Checked the ice—only two inches thick 5 feet from shore and only 3.5 inches 12 feet from shore off the end of the dock. Deer are walking on the ice okay, but I would be hesitant to walk near the beaver lodge if it is thin enough for beavers to break through it,
Beaver Lodge which is what I think happened because there is a wet spot on the ice at the bottom of the trails going up the lodge. It reached 40 degrees Fahrenheit today, so the trails look darker due to snow melting, but I can’t say for sure that beavers did not sneak some mud up from the wet spot near the lower left part of the lodge. I’d love to look for tracks.
I’m writing this early tonight because it is the annual get-together of all the churches in Ely called the Thanksgathering, organized by the long-time vice chairman of the Bear Center in its early days. Donna is baking for it. Judy McClure feels good enough to play a couple piano pieces. Choirs from several churches do numbers in turn. It’s a happy time of thanksgiving and seeing old friends that a hermit like me seldom sees. It starts at 6 PM. Heading home soon.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center