Reporting from the banks of the frozen Oswegatchie. This past weekend a slow warm-up moved through Wanakena bringing with it overcast and windy weather, temperatures at ten below zero this past Friday morning and 50 degrees by Monday. Rain all day Tuesday – you could taste melting snowpack in the air. Mild and uneventful Wednesday. The warm spell was brief and made a but a minor dent in the local snowpack. This weekend looks like it’ll get back down close to zero at night. Today into tomorrow BLIZZARD. We’re expected to get around a foot of the fluffy stuff. As the post office opens today the plows are pushing sloppy mash of wet snow and sand. The ground still being warm as well as the melted snow from the warm spell has created quite the heavy hellish mush. Should be nice and cozy at Black Waters Café and Trading Post tonight during the BLIZZARD for PIZZA AND WING NIGHT (every Thursday 6-10). Sounds splendid! WINTER2020 had started out unseasonably warm with some iffy snow here and there and then a warmup and then some snow and then a warmup. AND THEN FEBRUARY HAPPENED. Snow, cold, snow cold with minimal warm spells! All the snow we have (see picnic table photo below) is a result of accumulation through February. And more snow we get!
OTTO’S ABODE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE: A CELTIC CEILIDH. Rick Kovaks and friends will perform LIVE Irish and Scottish tunes and keep the crowd fed with scones and corned beef and cabbage. Refreshments – beer, tea, etc… - will be served! Sound excellent, Rick! So, grab a friend and head on down to Otto’s Abode the Monday evening before St. Patricks’ Day. Event donations accepted.
Car bridge construction continues - on and off all week roads around the car bridge were temporarily closed as power crews strung and repositioned new wires and fixtures associated with the new telephone poles that were put in last week. HEADS UP!
Wednesday. Pileated woodpecker flashes out from behind a tree. Rain yesterday and near 50 degrees. Straightaway sections of the Oswegatchie along the Moore trail are frozen over. Sections were the river makes abrupt turns and bend show exposed portion of river. Large shelves of old ice hang alongside the frozen rushing water. There is a lot of Ice. Water level appears low, ice is about a foot thick. The air is thick with melting snow vapor, but the temperature is cooling off. Fluffy snow flutters down filling in old crusty footprints made by some sort of canine. Surface of snow covered with crusty dusty old dirty and stick-y. Deep hard pack snow one could walk upon had not the that thaw occurred. Will all be buried in a foot of snow tomorrow.
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: There are currently NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
Any questions, comments, concerns, trail condition inquiries, legends, jokes, animal sightings, etc… feel free to email otto@ottosabode.org or call 3158483008 or pop-in the shop!
All for now!
One more thing! This Saturday, Feb 29th, 6pm. Star Lake Arena. "A SALUTE TO HEROES" CLIFTON-FINE FIGURE SKATERS 42nd ANNUAL SHOW.
And! Fine Fire Dept Chicken BBQ Saturday 29th. Noon till gone.