I will remain optomistic that the ice is coming sooner than we might think. These crazy weather conditions are not out of the ordinary, nor is the panic beginning to set in among ice anglers all across the ice belt.
In recent years we have had:
Fishable ice turned open water by Christmas.
No ice formation, followed by bitterly cold temps and beautiful ice within 2 weeks of 60 degree weather.
No ice until January about 7 years ago, and then we had one of the longest seasons I can remember.
History tends to repeat itself everyone. So just relax, let the mercury drop and enjoy the holiday season with your families and friends. The ice will be here soon enough, and you'll want all of your "Get out of jail free Cards" when it does. So do some extra chores around the house. Fix something here and there. Play with your tackle when she's not looking. Stay busy and maintain your sanity.
What little you have left.
