Manitou Speaks

These winter nights--starting with the last full moon--you would think we had a pride of lions living on the eastern shore. That is the sound of pack ice on the move--the sound of a lion's roar in the distance. Some times it comes in stereo, as the ice movement goes shore to shore. No wonder the Pottawatomie believed spirits lived in this lake.

Though we have been below freezing for many days, an area has opened up near the channels--open water surrounded by eight inch thick ice. There is much to learn about the dynamic of ice on water in the winter. For us at the moment, it means finding a safe detour to shore.