Years ago, one of the self-proclaimed “smartest guys in the universe” said the best way to deal with Russia was to “make them our friends.”
His reasoning, from wherever the thought might have originally come, was based on the idea it would be better to have Russia as a friend against China, than to have both Russia and China as enemies.
Sort of makes sense, eh?
Except of course, for the little nagging fact most European leaders, including Ukraine Prime Minister Zelensky, continuously says, “Russia cannot be trusted.” He also has the facts to back him up.
These days, many people say Russian kingpin, (is he President? Chairman? King? Lord Ruler and Master of Everything He Beholds? All of the Above and More?) Vlad Putin has ‘something’ over that ‘smartest guy,’ American President Donald Trump.
We won’t pass on any of the more salacious (big word, eh?) details your correspondent has heard. But needless to say, very embarrassing. In fact, so bad, if we were Trump, we would be phoning Putin every two days just to check on things, and make him feel good. Maybe at the same time, ticking off all of America’s friends.
Oh, wait! Trump is already doing that!
In a few weeks, the ice fishing season in Alberta comes to an end.
Among other things, this means that all ice huts have to be off ice as of March 31.
Some things are happening this winter that already have people pulling their huts.
First, ice not quite as thick as some people would like. Anybody spending time on the ice, especially in the dark of an evening or late at night, has heard cracking and rumbling as ice shifts and moves. When ice is a metre and a half-thick, this isn’t much of a big deal. This year, ice thickness seems to be somewhat less in spots. This means a lot more of that popping and crackling. Having been on the ice ourselves over the years, it can get darn spooky sometimes.
Next, we’ve heard quite a few stories of ice holes. These are caused by underwater vegetation rotting and causing gas bubbles, or even maybe natural gas leaks. Whatever is happening, the bubbles build up, and eventually thinner ice breaks with no water to support it. This actually makes a hole. Sometimes the ice freezes over again, but it is way thinner than ice around it. The bubbles usually continue merrily along, often keeping the hole open.
Vehicles are supposed to be safe on ice at least 12 inches thick, but even at the end of winter, like now, there are still thin spots.
Also, warm and sunny weather like we’ve had the past several days causes ice to melt. Where there are structures, like ice huts, a big puddle can form around the hut. Then comes cold weather again, and whatever was sitting in a puddle of water freezes in solid. Even jacking up the hut and putting it on blocks sometimes doesn’t work.
And of course, at the end of the season, the blocks often get left behind, frozen in ice.
So altogether, this winter there were fewer huts than what we usually see. Call it an abundance of caution.
The most popular spot on the entirety of Lesser Slave Lake is in front of Joussard. Our own count of huts never reached 100, even while we were expecting, since numbers increase every year, maybe over 125 or even more early in the season.
As of last week, the count was down to 74 huts. People are pulling them off already.
And how has fishing been? Well, that’s another story for another day!
But it has to be said, March is often the best time to be ice fishing.
We remind you, the consensus of our local marmots and groundhogs this year, on their very famous day of Feb. 2, was winter was not going to last.
If you are following winter, like we do, there is usually some more minus minus cool dddddays starting in January. Then maybe several days of nice weather. Then a dip back into the sub-zeros. Then after that, finally a gradual warming starting around early March. So far this year, that’s the story.
We’ve been outside many times in March. Anytime during the month, early, middle, late, a bright, warm sunny day, can all suddenly turn into super-blizzard conditions. Anybody travelling or just outside wonders where the heck did that come from!
That’s why we keep tabs on another key date. It isn’t Groundhog Day. It’s not from the Farmer’s Almanac. It’s from the hairs on eyebrows, tea leaves and of course, whatever is the weekend of the Edmonton Boat and Sportsman Show.
Now, this used to be when we told everybody, optimistically indeed we were, that spring was here when the Boat Show hit town. That was almost always around March 7 or March 8. As years went by, the Show moved to mid-March. And now, this year, the Show doesn’t start until March 20!
Is that a permanent change? No idea. But if it is, we are going to have to find a new date.
March 20 is way too late to proclaim winter, no matter how much we really love all the seasons, is over. Definitely too late.
We don’t know about you, but Canada being State 51 doesn’t seem like a great idea. Even President Donald Trump should know America does not need another ‘California’ voting liberal.
That’s what would happen. California is about the same population as Canada. If anything, Canadians vote more socialist left than most of America.
On the other hand, start talking about Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern British Columbia joining the United States. Now things start to make sense!
In fact, Alberta could join up all on its own with Montana. Montana has just over a million people compared to Alberta, now getting close to 5 million.
So Mr. Trump, ask the folks how that idea would fly in Montana, also known as Big Sky Country.
Have a great week!