Winter - and Elliot Lake Comes Alive!!

Winter - and Elliot Lake Comes Alive!!

There are no February Blahs here, up north, in Elliot Lake!

After succumbing to a cold and being a poor little 'shut-in' for the last few days, I just had to get outside - even for just a short excursion.

Spine Beach - our local swimming place (just a 2 minute drive from where we live) - is very different in the winter. During the summer, Mark and I often have the whole beach to ourselves - even when school is out. Not so, in the winter!!! 

What a difference a season doth make!

During the winter season, the parking lot seems to be more full - and the activity on the lake increases. Although it's been unseasonably mild, there is at least 4 inches of solid ice on the lake (according to a very good source), and the ice-huts have been out there for over a week.

Today, we saw quite a lot of activity for a Friday morning, with snowmobile tracks all over the lake, and more people arriving to get out there to do their stuff.

We often sit at this picnic table

It's a family affair! (click pic to watch video)

Taking an augur out to drill the ice-hole

There are several events taking place in Elliot Lake during this season - and the big one, on Horne Lake (here in town,) is the annual Elliot Lake Ice Fishing Derby. 

Ice Fishing Derby, 2014
Courtesy of https://presentlytravelling.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/ice-fishing-derby-2014/

Don't laugh - this year, Mark and I are going to be part of the judging team!!! A first for us! We'll be measuring fish and recording the statistics. It promises to be a lot of fun! I'm sure that pics will be posted.

Snow plows up and ready for action...

Perhaps it's just as well that, next weekend, two of our very dear friends are going to take us on our first ice-fishing trip. Well, that's a first for me - Mark has actually done it before - but he was born here. Coming from England, where the very idea of walking out on a frozen lake was almost anathema, this trip will mark a new milestone on my journey towards fearless bravery!

I'm also in the process of persuading one of our other friends to take me out on their snowmobile!

I can't wait!

You may also enjoy our blog post from last year - 'Walking on Water - Frozen Elliot Lake'

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