In Five Days

This will be a rather long photo post. In just five days the lake has gone from open to closed. I was hoping to kayak in snow, but I didn't really want to go through ice to do it. The first photos are on October 14th just after 7 pm. 

I had decided I should go out on the water while I could and while there was distracted by styrofoam bits floating on the water. I was confused as to why the stuff was coming out from inside the pallet. It was making a mess in the water and I didn't want any of the ducks to try to eat it. I scooped it up for the trash. 

This is what I found when I flipped the pallet over. I was very annoyed! I will staple a 'covering' of plastic on it and maybe that will help protect it. 

 As you can see, it was nice enough to go out in a tank top! I did have a sweatshirt with me and added it before too long. Once that sun went down behind the trees, it got quite chilly!!!

On Tuesday, one of our friends from the Senior Center came over to trim trees and take out the downed one. Jim was a blessing for doing this for us. It was cold out, but more crisp than numbing. 

 I was so glad he took out this dadburn bush thing. I'd tried using an axe on it last summer. Or was it the summer before? No matter, it is now shorn down!

 This is the most surprising part of the yard now. I hadn't noticed how tall these trees were getting. Now they are stumps!

 Several of the wild flower seeds I'd planted were finally blooming. There were tiny blossoms here and there. I'm hoping for more next year.

 I was told to not do any of the larger pieces. He'd get to them after he was done trimming. Jim was surprised I loaded them all. I told him I was a short violet, not a shrinking one.

 See how different it looks????????

This was today. October 19. The lake had ice on the edges a few days ago, then there was ice in just the center. Wednesday and Thursday, it was mostly covered. The neighbor's had some clear water and there was a bit up at the top of the key. I opted to put up the kayak anyway. 

 When I flipped it over, it was camouflaged! I didn't scrape it off, I figured I'd let it warm up a bit inside the garage before cleaning. The frozen mosses were fairly secure on the fiberglass!

So ends another season on the lake. The ducks are almost all gone, the few left huddle in the clear water. I reckon they'll leave for warmer climes soon. 

I'll follow them, eventually. Maybe! Gary's Weather station reads a high of 64 today and now it is in the 40's. He does have a reading of 74, but not sure when that was. Perhaps Athena's fall is further away than Halloween this year!