Ice Out Update #5

I suppose the weather in the spring is always variable. Yesterday was pleasant and sunny, now today after some rain I’m getting pelted in the face with snow flurries. Such fun! Perhaps a good day to spend some time on the computer updating the ice out situation…….

Well the ice is starting to look like a bit more rain and wind will move things along pretty quick. The downside is the forcast this week is a bit on the cool side. The docks are in various states of needing to be organized.

Speaking of docks, if you recall we had some dredging work done last fall……but unfortunately the longer reach hoe was down for repairs. What was improved however was the space around the three floaters to the left of the photo. Boats should now be able to get their bows closer to shore……the water is deeper and the giant boulders have been relocated.

This week I need to hook up the bigger floating dock to a permanent shore ramp. With the dredging last year I needed to come up with a way to support the shore part. Here our son-in-law Jason fabricated some screw in posts that will do the trick.

These are going to be the “cat’s ass”……….why that phrase has such a meaning is beyond me.

Speaking of cats……and maybe dogs, here’s Jackie who we were watching for a few weeks. She ended up wearing the “tracking collar of shame” after a couple unauthorized visits to the Coop in town. Very naughty!

So before I get too far off topic, let’s revisit the whole ice out contest. To date at least 50% of the predictions have been wrong (April and early May guesses)…..which means only half the pack is still in contention to win. If you’ve been lounging in the weeds, holding back on your guess, this is probably the time to make you killer move. Give me a a shout, vbay@drytel.net, to stake your claim.

What, pray tell, does this gas tank photo have to do with anything? You may have noticed, with all the winning going on, that gas prices have been somewhat bull-ish. In our area the current price is around $2.00 / liter which, based on my limited math skills works out to about $5.63 U.S per US gallon. That’s pretty hefty. So what does that mean in terms of VBL? So last time the gas prices spiked I had a surcharge to cover the increase……..in most cases it amounted to around $50 CDN. for the week (per rental boat)……..so divided by the two or three people in the boat it was quite minimal. What if I’m bringing my own boat, you may be wondering? Obviously my gas will reflect the new prices, but I’ve never really marked up my gas (maybe 5 cents a liter) so I’m basically passing it on for the price I pay……plus I only use non-ethanol regular fuel, which I think is better for most engines. Bottom line is, while I can’t control the cost of travel to get to VBL, I think the fuel end here is only a small part of the equation………so let’s get fishing!