Headwind Skiing

Today is the last day that we will be in the double digits for a while, so we hit the lake for a quick run across. Going out was into a 15 mph headwind. I had to put my hood up, which is a rarity! It was slow going into the wind, but the snow was fresh and we were still able to glide a little bit.

The run back gave us a 15 mph tailwind. What a difference!

 

Outburst Flood

The water from the water main break ran for at least four hours. Most of it ran into the alley behind the building and down the storm sewer and into the lake at the end of our street. There it carved/melted channels in the ice. From the shore all the way out to the dock was a big puddle of flood water.

Despite the ice being 18" thick before this, the entire area is now ringed by some very substantial Thin Ice signs. 

 

Valentine's Day Water Main Break

While we were in IL disaster struck the building on the corner that is home to our coffee shop, used bookstore, and fancy restaurant. Sometime during the night a water main in the middle of the street burst and broke thru and washed out the foundation wall. As the basement filled up, the building lost its heat and pipes on the second floor froze and burst so that there is also water damage from above. At its worst, there was a foot of water on the main floor pouring out thru all the cracks and crannies.

The building is currently uninhabitable. Hopefully it will be salvageable! We love our little mom & pop shops! The water backed up the drains and also flooded the basement of the building next door that has our convenient pizza shop and our favorite florist (best florist in the city). The loss was a double whammy for the restaurant and florist, as this happened on Valentine's Day.

The city busses were diverted down our street. Funny how it seemed like one was going by every three minutes, but when you're waiting for one, they take forever.

 

Beat the Storm

We got an early start on the drive home in order to beat a snowstorm. We got home at 1:00, and it started snowing at 1:05. Not bad!

S was grateful to be home and resuming his long-walk routine. Doing it in the snow made it even better.

 

Basement Cleanup

We hit Nana's house for a few days to help her get a leg up on the process of moving. We went thru the basement and cleared out a few things.

We found a scrap dealer that was excited to haul off a few hundred pounds of metal.

In all, we made four fully-loaded trips to Goodwill in Freeport and filled 20+ garbage bags. The basement looks great!

 

Patent #3

The patent we filed in 2021 was published last month! It's for an optical navigation system for a robotic mower. This is my third patent. All are about lawnmowers, electronics, and software; none of which were on my radar when I was in college.

 

Skiing in the Snow

We were so excited to finally have some snow again! We have been snowless for most of the winter. We got 4" of light fluffy powder. As soon as it was deep enough, we walked down to the lake and set our sights on the other side. We couldn't see the other side, due to the snow, but we knew the general direction to go.

The Art Shanty Project was still going on - what a perfect day for it! Going across was into the wind and literally blinding snow. We had the wind at our back on the way home and it was so much easier to see.

 

Snowy Dogwalk

Finally! We got more than a dusting of snow! All the dogs were out on the lake running free.

S gets to run free, but he has to drag his leash behind him.

Stillwater

We took the boys out to Stillwater to check out the town; they had never been there.

After a week of temps in the 40s, the snow sculptures were struggling to maintain their form.

We ducked into the Tilted Tiki to get out of a full-on snowstorm.

 

Minnows on Ice

Q: What is better than playing fetch with a stick out on the ice? 

A: Finding a bunch of minnows frozen on the ice!

 

Lake Sunrises

Our morning dog walk now has a segment on the ice where we stop to enjoy the sunrise. I've tried to show up when the sun is aligned with the fishing dock, but I'm either too early or too late.

The bandshell and city skyline are bathed in sunlight fifteen minutes before the rest of the lake.

 

Cutest Puppy Contest

Sadly, the Klondike sled dog race on Lake Minnetonka was canceled (again). Last year it was a lack of ice. This year it was a lack of snow. Despite this setback, they still put on the Cutest Puppy contest to raise money. It was moved to a new larger venue to accommodate the crowd. Last year there were twenty-something puppies; this year there were almost 50. Last year it was inside; this year it was outside and it was 24 °F, snowing, blowing at 25 mph with 35 mph gusts. I ended up getting the pair of mittens I had been wanting.

 

No Lake Driving

We went out to Excelsior and the boys treated us to lunch at our favorite pizza place. No one was up for driving out on the lake. As this car drove by, you could hear the creaks, cracks, and groans of the ice beneath it.

 

Book Reading Season

January kicks off book reading season. I got a new Kindle for X-Mas and it has a backlit screen that makes it usable in dim light. It's wonderful!

Don't let the scarf fool you. When the afternoon sun comes in and the doors are closed, the sunroom is like a greenhouse.

 

Frosty Mornings

We had a few mornings where the temp was -18 °F and a 20 mph breeze. Those dog walks were short. Once the wind died down, it was still cold, but very pleasant. The creek coming out of the lake was steaming and full of ducks. The steam from the creek coated everything on the banks with ice and frost.