Today is a nice, bright, sunshiny day, but in mid-afternoon the temperature was still only +3, and the north wind coming in over the lake is bitterly cold. It was down to -10· last night; some of these lows are breaking hundred-year-old records!

It got down to –12·C early Thursday morning.  We left early for Tisdale and had to scrape the car windshield. The temperature came up to +5 or +6, but that strong southeast wind made one want to stay indoors. I'll swear it's colder when the temperature is around the freezing point with a wind than when it gets down to –40. It's a lot more fun going for a walk when it's –40.

Yesterday was the first day of the new fishing season, but I haven't seen any sign of activity on the lake. I thought some of them would be hauling their fishing shacks out again, but they must have had enough butt-freezing before the last season ended.

We don't see many moose these days. The ticks appear to have run their course and the animals will be getting their strength back. When the tick infestation was at its worst, the animals hung around on the edge of the bush, likely looking for some warmth from the sun as their hair was pretty well rubbed off.

We used to think that moose would get rid of ticks by getting into the water when the sloughs broke up; lately, the people who know around the coffee table say that the ticks run a normal course, and will drop off when the time comes. If they drop off when the ground is covered with snow, they perish; if the fall on bare ground, they lay eggs and next winter we can expect to see another infestation.

Another sign of spring - vehicles parked at or near the Park Café, and the Park Store. Rose Steadman plans to open the Park Store on Thursday the 16th, just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend. Lilianne Russell usually opens the Beach Café in time for Mothers' Day, so would expect her to be open on May 10th or 11th.

I checked a few past Reports to see when the ice went off the lake. In 1998, it was April 22nd; in 1999, it was April 25th; in 2000, it was April 20. I didn't have a record for last year, but it seems to me it was quite warm in April; the ice likely went out about the same time. Right now, the only place there is any open water is in the Marina; none at all around the edge by our place. In the past, there has been a time or two when there was still a bit of ice floating around on the Victoria Day weekend. I hope this isn't another.

Fisherman's Cove held their Open House yesterday; free coffee and pastries, and an all-day smorg. By any measure, it was a huge success; lots of people going through, much positive feedback, and a great visiting time. People started arriving about eleven and the place was hopping from then on. The kitchen staff was kept busy trying to keep up to the demand, and several of us acted as greeters and tour guides.