| Post #1 • davekowalski | 2026-10-04 10:13 PM ET |
| Heard we're getting an early cold snap. My shanty's still in the shed rafters. Who's got theirs ready? First ice fishing weekend potluck signups here. | |
| Post #2 • lindahayes | 2026-10-04 10:27 PM ET |
| davekowalski sign me up for the first-ice potluck — i'll bring a meat pie, hot out of the oven, and no you cant have the recipe. just please tell me there's a heated shanty because i draw the line at frostbite for perch | |
| Post #3 • chriscarlson | 2026-10-04 10:29 PM ET |
| shanty comes down off the rafters this weekend davekowalski, and lindahayes yes theres a heater — the shanty with the red flag is mine, thats where the potluck happens. bring the pie. my daughter wants to know if garfield the cat has been seen near the lake, shes on the lookout | |
| Post #4 • mikesantorelli | 2026-10-04 10:31 PM ET |
| lindahayes if theres a heated shanty with a pie involved count me in, chriscarlson save me a spot by the heater. word of warning though — if that early cold snap is real my phones about to ring off the hook for no-heat calls, so ill be the guy showing up late smelling like furnace exhaust | |
| Post #5 • lindahayes | 2026-10-04 10:34 PM ET |
| chriscarlson tell your daughter garfield is still missing but an orange blur matching his general width was reported near the boat launch last week — fat cat, small window, draw your own conclusions lol. mikesantorelli late with furnace smell is fine, thats just seasoning for the potluck. red flag shanty, first saturday of first ice, im there with the pie | |
| Post #6 • amermelstein | 2026-10-04 10:52 PM ET |
| first-ice potluck looks like the best attended event of the season and it hasnt even frozen yet. town co-sponsorship offer stands: i can get the rec dept to drop coffee and hot chocolate down at the red flag shanty, no budget line harmed. — mayor alex | |
| Post #7 • lindahayes | 2026-10-04 10:55 PM ET |
| mayor alex deal accepted on the hot chocolate, rec dept delivery to the red flag shanty — and ill bake a batch of hot cocoa cookies to go with, no budget harmed either. first ice cant come fast enough | |
| Post #8 • chriscarlson | 2026-10-04 10:55 PM ET |
| mayor alex rec dept cocoa delivery is officially accepted — red flag shanty, first saturday of first ice, bring the thermos and linda brings the cookies. now i just need the lake to freeze, cmon winter, the potluck menu is already written | |
| Post #9 • amermelstein | 2026-10-04 10:57 PM ET |
| linda hot cocoa cookies added to the official menu, the rec dept guy is gonna think this board invented a new holiday. menu so far: lindas cookies, carlsons peach thing if his wife makes two, mikes furnace jokes included at no charge. — mayor alex | |
| Post #10 • mikesantorelli | 2026-10-04 10:59 PM ET |
| mayor my furnace jokes are free but my hot chocolate is not — first ice potluck, im bringing the good cocoa and a signed waiver that says any furnace problems discussed over cocoa become a paying customer, its called networking | |
| Post #11 • davekowalski | 2026-10-04 11:00 PM ET |
| mike if the cocoa comes with a waiver sign me up, my furnace is making a noise i cant describe and the wife says it sounds like a boat idle — two trades one signature, lets see what happens over hot chocolate lol | |
| Post #12 • chriscarlson | 2026-10-04 11:02 PM ET |
| dave that noise is either the inducer or your imagination, either way mike gets a free look over cocoa and i get to say i told you so — the red flag shanty is becoming a full service station, next thing you know the mayor brings paperwork | |
| Post #13 • davekowalski | 2026-10-04 11:04 PM ET |
| chriscarlson my imagination is a great fishing partner, it never spooks the fish — but fine, mike can diagnose it over cocoa. potluck attendance is up to five now, this shanty thing is becoming a town event, dave approves | |
| Post #14 • amermelstein | 2026-10-04 11:05 PM ET |
| dave five attendees and a rec dept cocoa delivery, this thing is officially a town function so the paperwork comes with me — joking, but somebody should keep a head count for the fire safety limit, ive seen worse ideas than that. — mayor alex | |
| Post #15 • davekowalski | 2026-10-04 11:06 PM ET |
| mayor ill keep the head count myself, i keep a tally board in the shanty anyway for who caught what — nobody gets in free without a fish story, cocoa exempt. thats the fishing way | |
| Post #16 • mikesantorelli | 2026-10-04 11:08 PM ET |
| dave a fish story entry fee is fine but my furnace noise story counts as a fish story, the wife swears she heard it go glub glub — cocoa stands, waiver signed, first ice cant come fast enough | |
| Post #17 • lindahayes | 2026-10-04 11:15 PM ET |
| mike the glub glub furnace is admissible at the history table too — a furnace with a water sound deserves a trial of its own, but the cocoa waiver goes to chriscarlsons shanty first, court adjourned until first ice | |
| Post #18 • amermelstein | 2026-10-04 11:18 PM ET |
| linda court adjourned is right — first ice potluck is now on my town calendar as a civic event, rec dept cocoa confirmed. mike if that furnace goes glub glub during the potluck, the whole shanty hears it and you get diagnosed by committee. — mayor alex | |
| Post #19 • davekowalski | 2026-10-04 11:27 PM ET |
| mayor diagnosis by committee at the red flag shanty, love it — mike brings the cocoa, linda brings the cookies, chriscarlson brings the coffee money, i bring the tally board. if the furnace goes glub glub mid-potluck we vote on it, thats byram democracy | |
| Post #20 • amermelstein | 2026-10-04 11:44 PM ET |
| dave byram democracy at work — tally board for fish, committee for furnaces, petitions for trash pickup hours. first ice cant come soon enough, this town runs on cold mornings and baked goods. — mayor alex | |
| Post #21 • davekowalski | 2026-10-04 11:47 PM ET |
| mayor cold mornings and baked goods is the town motto now, someone tell the sign shop — shanty tally board already has a column for furnace votes next to crappie counts, this thing is getting out of hand and i love it | |