The End of a Season - Beginning of a Thaw

So, I’m somewhat unlike most females I know. I’ll happily go out in public in jogging pants, no makeup, and uncombed hair. I don’t really talk about what are typically considered female topics very often, although I have the capacity to speak about most. I really don’t like to shop much. I’ve never had the maternal urge to have children. I strongly dislike soap operas, daytime television, and romance novels. I do like watching Oprah, however.

I love hockey and baseball. I REALLY love football. I play fantasy football and have my own team. I am the person who got my husband interested in fantasy football. I can talk pretty in-depth about the current mediocrity of the Minnesota Wild, or the Minnesota Vikings’ need of a starting defensive end, and not so much about breast pumps, the latest fashions, or the latest Hollywood gossip. I love muscle cars!

I also love to fish. I REALLY love to ice fish. And, I REALLY, REALLY love to ice fish for crappies.

When our permanent ice-fishing house goes out on the lake every year there is great rejoicing in Whoville. Both Jeff and I both believe that our fish house was one of the best pieces of recreational equipment that we ever purchased, and will never be without one. It is easy to put out on the lake and easy to take back in again.

It has many of the comforts of home – at least a home on the ice. We spend many hours each winter sitting in the house, heater at full tilt, Ipod playing our favorite music, and our beverages of choice, which changes based upon the day of the week. (Coffee during the week nights - we generally don’t drink alcohol during the week, but on the weekends, we’ll have an alcoholic beverage or two.) We have great conversations, and it is our little respite from the world. Even if no fish are caught, a day in the fish house is still a great day.

About two weeks ago, by regulation, we had to take our fish house off of the lake. Now, normally, this annual ritual is generally full of sadness. For me, it marks the end of the ‘fun’ time of winter, and the beginning of the time between winter and spring where I really can’t do much of anything except dodge sloppy, muddy puddles caused by the melting snow, and wash my car a couple of times a week to keep off the coating of salt.

This year, however, I’m not as sad as I usually am. For those of you who live in Minnesota/North Dakota, you know how categorically unpleasant this winter has been; very cold, very windy (like my blog), and not so much snow. We had –25 degree nights even as late as last week. The regular high during the day is supposed to be 32 degrees. Last week, it didn’t even get to 0 some days.

So, my heart wasn’t quite as heavy as I watched Jeff back the fish house down the driveway and park it next to the garage. It is supposed to be in the upper 20’s to lower 30’s this weekend, which is ideal for sitting on the ice and fishing for the elusive crappie without the need of a fish house. I’ll have to put on some sunscreen or my face will likely get sunburned.

Keep your chins up, northern people. Warmer weather is just around the corner.