
Rock on out. -- Janis Joplin (circa 1965) |
| December_20th | There will be further updates as events warrant. |
| Winter Solstice |
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? (Percy Byssche Shelley, circa 1820) Happy Winter Solstice everyone!!! Today is the last day for you generous, independent, and nature-loving (but crude and tactless) Sagittarians, for tomorrow begins the time of the Goat. |
| December 22nd | As it turned out, the world didn't end yesterday (as the Mayans predicted), but Colleen did. Well, she didn't exactly "end" either, but she turned 50 yesterday and a lot of youngsters think that's as good as the end. However, at 50 she's still a youngster in my book. HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY COLLEEN, and thanks for the hospitality. Click HERE. [Thanks for the picture Sandie.] |
| December 23rd | We've caught a lot of deer on our trail-cam, but finally there's something else. A fox! Click HERE. Oh wait, we got this one too but we don't know what it is. Any ideas? Click HERE. But we're going to keep trying for a picture of the bobcat. Thanks Sarge! |
| Christmas Eve |
Morning: Ice fishing houses are blossoming out all over. There are even six of them on Little Bass at the moment. Evening: And the angel said unto her: Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. -- Luke 1:30-33 |
| Christmas Day |
Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior, and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world. -- Presidential message of Calvin Coolidge, (December 25, 1927) |
| Boxing Day | Click HERE. |
| December 27th | Ya know what's the pits? When you start your snowblower in November just to make sure that it's ready to go when the snow flies, and then the first time you need to use it, it wont start. That didn't happen to me but it happened to friend of mine this year. |
| December 28th | The ski trails are still in poor condition, but one can ski on the lake very nicely if one has a mind to. |
| December 29th | As the sign says, HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY ALICE.......but a few days late. Click HERE. |
| December 30th | There are now seven (count 'em, seven) ice fishing houses on Little Bass. |
| New Year's Eve |
New Year's Eve is like every other night. There is no pause in the march of the universe, and no breathless moment of silence among created things to indicate the passage of another twelve months. Yet with the arrival of darkness, no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that he has had on other nights. -- Hamilton Wright Mabie (circa 1890) |
