Dec 19/20 - deep freeze

Yes, it's cold out there. Yes, I know that I'm repeating myself. -26C / -15F ... need I say more.

Normally the fireplace keeps up with the furnace fan simply circulating the heat. At these temperatures, however, the furnace comes on frequently. I should check the propane tank to see how much propane is left -- it was just a little over 30%, which is the refill point, when I called them a few days ago. Contrast that to last year when it was around 45%. It's a 3000 liter tank, so a 10% difference is 300 liters and the price per liter is probably a little under $1 ... but I'm not sure. Why can't I find the price of propane online ? Why doesn't Superior Propane list its prices ? I've googled it, checked their website, why is this a secret ? Yes, they fluctuate but so do gas pump prices and they are listed on the billboard and at the pump.

Abby and I went for a walk late yesterday afternoon. Of course at this time of year that means before 4pm, since after that it's night. We walked down to Troups on the ice, sticking close to shore, although that was not strictly necessary. She was bounding all over, chasing a stick that I was throwing ahead of us as we walked. Each time she would race for the stick and then skid past it because there's only an inch or so of snow on the ice and it's slippery. Skates would do well. An ice-boat would be perfect, especially yesterday since it was so windy.

I only got the one pike yesterday, which we had for dinner. It was wonderful -- you cannot get much fresher than that unless we had had it for lunch. I'll bore some more holes once it's light out and see what's biting today. I brought the minnows in from outside last night. If I hadn't, the 5-gallon bucket would have been frozen solid. Frozen minnows don't do very well when you're still fishing. As of this morning there is still some ice floating in the bucket, which gives you an indication of how cold it was yesterday.

There's not much else to report ... Jeffrey should be off at this point, on vacation until the after the new year. Knowing him he's still plugged in (runs in the family). Sara doesn't have as much time off. I think that they are heading down to Maryland to be with her family on the 23rd. They head this way on the 28th, arriving here on the 29th. I'm not sure what Stef and Aaron's schedule is over the holidays -- presumably they are getting together with his Dad for Christmas before they come up here on the 27th ... whether that's in London or Toronto, I don't know. David and Kim are in Cancun, getting back to Edmonton Christmas morning, I think. David then flies here on the 27th so he won't be home long before he heads to the airport again.

That's it.