HARD AT WORK

Pictured are Kari Gunter and Anthony Haywood. Kari and Anthony along with 2 other maintenance employees are responsible for all the dirty jobs in the Conservancy. These four people are the ones driving the snow plows through the night on the weekends as it seems to snow at night on the weekends! Extra duties of late include preparations for moving into the new office/maintenance building.

ICE REPORT

Took a hike down Sweetwater Lake today. Ice at my dock on north end is approximately 7 inches with crusty snow on top. From about Lion Drive on south the ice is clear and smooth. I ran into ice fishermen off the point of Raccoon Drive and the ice there was approximately 7 inches thick. There is still a small hole in the middle where birds have kept it open.

TAXES

An article in this week's Brown County Democrat states that the Conservancy portion of the spring and fall taxes will be significantly higher. A board member stated that an increase in the rate was needed to offset two years of property tax cuts.

3'S COMPANY

Swans, Coots, and Mallards are all sharing the same open hole in the middle of Sweetwater Lake today. Misery loves company! The wind was blowing today making the 18 degree day seem even colder.

2ND EAGLE

So I watch the eagle soar over the dam and catch some of the air currents coming up over the dam. As the eagle turned towards the gas pumps, I realized that there was a second eagle perched in the trees watching the coots in the small water puddle in the middle of the lake. There are also at least six swans scattered around the end of Raccoon Drive on the ice. They appear to have their heads tucked under their wings and waiting out the cold weather.

EAGLE ON THE ICE

I took the long way around this morning on my way to Nashville to check out the status of lake ice. Sure enough, Sweetwater (and Cordry) are both completely iced over for the first time in approximately 3 years. A closer look revealed an Eagle standing on the ice at the edge of an open circle of water. (There is a covey of approximately 30 coots keeping the 10 foot circle open.) Eventually the eagle launched and flew off towards the dam.

WINTER SWANS

Driving across Sweetwater Dam this morning in snow flurries....look out over the lake....pair of Swans swimming amidst the ice on the lake.