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Dear Mom and Dad,

11 inches of snow ... we sympathize with you.

We were buried for several days after our storm several weeks ago.  We had ice and high winds, so it turned into a blizzard.

I bet this will slow down your mail delivery.

I wasn't feeling 100% on Saturday, but it felt good to be out on Saylorville Lake.  According to the GPS, I paddled 5.3 miles at an average speed of 3.3 mph.  The GPS keeps track of the total time you are actually moving, and I spent quite a bit of time looking at eagles and chatting with loved ones.

It was such a lovely day.  The air temp was 45, the water temp was 38, and the water was clear and still and undisturbed.  I was fortunate to find a boat ramp to launch, because about half of the lake was still frozen.  I paddled along the ice, across the lake about a mile, then turned south toward the dam.  The ice extended out about a quarter of a mile from the dam, so I turned back north.  

Along the west shore, the eagles were all up in the trees, and I could see them in detail with the binoculars.  It's amazing how they gather, 10-15 at a time, in one area.  I paddled about 2 miles along the shore until I hit the ice that covered the lake to the north.  As I was paddling near the ice line, I saw an eagle standing on the ice, not more than 100 feet away.  
 

According to the GPS, the ice started about 1.5 miles to the south of the mile long bridge across the center of the lake.  It extended all the way up the lake, another 5 miles or so to the Des Moines river.  So there was nothing to do but return to Cherry Glen, and I followed the GPS fix right in to the shore...no question about where the boat ramp was, this time.  It was great to have the reassurance that I could get an immediate fix on the return point.  Things look very much the same with those distances, and with the snow and ice all along the shore.  Also, I had to come at the shore from the right angle, or I would have run into the ice.

The little GPS has enhanced the boating experience beyond belief.  I can relax and enjoy the blue of the sky, the warm gentle wind, and the beauty of the limestone cliffs, and take time to commune with the eagles, knowing exactly where I am, how fast I'm rowing, where I'm headed, and how long it will take to get there.

So, Saylorville Lake (all 5,500 acres) belongs to the winter kayaker in March.  By June, the boaters will whip the lake into 3-5 foot waves and do their best to swamp sailboaters.  They have no idea the majestic beauty of nature that they trample so mindlessly.

So take care.  Pictures and a super tape of the big band concert are soon to come your way.

Love,

Gigs and Megs