It’s that time of year that ice fishing contests are emerging as a winter sport in which many like to participate. Leading off in our area is the Miller Dam Lake Association’s Ice Fishing Tournament on Saturday, January 30. Then on Saturday, February 20, the Stanley Sportsman Club will be holding their 15th Annual Ice Fishing Contest on Chapman Lake. This is the organization that has spent many dollars to improve the Chapman Lake fishery and was behind efforts to revamp the local deer park. They deserve our local support. According to the Stanley Rod and Gun Club website, they have canceled their annual ice fishing contest due to COVID concerns. *** The last several weeks the Stanley area has experienced a great deal of hoarfrost and rime ice. What’s the difference? Rime ice is more like accumulating freezing dew with it being like thick frost and forms a thick fog. While hoarfrost creates the dramatic and stunning scenes, as ice needles form on objects. The fuzzy ice forms when moisture in the air skips the water droplet stage and appears directly as ice crystals on an object – like trees and power lines. We sent pictures, taken from our deck, to friends in Virginia, and their feedback was we should frame the photos as they were so beautiful.. *** Have you wondered who bought the Hallie and Eau Claire Shopko buildings? The Lake Hallie Shopko building was sold in October to John Menard and Menard Inc. Memard is planning to turn the building into a self-storage unit, with storage units inside and outside. +++ The Eau Claire Shopko, on Clairmont Avenue, was purchased by Swarm Properties, an Eau Claire Company, for $1.8 million, and will be used to lease out storage space. An out lot, next to Starbuck’s, will have a Chipotle Restaurant built on the site. Former large box stores are increasingly being turned into storage buildings. Stanley is fortunate that Courtesy Ford bought the former Shopko in Stanley. Retrofitting the building is moving along nicely. Look for it to open soon. Have you noticed the recent blitz of Courtesy Ford commercials with a picture of its new location? *** With nearly three in four U.S. tax filers getting a refund, it’s that time of year that online thieves will be working to get your money. If you have ever had your Social Security number stolen, they can file income taxes early and claim the refund before the rightful recipient can. You have been warned of this one before — scammers call taxpayers claiming to be from the IRS and demand personal information, or claim your behind on your taxes and issue threats. As you have been told before, the IRS never calls you so hang up. Also, the IRS will never contact you by E-mail. Be alert!! *** Did you know? According to the 2020 America’s Health Rankings Senior Report: 10.2 percent of Wisconsin’s adults 60 and older faced the threat of hunger in the past 12 months. The rate in Minnesota was 8.9 percent, Iowa 12.1 percent, Illinois 12.9 percent and Michigan 12.6 percent. *** Interesting Facts: Gold is the only metal that doesn’t rust. Even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years. +++ Your tongue is the only muscle in our body that is attached at only one end. +++ If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off. +++ Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals. +++ Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in our mouth by 61 percent. +++ Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless heated above 450F. +++ The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear. +++ Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean. +++ Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density. +++ The State of Alaska spans four time zones. +++ The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself. +++ In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted. *** An American Tragedy: Fewer than one percent of Americans live in long-tern care facilities, but 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths have occurred there. *** I began stamp collecting back in about 1952 when I purchased my first stamp album, that cost $1.00, and stamp packets – mostly foreign were 15-25 cents. Over the years my interest in collecting stamps diminished as other things in my life took precedent. However, periodically certain stamp issues e.g. Moon Landing, have lead me to look at what was being sold. Recently, when coming across an article on Duck Stamps, I was drawn in to reading it. I learned that the first duck stamp was issued in 1934 and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “Ninety-eight cents of every duck stamp sold goes into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion in the Wildlife Refuge System. While the first duck stamp issued cost $1, today duck stamps cost $25. This has been labeled the most successful conservation program in the United States. If the number of Canadian geese populating Chapman Lake each fall is indicative of success –the program is indeed successful. +++ We have a larger print of a duck stamp, with an actual stamp encased below the print, that was beautifully framed by Dennis Gisvold. He donated it to a silent auction fundraiser and we were the successful bidder. *** Smile Time. A teacher asked one of her students if he knew the numbers 1 to 10 well. “Yes! My pop taught me, even more than 10!” “Good. What comes after three?” “Four,” answered the boy. “What comes after six?” “Seven.” “Very good.” said the teacher. “Your dad did a good job. Now what comes after ten?” “A jack,” answered the boy. +++ I just hate it when I see some old person and then realize we went to high school together. +++ Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. +++ I’m not sure if I washed the spider down the drain in my shower, or if he took one look at my naked body and then leaped willingly to his death. +++ Hold your wife's hand in the mall because if you let go she’ll start shopping. It looks romantic, but it’s actually economical. +++ Choosing not to forgive someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. +++ Experts have a special talent for complicating things. But the standout genius in any field is always the person who is able to take what is incredibly complex, break it down to what is essential, and present it in a way that makes it seem simple.