April Wamhoff

The annual temporary flight from the island has long since happened to this bird.  I’ve returned to my period of town-er residency and am again, not so patiently, waiting.  Still, I’m finding lots of things to do while Lake Vermilion freezes up.
This year, I started my town-er residency right around the start of rifle season. With the longer-than-normal fall weather and open water, it seemed a little early, but sometimes life gets in the way of best made plans. Gosh, I never even got to break any ice with the boat! Nope, not even once! Certainly, an unforgettable year.
To be sure, moving off is always a big job. The docks must go up, else you do not have any docks in the spring. It’s a job I hate but I always have the help of my dad, my fellow island lover, Brandon and, this year, my sister, Shannon. What a treat!   Every year we try to make the job easier, and her new eyes on the job really did advance the cause.
Every year I think I’ll be ready for the move, but no. The docks went up and, as usual, I forgot any number of things. Fortunately, with the earlier exit, I was able to boat back home and pick them up this year. That’s a luxury I usually don’t have.
The weather was so nice. Oh gosh, the fall walks with the dogs were great! Now, ya can’t do that on an island! Oh sure, you can watch the fall changes, but walks are a bit limited.
There were the hunting widows craft fairs! Oh, I’m not a professional like some people but I did check out the local spots. The Lutheran church had some must-haves and a great take-home dinner. And I checked out the Catholic church for some great soup and, dare I say, some totally health-conscious cookies.
 And now, the holiday season is upon us. Despite challenging road conditions from the first snow, we managed to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with friends. The Christmas decorations are up and the presents are a-gathering under the tree.
And, yup, with all the activities and busyness, it has happened. Lake Vermilion has frozen over. Shore to shore, and even the last holdout, Big Bay. I’ve seen some portable icehouses out there and I hear tell there’s six inches of ice in some places. It won’t be long before any variety of winter machines are out there. And count me among them. I can’t wait to check out things at home.