Spring Trek II : The Wrath of Winter
April 15th through 17th   
A sure sign of Spring in the northwoods is the opening of the Nicolet Country Club.  On Friday, after bundling up, we were on the freshly opened links.
The water hazard on 7 is not so bad this time of year.
During the wee hours of Saturday morning, Winter tapped Spring on the shoulder and said, "Nice weather you got there, be a pity if anything happened to it.".  Spring, having just paid it's income taxes, did not have the money to pay Winter for "protection".  Spring was last seen being stuffed into the back of a car that then sped away from the scene.  If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Spring, contact your local meteorologist.
The sugarmen were getting about 125 gallons of sap a day from the snow free woods.  Much was boiled down on Friday night.  We looked forward to not having to wear heavy boots while collecting pancake sauce precursor on Saturday, secure in the knowledge that Spring was finally here.
With the brutally cold temperatures came snow.
And wind. 
The wind would swirl down from the hills, picking up snow and sending the resulting "snow devil" crashing on to the shore and into the faces of those watching too closely.
The taps were not completely unaffected.
Ferns were not happy.
Heavy booted gatherers pulled 116 gallons of slushy sap from frozen buckets.
There is 17 inches of ice on the lake.  No ice-out today.
Last year the stream in the northeast corner of the lake was dry. This year, not so much.  It's higher than anytime in the recent past.
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I hate Second Winter.  There's about 4 inches of fresh snow on the lake with another heavy foot or so possibly arriving Tuesday night.  Yeah...no wait, boo.  Hiss.  Someone get a hook and pull Winter off the stage.  It looks like there will be another week of sapping added to the already extended season.

-Nemo, instead of cursing the cold, lit a candle.  A "snow devil" blew it out.