At the start of 2011, the river has finally thawed and finally risen to a great paddling depth. Unfortunately it's COLD outside.

Just before Christmas however, Abbey and I cleared the snow off the frozen river so she could practice her ice skating. At that point, the river below the ice was about a foot deep and the ice looked to be several inches thick and, well, clear as ice. We looked through the ice and the clear water to see the bottom of the river. I looked for any fish down there, but didn't see any. Maybe I'll try some ice fishing…

I set up one of our metal chairs on the ice so I could be Abbey's personal audience while she practiced her spins and waltz jumps. Unfortunately, when we were done, I left the chair out there and after a thaw and a freeze, it was frozen to the ice. And now with the most recent thaw and rising water, my metal chair will be resting on the bottom of the river, until I can get out there and pull it out.

One of the more amazing things about the snow covered frozen river was the number of animal tracks that appeared in the snow over the evenings. It becomes a major highway for animal crossings, just like the Bering Straits did for us many years ago.

Well, enjoy 2011, and don't forget to appreciate the Sangamon River in all seasons!

Scott