Right now the weather seems to be in a state of denial. Although the first day of winter is now officially here, it seems as if “Old Mother Nature” didn’t get the memo. The “balmy” weather that we have been experiencing is welcome news when you open up your utility bill, but as for ice conditions, not such good news. With the above-average temps, the ice on area lakes could become less safe than they already have been.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued its annual ice safety warning for lakes with winter aeration systems. Aeration creates areas of thin ice and open water that are extremely hazardous to people and pets. Open water areas can shift or change shapes, depending on weather conditions and leaks may develop in air lines, creating other areas of weak ice or open water.

The updated list of aerated lakes and more information is available at mndnr.gov/eco/lake aeration.

In Albert Lea, the Parks Department has been working diligently on making ice in the area parks that have skating and hockey rinks. Skating at the area parks has always been a great tradition and a fun part of our winter outdoors recreation. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before we get a turn in the weather, but until then, be safe and don’t venture out on area lakes unless you are sure it is safe and then only on foot.

I have always found it interesting to play the guessing game whenever there is a fresh snow and different tracks appear. As a youth I spent a lot of time exploring the slough just off of Bridge Avenue as you drive north towards the mall. In my mind I would keep track of how many different kinds of critter tracks I could find. In those days, there were a lot of pheasant tracks and every so often one would fly out from under a clump of slew grass whenever it felt threatened. This little explosion of feathers and snow always got the heart pumping faster. I also found skunk, fox, rabbit and raccoon tracks along with various birds and smaller mammals like moles and field mice.

A few days ago, when we still had evidence of fresh snowfall on the ground, I discovered some footprints leading from under our deck and around our garbage cart. I was able to take a good picture of the tracks and send them to the one guy who could tell me what made those tracks. My brother-in-law, Lynn Johnson, who resides in Nome, Alaska, and has hunted, tracked and trapped pretty much all fur-bearing critters at one time or another. He said they looked like cat tracks and asked me how big they were. After measuring them, I texted the size, and a few minutes later I had the answer. He had gone on the DNR website and found a perfect match they were bobcat tracks. I knew the tracks were made by a critter larger than a house cat judging by the size and the distance between the tracks in the deeper snow, so it was not a total shock to me.

Finding traces of an animal that we think of as only being out in the wild right here in my own backyard seemed pretty cool to me. When Lynn told me of a friend who lives in another part of town who had seen a bobcat run across the street right in front of him, I knew he was on the right track (pun intended). To me, I find it pretty intriguing to have that kind of wildlife this close to home, or in this case, right outside of my house.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hosting its second annual Veteran Employment Information Event on Tuesday, Jan. 8, in St. Paul. Many veterans want to work in a natural resources environment, and many military skills translate into DNR positions. 

Attendees will have the option to meet with current DNR employees who are also military veterans, and learn resume tips for translating military skills and experience to better match position qualifications.

This event is free and will be at the DNR Headquarters, 500 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55101. Space is limited and registration is required. Register for a time slot between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Go to: tinyurl.com/dnrvets2019.NR jobs, set up job searches, and receive job posting notifications.

Boat hosts needed for the Governor’s Fishing Opener

Until next time, we have been getting good responses for our need of fishing hosts, but we still have a long way to go in reaching the number of hosts needed to make this event a success. I would like to encourage anyone who is a registered boat owner and would like to participate in the Governor’s Fishing Opener by being a boat host to sign up online. The easiest way to do that is by going to www.governorsopener.com look for the search box and type in boat host, click on search glass and it will take you to the page. Select boat host information and follow the instructions.

This is our chance to showcase this great community that we choose to live in and one that we are proud to call home.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, especially during this holiday season. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the wonderful freedoms that we enjoy today.