Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

June 6, 2012

Yesterday Duncan the dog became an official employee of the Lodge. I know you people who work at the IRS are sitting up taking notice. I am not going to claim him nor is the Lodge going to pay him but nevertheless he is now an employee. His new job, which he is in training for will be to take our bank deposits to the Lake Iwanttobethere Savings and Loan. He has been doing my personal banking for a few months now ever since there was a break down in the tube system that serves the drive through. With his big mouth I just put a few checks in the tube bottle that I took out of the out of order lane and Duncan carried it to the outside teller window. He is tall enough now that he can stand on his rear legs and drop it in the drawer. A moment later he brought the tube back to me and I gave him the three biscuits that were inside and I kept my cash.

The tube system was fixed the next day but we just kept doing it as I get a kick out of it and Duncan likes the extra biscuits, he is a growing boy you know. Buddy has always made the deposits for the Lodge but he is getting on in years and sometimes his mouth hurts him a little from carrying the money bag. I thought it was time for Duncan to do the carrying and Buddy can be his bodyguard and keep him on the right track. So for the past few weeks the two of them have been making the Lodges deposits and Duncan is earning a few more bones. Buddy and Barney both use to work together and do the banking but when fishing starts up Barney is hard to keep away from the water. I swear sometimes he acts like a teenager and sleeps till noon before finally getting up. Usually only the smell of bacon and pancakes will get him up before noon and after that he heads to the dock to start fishing for the day. So for now Duncan is in training and Buddy gets to be the boss and Barney is officially retired.

Just a few days of school left and I might be in a little bit of trouble. From time to time I will drive grand kids to school and the youngest one keeps telling me that I told him he gets to stay in the truck the last day of school. Trouble is I don't remember saying that and we are getting closer to that last day. Perhaps I will let grandma drive them the last day. Weather wise we seem to be stuck in a rut, nice morning followed by showers in the afternoon. Today is forecasted to be like yesterday where some thunderstorms blew up and out over the lake. I tried a few casts off the dock but just a few. Am thinking I might have to go out the shop and dig out an ultra light rod and a small spinning reel. I think I have a stream trout rod up in the rafters somewhere.

Apple blossoms are all gone and I am hoping the trees will be full of apples, with the loss of a tree the others are going to have to pick up the slack. Am eyeing a couple of trees as replacements but am still working on the price. Maple trees are dropping seed pods so they are underfoot. We get a stiff breeze with one of the rainstorms and we will have them everywhere. I spotted flowers on the deck over at Elmers this morning, actually the wife did. Don't ever recall Elmer having potted flowers. The wife gave me one of them knowing looks and was just waiting for me to say something about the flowers. I ignored her and hid behind the sports page. Elmer on the swing with Mary and now flowers, might make for a long summer, from Lake Iwanttobethere {688,774}

June 9, 2012

No one wants to be that guy on the side of the road with a blown bearing that is why I replaced my hubs this year on the Puddle Humper trailer. I figured they were twenty-two years old and I might as well just put some new ones on. So you know what is going to happen. My neighbor Chuck and I took a little road trip, a lake north of Lake Iwanttobethere about eighty miles away. About sixty miles away there is a little lake that we wanted to check out and it looks to be a little hidden gem with an access deep enough to launch the Puddle Humper. If fishing was slow at our destination lake we would stop at this one on the way back home for the evening bite.

Next stop was fifteen miles down the road at a bait shop where Chuck could buy some sodas, he is not supposed to have any, but heck anything over seventy-five miles is classified as a fishing trip and different rules apply. Six pack of Dew and some Moon Pies and we were back on the road just five miles away from our lake. Pretty big lake with several access right on a point in the park and in a few minutes we were unpacked and rolling the trailer down into the water when Chuck yelled at me to stop. I was not yet in the water so I got out and walked back to the trailer where Chuck was pointing at the new hub. The bearing buddy was long gone and the outer seal was a wreck. The new hub had lasted one hundred and eighty miles. I was not happy.

It could have been worse, it could have happen on the highway or at a remote isolated dirt access but it didn't. We pulled the trailer back up the ramp and gathered around it like a county road crew would. A few other fishermen came over and with hands rubbing chins muttered things like "New Hub you say" " Only a hundred and eighty miles, don't that beat all." Chuck said " Well I guess we can drop the trailer and run back to that town and see if we can get a new bearing" I replied with "No need, I have a hub in the back of the Tahoe, I kept the old ones when I bought the new ones "So we rolled the trailer over to the shade of a nice big maple and got to lie in the green grass of the park as we jacked up and replaced the hub. No shortage of guys driving by making comments about blown bearings and when it happen to them or one of their buddies. I am sure they are telling stories about me and Chuck and the local watering hole about blowing a bearing right at the water's edge but dang if them guys didn't have a spare.

So about an hour later we were finally on the water, I was not fully into fishing for awhile as I was thinking about making that eighty mile drive back home later. Lucky for us we started to catch some fish, bunch of little northerns and a couple of decent bass. A few of the bass made me wince when I set the hook with the bad wrist. I rewraped the wrist a little tighter and had to land a few of the fish like I was marlin fishing. The butt of the rod in my gut and my left hand helping to hold the rod. Between the two of us we landed thirty fish and lost another ten. One big northen took a swipe at me at the boat and I was glad he missed. If he had hit I don't know if I would have been able to hold on to the rod. Several spots we found big sunnies hitting our spinner baits that we were fishing for bass with, I even caught a few. With the sun setting we got off the water just as several boats were heading out, walleye fishermen. All in all not a bad day for fishing, it could have been worse, from Lake Iwanttobethere {690,701}

June 11, 2012

HIYA from the Lake, no fishing today at least not from the Puddle Humper as I am waiting on parts. I got a replacement hub for the trailer and decided that I would replace the tang washer that holds the castle nut on. Now if you know what the castle nut is, give yourself an A if you know what a Tang washer is give yourself two A's and if you know where I can get one, call me. Hard to believe that no one here at Lake Iwanttobethere has a tang washer. Most guys at the Lodge last night didn't have a clue what they are but when I told them then they all knew what it was. That there is the do higie that holds the castle washer on so the wheel don't fall off. No, I would explain, it holds on the castle nut. Only one who knew what I was talking about was Elmer and nope he didn't know where you could get one.

Which brings me to the world of the Internet, lucky we have the Internet here at Lake Iwanttobethere or I would be still looking for a Tang washer. I found one and ordered two of them, might as well replace them on both spindles. Seventy-five cents each and two dollars and thirty-four cents in postage. Should be here by midweek and with any luck it will be done raining by then. I did have to do some shopping as I found tang washes for as much as a dollar seventy-five each and twelve-fifty in shipping. Makes you wonder why the postal system is going broke when business are shipping stuff for twelve bucks when they could put it in an envelope and mail it for a dollar. O well I need the washes, but I still shopped for the best shipping rate. On a side note I could have had the two washers shipped by truck freight for a hundred and forty-three dollars. Now that would be something, having a semi pull up to the Lodge, the three wheel fork lift lowered and then have it carry over the two one inch tang washers with the driver looking for our loading dock.

Yesterday was not lost though, I did go to Diggers Nursery and bought two dwarf Macintosh apple trees. I brought them home and have them on the deck, I gave them a good drink of water and make sure they can't be tipped over by the wind. Of course no sooner did I water them then clouds started to show up over the lake and an hour later we had a thunderstorm. Matter of fact it rained pretty good there for a couple of hours. Should make digging holes for the new trees pretty easy later today or maybe tomorrow. I still have to cut the dead apple tree trunk down, was thinking maybe it might make a good base to hang a hammock from, the wife's idea. I tried getting into a hammock on display down at the General Store, getting in was not so bad, it was the getting up off the floor when I flipped it that I was not to partial to. So I am going to chain saw it down to a foot off the ground and the wife will put a big potted plant on it. The new trees will go to the right and left of the stump. Today I need to go buy some metal fence post so I can support the new trees and some fencing to surround them. Keep deer and grand kids away from them for awhile.

With summer here and school out grand kids are spending time at the cabin. Today I need to come up with some chores for them to do as no one gets a free ride here. Watering the outside plants was a good idea except they end up getting more water on themselves then on the flowers. Maybe we will just head to the dock and do some fishing and check on the turtles. A snapper was spotted yesterday laying eggs on the dirt road. The kids marked the spot with white spray paint that the rain washed away. I got a feeling that a turtle hunt is on this afternoons list of things to do, from Lake Iwanttobethere {692,146}

June 13, 2012

Mark the mailman has come and left and no tang washers were delivered. I am sitting on the shore waiting on a seventy-five cent washer. The wife spotted me walking back from the dock where the mail is delivered during the summer empty handed except for a couple of bills. I exchanged the bills with her and she gave me the clip board with the Honey Do List. I made my way to the shop, unlocked the door and sat down in a wood deck chair that I am supposed to be putting some screws into but has now become my new shop chair for pondering ways of getting out of doing things on the Honey Do List. Looking out a window at the lake I don't see a cloud in the sky and I am thinking it would be a good day to fish, if I had a tang washer.

Yesterday I cut down a few trees for a neighbor down the road, last storm had snapped a few trees and they were hung up in another tree. He didn't feel comfortable trying to cut the trees down so asked if I would give it a shot. So for the price of a tank of gas I put on a hard hat and got the trees on the ground. Didn't break anything and it gave me a reason to put a sharp chain on the saw. I came back to the cabin and cut the apple tree trunk down and the grand kids made a big deal about hauling the wood away to the secret hiding spot behind the wood shop. I took the number two grandson with me and we went down to visit Big Earl at the General Store. Bought some posts and fencing along with some mulch for planting the new apple trees. A stop at the Dairy Delight for cones and we were back home an hour later. During that time the wife had taken the two other grand kids out to Diggers where she bought a plum tree and a pear tree. Just kind of forgot to tell me she was going to do it. Grandson and I made a trip back to Earl's to get more posts and more mulch.

Elmer and his girlfriend? Mary actually came over and asked if they could take the kids to the park for awhile. The wife and I looked at each other and shook our heads yes. They all piled into Mary's car and were down the drive and out of sight a moment later. The wife and I didn't say anything, just kind of shook our heads and went on with our business. I am thinking it must be an old folks thing to want to take someone else kids let alone grand kids. I mean Elmer borrows the grand kids all the time but that is usually to pick night crawlers or weeds from his garden. First time he has done it to go swing, must have something to do with Mary. I am not complaining, a little peace and quiet is a welcomed thing. All three dogs are sleeping on the deck laying in the sunshine, I think they to are taking advantage of no kids for a morning break.

So later this afternoon we will mow where the apple trees are going to be planted. I can see a debate coming on where the pear and plum trees are to be planted. If I work it right the kids will do all the digging and heavy lifting and I will just be doing the directing. I might even put a few screws in the deck chair, it is kind of shaky. I could take a trip over to the river and toss a few but the water is still high and running fast. Maybe me and Duncan will just take a walk in town and enjoy a summer evening, from Lake Iwanttobethere {693,669}

June 15, 2012

I don't know when it happen but somehow Lake Iwanttobethere has been moved slightly south of Seattle Washington. I mean it sure feels like it, another day of rain yesterday and six more days of rain on the way. I know it did not really happen as we are not getting drizzle and fog here but thunderstorms that just keep rolling through. Today is Friday and it is turn over day here at the lake. That is when most of the tourist pack up and head back home and the next group comes in. The last group saw but one day with no rain and you do kind of feel for them a little.

Having in my younger days taken a few vacations with the guys a visit to a new lake and a new cabin is never a let down. That drive up always seems to take hours and conversation in the truck are always about past vacations. Never have had a bad fishing vacation even though some of them were pretty rotten. But as time goes by it gets that even the bad ones become a bench mark to measure the next one. All fish grow by just a little and the newer scales are better then the old ones. Having the newer accurate scales allows you to re-weigh your old fish in your story telling and add just a tad to them. Since this is done by everyone in the truck the new weights are accepted and never questioned in any other future story retellings. Duffle bags that were once new are now well worn and soft. Nothing points you out more like a tourist then a crisp seamed canvas bag where the strap stands upright when you drop it on the ground.

Fancy rod carriers are a thing of the past, now you have a thick walled pvc pipe with dings and scratches. Different color swatches of paint from different pick up truck boxes mark the pvc. Coolers with a history are brought in and stacked by the fridge. Bunks are claimed and chairs are tested. Windows are opened and screens inspected. Over the years the cabins have gotten a little better. Now they have running water and there is no need to find the trail to the outhouse. Docks don't have missing boards and bunks don't need sleeping bags. Was even at a place where a maid came in the morning. I am sure she must have mistaken us for some tourists on that day.

We still sit around fire pits and watch sparks float skyward and wink out in the darkness. Make comments to each other about the stars in the sky and who ever gets up first has to get a round for the rest of the guys. When we were young we used a tree for a rest or maybe a boat cushion up against a rock. As we get older the campfire now has chairs with backs and even foot rests. It's not that we are older we still drink the same beer it's just that the campgrounds have just gotten newer we tell ourselves. Still the same sky over head, the same friends on our left. The same stories, the same wife's, at least for some of us. Stories of grand kids are now creeping in with the rest but we are not getting older we confess. Now if someone can just help me get up out of this chair I'll walk with ya down the stairs. We will howl at the moon and give fair warning to the bass that tomorrow around noon we will be out looking for them or maybe at one if we have a late breakfast, from Lake Iwanttobethere {695,742}

June 17, 2012

Friday turned into a hot and humid afternoon, I hate them kind of days. Either be hot or rain but don't give me the worse of both. The apple trees did make it in the ground. I dug the holes and the grand kids took it from there. After the mulch was spread the kids sat back on chairs on the deck drinking ice tea with more ice then tea and declared the trees needed to be named. The seven year old came up with their names. One will be called Apple and the other Tree, the three of them giggled away at their own pun. I chuckled some and the wife told the kids that was a good name for the new trees. I pointed out to the wife I will be very interested in hearing what they name the new Plum and Pear tree. The wife started to object till I waved my finger and pointed at my newly named Apple and Tree.

Tang washers have arrived for the Puddle Humper trailer and I started to haul the jack out and then decided to just wait another day. Too muggy to be crawling around on the ground and it is going to rain again anyway. Duncan came up wet out of the lake and shook all over me and then sat and wagged his tail. With the wife in earshot I asked Duncan if he needed an ice cold beer. Duncan jumped a few times and barked then took off running towards the Tahoe. I just looked at the wife and shrugged my shoulders, looks like Duncan needs a ride into town.

I took a towel to Duncan and got most of the water off him and no sooner did I open the truck door and he was up and sitting in a car seat. We drove into town and I decided I would stop at Little Louie's Liquor and Licorice. We sat in the parking lot for a few minutes as I was really enjoying the cool of the AC coming out the vents. I was thinking to myself that Lou's latest promotion was going pretty good as I saw a couple of guys walking in and walking out with their recyclable Little Louie's Liquor and Licorice shopping bags. I guess one could say you were a serious drinker if you had your own insulated recyclable beer bag. Making Duncan wait in the truck I went inside and bought a six pack of Needabeer and picked up a handful of thumb thick red licorice sticks for me and Duncan. I had forgotten my beer bag so Lou just put the Needabeer in a paper sack for me.

I came back to the cabin to find a fire going in the pit and kids with wet shirts from dripping watermelon. The daughter had arrived to take her kids back but wanted to make sure they ate the watermelon that she had bought at Ma and Pa's here. I sat down at the table and took a thick slice of the melon between my fingers and soon was as wet as the grand kids. I forgot all about the Needabeer till I spotted Duncan dragging the bag across the deck. I patted Duncan on the head and put the bag in the cabin for later. Bud and Barney appeared, both of them wet and walking slowly up from the lake. The kids took their ma to show her the Apple and the Tree and then headed for one last plunge into the lake from the dock. Duncan seeing that someone was going swimming shot down the hill to the lake and clipped the daughter as he leaped off the dock. I almost thought the daughter was going to stay dry till she yelled and tumbled into the water joining the kids. I said nothing, it looked like a dive to me. from Lake Iwanttobethere {697,916}

June 21, 2012

Summer just changed for most of us here at Lake Iwanttobethere. This morning blue sky with no clouds overhead and the bass thermometer is hovering the red needle right at sixty. The bird bath is over flowing in water as are all the potted plants. The sound of every fan in the cabin makes a hum as they are all in the basement drying up water that seeped in. The main garden is gone, the just sprouting plants never had a chance. The cabin sits like a soaking wet sweater hanging on a chair, water dripping off the siding to puddle on the ground. The ground long ago had given up, if you listen you could hear it say that it had enough and just can't take any more rain. Sunshine Ray had announced we received ten point one inches of rain. That is a lot of water no matter where you live. The Puddle Humper will not be going down the road for awhile, there are parts of the road missing!

The whop whop of helicopters is heard overhead, the governor is here along with some national news media. They are flying overhead to look down at the damage while we are looking up to watch them. We kind of like not being in the public eye but having seals swimming on main street and kayaks going through the drive through makes people notice. The ten o'clock freight will not be running for awhile. A section of track is hanging fifty feet up in the air, the hill below it having been washed out. Trees are down, not from wind but from tumbling water tearing at their roots. From the top of hills they slid down to make dams that quickly filled. The trees no longer hold the dirt together so the dirt followed the trees becoming mud and packing in around the branches. What would take beavers forever to do was done in a few hours, and the rain kept falling.

When a town is built along a lake and it rests along a hillside everything that starts at the top makes it's way to the bottom. When you get ten inches of rain at the top and then ten inches more in the middle and ten inches at the bottom it adds up to a lot of problems along the way. No word from people still up around the Mystery River. The state troopers came in wearing their yellow rain slickers and closed off the road to the river. No one is allowed past but we hear of flooding and the fields around the brewery are reported as being under water. For some this means no Needabeer or Whynotale will be coming down the road. The CB radio is crackling with news and gossip. We have been asked to stay off our cell phones and only use them when they are really needed. For those of us who still have the CB's information is shared about washouts and ditches that are no longer ditches but are gorges under cutting roadways.

Wash outs are everywhere, wet basements in town are common and shelves are bare at the General Store where fans and pumps and dehumidifiers once were. Floods are common elsewhere but not here. A big storm here is deep snow and cold, we can handle that. Floating cars and missing sections of roads are not too common here. We are not the only ones though, all through the county people are stranded. Lakes are as high as anyone can remember, even Elmer says this storm beats the one in 72 and might even beat the grand daddy of 1950 dirty brown pools of water are receding. It could have been worse we are saying, We have the whole summer to do all the cleaning, from Lake Iwanttobethere {700,822}

June 22, 2012

Happy Birthday Bobby!!!!!!thanks for providing us with your great perspectives from Lake Iwanttobethere!!!always read them. good luck.

June 24, 2012

Silent Sunday here at the Lake and it is kind of eire because it actually is quiet for the first time in several days. After the flood which was only a few days ago we have quietly slipped in to a new routine which I am thinking will become a life style for the rest of summer. Mystery River is now our area 51 as we still can't get into and we just hear snippets of information or rumors from others about it. Talk of two bridges being washed away and entire sections of roadway slipping into the river. It may be months before travel will be allowed back into the area and the Eagles Nest is flooded and has canceled it's season.

It was a good thing that Hammering Hank had hung onto all of them orange barrels as they were put into good use around the town. We quickly went through all the orange cones and barriers we had on hand. Even though I am retired I can still offer up information and experience. Filling sandbags is not my thing but I know where we had some stocked piled. The Lodge is dry and back to business, lots of guys coming in for lunch and thermos refills. Big thumbs up to the road crews who have been working around the clock to make things safe for the rest of us. The sound of the ten o'clock freight has been replaced with the sound of banging dump truck boxes as they work late into the night dropping off fill for washouts and are working under lights. Local gravel pits are open twenty-four hours to keep the fill available to the county.

Today it was declared that most of the guys would be given the day off, the work has not stopped though. The guys are now working on their own cabins cleaning up messes that have been postponed. On Friday I got my drive filled in and graded at least good enough so that I don't need four wheel drive to get in and out. Creeks have returned to their banks and even though it rained some last night it was nothing compared to what we had received earlier in the week. A few new water hazards at the golf course and yesterday the sounds of lawnmowers were echoing around the lake. The town fathers have eased up on the law enforcement about chain saws and mowers on weekends.

I have been helping out where I can, checking up on some of my old customers who for the most part did OK. One of them did try and drive through a pool of water and had his car die on him. Lucky for him a couple of guys spotted him and got him out of the car. The car was pulled out and brought to his cabin, it sits in the drive still dripping water and smells like a dirty river. The owner is in no hurry to get rid of it, his wife points to it often and reminds him you don't have to be young to be stupid.

With the drive repaired I could get the Puddle Humper out and go fishing today, but just not that important. I think me and Chuck are going to take a drive over to Frank the grader driver's cabin and see if he can use any help. When I drove by yesterday I saw a lot of stuff out in the yard drying. So as the town fathers have on the billboard just outside of town 'We are open for business" from Lake Iwanttobethere {704,837}

June 26, 2012

Went fishing last night, needed a break and the lake was calling my name. Puddle Humper has been sitting patiently waiting for me. New hubs were installed last week and the batteries charged I was talking with my neighbor Chuck about sneaking out and as soon as he heard sneak he was in. Wife was in town picking up some groceries but we had enough bread on hand for a sandwich. I quickly grabbed some cookies and a couple of bottles of water and the cooler, me and Chuck were in the Tahoe fifteen minutes later. I told Duncan to tell the wife I was going fishing and with the Puddle Humper secured behind the truck we headed down the newly graded road to a little lake that both Chuck and I like to fish.

As we drove we noticed several areas where the county graders had been at work. Ditches were full of water and we talked about how wet bird season is going to be. If it started today we would have to wear hip boots to hunt for grouse. The landing we were headed to has a small pond off to the side. The lake would be to your right, the narrow dirt road and then the pond. We were hoping the water from the pond had not washed over the road. We made the last turn before the access and the pond was high but inside it's banks.

We drove the last hundred yards and made the turn into the access to find it under water. The pond was lower at this point and escaping water had covered the parking area and was flowing into the lake. Rubber boots went on and we sloshed around in the water getting the Puddle Humper ready to launch. Water was high, the highest I have ever seen it. I backed into the launch area but didn't go too deep. The water flowing across the landing had created a sand bar and the trailer slipped over the edge and into water deep enough to launch. I was thinking it might be a good idea to put it in four wheel drive when we retrieve the Puddle Humper.

Now for the fishing part of the story.

I could have just ended it with that line because fishing was very very bad, and by seven thirty we were actually talking about the remote possibility that we might get skunked bass fishing! Of course we had caught a half a dozen northern by this time and it was brought up that we never really said we were bass fishing and we could just call it a northern fishing night. That is when the first bass hit my top water and I hooked and landed it. I held it up for Chuck to see and declared to the fish gods that I would not be skunked on this night. Chuck however I pointed out to him was yet to catch a bass.

It took us three and a half hours to catch six fish but in the next two hours we caught twelve. Chuck caught a bass and a skunk was avoided. The blue bird sky and high water may have had something to do with our fishing success or lack of it. As afternoon became evening and evening into dusk the lake started to come alive. Frogs started croaking, a loon made a controlled crash landing with in sight. An eagle took to wing from an old pine so close that we could hear the flapping of her wings as she flew away from us. I am pretty sure it was a female as we know there is a nest hidden from the sight of the lake where she was. With the sun all but gone we called last cast and flung our lures into the last of the light. Trailer was backed into the lake and Puddle Humper loaded without a problem. We drove out the road a ways so we would not have to slosh in water putting things away. Not a bad evening of fishing, it could have been worse, we could have still been at the cabin thinking we should have gone fishing, from Lake Iwanttobethere {706,741}

June 28, 2012

Been a busy couple of days as I have been reworking my summer schedule. I should have been getting close to the end of my fishing challenge but with the wrist injury it never even got started. With the flood it was probably a good thing that I didn't attempt it. Now Lake Iwanttobethere is high up it's banks and reports have fishing poor at best. I did get out the other night and we had to deal with a flooded landing to get the Puddle Humper out. Back at the Lodge I was retelling the fishing story of the night and was getting reports of some of the local residents are canceling their Fourth of July celebrations. The water has risen above the banks to flood yards and in one case there is no longer a place to pitch a tent for guests. Some chance of rain today as it is overcast out and Sunshine Ray has some strong winds forecasted for later today.

Now as to my schedule I am still going to try and get some fishing in but now it looks like it will be late in the summer and early fall. I am hoping the fishing will be better as I know it is going to be pretty wet for hunting grouse. Yesterday at the trap range a couple of the guys were sitting in the shade with their reloaders. They were trying to come up with a really light load. They caught my attention when they let loose with a few rounds that I could hardly hear from the back door of the Lodge. I walked over and talked with Elmer who was tweaking his load. They were working on a skeeter load for the scatter guns! With all the water the skeeters were coming out of the swamp at dusk and they were as big as anyone could remember. The fellows were thinking they had a money maker just waiting to be made. What could be more fulfilling then sitting on the back stoop blasting away at skeeters! An unlimited supply of targets and if ya missed you could always retreat back into the cabin and toss the smoke grenades.

Over at Chuck's there is construction going on while at my place there is destruction going on. Chuck is working on his chicken coop expansion and now that the water has gone down some he has his post holes dug and the poles are in place. Mean while at my place the destruction of the old work shed is moving right along. Was going to hold off on this till later in the summer but the wife borrowed Elmers tractor and as she puts it, hit the building a few times to motivate me. I arrived home from fishing to find a wall caved in and the roof balanced on the others. Wife told me that where the old shop was would be a perfect place to plant her plum and pear tree, now I just needed to finish clearing the area. O by the way she picked up a few extra shifts at work and would not be around to help.

Four trips to the dump so far and maybe I am half done. Lucky for me I have three of the grand kids here for the week and the idea of bashing things with a hammer is appealing. #2 grand son spends most of the morning with a screw gun, anything he can unscrew he already has. #1 grandson rolls the magnet around behind #2 while #1 grand daughter likes the results she gets with a sledge hammer. As we move into the third day of demolition breaks are getting increasingly longer as it is getting warmer. By mid afternoon they are done for the day and demand their pay. I place small stacks of quarters in front of them and they wait for grandma to arrive home from work. They quickly swarm the jeep and persuade grandma to drive them into town to visit Ma and Pa's Grocery Store where they quickly spend the silver they earned. The 12x24 building is almost all on the ground, the wife has offered to hit it a few more times with Elmers tractor but I told her she has done enough already, from Lake Iwanttobethere {708,735}

June 30, 2012

I think sometime here soon that I am going to make a trip to the big Al-mart store and buy some of that hair coloring just for men. I don't need a lot for myself but I thought I would share some of the coloring with Bud, he is looking pretty gray. Now I will get to the reason for the hair coloring. A week ago I had a birthday and turned 708 months old, feeling pretty good I am looking forward to the big 709 Demolition continues on the old work shop but slow going as it has been the hottest part of the now official summer. I also had forgotten that I had promised an old customer that I would help move her. She had been planning on moving into a senior citizen complex that is just outside of town and I had forgotten all about the move till she called me.

The past few days I have been working on the old shop in the morning and then moving furniture in the afternoon. So anyway yesterday afternoon I am in the elevator of the senior complex moving a living room chair on a flat cart. The elevator stops and a short white hair lady pushing at least 1000 months old enters and looks me over. As the elevator rises we make small talk about the duck pond and the music we can hear from a two piece accordion band playing in the main dinning room. The elevator stops on two and she asks if I am moving in or moving out, I replied "in" she then tells me she hopes I enjoy my stay. She then turns and walks away and I am left thinking I really need to color my hair if 1000 month old lady thinks I am old enough to be moving in to the home. It didn't end there.

After a few more trips to the trailer I am done with the load and looking forward to making the run back home with the A/C on high. I start to back out from the loading dock and just miss getting clipped by an older guy backing in. I start to lower my window to yell but figure the loss of the cold air was not worth it so I just give him my best dirty look and he replies with a smile and a wave. Feeling stupid I wave back and check to make sure I give him plenty of room as I pull out. On another ride in the elevator a little white hair lady told me about the duck pond and mentioned some of the fellows from the home fish it. Come to think of it as the afternoon went on every time I got in the elevator a different little older lady would manage to get on with me and make idle chit chat. When telling the wife about this she told me they were checking me out, another reason for the hair coloring.

So with two trailers ahead of me blocking the road I decide to take the side road out back and I drove past the duck pond. I had to stop and wait on an older gent who was crossing the limestone road heading to the pond. Like everyone here he had one of them fancy walkers that have four wheels but his was decked out for fishing. The guy had two rod holders and each were supporting poles, In the front wire basket he had a small cooler and a bait box. There was a little wash out in the road and he was having some problems getting the small wheels of the walker through the bigger rocks. I pulled off to the side and walked across the road and asked if he wanted any help. I got a grin and a nod in return. I lifted up on the front end of the walker and a moment later he was on the black topped path down to the pond. I turn to head back to the Tahoe and he asked if I would make sure he got to the bench. I trailed behind him as he parked next to the bench and sat down. "Grab a seat he said, you look hot" I sat next to him and the cold hard concrete shaded by a big maple actually felt kind of good. He put out his hand and said "Victor is the name, retirement is the game" I shook his hand and returned his grin. "You look a little hot" and he lifted the red top of the cooler and pulled out a bottle of Hamms dripping small chips of ice and water, "You moving in?" From Lake Iwanttobethere {711,515}

July 1, 2012

Yesterday afternoon under the threat of some dark clouds the last load was delivered to the Senior Center and I am done running the gauntlet of little old ladies. My friend is now living in a mess of boxes but has her big easy chair is set up in front of her TV and CNN is hooked up. Her daughters will come this week and help her unpack and arrange things. Meanwhile I seemed to have made several new friends at the center and maybe a few enemies. A few of the older guys have given me looks down their noses and I think I might have been looked at as a new guy moving in on their turf. I made a point of announcing to the dinner crowd that I was taking the last load up the elevator as they waiting for the main dinning room doors to open.

I return with the empty flat cart to the ground floor and no one was in sight. I did hear some polite clapping coming from the dinning room and then the sound of a piano. I parked the flat cart in the service area marked off for it and headed out the back door to the Tahoe. I did have one more thing to do and I took the service road that takes you back to the duck pond. I pulled to the side of the road and spied Victor on the concrete bench. I open the back door and grabbed my own little cooler and headed down the black topped little path to the pond. As I got closer I could see Victor was fishing and I followed the line from his rod tip out into the pond to a float as big as a softball. A few more steps and I reached the shade of the Maple and it felt like the air cooled a tad.

Victor looked up at me and said "HIYA young feller" "HIYA old feller" I replied. Not waiting to be asked I sat down on the concrete bench alongside of him and said "You look a little hot" Victor nodded and eyed the cooler that I sat down between us. Not wasting to much time because it was hot and humid and the dark clouds had moved on but had not dropped any rain. I open the lid to the cooler where six Hamms sat upright with cold water and ice chips floating around them. I pulled one out and the water dripped off the bottle to splatter on the concrete bench. I twisted the top off and held it out for Victor. He put one hand on the top of his fishing cap to hold it and the other hand took the beer from me and he tipped his head and the beer back at the same time. A moment later the beer and his head were both level again and with a satisfying smack of his lips he looked at me and said "You can call me Vic"

The first beer went pretty fast for both of us but we took our time with the second one and savored the taste of a cold beer on a hot day. We talked fishing, but not fishing in the duck pond, there are no fish in the duck pond. Victor, I mean Vic told me he comes down to the pond to get away from the ladies at the Center. He does not even have any bait on under the big float he told me. I asked about the second rod and he told me it was for when friends come to visit. He then pulled the rod out and gave it to me, "Toss it out that away" he pointed. "I never catch anything there." From a duck pond close to Lake Iwanttobethere {713,361}

July 2, 2012

Silent Sunday was not so quiet. After spending the past few days working on the old shed and then moving furniture in the summer heat I was looking forward to doing nothing on Sunday. Grand kids were with their parents and it was just me and the dogs sitting on the covered swing looking for a hint of a cool breeze. Even the wife was saying it was too hot to do any work and she was going to go sit in front of the a/c and just relax. I had just filled up the kiddy pool on the deck for Duncan who likes to stick his head in the water and blow bubbles. Don't know why, it is just something he likes to do. A loud explosion shook the air and Duncan looked up from his pool of water and I stood up from the swing and looked around.

My first thought was Elmers water heater blew up again but there was no hole in the roof like last time. My next thought was maybe Chuck was cooking something in the maple syrup garage. The wife shouted out the window that the a/c was off and then I knew it was the transformer down the road that had blown. A moment later and Elmer was coming out the back door of his cabin, "I thought you paid the electric bill" he yelled. I shouted back "It's your turn this month" he dismissed me with a wave of his hand and headed down towards his dock. The wife was back at the window telling me the a/c was still off, I just waved at her and headed back to the swing. It being Silent Sunday I had a decision to make, I could stay quiet or I could call Jim at the power company and tell him the transformer had blown, I looked at the cell phone and let it sit.

I was swinging slowly on the swing and the wife had come out with the Honey Do List. She gave me the impression that since she no longer had any a/c that I should go to work. I sat with the list and checked off everything that I could not work on because we have no power. There may have been a few borderline things that I could have worked on but I came up with excuses. I did offer the suggestion that the power outage was local and she could run into town and do some errands. Might even be a few rummage sales going on and with that little opening she grabbed her keys and was gone.

Elmer walked up from my dock and when he got close he said "I threw a sucker out for ya" I then noticed that Barney was sitting on the end of the dock watching the bobber. If I get a bite Barney will bark to let me know. Elmer sat down on the deck just as Chuck appeared toting a cooler. "Power is out" he said. Elmer and I both looked at each other and said nothing. "Can't let this get warm" and Chuck open the cooler which to our surprise held beer. We all grabbed a beer and sat on chairs except for me and Bud who sat on the swing. Chuck said he called the power company and they will check the transformer.

An hour later and we could hear the sound of a heavy truck and the whine of a lift working. Twenty minutes later and another loud bang echoed off the cabin wall and Elmer spilled his beer. A few minutes later and we could hear the truck driving away and Chuck's cell phone rang. A brief conversation and Chuck hung up and looking at both Elmer and myself announced "Bad transformer, they are going to get a replacement" I motioned for another beer and watched Duncan go back to blowing bubbles in the pool. Barney starting barking down at the dock, looks like we got a fish on, from Lake Iwanttobethere {715,215}

July 3, 2012

Kind of taking it a little slow today, little water in the rain gage from last night's thunderstorms. Shortly after nine mother nature put on a pretty good light show as lighting streaked across the evening sky. Some rain fell but the lightning was the star of the storm that lasted for over an hour. I sat under the covered swing trying to keep rain drops from putting out my cigar. I had a fire going in the small fire pit, the one that has a metal top on it. Was burning some scrap wood in it, more to keep the skeeters away then anything else. I was waiting for the rain to put the fire out but the fire won last night. The light show that mother nature put on was like a dare for what we can do tomorrow with fireworks, I don't know what Nytelyter has in store for us but he has his work cut out for him.

Lunch time here at the Lodge and not to many guys inside. Gus has the BBQ burning hot just outside the back door and guys are lined up for brats, dogs and burgers. Some corn smokes off to the side on the grill and guys are sitting at picnic tables and on the swings licking fingers and sipping beers. A few guys are practicing their seed spitting as we have a few watermelons sliced. The watermelons for tomorrow's seed spitting contest came in yesterday and we have then stored out in the ice house. Nothing better than spitting watermelon seeds on a hot summer day with the smell of corn burning on the grill and of course a cold Hamms at hand.

4th of July falls in the middle of the week which does not happen often. With it being on a Wednesday we can't really spread all the events over a weekend. Looks to be a busy day tomorrow as we will try and get as many things in as we can. Parade at noon of course, the fishing contest will go from dawn till dusk. Go-cart and lawnmower races at two with pie eating, corn eating and water melon seed spitting for both distance and accuracy held after four. Will be hosting the sailboat races at six followed by a late start to the pontoon drag races. Fire works will be shot off from Root Beer Island at dusk and contest raffle winners will be announce at the Lodge around eleven.

Softball games will start at ten in the morning and horseshoe and bocce tournaments will be an all day thing. Campground is already filled but we lost the spots close to the lake as the water is high making them unusable. Hammering Hank and Skinny have been busy all week getting the park ready and vendors are already open for business. The smells from their trailers ride the wind up to the Lodge and beyond. Mini donuts, hot pretzels, corn and cotton candy. Nytelyter is doing a test BBQ, he is smoking something really good that makes it hard to ignore when you stand out on the deck and the smoke floats by you.

Out on the highway the produce stand has open and even though the produce is not from around here, it is trucked up from down south, the tourists think it is. Funny they are getting more for the watermelons with seeds then the ones without, guess all you can get is seedless melons in the big city. Hard to practice seed spitting without seeds. I just looked at the thermometer and it is resting on ninety-one. I have a rule about not working when it gets above ninety, I'm taking the rest of the day off and heading down to see what Nytelyter is making, have a great 4th of July from Lake Iwanttobethere {716,485}

July 5, 2012

$th of July is behind us, you noticed I used a dollar sign as to the town that is what it is. Hot and muggy overnight but the winds came up just in time in the morning to make it bearable outside. Overcast sky was welcomed by the fishermen that were off with the sound of the starting bell that was rung from the Lodges deck for the fishing contest. From our vantage point a lot of guys headed towards Root Beer Island and were up close next to shore taking advantage of the shade from the trees there. Parade went off on time and as we usually do it went around the block three times. A few floats were late and did not make the first time around but did for the last two passes. High school marching band was riding the hay wagon by the third pass and it was starting to look like a NASCAR event, left turn, left turn, left turn.

Seed spitting contest was won by Skinny this year, I think only because he is the tallest guy entered and it took longer for his seed to hit the ground. Accuracy contest was a wash as the wind was blowing so good no one came close to hitting the coffee cans so it was declared a draw and everyone got a free coupon for a brat and a beer. Lawnmower race was surprisingly a quiet event this year. In past years we have had fires and crashes and even riding tractors end up in the lake. This year we didn't even have to pull out the caution flag, not that it would matter, most of the guys get their racing skills from watching NASCAR and if they saw a caution flag they would just pull over and go and get a beer and a sandmich. There was one little thing though, Dug was running a modified diesel lawn tractor that was burning bio-diesel. He was sponsored by one of the quick stop burger places and was using fuel made from their deep fryer grease. I hear business was real brisk right after the race as their fries were for some reason on everyone's mind.

Another business that did really well was the Lake Iwanttobethere Home Made Ice Cube Company. They had a few stands set up around the park and were also the exclusive ice used by Mindy and Mandy in their mugs of Lake Iwanttobethere Root Beer. The Ice Company advertised that their ice is hand made in trays using only local spring water and the tourists drank it up. Speaking of ice the ice ride was a big hit. We open the doors to the ice house and sold out with in a few hours all the ice that was cut the past winter for hill riding. The slabs of ice and burlap sacks to sit on were a big hit riding down the hill to the lake. Next year I think the Lodge will sponsor down hill ice races, maybe a riding on your bottom division and a standing division. Hammering Hank took first in the Coney eating contest I placed a distant second, I have no excuse other then the three trips to Nytelyter's BBQ before the Coney Challenge started and the extra onions on my buns.

Overcast sky was with us all day and the brisk wind helped move the sailboat contest right along. The wind was a problem for the pontoon drag races as the course was set right into it, the wind. We had one boat flip completely over when it grabbed a little to much air. Of course we don't do a quarter mile as in pontoon racing it is all over in the first hundred yards or so. No one was hurt, the water was warm and the high school band was still here so they marched out into the lake and flipped the pontoon back over. They received a polite round of applause but they sure did look funny out there still wearing their tall hats with the feather in them. I am sure the eagle that took a swipe at the drum Major was just confused by the waving feather in the water.

A little rain fell just before dusk as a pretty good size thunderstorm just missed us. It was touch and go there for awhile as we waiting to receive word from Stormy Clearweather if the storm would pass and we could launch. We got the thumbs up and relayed the green light to Nytelyter out on Root Beer Island. Now Nytelyter has been doing this for a long time and some would say he has a feel for it. Town's people and tourists a like sat back in their chairs and awaited the start. Mother Nature was not so impressed with the first salvo that Nytelyter sent skyward and answer with a streak of lightning that lit up the evening sky. You could hear the popoppop of several motors being shot off and then a few seconds later bursts of color rained down on the lake. Nature answered with several flashes of lightning each one bigger then the last and then a long BOOOoooommmmmm

A duel was in the works and it lasted till Nytelyter was out of fireworks, every time he shot one up Mother Nature shot one down. The final shot by Nytelyter was a bigie and a fitting end to any display. No answer from Mother Nature and it appeared the show was done. Some yelling from the crowd and clapping echoed around the bay. But........ Mother Nature was not done her final was much bigger and people were caught folding up chairs when she let loose. The horizon looked like a war zone as lightning flashed from first one side then the other. It was like being at a tennis match and sitting to close to court side. You could not move your head quick enough not to miss something. Several large streaks of lightning exploded right over head and the park was lit up like midday. People were caught with expressions on their faces like they had been caught with a flash camera. The boom that followed was loud enough that people covered their ears, to late I might add. Red cups fell to the ground and a few car alarms started going off. Then it was over, Kids started shouting and clapping and more horns and flashing headlights joined the car alarms, now that was a light show! From Lake Iwanttobethere {719,359}

July 6, 2012

So have ya ever noticed that when you have more then enough of something you just keeping getting more of it? Except money I don't know anyone who has to much money. I say this because it is raining here at Lake Iwanttobethere and over the past few weeks we have had more then enough rain. Rain barrels are over flowing, banks are so high there is no walking trail around the lake. Ducks are landing in parking lots thinking they are new ponds. Today's rain is welcomed though only because it breaks the heat wave, at least for today. Not a lot of rain but just enough so you can't mow grass or do any outside painting. I still have part of the shop lying on the ground to be removed but it is all wet and slippery so it will wait for a cooler, drier day.

$th of July has come and gone but we are in the middle of summer now, Rodeo going on in the park this weekend, a three day event. Vendors didn't even pull up stakes, their trailers are still open for business. It makes it real hard not to take a swing down for mini donuts at lunch time. County is saying they may or may not do some spraying for the skeeters. Come dusk the past few days Main Street is looking like an Alfred Hitchcock set. If you get caught out with the sun going down the skeeters come swarming down the street in search of blood. Has gotten so bad some local kids have set up a booth next to their lemonade stand selling bug spray in five and ten second bursts.

Ma and Pa's grocery shelf's have been picked clean, not a bottle of catsup or a jar of relish to be had. I was in this morning looking for deli meat for fishing sandwiches and I saw that Ma was washing down shelf's. She told me the truck was coming in tomorrow and they would be fully stocked and ready for the tourists again. Over at the General Store Big Earl was out front wearing his apron and chatting with a few of the locals. A display of umbrellas and bug spray in a cart stood near the door along with a box of kites that Earl had marked down. I was looking for some of them long foam poles that the young kids use for swimming. Earl pointed me back to where Junior was in sporting, I could hear Junior and the duck call he was trying out. I found one of the five foot long by three inch diameter foam floats and took it up to Billy Jean at the front counter. I paid for it and a semi melted Kit Kat and was on my way. The foam I am going to cut up into eighteen inch lengths and then stuff them in my tall water boots. The boots sit in the back of the Tahoe and when the rubber gets this hot they fall over sideways in the truck. With the foam inserts it will keep the boots standing upright and ready to put on when I need them.

Chuck is on vacation this week, went out east with his lady friend and left me a page of instructions on how to feed his chickens and the two horses. I glanced at the instructions and figured I was spending to much time on reading. Called Duncan over and he ran the chickens into the coop, Just cut the bottom of the feed bag open and the feed for the chickens trickled out on it's own. Instructions said one round bail of hay midweek so I put out two, should be good to go through the weekend. I left the water running on at just a trickle, figure fresh running water would be better then coming over several times a day to fill the tank. The ducks sure seem to like the water that is running over the tank. Thing is I am missing a chicken but have gained a duck, I'll have to count again before he gets back, from Lake Iwanttobethere {721,588}

July 8, 2012

Last night as I was at Chuck's cabin trying to count chickens when I got a call from my oldest daughter asking if I was doing anything special. She told me she had all the grand kids at her house for a sleep over and she wanted to know if I would like to come over and shoot off some fireworks. I just happen to be doing nothing and I had a few fireworks that I was kind of saving but the excuse to shoot them off was appealing. I arrived at her house in the city about an hour later and was swarmed by grand kids at the door. Told the kids they had to wait till dark before we would shoot any fireworks off. Also seems the daughter had a few chores on her Honey Do list that her mother said I would be more then happy to complete, women.

I made the mistake of saying out loud to the daughter with grand kids with in ear shot that we are going to shoot off fireworks and mess with the neighbors. Buster her dog does not like loud noises and on the fourth the neighbor had been shooting motors off in the front yard. Tonight Buster was at Dug's house and it was payback time. I was watching the last of the baseball game and told the kids as soon as the game was over we would go outside. They sat on the floor watching the game and counting the final outs. The daughter came into the living room because it was quiet, saw the kids sitting on the floor and just shook her head. With the last out they jumped up and screamed "Were going to go mess with the neighbors" and ran out the banging screen door. The daughter handed me a Hamms bottle and told me I was going to need it, the bottle was empty.

Kids were already in the back yard and a brown bag was offered to me by #2 granddaughter. I open it to find a mess of bottle rockets, OK now I know about the need for the beer bottle. I set the bottle up on top of the fire pit and said I need a lighter. #1 granddaughter pulled one from her pocket, I looked at her and said we will have a talk later. First bottle rocket zipped skyward with a rewarding pop. Kids stood and politely applauded, I turn to them and told them to knock it off. I set off two rockets next and they zipped skyward and crossed paths before popping. Again the kids clapped, I turned to them and told them you guys sound like nerds! I strung four rockets together and they made a bang going off at the same time. The kids now screamed together "Were messing with the neighbors!" At this time I heard the next doors neighbor storm door slammed and he and his wife were standing on their deck watching. I smiled and gave them a half wave.

Reaching in the bag I got one of them fountain sparklers that make that annoying screaming sound. Put flame to the fuse and took a step back, it was a good one and lit the yard and the kids faces up. With the smoke blowing into the neighbor's yard I could hear the neighbor's wife urging her husband to come over and say something. I was getting ready to lit up another of the screaming sparklers when the neighbors storm door slammed and the husband came over to the fence. I lit the sparkler and backed off towards the fence. Kids screamed and yelled at the tower of light and smoke. Neighbor leaning on the fence gave me a Lake Iwanttobethere HIYA and I gave him a look. "You got any more of them big screaming sparklers?" He asked. I replied that I have a couple of them. "Good, my wife hates them" from Lake Iwanttobethere {724,862}

July 9, 2012

Today was errand day, I had a few things that needed to be picked up in town. Some of you may have read elsewhere that Duncan was introduced to his first cat that has a white stripe and did not run away from him. The other night I think Barney coaxed Duncan to check out this cat that was along the fence line and just out of the light of the deck lights. Unfortunately for Duncan the joke was on him as it was not a cat but a skunk. Bud and Barney were waiting at the deck door for me when Duncan came up out of the darkness with that all to familiar smell. So today we took him into town for a new collar, the one he had on is never going to lose that smell so it is just hanging from a fence post as a reminder to Duncan. I see him walking the fence line till he gets to that post and then he makes a big detour around it.

So we took Duncan into Big Earls General Store and I let him pick his own collar out. While we were there we picked up some dog shampoo and some Skunk Out for the next time. I slipped the collar on him and he walked over to the lady's department and I swear he checked himself out in the shoe mirror. Billy Jean was folding shirts and saw Duncan at the mirror and then saw me following. "Morning Bobby" she said "Morning" I replied. "So this must be Puddin Pup?" No, this is Duncan and Duncan looked up at me when I spoke his name. "Well, when your wife is in here she is always bragging about her new dog, a chocolate lab and she calls him Puddin Pup" Billy Jean said and she knelt down to rub Duncan's ears. "This guy here sure looks like a chocolate puddin pup to me" I watched as Duncan wagged his tail and sucked in the attention from Billy Jean rubbing his ears.

Looks to me that the wife should have been the one to give Puddin Pup, er I mean Duncan his skunk bath. I called Duncan and said good bye to Billy Jean. We made our way to the front counter and paid for our stuff and Big Earl slipped Duncan a dog biscuit. Duncan carried the biscuit to the Dodge and I held the door open for him and he jumped up into the front seat. I got in and put on my seat belt and looked at Duncan still holding the biscuit, OK Puddin you can eat it and Duncan started to chew up the treat. I shook my head, so the wife does have a secret name for Duncan and Duncan answers to it and here she complains about having another pup in the cabin.... Payback will have to be sweet.

Sunshine Ray is forecasting highs in the low eighties and lows in the upper fifties all this week. A few shower's midweek but otherwise it should be an outstanding week for the tourists that checked in last Friday. Fishing has not been the best with all the high water and bluebird sky but you will never hear any resort or fishing town tell you that. No one stays in business long if they would post that fishing has been downright poor the past week. Water levels are unseasonable high and a lot of feed in the water has kept the fish from biting. However, the skeeters and black flies, they will take a bite out of you at midday. No cloud cover and blue sky with just a slight breeze at dusk. Our a/c is out in the main lodge and from time to time the beer is cold as we are still trying to get the walk in cooler to stay working. But that of course is not happening at Lake Iwanttobethere, everything is just fine here! From Lake Iwanttobethere {727,034}

July 9, 2012

hopefully that doesn't happen to Lucy, but you sure love your dogs and i cant say enough about that. they are like family, i mean they are family. good luck.

July 11, 2012

Marv and Elmer are back at it again. With summer here all kinds of annual events take place at Lake Iwanttobethere as well as other small towns. Along with county fairs and rodeo's high school reunions are held. For many the ten and twenty year reunions are a big deal but as you get older and get to those thirty and forty year reunions the halls get smaller and it starts to become a thing of survival. Marv tells me that he still goes to his class reunions but now they just have them at a table at the Waffle House. Elmer does not go to his, he does not like the other guy. The reason I bring this up is that Marv and Elmer are back selling day old Danish behind the Lake Iwanttobethere strip mall to guys in the evening exercise class. They have expanded and are also selling ice cold beer. Well they are not selling the beer that would be illegal according to Sheriff Tim. They are selling the Danish and giving away a free beer with the purchase of two Danish.

With a high school reunion later next month wife's are dropping off their husbands at the front door of the health club only to have the husbands walk out the back door to hook up with Marv and Elmer. An hour later the wives return to pick up their sweaty husbands who return home to sit and watch the rest of the baseball game, exhausted from their workout. The evening special work out is a good deal for the instructor who has been bribed with the location of a school of crappies on the lake, A fishermen is still a fishermen. I to have a high school reunion this summer but the only reason I know that is because I happen to check the wife's calendar. Her calendar and mine are two separate examples of what we feel is important. She has birthdays and weddings and rummage sales and I have fishing and hunting openers, oil changes and vet appointments. I don't worry about anniversaries or birthdays, I get enough hints for them.

Last night I was looking for a reason to take a drive in the Tahoe and turn on the a/c so I drove down to the General Store in search of Frisbee for Duncan. I drove past the health club and saw the group of fellows out back sitting on them big tractor tires that the morning class flips over as exercise. The fellows were using them as chairs and then stuffing the Danish wrappers inside. Big Earl was there and I pulled over, I had a frozen chocolate donut but no beer, I was driving. Told him I was heading to the store looking for a Frisbee and he said to talk to Junior and ask for the ones under the counter. Licking my fingers of the chocolate I headed to the General Store with no thought of working out for my class reunion.

Arrived at the General Store to find Junior standing on the front sidewalk wearing his apron and greeting customers. Seems some of the old man has rubbed off on him. I exchanged HIYA's with him and told him I was looking for a Frisbee, he directed me back to sporting which I thought was strange, I thought I would be heading to toys. Back in sporting I was looking around and finally asked Jason a young guy about Frisbee's. He took me to an end cap and showed me a display of Frisbees with ten dollar price tags on them. "Ten dollars for a Frisbee? I just want something to toss for Duncan" I told Jason. "O you want something for the Puddin pup eh. Well you don't want any of these, these are all golf Frisbees" Jason said. I was looking over the golf Frisbees, when Junior walked up to me with a pink Frisbee in hand. "My dad called and said to give you this" he said. I took the pink Frisbee from his hand and saw it had Big Earl's General Store printed around the rim and Lake Iwanttobethere all class HIGH SCHOOL 2012 REUNION in the center, guess there is a big reunion this summer. From Lake Iwanttobethere {729,737}

July 13, 2012

Little hectic around town yesterday as we had some missing dogs. Not mine, they were fine but Dan from down at the auto shop was missing Grace his Saint Bernard. I was down at the General Store with Bud and Barney who were bring in some pop bottles to recycle. Big Earl is the only one still in town who will accept the pop bottles but then again Big Earl is the only one in town that still has a bottle pop machine. I just stepped out on to the sidewalk and Bud was carrying the box of dog bones that he and Barney had traded the bottles in for. Dan was rolling by pretty slow and had his window on the parts truck rolled down. He slowed to a stop and we exchanged HIYA's "Have you seen Grace?" Dan asked. "Yes I have" I replied, "Not more then twenty minutes ago, he was with Mr. Wilson and they were heading towards the Sheriffs office "Dan just shook his head, waved and headed down Main Street towards Sheriff Tim's place.

I got in the Tahoe with Bud and Barney in the back seat, Bud still holding onto the box of bones and his brother Barney trying to take them away from him. I had to scold the two of them like little kids and told them they had to wait till we got to the Lodge. I had no sooner put on my seat belt then Sheriff Tim pulled up along side of me. I hit the button and lower my window and we exchanged HIYA's "Have you seen Bailiff" Tim asked me. "I replied that I had not seen him but Grace has gone missing along with Mr. Wilson and Dan is looking for them both. Tim shook his head and said "I bet them mutts have hooked up and are out causing mischief" Now I have not written about either Grace or Bailiff for quite some time but they are a couple of characters. Grace who is five now is not to be confused around town. She is one hundred and forty-five pounds of lap dog who still has a problem that she has had ever since she was a puppy, she loves ice! She loves chewing it, eating it, rolling in it and stealing it. Well maybe that is a little harsh, she likes to borrow it but never replaces it.

Bailiff on the other hand is if an unknown age as he is a rescue dog from down south. Sheriff Tim has a cousin in a southern parish and Bailiff was working for the sheriff's department there as a moonshine tracking hound. It happens to a lot of people and I guess dogs to that he started sampling the shine and it effected his job performance. They let him go and Sheriff Tim up here took him under his wing so to speak. Several years ago Grace and Bailiff teamed up at a 4th Of July gathering and went around lapping up drinks and stealing ice. People thought it was cute till Grace starting hauling blocks of ice out of the ice house and Bailiff and her rolled a keg of Hamms away. Dan and Tim try and keep the two of them separated. It would appear now that the two of them have gotten out together along with Mr. Wilson.

I arrived at the Lodge and walked into the cool dark main room, several of the guys were sipping Hamms and gathered around the CB in the corner. Word was out, Grace, Bailiff and Mr. Wilson were out raiding coolers. Already a couple of tourist had been into the Lodge complaining of finding their coolers open and all the ice missing. The guys here have been quiet, not wanting to scare the tourists about the gang of thief's being on the loose. To be continued, from Lake Iwanttobethere {732,016}

July 15, 2012

I called Bud over to the bar and took the box of bones that he was carrying from his mouth. Both he and Barney sat and watched as I opened the box and gave them each a bone. They didn't move but continued to watch me each holding a bone in their mouth. "All right" I gave them each a second bone. Taking out the first bone I added a second one making a bone sandwich and then gave it to them. Now they turned and walked away, the box of bones I set on my desk in the office. Gus was standing behind the bar wiping his hands on his apron, his attention was to the squawking coming from the CB. "HIYA" I said to Gus and he turned and said "The gang has broken out, and they have Mr. Wilson with them" I shook my head and walked around the bar towards the group of guys sitting at a round table. Elmer was fiddling with the knobs on the old CB trying to go through channels to hear any more about THE GANG.

Guys were sitting at the table with square bottom beer mugs at different levels of being full or empty, depending on how you looked at them. A few were smoking cigars and a low smoke cloud hung in the air for a few seconds before the ceiling fan caught the smoke and sent it towards the deck door. Elmer kept going back to channel fourteen, that is where Dan and Sheriff Tim were talking back and forth on. If you were not a local then you would have had a hard time understanding them, as it would sound like some kind of secret code. At another table a middle-aged couple were eating some lunch. The lady was kind of stirring her chili while trying to hear the conversation on the CB. Her husband I am assuming was not paying to much attention as he was just finishing his Coney and reaching for his wife's. "You going to eat that Borgie?" He asked her. " No Lee, you can have it, just leave me a bite" she replied.

The radio crackled some and then you could hear Sheriff Tim's voice.

"How about it there Partsman, you got your ears on?"

"I'm here BrightStar, you see anything?"

"Nothing yet but I going down past the old high school on my way towards the pumping station, you? Come on back."

"I ran into old McDonnell, he said that he did see Grace and Bailiff together and he was sure Mr. Wilson was right behind them trying to keep up. Over"

"Mr. Wilson must be getting tired, I heard from Mabel over at the Sauna House that when she saw the three of them Mr.Wison was in the lead and Bailiff was looking a little woozy, over"

"10-4 on that. I am getting a little worried about Mr. Wilson there BrightStar he has never done anything like this before, over."

BREAKER BREAKER

"Go ahead breaker" Partsman said

"You guys looking for a Mister Wilson?"

"Who we got here" said BrightStar

"Just someone passing through your fair town, but I did see an old guy wearing bibs and a yellow shirt looking a little lost by the boat landing an hour ago, could he be your Mister Wilson?"

I looked at Elmer standing by the radio wearing his bibs and yellow shirt and started laughing. The rest of the guys joined in and Elmer raised a finger in our direction. " O my" said the lady called Borgie and her husband looked up and said "He is just ordering a Coney" from Lake Iwanttobethere. {734,524}

July 16, 2012

After some more ribbing Elmer returned to the CB and the guys finished up their brews and headed out. Some had chores to do and some were actually going to do some fishing. Lee and Borgie paid their bill and got into their car with the out of state plates pulling a Lund and headed for parts unknown. Borgie telling Gus she will keep an eye out for this Mr. Wilson and Lee holding on to a bottle of Lake Iwanttobethere Maple Syrup. Some chatter on the CB between Dan and Sheriff Tim and a few sightings of the dogs. Word had spread and now somehow people were calling in to the Lodge to report ice thefts. Gus had a legal pad by the phone and was taking down the information but what are you going to do, it was ice. Not a real valuable item unless it was hot like today.

KCUM radio got in on the act and broadcasted a "Wagging Tail Alert" just something they do when a tourist looses a pet when in town. Sunshine Ray did the voice over sounding like a narrator in War of the Worlds. Sunshine Ray has always wanted to go to Hollywood and be a star but had never made it out of Lake Iwanttobethere. With his booming voice helped with a little editing he warned the town people and tourist alike to be on the lookout for a huge one hundred and forty-five pound Saint Bernard with an unquenched thirst for ice and her partner in crime, a floppy ear big nosed southern thug bloodhound who has a reputation of theft of sprits. The dogs are at large with a Mr. Wilson, but there is no information about him.

By late afternoon any ice missing or in most cases any ice that had melted was being blamed on the GANG. From one end of the lake to the other calls were coming in of cocktails being set on tables or benches and when owners had returned the ice and drinks were empty. Gus was noticing a pattern in the calls as more and more of the callers were having a hard time describing their drinks and their locations. By now the red needle on the bass thermometer was resting above ninety degrees in the shade and we figured the GANG could not be responsible for all of the missing ice.

Six o'clock came and the Women's Auxiliary had now gotten into the act. Marching as a group wearing their floppy hats and bright sun dresses carrying their daisy umbrellas they came down Main Street. Some were toting signs against excessive drinking and looking to support the GANG on their mission to clean up Lake Iwanttobethere. A call came into KCUM that the dogs had been spotted by the pink fish cleaning house in the park. Sunshine Ray broke into the afternoon fishing report to break the news that the capture of the GANG was eminent. At the Lodge we could hear the honking of horns and as we went out onto the deck we could see the backed up traffic behind the women's auxiliary as they marched toward the park. Spread across Main Street they were not letting anyone get around them, not even Sheriff Tim with his flashing lights.

Grabbing a few long necked Hamms several guys from the Lodge, myself included went down the path from the Lodge to the park. We arrived just as a couple of guys holding landing nets came from behind the fish cleaning house. "We got them trapped here" one yelled while his partner pointed his landing net behind the house. The Ladies Auxiliary hearing this spread out to encircle the house, the crowd closing in behind them. I looked around the corner of the house to find the GANG asleep, no doubt tired from their day long raiding and pilfering. The Saint Bernard, Grace was there, snoring on her side. The Bloodhound Bailiff along side and between them Dan's new puppy, Mr. Wison............... At the sight of the puppy the crowd released a collective Ahhhh and Sunshine Ray with a mic to his mouth could be heard doing his remote broadcast that the ring leader of the Gang has been captured, a Mister Wilson. From Lake Iwanttobethere {735,491}

July 18, 2012

No doubt where you are it has been hot the past few days. Even the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere are empty of boats at midday, just too hot to be on the water. Any place with A/C is popular and even the library has become a hangout. I did a little work in the morning but I didn't need to much of a reason to find someplace cool to sit and stay put. My first thought that the covered swing would be a good place but after sitting there for a few minutes I felt like an apple pie that had been set out to cool. Next stop was inside the wood shop which was good as it is shaded by the big cedars but even that got warm after a few minutes. Bud and Barney were laying in a fresh hole they had dug under the work trailer and I was going to yell at them but I figured they were just trying to stay cool too. Got me thinking as to where Duncan was hiding out so I set off in search for him.

Was not in the lake and I didn't see any paw prints on the dock, but then again the lake was like bath water when I reached in to test it. Not in the garage nor on the deck so I looked inside the cabin. I found him, asleep, upside down in the bedroom lying on the bed with the a/c blowing on him. Tongue hanging out of his mouth with all three cats sprawled around him. Too hot for chasing so I am guessing the four of them had called a truce for the day. I went in search of a book to read and made my way back to the bedroom. I went to sit on the bed and all of them were watching me, nobody was giving up their place though. I moved over to the rocking chair and adjusted the fins on the a/c in my direction. I not sure but I think the cats were softly growing at me.

I was a few chapters into the book when Chuck came knocking on the back door, needed to borrow a hammer. Lost his or misplaced it as he put it. He thinks it might be under the new addition to the chicken coop but does not want to have to move the coop to look. Talk about unhappy animals. The flies are chewing up the horses and the rooster is still mad. You may recall before I spend time writing about Mr. Wilson I wrote a little piece about watching the horses and chickens and ducks while Chuck was on vacation. Well I did go over there the day before he was to come back and I was short a chicken and had an extra duck. The duck I found out was a wild one and he has since moved on. The chicken which was actually a rooster was thought to have been eaten. Chuck looked all over for that rooster and had given up on him till it came time to muck the stalls and he hit a over turned maple syrup bucket with the broom.

The bucket started to move on it's own across the floor and Chuck tipped it over with the broom handle to find one very excited rooster! Chuck figured somehow the bucket fell off a peg and landed on the rooster. The rooster was happy to be out but not so happy that no one came to his aid. For the past few days the rooster has had an attitude with everyone and everything. Chickens are giving him a wide berth and even the two horses stand and watch him closely when he is around. Only this heat has finally calmed him down some or just made him to hot to bother any more. Yup, this past week is just what you all were asking for last winter when it was twenty below and the wind was blowing, are ya happy now? From Lake Iwanttobethere {737,180}

July 20, 2012

Rain coming, I can smell it. Well that and the sky is overcast and Sunshine Ray was just on the radio saying a thunderstorm is heading our way. Duncan and I were just on the swing for awhile and I was calculation if I would have enough time to finish loading the Dodge with some stuff that was heading for the dump. I asked Duncan what he thought and he just looked at me and blinked a couple of times before flopping down on the cushions of the swing. I took this as a no and watched as a drop of rain hit my boot top. Rain is not going to last long so I have plenty of time to hit the dump later this afternoon. With rain on it's way it is pretty quiet here, trees are not moving much and I think it might be a good little shower. I don't see any butterflies or see any bees buzzing around. With all the flowers on the deck there always seems to be one or the other around.

A couple of days in the mid seventies which after having a couple of days in the mid nineties made it feel like we had and outside a/c on. Spent yesterday afternoon mowing and got all caught up, even got the trimming in. If it stays hot and dry I won't have to mow again for a couple of weeks. I suppose I will be spending the time hauling water to the gardens and keeping an eye on the new apple trees that I have planted. Duncan and I have been spending quality time together as in the evening we are tossing the dummy around, well I am tossing and he is retrieving. Barney is spending time down on the dock fishing and Bud is taking this retirement thing pretty serious. There was a time when we would bring groceries home from Ma and Pa's and he would carry a few bags in for us. Now he just stands on the deck and opens the door for us. Duncan is not yet big enough to carry anything other then the bread, he tried a loaf of French the other night but kept stepping on it.

Grouse counts are suppose to be down but I know for a fact we have three separate coveys of birds out back. If they make it till fall Duncan should have a lot of birds to chase and Bud will be able to get another year of hunting in. I got the laptop out on the deck and Duncan is sleeping next to me, must be a puppy thing as he is on his back feet pointed towards the canopy. Actually I should stop referring to him as a puppy as in is a year and half old now. As expected he is turning into a handsome lad and when you stand him along side Bud and Barney he is so much more a real chocolate color, a real puddin pup. Of course this also shows off the gray and white that the old dogs are sporting but they still have the bright eyes and still listen well when we have our conversations.

As I write this Barney has come up from the lake and has found a place under the table to sprawl. I'm thinking he is looking to get out of the rain but it is not raining at all. Matter of fact if we were going to have a thunderstorm Barney should be finding a place to hide by now. I open a window on the laptop, go to weather and see the thunderstorm has broken up as it reached the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere, no rain is coming. Guess I am back to loading the Dodge and heading to the dump. Just another Friday here at Lake Iwanttobethere {738,092}

July 22, 2012

Silent Sunday here at the lake and I am catching up on some bills and some catalog reading. I have been just letting the mail pile up on the desk unless I see it is something important. Have an invitation for a fifty year wedding anniversary to go to. Was not that long ago and I don't thing I even knew anybody fifty years old! Water on the lake is calm and not even a breath of air moving. Going to be another warm day and I think I am going to be spending a good part of it with my butt on the dock and my feet dangling in the water. Actually I will be wet up to my knees as there is plenty of water in the lake and not much free room under the dock. I thought I would spend some time with Barney down there and do a little fishing.

Good thing today is silent Sunday as I did so much hollering yesterday that I don't think I have much of a voice. Chuck was working on the trails out back and got the Ranger stuck. Grass had grown up and covered a water filled rut and he slipped the tires in deep and got himself hung up on the frame. He started hollering and I started hollering back. In the evening sound carries a fair piece out here and we could just hear each other if ya yell loud enough and listen careful like. Well he needed the tractor and a chain so I went over to his place started the tractor and worked my way back to where he was. As long as the tractor had the mower on it I cut some grass on the way in and was almost there when I found some water. Chuck was yelling at me but I could not hear him so I turn the tractor off. That is when I heard Chuck yelling at me not to stop or I would sink, he was right.

With no one to holler at since we were standing right next to each other we started walking back to the cabins. A warm evening, lots of bugs and wet boots make for a slow walk. We got back and had to jump Chucks jeep as it has been sitting since last fall. I thought it might be a good idea to grab a cooler and a flashlight. We made it back to the stuck tractor and when Chuck was turning the Jeep around it died. But not close enough to the tractor for a jump and we had no tools to get the battery out. After a rock, papers, scissors contest Chuck was back walking the trail to the cabin to get a chain saw that we both had forgot. I sat in the jeep and sipped a refreshing beverage from the cooler while watching a grouse. Chuck returned with the chain saw riding the four wheeler. A few hours later and we had all the vehicles back at the cabin and I left Chuck with the power washer cleaning the muck off.

I had just enough time to take Duncan out in the side yard for a little training. Bud and Barney were in the cabin and Duncan came running as soon as I pulled his collar with the bell on it out. I started off with a few easy tosses of the training dummy and some soft coaxing peeps of the whistle. Without getting to much in to it I have been training the dogs this way for a long time and Duncan was catching on well. Right now I am shooting a cap gun, tossing a dummy with scent on it and then a sharp blast to come and then a series of coaxing little peeps to guide him to me. I only spend a few minutes doing it and I leave him wanting to do some more. This morning I was reading the mail and the whistle was sitting on the desk, I was out of orange juice and the wife was in the kitchen. I held up my glass and blew a sharp peep on the whistle, The wife looked at me and I raised my glass. She headed my way with the OJ and I guided her in with some coaxing little peeps. I never saw the wooden spoon coming, from Lake Iwanttobethere. {739,155}

July 24, 2012

I woke up in the middle of the night last night and found Bud in bed with me. I reached over to pat his side and he was cold. In an instant the past twelve years flashed past me. I owned Bud's ma and pa, Ma was a black lab that was as sleek as a black panther, everyone would always comment that she look more like a big cat then a black lab. Even when she was just lying on her side her muscles would ripple under her skin. Dad was an English Springer Spaniel who was devoted to the wife and followed her everywhere, except when Sadie got in heat and then he had a new women in his life.

Bud was born in my bed but before the rest of his litter mates could make their appearance Bud and Sadie were moved to a prearrange area for the rest of the birthing. Last one to make an appearance was Barney, but as we always said about him "Better late then never" At eight weeks his brothers and sisters were all sold except for Barney who was shaded in browns and tans and just looked a little odd. We later found out he is a special breed of lab and his markings are only thrown about once in a thousand pups. It was a good enough excuse to keep him around.

Bud's first experience with bird hunting was not a good one. I had taken Bob his dad out hunting in the morning and my son wanted to go out hunting that afternoon. I told him Bob was tuckered out and he offered to take Bud out. I don't know why but I told him not to come back home if he didn't have Bud with him. After dark that night the son shows up at home and no Bud. I found out later that he and his buddy had driven fifty miles to the friend's cabin and had been racing along the dirt roads and tight turns. Bud had gotten car sick in the back seat and when they stopped Bud got yelled at for throwing up in the back of the car. Bud took off into the woods and would not come back to them no matter how hard they tried. Doug woke me up to tell me he had lost the dog.

Ten minutes later with flashlights Doug and his sister and I were in the Dodge heading to where Bud was last seen. During the drive the story came out and as I drove on the dirt roads with the tight turns and hills I figured out what had happen. Bud had been alone in the woods for about three hours by now. The last place he was seen was at the edge of a clearing about a quarter mile in from the tote road. Armed with flashlights we headed into the woods under a starlit night with no moon in sight. We found him, I should say the daughter found him as we reached the edge of the clearing. She was calling his name when he ran across the clearing and jumped into her arms. The daughter confessed she was a little worried when she just saw a pair of glowing eyes running across the field in her flashlight. I arrived a minute or so later and got the same welcome, he followed me out to the Dodge with his shoulder pressed against my leg and has never left my side since then.

I ran my hand down Buds side and his hair was cold, stopping my hand I didn't feel him breathing. Twelve years went by in a second and I thought it was fair that if he was born in my bed he should die in it. I knew this day was coming as I gave him a ruff shake, He raised his head and turned to look over his back at me like a teenager getting woke up at noon. Dang dog was just sleeping hard and the a/c had made his coat cold to the touch. I patted him again and went back to bed, the day is going to come, but it was not going to be today, from Lake Iwanttobethere {740,365}

July 25, 2012

I was at the Post Office this morning and I spotted a couple of pictures of members of the GANG that was on the loose here in town. As a public service I am posting the pictures so you will be able to ID them if they break out and ice starts disappearing in your area.

The big one is Grace, Dan's Saint and the little guy is the ring leader, Mr. Wilson!

[img:center]

July 25, 2012

LOL!!!!i'll keep an eye out. good luck.

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Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

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