Day One: May 17
The large ice pack glistens white out on the main part of Lac des Milles Lac where a brisk northwest wind slowly erodes it, sending chunks across the lake. One of these ice patches pushes against the shore in front of our cabin, its combination of melting ice and small waves creating a lovely melodic tinkle.
We’ve just arrived at Lac, and my first impulse was to run down the path to see the lake. Abby, the lab/retriever, and Magoo, the pug, race ahead. When I reach the shore I stand, awed by the sight of this vast beautiful lake.
Abby drinks heartily of the ice cold water and walks onto the surface of a small ice floe she mistakes for solid ground. “Better watch out,” I tell her. “The water’s awfully cold for a swim.”
Realizing that the surface beneath her is sinking, she leaps back to shore and joins Magoo who hates getting his feet wet, and is sitting on the nearby deck, probably dreaming of dinner. I take a few more minutes to drink in the beauty, then head back up the hill to the cabin.
It’s the Canadian fishing opener and also our first trip to Lac des Milles Lac since late last autumn. The brutal winter took its toll, and Dick and I have been unable to get here for one reason or another. Hearing the enchanting ice music makes me realize again just how much I love this place.
Although we perform many settling-in chores, our big interest for the rest of the day is ice-watching. What will that huge body of ice do, and when will it melt? The sun rises higher in the sky, changing the ice pack from white to gray. Fishing boats station themselves near its edges. Towards evening we surmise that the wind had moved a large portion of ice into nearby Maki Bay and wonder if any boats were trapped, but closer inspection shows the fading daylight has rendered the water with a paler color than normal. The ice pack remains far out on the lake. Day Two: May 18
Morning temp is 40F. No wind to speak of, and ice across the lake stays where it is. The stuff in front of our cabin has dissipated, not to be replaced, although smaller pieces of gray rotting ice float past throughout the day.
The lake is perfectly calm on this sunny morning. Several loons call across the lake, and at eight o’clock a.m., as if on command, five fishing boats crisscross the shining still waters, verging near but staying away from the big ice pack which still dominates the lake.
It doesn’t melt today, but if I’m looking for signs of spring, a butterfly landed on my hand. Day Three: May 19
I wake to the sound of loon calls and several new songbird tunes. When I look out the window to determine if the big ice pack is still out there, I can’t see it. But that doesn’t mean it’s gone. This morning’s sky is gray with a light cloud cover, and the lake looks the same, so I can’t tell if ice still remains in the distance or its shimmering water.
Later, when the sky briefly clears, I see the ice. But with today’s temperatures reaching 60F, it won’t be long.
By mid-afternoon, a southwest wind builds in strength, and soon all the ice is gone.
Summer is officially here.
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