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Are you a river watcher?

It looks like our on line readers are pretty keen.
A couple of weeks ago we had a poll asking if people thought the ice would go out early, average or late this year.
58.8% said early and if all holds true the river will be out in front of town here later this week. That would put it about a week earlier than average.
In the past 62 years the river has gone out 17 times in the first week of April, 25 times in the second week of April and 10 times later than that.
The last week of March it has gone out 13 times since 1934.
So when it opens up later this week here (word is it is just east of Rainy River as I write this ( Monday afternoon), it will be early, although not as early as

it has been. It did go out as early as Feb. 27, 1998... but that was a rare occurrence.
As the ice breaks up and ice fishing becomes a memory, many people will look forward to the warming of the soils and the day when the frost stops in May so they can plant their gardens! I know I am anxious.
It is funny how much our lives revolve around things like the weather and how much something as natural as the ice going out on the river can lift our spirits.
So keep your eyes open... the river should be out by week’s end!
–Until then,
Ken