The First Nations call it Ziigiwan, a time of renewal. This is true and its also the time to start the New Year. Many in the rest of the country think that the New Year starts on January 1st but actually the New Year starts in Northern Minnesota on about the first of April. Things that are now going on with fervor: 1. dock work/dock building being finished 2. lower units being refilled with "hypo 90", 2-cycle oil being bought 3. red horse being speared/smoked 4. resorts rehooking up water lines, painting boats, leveling cabins 5. gardens being planned, soil being turned (love that smell) 6. driving down logging roads, running the shorelines looking for trees and shrubs in blossom to mark with colored ribbon to identify the fruit bearing shrubs to be picked later. 7. maple trees being tapped and the sap boiled down to syrup sugar and candy (this actually starts about 15th March) 8. minnow dealers thinking about fatheads, lake shinners and river shinners in large quantity's 9. many new tops being sewed for boats 10. guys (and gals) looking for good deals on used small outboards 11. yards being raked (if it will ever stop snowing) 12. thought being given on how to pay this years real estate taxes 13. the last of last winters furs being fleshed and dried and sold 14. thought being given on "exactely" where should I go put that first minnow in the water at (without anyone else seeing) You know, after looking at that list, I have deceided that its not easy living up here. With all that above work to do I think I'll just go fishing. By the way, for all you folks not from here, "You Should Have Been Here Last Week, They Were Really Biting Then"!!