This is the usual school vacation, Presidential holiday, middle of winter week in Maine. To celebrate a year of coronia, they have also made this week the free-ice-fishing week where one does not have to buy a fishing license (as if any Mainer would anyway!). Here is a couple of the free fishermen (image left). The most sophisticated piece of equipment they have is a summer chair.

You can see snow-machine (snow mobile) tracks as well. The continuous freezing temperatures we now experience have allowed the common people to ice fish and the snow-machiners to travel over the lakes with less chance of falling in.

While the media has suggested that the Pandemic has inspired people to frequent the outdoors this winter in greater numbers, the volume of snow-machiners in our neighborhood has been near-zero until the week-long freezing weather has arrived. The wet trails and modest snow cover have been neutralized.

The only benefit for us is the snow-machines pack down the trail and we do not have to resort to snow shoes when we go out on hikes. The snow cover has just recently reached a point where we would need to use the snow shoes. I have been slow to try them since I am not sure how the Kayla dog will behave with me plodding behind her with the shoes on.