You may have noticed in earlier posts that the ice is a dominant factor in my life. I like it strong or absent, as conditions in between pose many interesting challenges. The forecast thaw started in earnest last night, and combined with the snow it has had an immediate impact on the structure of the ice, which has become coarse and slushy on top. It will take days for the thickness to be significantly reduced, but the ice has already softened enough that it might be possible to break it with Oscilia. If the weather develops as they say it will, I'm pretty sure I will be able to establish a break to open water early next week, without burning too much diesel.
In the meantime, I've got to come up with a way to bridge the gap that's formed between the ice and land. Ellen delivered a care package this morning, and it was high tide when I went to meet her up in the forest. Thus, most of the break was 2-3m wide, but I found a point where I deemed it safe to jump across. Luckily it was low tide when Lisette arrived this afternoon, so she didn't have to jump the gap. I don't really want to ask her to do so when she's leaving tomorrow, which means that I must reach for the stash of 2x4 on Nemi. The trouble with structures resting on the ice in warm weather is that they tend to get heated up by the sun, melt through the ice and dissapear, but I think a surplus water drum might solve that.
Right now I'm enjoying the sight of Lisette preparing to cook a proper meal, something which hasn't happened in my galley for a while. While it's nice to watch, I think I'd rather join her, so I say goodbye :-)
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