Yesterday I went out on dead fish lake on my cross country skis. The snow had been mixed with water and so was white ice. I saw a little circular hole in the ice about 20 cm-across that had not been there 3 days before. there were some fish lips attached to a fish that appeared to be trying to get some oxygen. I thought "great", some fish have survived the drying out of the lake, and when it rains and the snow melts the great circle of life (in the Lion King sense) would continue and all would be well with the world.

Then, I poke the fish a little with my ski pole and it was dead, and I noted a foul odor.

Chris

(4 days before, I was skating there with someone and he saw that some fish were still swimming under the ice, and turtles were also running around on the bottom under the ice. A biology Ph.D student hat HD had volunteered with before said that (some) turtles can get oxygen through their skin).

Wish Cathryn was still around; she might enjoy these off topic posts.