Melting

More mild temperatures and rain today so the ice is beginning to lose its grip on the pond.  Now the betting will start on when the official "ice out" will happen.  It is judged at Maine's largest lake, Moosehead, but all lakes participate, even my wee pond.  This has been going on for close to 200 years and over the last 150 years it is getting earlier and earlier.  On average, 9 days earlier in northern and western Maine and 16 days earlier here in southern Maine.  Climate change is, of course, the cause.  They say some things never change but ice out certainly has.