FINGERS ON ICE

As I’ve mentioned, DH and our sons enjoy ice fishing.  I’ve gone with them enough to know for certain that I don’t have the same metabolism to tolerate sitting still for extended periods in temperatures well below freezing no matter how warm I’m dressed.  However, if I’m moving around enough to keep my blood circulating, as in cross-country skiing, I can enjoy outings in winter weather.

So I told the guys I’d like to tag along on an ice fishing trip but I’d take my snowshoes and wander around taking photos while they fished.

 While they drilled holes and baited poles on a reservoir so close to the dam that water didn’t freeze, I put chemical hand heaters in my gloves and stuffed my gloved hands into mittens with chemical heaters in the end.

 Before I could snowshoe down where they were, Beavis had landed a big trout he caught while waiting for holes to be drilled in the ice.

 The guys were where the fish were hanging out and had their hooks baited with an irresistible combination of worms and magic juice.

 The fish were getting hooked so often I decided to stay around and film the action.

My big problem was working my cameras.  My cell phone’s touch screen meant using bare fingers.  Not fun.  My little Canon Powershot’s batteries faded fast in the cold.  Even my Nikon wouldn’t shoot at its usual speed in the icy air.

 Still there was plenty of action from the guys on ice.  So I did what I could to continue taking photos and video.

 Finally I wandered off across the lake to take pictures of the incredible scenery of this Montana winter landscape.

 Even though my fingers and my cameras were not happy about the arctic conditions,

 …my eyes loved the view.

These are just some of the big trout the fishermen caught.  It was so cold the poor creatures froze solid after only a few minutes out of the water.

This is a movie I made from the photos and video I shot.  The fishermen asked me to put it on YouTube so they could show it off to their friends.  It's a little over five minutes long so you may want to get your popcorn ready.

ANOTHER ESCAPE TO HARRIMAN

Cures for cabin fever during long Idaho winters come in many forms.  Some of the best involve dressing up warm and just getting out in the snow.

 Some people carry this to extremes like my dear hubby.  He has passed the insanity on to his sons, grandsons and even his sons in law.

 As soon as there is questionably thick ice on the favorite lake, DH and his fishing buddies are out there drilling for trout. Fish caught this way have wonderful flavor so I don’t complain.

 No, my idea of a fun time in the snow involves cross-country skis or snow shoes and a view like this one of an icy river and swans.   (This time the only camera I took was my new cell-phone.  I was impressed with the quality of the photos.  The original of this shot is over 4,000 pixels wide at 72dpi.  I brought it down to 800px for faster loading)

 If I want to see the swans I have to ski over this bridge.  It scares me every time, especially like yesterday when the track was icy and the skis go FAST.

 Harriman State park has an extensive trail system with ranch buildings which have been converted to use for visitors.  The main lodge was open with bathroom, hot chocolate, fireplace and big screen t.v.

 I passed up the ranch and continued out to the lookout over the river.  Since it was a holiday there were plenty of other skiers to keep me company.

 By the time I got to the lookout I was looking for more than scenery.

There has always been a portable outhouse, (a.k.a. kybo) there for people like me who need such a break. (btw, this photo was taken just a few years ago with my first cell phone.  Amazing difference in quality)

Even though kybo seats in the winter are rimmed with frost which promotes hovering, they are still a welcome sight.

 Squatting in winter woods with lots of company is really not an option.  It’s amazing how FAST one can ski with crossed legs.

HOW TO BUILD A SNOWMAN IN LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES (give it a few seconds to load)

My second and probably last video project for a while.  This one went a lot smoother except I had to change background music to a song that wasn't under copyright after I'd spent quite a bit of time matching the action to the music. I like this music better anyway.

This is a follow-up of some creative snowman construction which happened when a big snow fell as a Christmas present last December.  The snow was a little dry and wouldn't roll so the workers--grandkids and kid--improvised by packing the snow in tubs and buckets.