Before the the creek and river ice over, the barge and floating dock must be put out of reach of the ice to avoid damage. This year, we got caught off guard. Last week, I measured the water temperature at 38 degrees, but a string of nights with temperatures in the teens soon formed a layer of ice in the creek and coves. We had to break through a 1/2-inch ice sheet to get the dock and barge into the cove where it is stowed for the winter.