Where does the dock go in winter?
We were at the lake last weekend, looking out our windows at the winterness of it all. Winterness? Try bleakness. There isn’t much snow this year, and the lake hasn’t frozen thickly. Local officials actually had to modify the rules for the annual ice fishing derby weekend, because the ice wasn’t thick enough to support the stores and restaurants, trucks and buses that occupy the frozen bay during this event. Typically, the ice is 18” thick by now.
But I’m getting sidetracked here. Where does the dock go in winter? Some docks are taken out of the water and stored until spring. Others are left in the water with skimmers added. Skimmers are little fans that are submerged at the end of the dock to keep the water in the immediate area moving and prevent a freeze-up, which would be bad. If ice sets in around the legs of the dock, it’ll crush the wood as it tightens and shifts. Hence, skimmers to keep ice from forming around those legs.
Then you have our dock. As you see from the photo above, it becomes a skeleton in winter. The planks that we walk on are removed and stored in the garage, sheltered from the elements, and the framework is hoisted up by thick wires anchored on the trees. Come May, the framework will be lowered again and the planks fit back in, much like a jigsaw puzzle.
Drive around the lake, and you see these skeletal docks all over. At first sight, they’re eerie. Then they simply become part of the winterscape, which, as I said above, is bleak this year. A thick cover of snow would solve the problem. But I like not having snow to mess up driving and ice to threaten walking. So, can we order snow in our backyard and nowhere else? That’d be neat.
This particular lake weekend was a working one for me. I reread all of SWEET SALT AIR – again – but no number of times is too many. I also started my shrug, added a block or two to my sock yarn blanket, and (with DH) watched Breaking Dawn, Part 1. I’ve already seen it twice. But no number of times is too many for that, either.
By the way, if you want to read more about the lake in winter, try AN ACCIDENTAL WOMAN. Its sister book, LAKE NEWS, takes place in fall. Have you read either?
If you’d like to read more of Barbara’s book reviews, sign up for her newsletter here. You can also find her on Instagram where she frequently shares photos of her photography, family, and travels.
Want an insider peek to all things writing? Join her street team!
Hi Barbara,
I’m happy to say that I’ve read both. Being disabled myself, Accidental Woman was very inspirational for me & helped to pull me out of a depression. The book really inspired me to go for it! I have to thank you for that. Actually, Accidental Woman was the first book of yours that I read & I really got hooked on your books back then.
I read and loved both! You are so good at describing complex relationships between women – like I have with my mother and sisters, so I can really relate. I’d love to hear how Poppy is doing.
I read coast road a few years ago. i purchased at Innisfree book store in Merideth,. My family and i have vacationed in Buzzzell Cove for 13 years,we are friends with Frank DeJulio and stayed at his place, now that he stays there for much of the summer we stay at a place on Cottage Road,about 3 min,away. I love Moultonborough, and would love to relocate there once my two boys grown and settled!!! I’m looking forward to July when my family and I spend another great vacation on the lake.
LAKE NEWS was the very first book of yours that I read; I loved it, and have read everything written since then.
We have a small cabin on a northern lake here in Canada and I’ve often mentioned my wish for a dock. However, other people’s docks always end up washing out in the spring, and short of dragging one up on shore every fall my hubby hasn’t found a solution. I’ll have to show him this photo of yours. It’s ingenious!