Friday, March 7, 2014

Fun Comparison

 Daylight savings starts this weekend.  Whoop!  I am a fan!  I wouldn't mind if we used daylight savings year around.  
 This has been a record breaking winter for us in northern WI.  The frigid temperatures along with a huge amount of snow has caused difficulties for some. There have been roof collapses in the area with some of them being business's. Along with some of the human population suffering, the critters are suffering also.  The whitetail deer, turkey just to name a couple. Along with the creatures above ground, the ones below the ice are also getting hit hard this winter. Some of the lakes are suffering fish kill due to freeze out. I know this to be true because I witnessed it first hand. 

I was on a five mile snowshoe hike on February 2nd when I snapped this picture. This is a spring hole near shore on one of the area lakes. The fish in the lake were running out of oxygen.  The hole was full of fish squirming like a can of worms or a snake nest. Freeze out is what locals call it. This happens because the weeds provide oxygen to the lake are dying this winter from the lack of sunlight..  The sun usually can penetrate the snow and ice to keep the weeds alive during most winters.  This year we had a small layer of ice and then we were smacked with a heavy snow which caused a layer of slush, which then froze another layer of ice and more heavy snow on top of that. No sunlight to the weeds...weeds die...too little oxygen in lake...fish die. Disclaimer, I am no expert, but this is what I understand happens.

OK...just a little fun comparison here.  The pic above is from a recent ride.
hehehe...Same spot earlier this fall.  

It is another great day here in the northland! 
Lets get outdoors and have some fun!!

Thanks for reading


6 comments:

  1. You should start a natural history blog. I learn something new from each of your posts about the outdoors.

    Cheers

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    1. Thanks biciak! My family history goes back many years in this region. I wish I had written things down that the Grandparents told me.

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  2. I learned something, too, from this post. Sad for the fish suffering from lack of oxygen. And for the other wild critters finding life more difficult this winter.

    On a different subject, are you doing the Fat Bike Birkie tomorrow? We are helping out at an aid station.

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    1. Thanks Bike Barb! I am not riding the Birkie, although I really get the itch to ride events like these again. It is great that you folks are helping out...doesn't surprise me :-) How did the Kortelopet go for you? I bet you had FUN!!!

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    2. Had a good Korte. Felt more confident than last year and was happy to be able to improve my time.

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  3. Very interesting...CAD

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