Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

June 6, 2008

Hiya from the Lake, well Friday night here and there is some blue sky overhead. Pretty windy though and you can see some more clouds on the far side of the lake heading this way. I don't think the rain is quite done with us yet. Barney spent the night in my bed as the thunderstorms rolled through the lake for most of the night. Rain gage on the deck said just under three inches fell. Made an attempt to walk out in one of the gardens and by the way I was sinking I would say the three inches of rain is just about right. Went down to pick up the morning paper and watch

one of them big blue deck umbrellas going floating by. It was of course upside down with the handle sticking up in the air. Kind of looked like a really big bobber. I stood and watch it for awhile, didn't see anyone chasing it or anything . Maybe later I'll take the row boat out and see if I can find it.

With the wind blowing and some rain following I was back to wearing the winter coat this morning. Knew it was a good idea not to put it in the back of the closet just yet. Then we had another little down pour and ever since then the red needle on the bass thermometer has been rising. A little over sixty five here and the coat is back on the peg and I am back to just wearing a tee shirt. Grass has gotten deep the past few days, I might regret not mowing when I had the chance. Was a good morning to be at work, inside if you could be. Windy, cold and rain coming at ya straight on. So windy as a matter of fact the rain came up from under my coat to get me wet. Had to go down and roll the garbage can back up from the road just as Frank the plow driver was coming by. On his way to fix washouts and he told me Mystery creek was running high. The water wheel on the brewery was spinning pretty quick and was even flinging water skywards to land almost at the road edge.

The wife said it rained pretty hard but I slept right through it. The only thing I heard was the blinds smacking against the window sill from the wind. The wife closed the window and that took care of that. Had to run errands and do some shopping today. Was at the Masterbaiters shop and it was quiet. Bought a deep plastic tackle box so I can store my oversized top water lures that I made. One can never have enough tackle boxes and when they fill up you should buy another. Also you should never cram your tackle in a tackle box but you should let your lures breath. I learned that from a friend who is in therapy. The smell of woods is heavy in the air as everything is wet and trees are dripping even though it has not rained for awhile. No one at the car wash it stands empty with the doors open on both ends. Banner outside of the General Store flapping. One of the ropes had come undone and it was making it hard to make out the lettering. Fathers Day sale I finally figured out. Just about that time Big Earl came out with some white twine and redid the flapping banner.

Got stopped and ask for directions to Tinkers fly in service. They had missed the turn and I sent them off in the right direction. Almost on cue Tinker buzzed the town and I told the tourist to just follow the white smoke coming from the engine of the plane. They did a u turn right there and went down the access road. They took off in such a hurry I didn't get a chance to tell them about the hole in the dirt road that Frank had not gotten to yet. A moment later I could hear them when the found the hole. Just terrible to do that to a city SUV

Well with nothing to do at the cabin but work so I headed over to the Lodge. Few more guys here tonight and there was an evening baseball game on so the popcorn popper was popping. Already there was a cloud bank of cigar smoke at about the six foot level in the Lodge. Skinny does not smoke but says he does not have to. He just stands up and takes in the air at that six foot mark and then sits back down again to get out of it. Elmer is on the wicker couch and holds the remote in his left hand, a Hamms in his right and an ash tray with his cigar perched on the edge of arm of the couch. The sound is up as Elmer is getting a little hard of hearing but that makes it loud enough for everyone to hear the TV Rich is back and he is sitting over in a booth with the Johnson brothers. I glance over his shoulder and he has a stack of pictures showing what I am guessing is a younger him working at the Hamms brewery. I see he is testing a Needabeer and it looks like it is going down pretty good. Well time for me to grab a Hamms, Lite a cigar and get some of the fresh popcorn that is just now spinning out of the popper. You have a good weekend and if it stops raining and you see the Puddle Humper on the water give me a wave. Just make sure you use all of your fingers! From Lake Iwanttobethere (44461)

June 8, 2008

Well sooner or later it was going to happen, Sunshine Ray was so far off in his forecast that I think he was hiding out in the upstairs office of the KCUM radio station. Not a bad forecast, it just never rained like he said it was going to. I am sure people made plans or changed plans with Ray calling for a 50% chance of thunderstorms but all we saw was blue sky and an occasional gust of wind. The bass thermometer teased the ninety degree mark and the humidity felt like it was almost the same. With all of the rain the day before the ground is soaked and with the sun beating down on it got humid real quick and stayed that way all day. Of course on my way over to Rich's cabin I saw one of our weekend resident watering the lawn. I just shook my head and continued the drive. Hammering Hank and I lost a work day yesterday with the bad weather and we promised to come over today and work till it rained. Well it never rained and we ended up putting in a full day. No work on Sunday as that is all ready penciled in for fishing. Am going to go back to the bay where I got all of them bass last weekend. With any luck they will still be there. I already fixed the push pole and I will be able to get back into that slack water way in the back.. Bug spray is in the Puddle Humper so I don't forget this time.

By late afternoon I was done for the day and with a promise to let Rich buy me a beer at the Lodge I headed back to the cabin. As soon as I parked the Dodge I walked straight to the lake and fell in.. The water was just what I needed. I floated on my back and looked back at the dock. Barney sitting there gave me the look that only a fishing dog can give when someone has interrupted his fishing. Bud seeing me in the water flew down the hill and did his best imitation of a dock jumping dog, only to flop in the water well short of me. He then swam out to me and gave me a wet tongue and a hello. Barney shaking his head turned and walked off the dock. A moment later he was over at Elmers dock and was back in his fishing position. Head down looking for blue gills. The surface water was not all that bad but when I stood up the water around my feet was noticeably cooler. I waded back to shore and climbing up on the dock I eased down in the wood chase lounge. I had gone out this morning and recovered the blue umbrella, it fits in one of the pole holders on the dock. Sitting in the shade I thought if anyone comes to claim it I will have to go down to Earl's and buy a replacement. Hiding under the shade and drip drying I was in no rush to go up to the cabin.

Two weeks out here from what some people consider to be a big birthday, #55 or # 660 since I keep track of my birthdays by the month. Hitting #660 will now mean when I go to the movies with my buddy Jerry he won't have to pay for the tickets and use his " Senior Discount" I have been told that my wife will be able to say she has married to an older man. With all the extra discounts I am going to get along with the lakes HiYa discount I should be able to save a few extra quarters for the gas tank and fishing. Kids have already been poking around in the garage and wood shop. Fathers day is just a week away and my birthday a week after that. Last year my daughter got me one of them fishing magazine subscriptions. I still make the trip down to barbershop the first week of the month and catch up on my reading but now I have some reading material for the bathroom. I wonder if she will be renewing it.. Hint Hint...

Well skeeters are out so I made the trek up to the cabin, Bud at my side. A shower and a cold Hamms later and I was sitting in my easy chair. Lots of boats out on the water and the pontoons were out making the circle around the lake. I must have dozed off because the wife had taken my empty can and Bud was sleeping up on the couch. Turned on the TV just long enough to see the home baseball team was getting shelled. Went into the den and turn on the old tube radio. Waiting for the relic to warm up I cracked open a window and it was cooler outside. Lighting a cigar I fiddle with knobs until I could find one of them three letter super stations out there. I sat back in the easy chair and watched the sunset and listened to some good old AM music. I will pencil this in as a nice summer evening.. From Lake Iwanttobethere.. (45919)

June 9, 2008

Weather, when there is nothing to talk about there always seems to be the weather. Here at Lake Iwanttobethere the weather has been the topic of discussion at the Lodge and at the Dew Drop Inn. Everyone it seems has an opinion on the weather and you will be hard pressed to tell them that there opinion might be wrong. Sunshine Ray has an opinion of the weather but since he gets paid to report it now it becomes a forecast. Nice job there he has, never heard of a weather forecaster being fired for forecasting the wrong weather. They have all of us thinking the weather is so unpredictable that accidents will happen. Now what I need is a part time job predicting sunrise.. I will just phone it in everyday that the sun will rise tomorrow and there is a pretty good chance that I will be 100% correct. The day the sun does not come up, people will have bigger problems to worry about then me being wrong.

It was on the calendar to go fishing yesterday and even though Sunshine Ray was predicting a 50% chance of rain we hooked up the Puddle Humper to the Dodge and went fishing. Sunshine had said the day before it was going to rain and we had a sunshine filled 80 degree day. Was looking for the same today. Arrived at the access on the lake and was greeted with some steady winds but it was in the middle seventies. My youngest daughter when she fishes with me is in charge of launching the boat. This keeps my feet dry and givers her an excuse to get hers wet. Boat was in the water and while she was still getting organized I had already caught two bass. Looks like it was going to be a good day indeed. I was at the same landing as where I was last weekend. A little drive around a Lake Iwanttobethere and we had it all to ourselves. Was going to go to another spot but since I already knew where the bass were here I thought I would bring the daughter here. That's how the weather got involved. The mild winds became a little gusty and the sky darkened soon after we got there. The warm wind did keep the sketters away even though this time I had remembered to bring the bug spray. The water was warm, 72 and the fish were still here. Tight up next to the now wind blown banks.

In the next few hours we boated over twenty fish and although no one was really big they all were fun to catch. A few hit so hard we thought we had on bigguns till we got them to the boat. A few sunnies pecked away skirts on spinner baits and we saw a few crappies right at the boat. A decent northern was on by the daughter till she waiting for me to come down and grab it for her. Either the sight of me or it was just that time but the Northern got off just as I was reaching for it. For the daughter it did not count as a caught fish as it needed to be "touched" The daughter and I always have a fishing contest between us. I usually win but she is getting closer. Last year she did win the contest one afternoon and I had to be the witness to an ugly little victory dance back on shore. We usually bet a dollar that is never paid to the winner. About halfway through the fishing evening the rain started to fall, just some little showers. Enough to go under the seats and dig out the rain gear and on a couple of showers even the big golf umbrella came out. Sitting together under it we ate dinner from the small cooler. When the daughter fishes she packs the lunch and it is always a surprise as to what is inside it.

The first lunches were peanut butter and jelly, sometimes the jelly being forgotten. Bananas and juice boxes. Bags of chips and animal crackers. Then we went through the healthy lunches of yogurt, grapes and bottled water. But now we are back to pudding cups and thick chicken sandwiches, even a real can of pop hidden on the bottom so the wife does not see it. Might even be a candy bar in the side pocket that has to be eaten early before it melts. So under the umbrella we waited for the rain to peter out. We talked about warm summer rains being much better then cold fall rains. We watched mayflies land on the boat and both of us were scolded by red winged black birds when we drifted to close to their section of the bank. We caught some fish, we lost some fish but in the end we shared some time. For a father and his daughter that is the most important thing. From Lake Iwanttobethere (47776)

June 10, 2008

Sunshine Ray is out from hiding. Today was just a nice summer day and the evening has been even better. Some clouds in the sky and there was rain falling somewhere but it was not over Lake Iwanttobethere. Hammering Hank and myself got phase one of the big deck completed. It turn out so good that Rich wants to extend it another twenty plus feet. Next week we will return and send the deck out towards the lake for him. After unloading tools back at the work shop I decided that I needed to head down to the Lodge and catch up on current events. The idea of a cold Hamms in my hand also might have had something to do with it. As I got to the Lodge there were not many empty spaces to park. Then I noticed all the activity going on. Towns softball team was holding practice on the main field and there was a tee ball game in action on the small diamond. Looks to be the four and five year olds playing. The team in the field were dressed in black and white uniforms and from where I saw them they actually look like a flock of penguins with a bunch of human handlers, their parents I guess. Someone hit the ball and the entire group as one would waddle towards the ball with the handlers waving and pointing directions.

The horseshoe pits were also in action and you could hear the clanking of shoes hitting the stake. Not to be out done we are into the second week of league play on the Bocce courts. Already two players are standing on the sidelines leaning on crutches. Here at the lake we take our Bocce very serious. The boat landing had a number of trailers parked in it and looking out at the lake several boats were off Root Beer Island. I had heard the crappies were biting out that way and some pontoons are making trolling runs between point #1 and the island. Can also hear the buzz of jets skis in the small bay, guess the water had gotten warm enough for them to be out. Skeeters are out in full force tonight to, step in to the shade and they are there waiting for you. Going to be a summer of smelling like deep woods off I think. But if having skeeters is the price we have to pay for having water levels back up to normal guess I can't complain, to much.

From the sounds of it if you are not down at the park here fishing, playing softball, tossing horse shoes or Bocce ball then you were mowing your grass. Like a big city musical the sounds of mowers from all directions of the lake can be heard. The old putt putt of Lawn boys and them cheap hundred dollar throw away mowers. The deeper sounds of riders and the high buzz of weedwackers. Also the annoying sound of a few electric mowers. They just don't belong in a world of two cycle blue smoke. From time to time the sound of a rock or a stump forgotten being hit. The sudden quiet and then the tentative restarting of a mower and the return to mowing. People would stop what they are doing and wait for the restart, A knowing smile on their face and the been there, done that look.

As the night moves along the tee ball game ends, The kids running across the field head to the min donuts trailer and are rewarded with a bag of their own. Bocce ball court is thick in cigar smoke as there is a lot of standing to do and the skeeters focus in on the guys with the Old Spice and Brute on. Horse shoes are done and the guys make it up the trail to the Lodge. Pitchers of Hamms are drawn for the winners and the losers dig into old well worn wallets to pay. With the sun starting to hang low the last few pizzas are shot from Del's pizza cannon out over the water. The heavy thump of the cannon can almost be felt across the still, calm waters. Boats line up like in a parade waiting their turn to come off the water. Being Minnesota nice they wave each other ahead as it is a nice night just to sit on the water and wait your turn. The red and green bow marking their position as the sun continues to dip lower in the sky. The human sounds are all but gone now. The birds and frogs take over, the buzz of skeeters and a few barking dogs. Geese fly over head and a few half hearted honks can be heard. Of course to end the evening a loon calls and with it's call echoing across the water the sun makes that last flash and then goes out of sight. Not a bad day at all, I am sure Sunshine Ray will take credit for it tomorrow. From Lake Iwanttobethere (48500)

June 11, 2008

Hiya from the lake. Well I am not going to mention the weather as it is raining everywhere. Been inside most of the day and have been working in the den. Actually cleaning it and going through boxes and sorting. Even the den which doubles as an office needs to be cleaned from time to time. It acts as a central collection point for dropping tools and parts not needed and as a spot for storing material for jobs down the road. So with rain falling over the lake I thought I would do some cleaning. Working on the desk top I have come across notes that I have left myself and some are tossed in the garbage and others are placed to the side. A few are mentioned here as ideas that I think should be shared with others from around the Lake. From time to time I get e-mail from people asking questions about the lake and also telling me stories about their cabins here on Lake Iwanttobethere. As most of you know I pride myself on being an observer, not a very good one at times but then again I might see things in a different light then others. From time to time I write down these ramblings and post them here. Most of the time they don't make a story by themselves but together they kind of make sense.

School is out, finally at least I am sure that is what the kids are thinking. In a few more weeks we will be seeing more kids up here at the lake as they come up here for summer to be with grandparents or uncles and aunts. I found my way to the lake the first time while staying with my grandmother. A city boy who the local country kids tried to get in trouble. I was of course a perfect angel and knew nothing of tipping cows and moving outhouses. Sling shots? What are those. My own kids were traded away during the summer. I would send my boys to the dairy farm that a friend of ours own and he in turn would send his daughters to us. The boys looked forward to going as there were tractors to drive and pigs to chase. Bailing hay was not so bad after awhile and eating steak every night could never get old. The girls came to our house and met other girls and well, I don't know what they did. I do know they liked to be able to sleep in and not have to milk cows. Not having to wear boots and getting to watch it rain. Doing their hair and talking about Jimmy that boy down the road. At the end of the month the girls went back to the farm and the boys came back home. There were a few changes we had to get used to some good, some bad. The boys taking off their boots before coming in the house was good. The boys wanting gravy over everything they ate was bad.

I did take time to run down to the Lodge for lunch, Norma Jean was working the tables during the lunch hour. Her hair is in a ponytail now and no so much makeup as she had on when she started. Heels are gone and she is wearing tenni shoes but still wearing a short skirt and the guys still are sneaking glances at them long legs which I might note are getting tanned. Guys are going out of there way trying to get Mark the bartender to make mistakes on there drinks. Ordering fancy things like screwdrivers and gin and tonics. They usually try one then go back to a Hamms and a shot of Turkey. People tend to stay with what makes them comfortable. Elmer is peering through the spotting scope over by the deck window. He has it on the new gal that the DNR has here for the summer. Her name is Megan and she is a creel counter. I talked to her for awhile and she is a biology major. Has a summer job with the DNR She hides out behind the fish cleaning house and then dashes out when a boat comes in from the lake. All of the locals know she is there and take turns telling her fish stories. The DNR didn't offer her any shelter to work from so when it rains like today she goes inside the fish house. Lucky for her it has been cool because that place is going to get ripe when ever it does warm up.

Guy from the big city was here the last few days working the lake trying to sell rain barrels. We could have used then last year but water is not a big problem around here this year. I know he had a long conversation with Elmer when he tried to sell him a barrel and Elmer starting asking about breeding sketters in that still standing water of the barrels. The guy left with Elmer following him down his drive still asking questions.

Town Hall meeting on the fifth Monday of the month which happens here in June. A few slips of paper are in the suggestion box in the Lodge. Last night we took the time to read them as no one had put the lock back on the box. One note was about electric lawn mowers and leaf blowers on the weekends. As you know already no chain saws or mowers are allowed on the weekend as we do like to have a quiet / work free weekend. Several of the guys seeing that added some more comments to the same effect. Also wondering if we were going to use the crop dusting plane to spray for skeeters again this year. Seems the picnickers had a problem with that last year as it was done during a picnic down at the park.

Also congrats to Dan and his dog Grace.. Seems the other night they caught a nice 20" brown trout off the point where Mystery creel empties into Lake Iwanttobethere. A nice fish but we don't have a category for trout here at the lake. Don't want to encourage to many of them fly rodding city folk coming up here with their creels. Wait a minute, maybe that is what Megan is suppose to be counting when she said she was a creel counter. Hmm, I better make a note of that. Of course every time you have a good thing happen fishing something bad happens shortly there after. As Dan was landing the trout some thing else was taking line and then his rod and reel off his shore fishing stake. Dan turned in time to watch the rod and reel making a vee wake out from shore before submerging in the water of the lake. Starting to rain a little harder here now so I think it might be a good idea to turn on the CB and monitor the Lake channel. Looking to shape up into a storm here and the wind has picked up. From Lake Iwanttobethere (49268)

June 13, 2008

Flag Day tomorrow and the day after is Fathers Day. Earl down at the General Store has the cart out on the sidewalk and a assortment of flags and holders are in it. The cart with the umbrellas is just inside the door even though today is starting out with a blue sky and calm waters. Mother nature is still playing with us. Yesterday a thick fog bank covered most of the lake and even though it did not rain the fog was not helpful in drying anything out. During the night, it of course rained again. I did manage to take out the tractor and mowed part of the yard that has no slope. The tractor I bought last year from Earl did not have any problem with the high wet grass, but I think I might have spent about the same amount of time cleaning the grass from the deck and mower. This job almost done lead me to another as somehow there was a bend in the outdoor facet. Of course I had to straighten in out and that is when the pipe starting leaking. On today's list to replace the outside pipe. It does make it to the top of the Honey do List.

Yesterday I was with Hammering Hank and we had to go to the city to pick up some things that we could not get at the local lumber yard. We hit the order desk and made our way through the check out. There we were called sir and told to have a nice day. We took the Dodge around through the gate which was manned by a cute gal. She asked if we knew where we were going and then said " You gentlemen have a good day" We drove through and I looked at Hank and said ' That cute little thing called us gentlemen" Hank I do believe we have gotten old! We loaded up our wood and on the return trip through the gate a young guy just thanked us and called us "Guys" that felt a little better but we, or I had been called a gentlemen. The damage had been done. With my 660 birthday a little over a week away I had been called a gentlemen. Just earlier in the week I had been told by a tourist that was sent to me that he was told to look for the "Burley" guy behind the bar at the Lodge. Now I am a "Gentlemen who is Burley" If the women start referring to me as "Portly or Cuddly" I might as well stop flirting with the ladies.

Dropping wood and Hank at Rich's cabin I picked up the daughter who was at a friends. On the way back to the cabin we made a stop to pick up some cement blocks. We only needed a few and they were loaded up on a push cart. The clerk there just said thank you and did not call me sir or a gentlemen. Maybe that was just a fluke earlier in the day. The daughter rushed out of the store with the cart. I asked if she was in a hurry and she told me the weight of the blocks was pulling her along. She then jumped up on the cart and did an impression of a surfer across the parking lot. With the cart still rolling she then changed positions to pose like the gal in that Titanic movie. Riding the bow of the cart hands spread wide heading for the rear end of the Dodge. It was cute, right up to wear she slammed into the bumper of the Dodge and the handle on the cart took out a part of the tail light.... Opps! Is what she said.. Opps... I shook my head and tried to muster up being angry.. Could not do it, Just a tail light and it was just cracked on the side. Tim the Sheriff would never notice it. Besides it's a work truck and work truck are suppose to look like they have been working. I did make her load the blocks in the back of the truck. Driving home she is on her cell phone and I overhear her talking to her sister. " I know what we can get dad for Fathers Day" from Lake Iwanttobethere (50417)

June 15, 2008

Signs of Summer... I know we all look forward to Spring and we count the days till we get there. Summer on the other hand kind of sneaks up on us and arrives with out the fanfare. Some small print on the bottom of the calendar will say that summer arrives at such an such a time on June 21st but for most of us, Summer arrives well, when we feel that summer is here. It might be when you have to turn the AC on for the first time. When we get two days of 80 degree weather in a row. It might be that first thunderstorm that you can smell coming. The heavy humid air and them dark clouds moving your way and you just know it is going to rain. Skeeters might be another sure sign summer has arrived and kids home from school is yet another. Used to be when gas went up for the holiday weekend but that is an everyday thing this year. Deer hiding in waist deep grass along the shoulders and skunks waddling down the driveway. Summer does not just come at 4 o'clock, it gets here when it gets here. Here at Lake Iwanttobethere, Summer has arrived !!

Why am I so sure that Summer is here? Because yesterday I saw the ice cream truck down at the park.. Stan and Jean a retired couple, several years ago bought an ice cream truck. It is a special truck as on one side Jean sells ice cream out of it. Sandwiches and dipped cones and things on a stick. All frozen solid for the most part and a welcome sight when there is a hot day and a cone would be just the right thing to hit the spot. On the other side of the truck Stan sells fishing tackle. Yup, fishing tackle. Not a huge selection but the little things that you never seem to have with you when you need them. You know where they are, they are sitting home by the washing machine where you wife emptied your pockets of your fishing pants. Things like stringers and hooks, bobbers and sinkers. Cigarette lighters and bug spray. Line and forceps, disposal cameras and dollar plastic rain ponchos. The guys come to Stan's side of the truck and get the little forgotten things and chat fishing. The ladies and kids go over to Jeans side and get double dipped chocolate cones. When Stan is not busy he helps out Jean, usually forgetting to charge the little ones for their ice cream cones. They haul a camper behind the ice cream truck and they make the rounds of the campgrounds and public access around the lake. Stan gets in his fair share of fishing as people offer to take him out and he will close the sliding window of the truck and be out the back door, rod in hand.

Yesterday I was at the Lodge when I heard the music from the ice cream truck as it pulled into the parking lot off to the side of the softball field. Elmer getting up from his wicker couch walked to the deck and made the comment he needed to pick up some of them little egg sinkers from Stan. He then went out the door and headed down the trail to the park. A few other guys mumbled something about bobbers and hooks and followed him down. I finished up adding some numbers and wrote them down in the ledger. I took a walk over to the deck and looking down at the ice cream truck I didn't see anyone on the tackle side of the truck. Wondering where all the guys had gone to I took the trail down to the park. Coming up on the truck I found all the guys, sitting at the picnic tables with an assortment of sundaes and banana splits out before them. Elmer and Mark were holding their heads in their hands. Deep in the middle of a ice cream brain freeze... Yup summer was here. Grown men were hiding away eating ice cream way to fast and paying the price. I ordered a super size chocolate malt myself.. From Lake Iwanttobethere have a good Fathers Day (51678)

June 17, 2008

Woke up stiff and sore this morning. Fishing sore, After a Fathers day lunch at the cabin here on the lake I loaded up the Puddle Humper and set off for a distant landing here on the lake. Before I was out the end of the driveway I had a fathers day cigar burning and with the windows down I headed out fishing. Forecast was calling for ten mph winds and the sky although overcast was only a twenty percent chance of rain. Well you already know how this is going to turn out. An hour later when I got to my little secret spot there were four trailers already in the prime parking . The wind was now gusting in the low twenties and rain drops were falling. Since I had made the drive I was going to get the boat wet no matter what. A few minutes later I was on the water and heading for the wind blown side of the bay. Looking around I could see all four boats from the landing hiding behind an island fishing the protected waters. Ain't going to catch no fish there I thought to myself. About an hour later they start making there way to the landing. Loaded up and were seen leaving. Ok now I am think to myself this wind will die down. When ever I leave the wind always dies down as I am loading the Puddle Humper on the trailer. For some reason these guys all left and the wind continued to blow. It started to sprinkle to. Out came the rain gear and I was as dry as I was going to be. I was catching fish, nothing big but I was catching some bass and occasional northern.

I made a run to a part of the bay that usually is pretty low and weed filled. I was greeted with calm slack deep water. The buzz bait came out and I churned the surface looking for some action. A few more fish came to the boat and then nothing. With my arm about falling off from casting so much I mutter to myself that even them muskie fishermen get a fish every ten thousand casts. No sooner then I said that then with the buzz bait ten feet from the boat a bow wave sprung up and was chasing it down from behind. I slowed the lure down a tad and waited for the wake to catch up. Like a scene from Jaws a big mouth came up out of the water and my white buzz bait disappeared, I felt weight and set the hook only to have it fly over my shoulder and land behind me. The wave and mouth disappeared in a boil and I reeled in and tossed the buzz back out again. I said a few more words but I will keep them to myself.

Did I mention the sketters? How could I have gotten this far with out mentioning them blood sucking vampires. There were with me a soon as I got out of the Dodge. I used the bug spray and kept then away but they never went away. Even in the gusty winds there were always some close. The best way to describe them is they sounded like a piper cub airplane ready to land. That noise was with me all night. Finally after several hours of fighting the wind and with my foot getting sore from riding the trolling motor pedal I decided to call it a night. Still had a good thirty minutes of light left but I thought I would get the Puddle Humper on the trailer and make my escape before the skeeters had time to call in reinforcements at the landing. With a lonely loon calling away on the water and I do mean calling. She or he kept it up for a good twenty minutes. Not that single call that makes you think of the deep woods and a soft summer night but more of the wife calling the husband back into the house call and you had better not have been out in the garage drinking with your drunken buddies kind of call. I decide to take one last cast. Flinging it as far as I could I sent a white and blue spinner bait out past the reed point. I got to turn the handle once before I was slammed. A quick set and I had a bend on the rod and a fish breaking water with the sun setting behind lighting the scene. A few tugs from me and a few tugs from her and I had a three pound Bass at the side of the boat waiting for me to lip her. A moment later I had her picture and she was back in the water swimming away. Rod was put away and I headed to the landing. When you call last cast either alone or with someone it is your last cast.

Surprising there were few bugs at the landing and I was loaded up and heading back home ten minutes later. Window rolled down and the heater on I had a cigar burning and some AM radio station fading in and out. Keeping an eye out for deer I saw a few on the trip back home. Something I did notice and thought was unusual. The total lack of lights on around the lake. For a Sunday night you would think there would be someone at the cabins. Hope the price of gas is not keeping people away from the lake. Some things you have to keep doing, making memories at the lake is one of them. From Lake Iwanttobethere... (52345)

June 18, 2008

Midweek here at Lake Iwanttobethere. This means that our visitors staying at the local resorts and B&B's are getting down to the last few days of their vacations. By now they have found there way around the town and have made visits to see Earl at the General Store have tasted Mindy and Mandy's root beer and more then likely have had a stack of flapjacks with Lake Iwanttobethere Maple syrup. They have spent time on the water and with any luck have a few memories made of the lake and are already booking a return trip. For the locals summer is moving right along and after a long cold Spring Summer looks like it is here to stay. All this week Sunshine Ray is forecasting temps in the middle seventies and just a chance of rain in the evening. Farmers are out bailing hay already and you can see the bales out in the fields.

Every night there is something going on down in the park as softball and tee ball season are under way and the ringing of horseshoes and the krump, krump of shotguns out behind the Lodge. Come late evening the Lodge has it's share of guys wearing vests. Either a shooting vest or a fishing vest. They keep their distance from each other as it a mess when two guys with flies poking out from their vest brush up against each other and then become tangled. You have to listen close as they are both talking numbers in the high teens. The Fishermen talking about inches and the Shooters talking about hits. I listen to two guys have a half hour conversations while doing shots of wild turkey talking about two completely different sports. I just nodded from behind the bar.

Norma Jean has in the past few weeks been reduced to a casual dress. She has the flip flops on now and is wearing shorts and a tank top. Makeup is gone and she wears her long hair pulled back in a pony tail. She actually looks pretty good and Mark says she has taken an interest in fishing early in the morning with him. In a few days the next group of visitors will drive into town and the evening crowd at the Lodge will change a little as the new folks find there way here. A few HiYA's will be uttered from returning visitors and they will get the full discount. It being midweek here some of the work around town also gets done. Hammering Hank and Skinny have the contract to re strip Main street. Since the county came and picked up all the orange barrels, even the ones hidden behind the Lodge they had to go out and bring in some of the pink flamingoes. They welded some metal plates to the bottom of the feet so they can stand them up on the pavement. On Wednesday mornings they go out and mark of a block of main street with the flamingoes and then using a spray can they repaint the white center line. They then wait one on each end of the block making sure no one takes the flamingoes or walks on the wet paint.

Fishing has been getting better as the water warms. Bass are still tight to the shore and the northerns are reappearing from where ever they disappeared to. Walleyes are going from minnows to leeches and the ever present gills can be caught with worms. Rockbass have invaded the docks and crappies are hanging out around some of the brush piles. Trout are in Mystery creek and some of the fly fishermen are complaining that are still catching smelt when they drift fish. Water is warmer but still not where it should be. This keeps some of the jet ski's off the water which in Elmers view is the way it should be. Come dusk the pontoons make their trolling pass down the shoreline and the new fish cleaning station has the lights on most nights. Evening brings the sound of baseball games on the radio, barking dogs and the honk of geese flying low. Smell of BBQ in the air and mowers running. Lot of walkers using the access road and bikes both pedal and gas are out touring in the evening.

A few more days till my 660 birthday and I am already planning a trip on the water to chase MR. Big. I hope to report that I will have been able to put a tape to him or her and to enter the catch in the Lodge fishing contest. I have been leaving hints for my birthday presents and if all the girls in town give me a hug it will be a very good birthday indeed. So from midweek here at Lake Iwanttobethere (53299)

June 20, 2008

Well the nice days are just starting to follow each other here one at a time. A big bowl of potato salad is always in the fridge and the meat bin has polish and hot dogs at the ready. HiYa from Lake Iwanttobethere. Just sitting here enjoying the end to another outstanding day, Got a lot of work done around the cabin and the Honey Do List has been reduced to but a single page. With my 660 birthday coming up on Sunday I am taking advantage and will be fishing Saturday, Sunday and Monday.. "At my advanced age" since 660 will make me a senior citizen, I have declared that my work week should decrease and my fishing weekend increase! Also with the country talking about going to four day work week to save gas I thought that I should be supportive and get ahead of the crowd. My wife asked me how working one less day and fishing one more was going to save gas. I told her I would get back to her on that but a lot of people in the government think it is a good idea.

That time of the year when it is wise when taking a boat ride to keep your mouth closed. Dragon flies, Mayflies. Skeeters and even a few black flies are now out buzzing around on the water and running into them at any speed will leave a mark on your nose. Fire ring has the last red embers glowing in it as I was outside most of the evening. Mowing grass and getting the last of the peppers and tomato plants from the greenhouse out into the gardens. Cucumbers are out and I have pots of everything in the greenhouse to play with. I will try and see which does better, in the greenhouse or in the gardens. Spuds are tall enough to mound them and I got that done today to. Going to be a stretch to have corn knee high by the fourth of July...

Did some fishing off the dock, or should I say I put a sucker out under a bobber and Barney watched it for me. Nothing took it but it kept Barney busy for the afternoon. I did take some time off to go out for some supper. Had a coupon that was good for some burgers at Bernies Burger Barn, home of the bite size buffalo burgers! Nice little place down the road a piece. Open just during the fishing season. Only have three kinds of burgers there, Bite Size, Mama size and Big Prairie size. Me and the misses split a Prairie burger with cheese. But I got my own malt...

Came back to the cabin and was such a nice night we stirred up the fire in the pit and added a few chucks of real wood to it. Wife put a match to all of her candles and it looks like a bonfire. She just had her birthday a few days ago and everyone gave her candles. Skeeters can't make it through all the flame I think. She also got some more of them flaming torches. So now when those are lit you have to watch where you stand. Chuck singe his coat last summer on one of then when he had a few to many Hamms and thought he was hitting on a lady at a little yard party we had. Chuck has a hard time looking a gal in the face so he thought he was just having a good conversation with someone who felt very warm. We all got a good laugh at it especially when he jumped off the dock to put the flames out. Looking back they were not that big and if he had not been running the wind would not have flamed them up so high.

Well some ugly looking black clouds have come in and with it getting dark not till almost ten PM you can still make out the sky. A few rain drops fell today but I would not even call it rain. Just enough to make you head into the garage for a few minutes or take a rest in the swing. I knew no heavy rain was coming as Barney did not move from the end of the dock and was intent with his fishing. Tomorrow looks like another day like today and I hope to get a few more things done on the do list and maybe I might even pencil in Tuesday to go fish to.. I think I will take a personal holiday off from work... Since my Boss is me I think I'll understand. From Lake Iwanttobethere you should be here... (53953)

June 22, 2008

TODAY IS BOBBY'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! BEST WISHES TO YOU DUDE MANY MORE TO COME AS WELL. I HOPE YOU CAN FIND MR BIG. have a great time on the water and ill have a bait basket ready for you at the docks for your search. ^^^^^ 5s. Hamms is on me at the lodge this week. and i have heard that the twins are brewing up a special batch with your name on it to reconize your many years of service at the lodge and also for keeping us all in touch with the goings on at the lake. thank you and have a great day. ... paul

June 22, 2008

A quiet morning here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Overcast sky with just a few holes in them letting me see some blue sky hiding. Deck is wet from overnight rain and the grass covered path to the greenhouse shows where I walked earlier. But it is warm out, which is a good thing and the wind that was with us all day yesterday, for now is gone. Bud follows me out the door and as I make my rounds he makes his. I bring water to the greenhouse and splash a few plants. I put in a couple of stakes in the cucumber pot as the leaves are big enough to need some support and some where to cling. I have always thought that cucumbers are female. Since they don't do well unless they have something to cling to. Checking the onion and radish patch I pull back the netting and grab a half dozen or so. I bring them over to the garden hose and rinse them off. Continuing my morning inspection I chew on the fresh radishes. Puddle Humper is the next stop and I go to the boat house. Lifting the lid I plug in the battery charger and once again look skyward. Blue spots have disappeared and it looks a little darker. Was planning on fishing this afternoon but might have to rethink it.

Yesterday I had my calendar cleared and I went fishing, took the long way around the lake to where Mr. Big calls his home. As usual the farther I got away from my end of the lake the more the weather changed. I was not but a few miles away when the sky open up and a down pour made me turn the wipers on the Dodge on high. A few minutes later and I was again driving under blue sky and the black top was quickly drying out. You know you have been fishing a spot for a long time when as you drive the road you can remember the history of it. Years ago when I first discovery this part of the lake. Actually a friend told me about it. They were out fishing walleyes and they could not keep the bass off their lines. I feinted indifference and wrote down on a napkin the directions. The next day I think I was hauling the old Jon boat down a dirt road that would not have qualfied as a dirt track. Who ever had graded this had gone out of there way to make it the best washboard road in the county, After fifteen miles of teeth shaking and watching the rear view mirror to see if I lost anything I arrived at the lake.

Now a days the road is in much better shape. The dirt is still there but only the last few miles. Several years ago the county came in and straighten all the hairpin turns. Moved some of it to dryer land and now you no longer have to worry about coming around a corner and being greeted by a pig or sheep running alongside. With all the dirt road gone you arrive at the lake with your boat and truck the same color as when you left. No need to wet a towel and wipe down the seats to remove the dust. If you were unlucky sometimes you got caught behind another truck. If you were on your way fishing you just snuck up tight and drafted. If you were done fishing and headed home you just waited and gave the dirt road a time to settle. Now with the black top that is no longer a problem. Turtles are this time of the year. On my drive out to the lake yesterday I saw a few who had tried to cross the road but did not make it. They became a county speed bumps. A white van followed me for most of my trip out. Just before the last turn off to the lake he passed me and sped on down the black top. I came up on him a few miles later. He was pulled over to the side and in front of me a large turtle was crossing the road. I missed the turtle and looking in my mirror I could see the guy pluck the turtle from the road and was carrying her across. Good for him I thought.

I arrived at the Lake and nothing special happen. I did fish in what now seem to be a wind tunnel. Clouds and rain moved around me all afternoon but no rain fell. Warm day and the splashes of water from the white caps that the wind was blowing up did feel good. I took my time and let the wind move down the lake. Fish were biting on the windward side and once again most people who I saw fishing were hiding out behind the islands or were just tied up to their docks. Kids on air mattress splashed in the shallows under the watchful eye of parents. As I passed by the typical " Catchin any" and "Windy enough for you " were spoken. I waved back and kept a hand on my hat. One by one the boats came off the water and even with a good half hour of sunlight left I to put the Puddle Humper back on the trailer and headed back home in daylight. That time of night to look for deer and the sixth one I saw almost joined me in the front seat. She zigged instead of zagged and I almost hit her. I slowed down a little more just to be safe. This was just a short distance from where on my way into the Lake the guy stopped and moved the turtle. I can't say for sure but there in front of me at the same spot was the same turtle. I pulled over and sitting in the truck I watched. The turtle looked at me and then a moment later inched forward headed across the warn asphalt. I watch from the Dodge and turned on the four way flashers. A moment later and the turtle inched ahead again. I got out of the Dodge and picked up the turtle, heavy little bugger. I then carried her to the shoulder and set her down. On the opposite side of where the other guy had rescued her. With out watching some the other guy had brought her to where she had come from. Or maybe the turtle had already done what she had set out to do and was returning. I shook my head at that, she is a turtle I thought.

Well I am back inside the cabin and from my window I can see the water is starting to come alive. Wind is picking up and the clouds are growing darker again. A few more hours and it will be midmorning and the quiet will be gone. My 660 birthday today and on the calendar I see I am scheduled for a " Lunchette " What ever happen to Lunch? And while I am looking on the Master calendar I see the wife has me down for shopping on Wednesday with a list of stores that offer "Senior Discounts" gee I hope I am not turning into that turtle. I would like to think that I still move fast enough so people can see which way I am going... From Lake Iwanttobethere you all have a good day..

(54738)

June 25, 2008

Lake Iwanttobethere... it's warm here today as it was yesterday and the day before that. I am not going to complain to much because come about six months from now I'll be complaining that it is to cold. Moved to the top of the Honey Do List is the installation of the two AC units. Right now I am sitting in the shade of the deck with my feet in the grand kids pool and I am cool and comfortable. So the AC can wait till later. Been fishing the past few days, Nothing of any size to report other then I was kept entertained by the bass that were biting and the occasional swirl of a northern. A couple of Loons are nesting just off the point here and they are free entertainment as they try to draw your attention away from the nesting area.

The 660 birthday is out of the way but not the comments. Someone had put a gallon jar up on the bar at the Lodge asking for donations for a walker for me. They had a picture of it and I must admit it was a nice one. Had a rod holder on it and a place for a cooler. So far there are only a couple of nickels at the bottom of the jar along with a coupon for twenty cents off a bag of prunes. I think Elmer donated that. With summer here we are expanding our lunch menu at the Lodge. Fish tacos are now available and we have tomatoes! The local nudists who live in the John Deere painted cabin with the high fence have a hot house. They came in yesterday and offered to supply us.

Day before yesterday I went into the big city to do some errands and I made a stop to get a chicken sandwich at one of them big chain fast food places. I got my sandwich less the tomato. I asked why and was told of the tomato out break and they were not serving tomatoes till the matter was cleared up. I asked if there was a reduction in the price of the sandwich since I was not getting what I paid for. I was told it just a slice of tomato... Hmmm doing the math in my head a slice of tomato times x amount of sandwiches a day times 2000+ stores = a nice little profit for doing nothing. Back at the Lodge we decide to buy the hot house tomatoes and still charge the same price.

Since I had some time to kill I went and saw an afternoon movie. I got to use my senior discount. Since it was so quiet I asked the cashier why do seniors get a discount? We still take up a whole seat when we watch a movie. She told me that most seniors forget what they see and return a second or even third time to watch the same movie again. That is why they get the discount. Made sense to me.. O the movie I saw... I forgot now what it was..

Fire flies are out at night and if you drive down by the marsh just at dusk it looks like a Disney movie. I was through there and there were so many out they exploded in colors as they hit the windshield. Very colorful until the next morning and I had to clean the windshield of the all the mangled bug bodies. We don't have to talk about skeeters. If you move to far away from the bug candles or make a run to your car with out protection they are on ya. No bats yet. At least I have not seen any yet. Down at the General Store on the outside cart Earl has it well stocked with candles and bug spray and even them fine little skeeter head nets. A second cart is out with a assortment of fireworks. Already at night you can hear firecrackers going off and we are still a little more then a week away. Will be a busy week next week as Monday is the 30th and also the fifth Monday of the month. We will be having a Town Hall meeting and will discuss the state of the Lake. Shannon will be taking minutes I am told as she has finished up her Internet classes on stenography. Anything has to be better then Elmers note taking.

Well the wind has shifted and in the last few minutes the temperature has dropped a few degrees. Guess the AC can wait another day. Might as well go down to the dock and throw a few. Maybe even take the old wood row boat out around the bay. Lilly pads are growing bigger with each passing day and the reeds are pushing out farther from shore. Still a little behind with the cool Spring but we are making up for it now. If you have not made plans yet remember we have the big 4th of July doing here. Go cart and Lawnmower races. Mindy and Mandy ice cold Root Beer and of course the parade and pig roast. Nytelyter we hope will be again in charge of fireworks and looking for something special to happen off Root Beer island. From Lake Iwanttobethere (55548)

June 26, 2008

Had an early breakfast this morning at the Sunshine Cafe with some old high school buddies. The guys, Gary Mike and Tony have a special bond that they have had since high school. Back when we all turned sixteen the guys decide they wanted to bike around Lake Iwanttobethere. They planned it for most of the winter and when school was done they with the OK from their parents headed out on what was to become a fourteen day bike trip around the lake. I was not into biking that much and I had discovered that a girlfriend can take up a lot of your time. Also they had three speed J.C. Higgins bikes with gears and brakes on them. I also did not have a tent at the time.

They set off just about this time of summer and it took then fourteen days to bike all the way around the lake. They even made a few local papers and were interviewed as to why they would want to do such a thing. When they were in college they did it again, only this time they did it on dirt bikes. Later in there thirty's they did it with their young familles in station wagons hauling pop up campers. When they hit forty something they did it on Harleys and stayed in motels. Gary has a bad back and the bedrolls were not enough anymore. They were in town today on their sailboat, "The Boomarang" this time making the trip around the lake on the water. I got a call and met them down at the cafe and we had breakfast and got caught up with each other. A short time later they were back on the water and heading on there way. After watching then sail off I took a stroll around town. I had a cigar on me and lighting up I took my time walking around. Doc Burriem I think has gotten wise to me as I am suppose to be walking more. He gave me one of the pedometer but I just attached it to the wife's bike and when she rides it acts like I am walking. I have a feeling he figured that out because he does not believe I walked a hundred miles last week. Need to see if you can redo the pedometer. So I took a stroll. Nice morning to do it. Little humid and might be a good day to plan a nap in the middle of the afternoon.

Masterbaiters shop has some new wood racks that Hammering Hank and Skinny have built. Bright kayaks are chained down to it. Red and Green and a Yellow one that you can see from a distance. Somehow when you drive through town you miss a lot so when I take a stroll I seem to find things. Like at Dugs Garage he is even renting little scooters. He has a couple outside the door. Pretty little shinny ones and then he has some that appear to have been modified. Or perhaps dumped a few times. They have primer on them and the sign says they can be rented at a reduced rate. Car wash is empty but the local cheerleaders are at the Gulp- N- Go having a car wash. Waving Pom Poms at passing tourists who honk back.

I don't know if it is me or not but there does seem to be a lot more scooters and people riding bikes around town. I know at the Town Hall meeting that there will be a vote on letting golf carts on the towns streets. Should pass as we already allow riding mowers. Well I just thought I would keep you up on some of the happening today. Looks to be a busy day ahead and sometimes I am slow on reporting things. From Lake Iwanttobethere

(56025)

June 27, 2008

Sunshine Ray posted a warning about it being a bad weather weekend and as of right now he is on the button. Heavy rain storms are sweeping across Lake Iwanttobethere and the tourist who are on there way out of town are thankful and the ones coming in are wondering what they got themselves into. Boat landing is empty but the Lodge is busy. Friday night and the evening crowd is in. Gus is busy sending orders of wings out and the popcorn popper is trying to stay up with demand. Fly fishermen are over in the corner having a spur of the moment meeting. A few guys gather around the TV getting ready for the nights baseball game and the big table has a hot partners cribbage game that already has been going for a few hours. Hammering Hank and Skinny are at another table with Big Earl. They are working on the diagram for set ups for the fourth of July events. They are going over a list of vendors and looking for an expanded track for the Turtle races. I see there will be two places where you will be able to play the Flamingo Ring Toss game, Several of the posters are up around town and I saw they also had to add a warning this year. On the bottom of the poster it now says " Turtles caught using performance enhancing drugs will be disqualified and prohibited from further racing" I think it had to do with the Johnson brothers and there Needabeer entry of last year.

Looks like always there will be a lot of good eats. Women club will be sponsoring a baking contest to be followed by a bake sale. I am proud to mention that I am again a judge in this event. The Lodge will of course have the big BBQ trailer out. Tents will be up and the hay stage will be set up for the Fabulous fine fingers of fiddle players Fred and Fionda Fiddle and their sons and daughters. Parade is good to go at noon and afterwards the towns main street will be cleared for the lawnmower and go-cart races. Also in the works will be golf cart drag racing. We need to get some permits but with the town hall meeting on the 30th we don't think we will have a problem. Saturday night the pontoon parade on water will be held and I think some of the resorts will be selling tickets to ride if you don't have a pontoon. A bike rally will leave the Lodge for a few hour ride and then back to the Lodge for a pig roast. Talk to Big Earl for more information about that.

Other events on the calendar, The bing cherries booth will be open all week in the park. It will be just down from the mini-dounut and hot pretzel trailers. Also our local crop duster will doing a patriotic fly over at noon on the 4th and Skinny will again attempt to put on a sky diving and landing performance. He has had the chute replaced since last year. After a careful review the Turkey deep frying incident from two years ago and a safer location deep fryers will be allowed in the park this year. The towns fire trucks will be on display and in that general location just in case. Would also like to remind people that any attempt at shooting at or attempting to shoot down the crop dusting plane with bottle rockets will not be tolerated. This is the main reason the flight has been moved to noon instead of at midnight. To be fair Maverick has been told he can not drop firecrackers or flour bags from his plane. As always roman candles are only to be used in the water battles reenactments and then no wooden boats are allowed.

Boat loading and landing contests, speed casting, dog dock jumping contest, hot dog eating contest, seed spitting contest .I am sure there is more but I can't remember all the events that are planned. Not to mention sidewalk days and did I mention the beauty contest? After my accident last year and the modifications I had to make to my MTD mower I did not do well, I am looking forward to having a quicker machine this year and will be entered in the open class. I am sure I will be adding to the list here. The rain has stopped and the doors to the deck have been open wide. A few guys wander out and wipe off the lounge chairs and sit back and watch water drip off the eves. A few cigars are put to the match to keep the skeeters at bay. Looks like we are between storms and the lake has turned to glass. Trees are not moving at all and it is quiet. The birds are still in hiding and Barney is over with Elmer on the wicker couch. He is not moving so that tells me that more bad weather is on the way. Just a nice summer night if you like rain and wind and cold beer with friends. From Lake Iwanttobethere

(56980)

Say I would like to take a moment here and say thank you to all of the new readers who have come on board. I hope you get to visit your part of Lake Iwanttobethere and we here at the lake want to thank you for reading about the doings here... Bobby Bass

June 28, 2008

Time....

I walk into the darken bedroom feeling my way across the wood floor. I drag my feet looking to bump into anything with my toes before tripping on them. Making my way to the window I pull the curtain to one side and raise the mini blinds to eye level. Looking out under the pine branch that blocks my view of the lake I can see the calm water of Lake Iwanttobethere. Making a mental note that I need to trim that branch from the cabin I turn and look down at my son sleeping. Like so many other days gone by he looks the same. Resting on his side, arm under his head he sleeps the sleep of the young. I watch for a moment like parents do. A small smile on my face as a flood of memories comes to mind. The little scar over the eye brow from when he fell on his bike. Another on his hand from when he fell in the wood pile. I watch as his chest rises and falls.

His boots with socks resting on top sit at the side of the bed. His fishing rod and the old metal fishing tackle box that grandpa left him rest in the corner. A plug already tied on the rod so he won't have to do it when we get to the boat. I should wake him so we can get on our way but these times are few and far between for us. He is getting older and we don't talk as much as we used to. Thinking the fish can wait, I lean up against the cabin wall and just watch. The morning light grows brighter and I can see his eyes twitch as the light crosses his face. Slowly he opens his eyes and says " Morning" I say "Morning" back to him... " Time" he says. I nod yes..

He swings his feet out from under the covers and sits on the edge of the bed. " I'll go wake your grand sons" he says. " No, let me do it" I say... from Lake Iwanttobethere

June 29, 2008

"Sittin on the dock of the bay wasting time" I hear that line floating across the water here at Lake Iwanttobethere, So far from the truth. There can be no such thing as wasted time when your are sitting on a dock. Today I spent time on the dock with my grand daughter. The five year old who is wiser then her years. Of course all parents think their kids are special and they are all right. This one had her dad wrapped around her little finger and I might add Grandpa is aware of her charm. I was down on the dock giving the feet a good soak. There are more things that can be done on a dock besides just sitting. You can fish, you can hideout you can watch sunrises and sunsets and you can soak your feet.

When you are a kid you never have soft feet. I can't remember having any feet problems back when I was young. New pair of tennies? Get them wet, when they dried they fit your feet just right. Of course you let them dry right on your feet. Usually new shoes were saved for right before school started. So the ones you went into summer were already well broken in. They took you everywhere but church. Church had the good shoes, the brown wing tips that doubled as snowshoes in the winter. They were big and wide and had a heel on them that made you at least an inch taller. The school tennies would make it through the school year and with some tape to mend the holes where your toes grew out they would take you into summer. The holes also worked as drains for when you waded in Mystery Creek or around the shores of Lake Iwanttobethere. Hunting frogs or looking for crayfish. Now a days we have shoes for everything and slippers to. Slippers for going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, flannel ones for the dead of winter. Hunting boots and waterproof ones for when it rains or the grass is wet. When we were kids the it was easy. Was it Sunday? then the wing tips, any other day was the tennies.

Which all brings me back to sitting on the dock soaking my feet. My granddaughter came up wearing these plastic clogs. Asking what I was doing she took her clogs off and sitting next to me she to "wanted to soak her feet" except her legs are to short and she could not reach the water. She sat next to me and with her feet dangling over the end of the dock she rocked then back and forth. From time to time I would splash some water on her legs with mine so she would get wet. Looking down at her feet she stopped. She jumped up and grabbed the towel that was next to me. Laying back down on the dock with her head under the big towel she stared into the water. I asked her what she was doing and she said 'Fishing" I took my feet out of the water and rolling over on my side I rearranged the towel so it would cover both of our heads and shoulders. We laid on the edge of the dock and stared into the water. Bluegills crept out from under the dock and made like big fish. Cruising back and forth between the dock posts they patrolled the area like sentries on duty. A small perch would try and get under the dock only to be ran off by the sentries.

We laid and watched and she started to give the gills names. Scar face and big eye a little one she called wanttobe because it was always trying to swim with the sentries but was to slow. Suddenly they all darted under the dock and she asked why, that is when we saw a northern come into sight. A few pounds but big enough to make the sunnies scatter. It sat still like just at the edge of the dock. His or her fins rippling along it's side. The mouth moving and we could see the gills open and close, open and close. After awhile it to moved on and the sentries return out from deep under the dock to return to their patrol. Acting like nothing had happen and they had let the northern be there. The sun had dried our feet while we laid on our bellies. Grandma rang the big bell on the deck and it was lunch time. She helped me up and walking with my baby feet I followed her up the trail. Her hard feet running up the path while I looked out for stones and pine needles. I really got to go barefoot more I think to myself. From Lake Iwanttobethere. (57814)

June 30, 2008

Corn should be knee high by the 4th of July is the saying. We might just make that here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Of course it helps if you are short like I am. After a slow start the gardens are doing well. Second planting of radishes went in the small garden this morning and all the flower pots are filled with flowers. Mowing is a weekly thing and last year at this time it was slow growing. No problem with water this year and the grass had been responding. Skeeters are out, not as bad as predicted so far, but you don't stray to far from a candle or the fire pit come dusk. If I have a complaint it's the steady wind that seems to be blowing every time I get a chance to go fishing. Keeps the bugs away but does make it get old having to work the trolling motor all the time when on the water.

Spent some time on the deck here enjoying the evening and looking for bats, which I did not see. I did get to watch a owl come swooping in and make a pass over the yard and dock before heading back into the woods along side Chucks cabin. I felt more then saw the owl, it was getting pretty dark and got that feeling that something was around me. A flirting shadow that I would not have seen if I had not been looking. The owl appeared coming in low over the grass dipping away from the fire pit and the smoke and then with a few flaps of broad wings rose and then dipped again before disappearing into the Pines. I am sure I stuck out to him but he was just a shadow to me. We don't see many owls up here I am sure they are around but not a bird that hangs out around the lake.

Lake was quiet for the weekend. Threating weather all day on Saturday that never did happen. Finally after everyone had gone to bed and fires were out a soft rain fell for a half hour or so. Just hard enough to make noise on the roof and fill the water barrel. A nice rain, the kind that if you are in a tent lulls you to sleep with it's steady soft drumming on the rain fly. Kind of rain you don't know when it ends because the trees around the tent will drip for awhile after the rain has stopped. Morning will bring that rich smell of wet earth and deep woods that you only have to think about to remember. Sometime here at the lake we take that smell for granted. I try and remind myself to take in a deep sniff when I am looking around. Even better, close your eyes and make a point of remembering the smell. Reach down and pick up some needles and old leaves and dirt, squeeze it between your fingers and let it slowly fall through your fingers. Wipe your hands off on each other and avoid wiping the rest off on your jeans. Instead head for the lake and rinse your hands in the water. Take another moment to look across the flat surface of the lake and watch the rings roll outward from where you dipped your hands. You can't do that back in the city. Well maybe in some fountain with a foot of water in it. Even then people will give you looks as to why you would put your hands in that water.

A couple of robins come screaming pass, flying in tandem with a wing man. They dart in and out and then pull up together to land on the grass. They both give you that sideways look and then ignore you as they search the ground for food. Our friend the gray squirrel is hanging from a pine branch eyeing the full bird feeder. I don't see his brother around any where, they usually travel together. Barney is down on the dock, fishing of course. Bud just had a run in with the old goose. He is panting on the deck after chasing the goose into the water and getting them both wet. Pepper is over at Elmers house. Elmer is having rabbit problems and Pepper is there to see what kind of trouble she can get herself into. Also Pepper has taken an interest in the chicken coop which once again has chickens in it. With the rising cost of food not only were a lot of gardens put in here at the lake but some chicken coops have birds again. Earl down at the general store had to order three times what he usually does. Some birds will not make it past fall but with the price of eggs some will stay on. If the wind is right you can now hear a rooster or two in the early morning hours. The coops are something else that is to be discussed at the town hall meeting but it is another thing that will be passed. Well next week end will not be so quiet. Junior has the fireworks tent up and sales have been brisk. Better get your sleep in now because it will be hard to do come Friday night. From Lake Iwanttobethere (58363)

July 2, 2008

O what a relief it is... The coming rain across Lake Iwanttobethere. With the red needle on the Bass thermometer just touching the ninety degree red slash mark today was the hottest day of summer here at the lake. So hot that after working in the morning I took the afternoon off and finally installed the ac in the bedroom window. The next step was to make sure it worked so I took a nap. I woke up several hours later to find all three dogs and three cats scattered across the floor and bed. Once the ac is turned on they know where they are going to get there afternoon naps in. I kicked all the dogs outside and taking the hose out everyone got wet. I rinsed off the deck and watered the flowers only to have the deck already dry before I was done. Warm outside and with the brisk wind it offered no real relief.

Went down to the dock and got wet in the lake. Sitting under the newly found blue umbrella I looked over to see Elmer on his dock. Red and white bobber floating just a few feet in front of his dock. His head hidden under a big straw hat I could not tell if he was asleep or awake. His beat up red, white and blue cooler on the deck at his side with the metal tackle box tucked under his chair. I could see two stringers tied off to the deck cleat. One I am sure was tied to the floating yellow minnow bucket and the other seemed to be moving on it's own. I would guess Elmer has a fish tied off to it. Heavy sticky air made the chair feel hot to the touch. The wind quickly dried me off and if I had not just taken a nap it would have been easy to just take one now. Wind was coming off the shore and blowing out to the water, no relief there. Putting my hand over my eyes to shade them I looked out towards the point and can make out a few boats bobbing out there. That's when I notice the clouds piling up on the horizon. Conditions are right for a good soaking.

Checking the mail I take a few letters back up with me towards the cabin. Barney heads to Elmers dock and as I go up the path I see Elmers hand come down and rub Barney between the ears. Barney takes up his fishing position on the edge of the dock.. Pepper is laying in the wife's ferns and watches me as I walk by. It looks like a pretty good spot to me and I ignore her as I walk by. Bud and I go inside the cabin and I head to the fridge. I drop a few ice cubes on the floor for Bud to chew on. The watermelon that I bought from Ma and Pa's grocery is well chilled and I cut of a thick slice. Sprinkling with salt I take the melon on a plate and sit in the shade out on the deck. Enjoying the cool melon I watch as the building clouds out over the lake slowly move my way. Buddy sits by my side waiting for his piece of melon. I let him have a chunk and he eats it all except for the seeds that he lets fall to the deck.

Guess I must have taken another nap as I had moved over to the swing and had turned the baseball game on the radio. Wind has died down and I heard the "Krump" of someone firing off fireworks, the sound echoing across the now still waters of the lake. Sitting I notice the lake is quiet, no birds and no bull frogs. I can't see in the darkness but I am going to guess that a thunderstorm is still working it's way across the lake and it is getting closer. Barney is laying at my feet which is a dead giveaway to the coming weather. The kitchen lights are on at Elmers and I can hear him banging pans, must be cooking what he had on that stringer. I lite up a cigar and settle into the cushions of the swing. Baseball game is still on and entering the ninth the home team is up only by two runs. In the distant darkness I see a flash of light, waiting for the fireworks echo none is heard. Mother nature is going to give me a demonstration of how fireworks are really done. From a hot summers night at Lake Iwanttobethere.. (59122)

July 3, 2008

A welcome change here at Lake Iwanttobethere this morning as some cool weather made it's return. After doing morning chores which is feeding dogs and cats and checking the gardens I took a ride into the Lodge. Few guys siting and drinking some coffee and a card game going on in the corner table. I grabbed a can of pop and went out on the deck. For the middle of the week there were a few trailers in the parking lot and a family was fishing off the dock. Camp ground had a few big trailers parked there and it looked like they had been there awhile and might be there for awhile more. It just being a few days out from the 4th the camping area will be full by tomorrow night. Hammering Hank and Skinny were down loading up the firewood bins and a few people were inside the fireworks tent. I could see Junior gesturing with hands over his head. I am guessing he was explaining what kind of explosions you could get from he was selling.

Heading to the office I had a stack of them pink post it notes and at least a good inch of invoices to go through. Right on top were the minutes from the Town Hall meeting that was held on Monday night. They were double spaced on Lake Iwanttobethere paper with a letter head. I didn't even know we had a letterhead. Shannon did a real nice job of putting it together and I looked over the minutes from the meeting. Not to much really stood out at all. Pretty normal stuff.. Town is doing well, tourist is down a tad but people are spending more money which evens it out. The OK was given for chicken coops to be put back in use. Only one rooster allowed though and twenty five birds. Some of our newer residents from the big city made a comment that they would like the Deer Crossing sign moved down the road from their driveway. They would rather not have the deer cross there. That was tabled for further discussion with the county. Big Earl has requested that parking meters be installed out front of his store. It seems that he has observed city folk fighting over the sometimes empty spots in front of Reed the Realtors office. Even though there is free parking to either side, guess habits are hard to forget even when on vacation Earl has been placing plastic owls on metal stakes outside of his store with free parking bags pulled over the tops. He says business has picked up since he has done this as tourists park in front of the hooded owls which it appears to look a lot like covered parking meters. Meters were tabled for further review.

A few other things, sellers permits for the 4th of July approved. Beer sales permits OK'd for the tents. Just pretty normal small town stuff. O and on the bottom a request for office supplies and letterhead paper, given approval. Well that explains the letterhead paper. Well like I said just a few days out from the 4th and I think I already passed on about all the doings going on. I will be entering the new lawn tractor this year. I had pulled the MTD out of storage and it is just to far gone to race this year. The front end is so loose that Dug offered to weld it in a permanent left turn but this year we will be having a grand prix race and I will need to be able to turn left and right.. I might have tried it in the lawn mower drag races but with my weight I tend to flip over backwards at the start. Elmer is not going to race this year at all but has entered into the hot dog eating contest instead. Says he needs to pace himself as he is getting older. Well this is kind of a short one as I need to get to this paper work and then there are boxes of chips and candy bars to be gotten to. I do have my 33 " Wall Eye on display and the spoon that I caught it on. Guess in some parts the Wall Eye has created a disturbance and some comments that it was foul hooked and I used a stick bait or scooped it up out of a private pond. All not true of course. I have been asked if it is just a manufacture story that was just drilled up. But between me and you I might sell it to the ruler guy, he said it would make a good yard stick, even if it is just a few inches short... From Lake Iwanttobethere.. (59507)

July 4, 2008

Hiding out here in the Lodge with the AC on. Just got done with round two of the pie judging contest and I need some time to myself to let things settle some. Final round coming up in an hour and I might have tasted a few to many pies in the prelims. Got to remember to take smaller pieces but they were all pretty good. Noon fly over went well and Skinny hit Gus's pontoon on the lake with his sky diving. I thought that was what he was aiming for. Only found out later that he was aiming for the fish cleaning house but slipped and fell out of the plane early. It, the landing on Gus's pontoon was a surprise to both of them. Well food judging contest is going on. So many good smells in the park deep fried turkey, BBQ running hot with propane, coal and even wood fired grills. Sweet corn was brought up from down south as Big Earl had a cousin drive a truck load up from his farm. McDonnell's farm donated the butter and the corn is gone as soon as it comes of the grill. The fabulous fingers of Fred and Fiona Fiddler dancing across their fiddles is providing the afternoon music on top of the hay bale stage. Hammering Hank's wife Tess is providing some knee slapping vocals. She is a constant surprise to all of us.

Fishing contest will be done at five with the weigh in here at he Lodge. A lot of boats are out there bobbing on the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. There will also be a weekend contest sponsored by the good folks down at the Masterbaiters shop. Mindy is here working the root beer tent and her sister Mandy is out on Root Beer island. Lot of traffic out that way going in and out through the drive in bait dock that Nytelyter has there. I have not seen him today but I am guessing he is busy working the dock. Will be a BBQ tasting contest later this evening as we are just getting warmed up with events for the day and for the weekend. Softball game going on or was going on as it turned into a beer ball game and action slowed after the 3rd inning. Looks like most players are just standing around the kegs on the bases now.

Boat launching contest will be held after 6 tonight and go-cart and mower races have been reschedule till Saturday. We had a few co chairs putting events together and yesterday when they got together they discovered they had way to many events for today and started to reschedule and spread them out over the entire weekend. Tom from Tom's log homes was here this morning with a load of logs for the log rolling contest that no one knew had been scheduled. Guess that will happen Saturday afternoon. Seems Elmer knew all about it but had forgotten to pass on the information. Junior down at the fireworks tent is just about sold out. His tables are now being used to get out of the sun and rest your elbows on when eating the roasted corn. Ma and Pa's have a table set up and watermelons are being sliced and salted. McDonnell has a pit and is turning out baked potatoes. The usual Hot pretzels and mini donuts are being served. The ice cream truck is here and of course Mindy and Mandy root beer. Johnson brothers are offering small samples of Needabeer and Whynotale. Sales are brisk up here at the Lodge, glad we ordered all the extra chips and the candy boxes have been restocked several times already.

Down right nice day, warm but not hot. Some clouds in the sky but no rain in the forecast. Looking forward to fireworks at about ten tonight, before that the pontoon parade will start at 9 or so. Big parade was held shortly before noon and everyone in town I think is right down here by the lake and park. Well I have to get back out there. Apple pie division coming up and then I think I'll be ready for some of that hot butter corn.. You all have a good 4th from Lake Iwanttobethere. (60286)

July 5, 2008

Residents and tourist a like line Main Street waiting for the parade to begin here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Old gentlemen stand along the sidewalk holding hands with their wife's. Dressed in there Sam Snead hats and short sleeve shirts, pressed khaki pants with a sharp crease and brown belts hidden under overhanging bellies. Their wife's wearing wide brimmed hats and flowered dresses make small talk with other couples. Young parents attempt to keep track of running children who dart back and forth into the street. Holding cotton candy and sporting small American flags in their hands they wave them high over their heads as they run just out of reach of their parents. A small town parade is nothing like ones in the big city. No one is lined five or six deep here. As a matter of fact there is even some space open along the street curb.

The old clock built into the face of the bank chimes the first of twelve tones and the crowd settles down. Coming off First street the VFW color guard appears and five wide they march around the corner stepping smartly on to Main Street. The American flag held high front and center. Behind in the quiet you hear the rhythmic sound of horse hooves hitting the pavement. From around the corner appears our Eagle Scout John Smyth holding onto the reins of a jet black stallion. The horse is hitched to an all black wagon empty of driver and load. The sun shines of the polished wood of the wagon. The muscles of the horse ripple with each step it takes. The clop clop of the hooves lifting and then falling to the pavement ring out in the quiet. The horse and wagon come down the center of the street. Hands cross hearts and old soldiers stand at attention. Right hands in sharp salutes they hold as the wagon passes. Moist eyes can be seen if you look.. Lost brothers and fathers. Daughters and friends are represented by the driver less wagon.

Lets not forget why we celebrate the 4th of July ............ The wagon continues down Main Street and a minute later the parade turns the corner onto Main Street. Clapping and cheering the crowd along the side walk greets the parade and their fellow townspeople. From Lake Iwanttobethere

July 6, 2008

well the bait troll thru has been a huge sucess out on rootbeer island and it is very nice to be so close to mindy and mandy all day long. the morning of the forth we had a great run on bait thankfully supplied from vicki at masterbaiters. what a great set up. i really could not have asked for better. well i put out the honer box about 1pm due to having such a large show planned for the coming night. got to the point about 130 and started setting up the shooting racks and digging the mortors in and as planned, about 30 minutes after we had placed the last peice, the product truck showed up and we unloaded box after seemingly endless box of shells for the show.

lots of new product this year, as i had comissioned from the nations first family of fireworks, some of their custom shells that have mutiple breaks after launch. i have seem them on their promo vids and they are indeed a hot shell. i do want to thank the johnson bros. for sponsering these shells as they as you may think not cheap to come by. i will have a set piece with the whynotale and needabeer logo that will light up just prior to the launch of these fine shells. it did take the better part of the the remaining hours to complete the set up and get the finally set tied together. my small crew took a dip in the lake to cool off and i dropped the sail on the knot a clew and pulled it around the back side of the point.

just as last year i awaited the finally of the town show and we started the show off the point. pretty much routine for the most part. did have a mortor shell get loaded upside down. i think the one of my crew may have caught the powder bag on the edge of the tube and rolled it in. i did see the tell tail sign of it and in time pulled the crew back for the bang. as dangerous as those get they do make for a great effect. we had a few low breaks.... those are also some fun. but again pretty. the set peice went off well and those east coast shells were a great addition to the show. i think i counted six breaks in two or three of them. the finally rack fed thru just perfect and the show ended just like last year with the catamaran break shell in the sky. afterwards we let the racks cool me and my favorite root beer brewer headed like last year out on the cat for a nice cool eve float.

wasnt much wind but it was nice watching all of the dock shows going off all over the lake and with all the banging of the shells we did not have many of the skeeters around.

did clearing of the racks before hitting the hay and pulled up and packed up equipment the following morning. went into town for the days festivities and good eats. found bobby looking like a pumpkin at holloween in the lodge saying something about " i cant berlieve i ate the whole thing" and having to go judge some more pies. threw back a shot of turkey with him and chased it with a cold hamms and we were both off again for more eats. sure glad that sunday is here wow what a long weekend. had a record day on thursday at the docks on root beer island. and full weekend of festivities. now its t ime for a break. me and my lil sailor have found subs for us on the island for the day. and are going off on a sail. gonna hit some of the farther spots on the lake and maybe try to get into big bay for somewild thing sailing may even get mindy out on the trap wire and fly a hull if the wind is right.

welll i hope your forth was happy safe and lots of fun for you as it was for me. i know it was a good revenue day for the towns people. and i will welcome my next few days off here as i can watch the town slow again to its normal pace and will spend a bit of tiome at the cafe the diner and the lodge. see you on the water and if you hear some screaming today from out on big bay ... illl bet its cuz the hull is riding high in the sky and the screams are from mindy out on the wire.

from the point where sylvia bay meets waconia bay out on lakeiwanttobethere. ... paul

July 6, 2008

Well things are winding down here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Been a long holiday weekend and so many things have been going on since Friday there is no way you could have seen them all. A late start to the day here as I recovering from the micro-beer challenge that was held at the Lodge last night. Already 90 here in the shade and all of the dogs have been in the water several times. The cats are sprawled across the bed with the AC on and are unwilling to give up their spots to anyone. Drapes are all pulled closed trying to keep the bright sunshine out of the cabin. Been just an outstanding weekend weather wise. Just the way a holiday would be if you could plan it. Just enough wind to keep skeeters away but not strong enough to make you hold on to your paper plates. Smell of BBQ is strong in the air as it is to warm to cook inside and the 4th of July is the official opening of the BBQ season for the rest of summer. Women like this time of year as the men take over the cooking.

That might be a tad misleading as men cooking over the grill usually means men standing with a pair of tongs turning meat while holding a can of Hamms. The women are usually busy preparing side dishes getting plates finding the steak sauce and keeping the Hamms coming. When the meal is all done the male will ask everyone how they liked it. The men usually stand with hands on hips waiting for positive comments or even a polite round of applause. The wife will roll her eyes and begin cleaning up the table. Hot dogs that during the winter are boiled in water on the stove in a few minutes now take the lighting of coals, waiting for the proper temperature and the burning of the first set of buns. When the hot dogs explode they are deem done and the two of them are quickly eaten. Burnt ones "are ment to be that way" Cooking on a BBQ is never done fast and it is sure not done if you are really hungry and need to eat now. But the smell.... there is nothing better then a fine cut of meat spitting and sizzling on the grill. The splatter of juices hitting white hot coals and the aroma released in the air. Nothing makes anyone more hungry then the smell of a rack of ribs on the neighbors BBQ drifting across to swirl under your nose..

Made a pretty good dent in the ice in the storage building. Mandy had to make a few trips out to Root Beer island to bring more root beer back to the main land as they call it. The vendors in the park were busy all weekend long. Mindy was busy at the island as with Nytelyters drive through fishermen were buying bait and also picking up root beer. Might have had something that both Mindy and Mandy had gotten out of their bibs and were working in what almost could be miss taken as Hooters outfits. When reading Root Beer there was a pretty big space between the words on their shirts. Still no sign of Nytelyter. We are beginning to plot a rescue mission and get him off the island for awhile. It has been weeks since he has been seen at the Lodge. Of course with summer here and the Lodge open to the general public some people do stay away. They might drop by for a quick look around, have a Hamms and leave. Most farmers are out working the fields and putting up hay. Diehard fishermen have their boats in the water all the time and just walk down from their cabins to their docks. No need to trailer down to the access. As in most lakes about an hour before sunset the lake has the most activity. Residents will board their pontoons and back out from their docks to drop a line on their favorite hot spot. Some will take a cruise around the bay and maybe drag a lure. Watching sunsets and waving hi to their neighbors on the lake the outboards chugging away. A few fish may be caught and a late supper had or fish for breakfast.

Rain has been falling but only at night. Even then it is brief showers that all traces of are gone by first light. Gardens are deep green and grass still needs to be mowed on a weekly basis. Small apples are appearing on the trees and the deer have disappeared back into the deep woods. Pulling into the drive late last night I saw a raccoon and two of her kids walking down the side of the road. I expect I will see all three of them in my corn later this summer. Kids and grand kids are all heading out for a week long camping trip to the far end of the lake. I was invited but the ground is not kind to my back any more. Will take advantage of the quiet to get in some fishing this week as it will cool off some and some day time rain is in Sunshine Ray's long range forecast. If the fishing is good I might declare that I to am on vacation and do nothing for the rest of the week but fish. The Honey Do List will always be there. Well from just a down right perfect 4th of July weekend. I hope you made it out to your part of Lake Iwanttobethere and you enjoyed yourself. I hope fishing was good and the bugs not to bad. From Lake Iwanttobethere.. (60963)

July 8, 2008

HiYa from the lake. Monday brought temperatures more to my liking as the bass thermometer had a hard time getting the needle above 60 A welcome relief to the weekends 90's that we had here. Did some mowing and also weeding in the garden. Soaked the dogs down with the garden hose and Pepper bit right through the end when I was getting her wet. I will have to go down to the General Store today and pick up a repair kit. The quick fix of wrapping duct tape around the hole did nothing but redirect the water down my pants leg to fill up my shoe. The wet pants look brought a raised eye brow from the wife when I returned into the cabin. I said water hose and went and changed. I over heard her saying something about maybe having a senior moment. Since I have had my 660 birthday the word "Senior" sure does seem to pop up in a lot of conversations that I am involved in. I have made a point of highlighting her senior birthday on my calendar. The favor will be returned.

Now when we go shopping together she makes a point of asking if the store has a senior discount. If it does I get to pay so we get the discount. Of course I get a discount but now end up paying for more things so I have a net loss to my wallet and she gets a net gain to her purse. Still no discount at the places I shop the most. Earl at the General Store says I don't get a discount till I am older then him, and that ain't going to happen unless he dies first. Somehow my discount pie at Amy's seems a tad smaller then the portion I used to get before and I think the Sunshine Cafe is using smaller eggs. I also think Doc Burriem has been talking and people are thinking they are helping me my giving me smaller portions. Sometimes a small town can be to small.

Got that big deck all done, tools are all back piled high in the work shop. Need to get out there and sort things and put things back to where they need to be. Need a good rain day for that. Have had some light showers at night but we are due for a good soaker soon. I should go out and wash the tractor off, still has mud on it from the 4th of July races. Was a dry track till the prankster open up the hoses on the fire truck pumper. Those mower tires are not meant to be ran in deep water. You lose traction and the water splashes up on the engine making steam. Hard to see when you get your goggles all fogged up and people are yelling at you to turn but not telling you which way. Those hay bales aren't all that soft either. If I had not been finally stopped by the wall of aluminum empty beer cans that the Johnson brothers had been stacking I could have been injured or at the very least spilled my Hamms.

Fishing has been kind of hit and miss with the hot weather. Fish are still being caught but it looks like it is slowing as the water is warming. A lot of boats off the cross point where the bible camp is. Working at the Lodge I overheard some stories and in a nut shell it looks like the bible camp has relaxed some of their guidelines and now two piece bathing suits are being allowed at camp. Like all new rules some of the bathing suits are being pushed to the extreme. Suddenly the blue gill fishing is quite good just down from the swimming area. It must be all catch and release because I have not heard of anyone leaving with any of the gills.

Well town is a little quiet for midweek. Everyone worked long and hard over the long weekend and owners are taking a day off to catch up. I see that only Ma was behind the counter at the grocery as Pa was out with Elmer fishing. Even Reed the Realtor office has the shade pulled and the closed sign in the window. Amy has her truck and boat on the trailer parked out front of her shop and a sign in her window says she will be closing early today. Car wash stands with open doors and the cement is dry inside. Looks like no one has used it today. Golf course has a few cars in the parking lot and there is the smell of BBQ in the air. Some kids are playing pitchers hand on the softball field and their bikes are dumped in front of the dug out. Sheriff Tim just pulled up in front of Amy's and was carrying a fishing rod with him when he went in. Looks like everyone is relaxing this afternoon, perhaps I should schedule a visit with the hammock.. From Lake Iwanttobethere.. (61796)

July 10, 2008

Had one of them days yesterday, My friend Jerry had called last week and we made plans to go fishing. He got stuck at work and was an hour late getting to the cabin but it being middle of summer we still had plenty of light. I was already loaded up and ready to go so we pulled out five minutes after he got there. Once on the road we headed to a bay that I don't often fish but Jerry wanted to go to. Twenty minutes down the road and we had to stop in at a gas station that sold subs, Jerry had forgotten to bring a lunch so we made the stop for subs and some pops. Back on the road I told him he would now be blamed for anything that happens on the water. " How does that work" he says. Well since we had to take a side, unplanned stop our destiny has been changed. We will be ten minutes late for anyplace on the lake we fish... He pondered that as the Dodge purred over the blacktop heading for the bay.

Nothing special at the landing, it being midweek we were the only ones there. We launched the Puddle Humper and I pulled right out of the water and parked in the first spot on the right. With rods already rigged we pushed off and in the first little side bay we, or should I say Jerry had two bass in the boat before I even had a bite. Thirty minutes later and Jerry had four bass to my little one. Darkening clouds made us keep an eye over our shoulder as a growing line of clouds were shaping up out west of us and moving our way. We were in such a hurry that I had not checked in with Sunshine Ray and his forecast. It was not going to make much of a difference anyway as we had planed to go fishing and we would have gone.

Another smaller bay and the tide was turning, I started to get some fish, not bass but a couple of rock bass and a sunnie bent on suicide. Then a small mouth bass was brought to the boat. Not many in the lake but they are there. Jerry just laughed at me said those little fish don't count as we were BASS fishing. First batch of rain moved along the shore to the south of us but we didn't see a drop. Time was slipping by on us and fishing was slow, into another small bay we went and this one had bass. An hour later we continued on but not until we boated ten bass, eight for me and two for Jerry. As we came out a bald eagle landed just down the shoreline from us. We took notice and stopped fishing. Using the trolling motor we crept through the reed bank to get closer and closer to the bird sitting in a tree watching us. From time to time he would move his head trying to figure out just what we were. I sat in the front of the boat with my camera at ready. I took a couple of pictures on the burst setting which takes three at a time before recycling. The bird just looked down at us and we could get no closer. I came up with the idea that if Jerry stood up and waved his hands the bird would take flight and I would get a couple of great full wing pictures from right underneath. Holding the camera ready Jerry stood up... And I took pictures of sky as the boat rocked from side to side and the eagle flew no where close to the piece of sky that I shot...

I blamed Jerry since if we had not stopped for that sub we would have gotten a better picture.. A little after that the rain started. We got the edge of a passing thunderstorm and we put rain jackets on and continued to fish. Working up the shoreline heading back towards the launch we continued to catch fish. Well I was anyway. Making up for the start of the trip I was now boating bass three at a time to Jerry 's one. I could not keep the rock bass off as they were nipping at the spinner bait all the way back to the boat. Not a single northern did we catch or see. We both thought that was odd. We argue over the fishing conditions. Was it my white spinner bait that was turning the fish on or the thunderstorm that was passing around us. Then it happen. My spinner was about fifteen feet from the boat and I was watching it as I was reeling when a crappie the size of my mother's turkey platter slashed at the lure. I felt a micro second of weight on the line and then it turned sideways and darted back down and away. "DANG... did you see that ?" See what Jerry said... I had just missed the biggest crappie in my fishing life. The thing was down right huge I put the lure back out in the direction the crappie had taken, a feeble attempt that it would make a second pass. Of course it did not. I continue to catch some more bass and a few more rockbass as we moved toward the landing and the trailer.

We loaded the Puddle Humper up on the trailer and when everything was secure we just got in the Dodge when the first of the large rain drops exploded on the windshield. Jerry said " Well you can blame me" " For what" I replied.. " Well if we had not stopped for that sub you never would have seen that crappie! " besides what would you have done if you had caught it. " Well it would be on my wall in my den, that was a fish of a lifetime" Jerry nodding said " but how much gas money would that have taken?" I nodded back.... Still it would have looked pretty.. So when are we coming back to this side of the lake ? From Lake Iwanttobethere (62712)

July 12, 2008

How come the day after a big storm is always sunny? I guess so you can see how much and how far the storm did damage. Last night just at sunset several thunderstorms rolled across the lake. We had plenty of warning as Sunshine Ray had called the Lodge and Skinny got up on the roof and managed to get the hand crank on the old defense siren. The wailing of the siren could be heard across the lake and looking at the cloud bank it didn't take to much to figure it out. Most boats were already off the lake and the few that were left made it to their trailers and were seen leaving the access. This morning I saw Jessie the paperboy, with loaded boat pass by. He had an assortment of floating lawn chairs and boat bumpers on board. Just things he was picking up as he dropped the paper off.

The old goose was back on the shoreline looking none for wear. I don't have a clue where he disappear to during the storm. Here at the cabin I have my own alert system. A good forty five minutes before the storm hit Barney the dog was tucked in between the desk and the wall. I don't want to say he was hiding just looking for a secure area to rest we will say. Bud on the other hand was scratching at the door trying to get out. When he was let out he was running in the yard, ears flapping in the breeze and barking at birds that were flying low and seeking shelter back in the woods. Pepper was long gone as she was over at Elmers cabin. He didn't have time to get his tent up but had the garage door open and the lawn chair and cooler were at the ready. With his yellow oil maritime rain slicker on he was just walking around the yard, Pepper at his heels picking up things that might get blown away.

I lit a cigar and went out to sit on the covered swing. Had the radio on listening to the baseball game and every few minutes the play by play would be interrupted by that buzzing sound and then that tone.. The national weather service guy would get on and drone away about the oncoming storm. He speaks in such a monotone. You would think that a good storm would be something that would excite him! Instead he just ticks off where the storm will be in five minute increments. Never speaks of Lake Iwanttobethere. Talks about towns and lakes around us but never mentions the lake. I change channels over to the towns station, KCUM and Sunshine Ray is babbling like a little kid there. From the broadcasting studios Ray can look out over the lake and give a play by play of the dark rolling storm approaching.

I went back in the cabin and returned with my camera and a hat. The way Ray was talking this was a series of thunderstorms packed right on top of each other and it was going to be a good one as storms go. I could see the first big gust of rain and wind coming across the water at me. Looking like a wet sand storm the water flatten out in front of it and quicker then I can type this it was on me. With camera and cigar in hand the wind took my hat right off my head. I just got a chance to see it bounce off the deck and head towards Elmers. I put the cigar tight between my teeth and raise the camera and clicked off a few shots. Normally I can just sit on my swing and the canopy keeps most of the rain off. This however was a storm with a lot of wind and the first big gust went right under the canopy and hit me like a morning shower. My lens on my camera was wet and my cigar was out. I turned my back to the lake and tried to wipe off the lens but my sleeves were wet and as soon as I unzipped my coat another gust tipped the canopy to dump water down the neck of my shirt. Well I was wet. No sense in going into the cabin so I sat down on the swing and tucked the camera under my coat I watched the rain fall. The little radio hanging from the swing roof bouncing back and forth with Sunshine Rays voice fading in and out. Heavy rain fell for several minutes and it was coming down so hard you could not see any lights on the lake. Even Elmers garage light disappeared for awhile. The wind let up and the rain was just coming straight down like someone had the garden hose on your head. After awhile it started to let up as the storm passed over head. Slowly you could make out dock lights and then cabin lights across the bay. The rain stopped and sunlight fought it's way back through the clouds. Hi, light gray clouds were left behind. I walked down to the dock and the storm could be seen working it's way down the lake. Lightning lit up the sky but every time I tried to catch a picture I missed it.

Standing on my dock dripping water it dawn on me that I should have pulled the old wood rowboat up on shore. I followed the rope from the metal cleat to the ¾ full of water boat tied at the side of the dock. Minnow bucket and boat cushion floating inside. Elmer and Pepper came along the beach and Elmer walking up on my deck said " You really should get yourself a good rain coat" Him looking like he belong on the side of a sardine can all nice and dry with a hand rolled cigarette burning from his lips. I just nodded and continue to watch the storm as it quickly move away. Just another summer night here at Lake Iwanttobethere (63595)

July 13, 2008

Grand kids are up for their week long vacation with grandpa. Grandma will be in charge of the girls and me, grand pa will be in charge of the grand sons. That is until there is a need for grand ma to step in. Sitting out on the deck with paper and crayons we started making our to do list. Everyone knows that you should have a do list when you are on vacation. The boys already had things in mind when they sat down. I was surprised by some but expecting others. Cooking with grand ma was high on the list, which surprised me. When questioned I was told they like to eat grandma cookies. I agreed and we wrote that one in bright red. Going to Burts for a haircut and then to Ma and Pa's for ice cream made the list. Fishing of course kept on going on the list. As a matter of fact after every entry fishing was then added. Not weeding Elmers garden was on the list but looking for frogs was. Visiting Uncle Charlie's maple syrup house made the list.

Walking on the trail out back where those big thunder birds fly made the list. Grouse I keep telling them they are called. Feeding blue gills off the dock and avoiding the old goose also made the list. Making lists is hard work and after a few entries they both headed inside to the kitchen to get a pop. The grand daughters came out and wanted to make a list to. We turned over the page and started their list. They wanted to go to the farm and see the cows and maybe ride a pony. They wanted to go swimming but didn't want to catch frogs, to my surprise they did want to catch night crawlers so they could catch bigger fish then the boys. The boys returned with plastic glasses of pop for the girls. They all sat at the table with their feet swinging back and forth under them. No one yet tall enough to reach the deck floor yet. Sipping pop they thought of what they wanted to do on their second day of vacation. From Lake Iwanttobethere.. (63992)

July 15, 2008

I think the grand kids are getting wise. I have always told the kids that between me and grandma we know everything. When asked a question that I did not have the answer for all I needed to say was your grand mother knows that answer. It seems that grand mother is using the same tactic and now the kids are following through and asking us both the same question. Grandma gets away with it by distracting them with a cookie. I just point out a bug..

To their credit both the grand sons slept out in the tent last night, the entire night. Even with the thunderstorm that came through around one. Grandma came outside to bring them into the cabin and they both declined. Said they were big boys now and besides they were dry and grandma was looking pretty wet standing out there in the rain. I said nothing, I was dry and cozy in the tent.

This morning they both woke up to the sound of Elmers rooster. Asking what that was I told them that Elmer had chickens and his rooster talked to the rising sun every morning. They asked if they could go see but I told them five am is still to early to be running around the yard. We have to wait till at least six. I went to roll over and could not. Buddy had come in during the night and tucked himself up tight next to me. I should have known as Steve was using him as a pillow.

Boys look good with their buzz cuts that they got yesterday from Burt down at his barbershop. They both have their hair in brown paper bags. Their mother told them that they better come back home with all their hair this vacation. I can't take credit for the paper bag idea, I think it was their dads.

Yesterday was a pretty good day as far as being grandparents went. No trips to Doc Burriems for anything. Grand ma had already stocked the first aid kit. Some snoopy bandages and white tape. I just made sure there was super glue on hand. The first aid kit is on top of the kitchen counter just in case. Grandma just being grandma. Still seems a kiss from grandma on a boo boo makes it better right away. Elmer and Chuck both came over and took kids for awhile. Of course their intention were to spoil them and then send them back to me. Which as we all know is the job of the grand parents to spoil the kids and then send them back home to their parents. Elmer tried to get them to weed his garden but this time around they were looking for payment, up front.

Girls had their nails done. Toes included. Was a nice color they selected. The blue gills sure liked it as when the girls were soaking their feet off the dock the gills were pecking at their toes. Dock is off limits to the boys for a day. They took the battery powered jeep down the hill and off the dock into the lake. Said Uncle Chuck had mud bogging on his TV and that is where they got the idea. Chuck was called to assist in getting the jeep out of the lake. I caught him giving Steve a high five when they thought I was not looking.

Quiet time right now as grandma has them all in the kitchen and they are making rolls. Boys are pretty good beating up the dough. Girls are drawing pictures of what their rolls are going to look like. Dogs are all out there to waiting for something to fall from the counter. Cats have gone to their hiding places. I don't expect to see them unless all the kids are outside then they will just appear long enough to eat and complain about the kids. As soon as the screen door creeks they will scamper back to their hiding places. After nap time we will all go fishing on Chucks pontoon, I volunteer him after the Jeep incident. I think after the kids vacation ends I'll go on vacation. I wonder if grandma will make me rolls? From Lake Iwanttobethere (64689)

July 17, 2008

Well it's Thursday here at the Lake. Grand ma and Grand pa are still doing fine. No kids hurt or lost yet. Have not seen the cats for three days now and I think Pepper has moved in with Elmer. Bud still follows Steve around the cabin and yard and the two of them have not gotten into much trouble as of yet. On the third page of the vacation list and have hid the crayons so it can not be added on to. Granddaughters after seeing Elmers chicken coop have said they will never eat an egg again. #1 grandson has pitched a tent on the dock and is spending the day there with his rod hanging out the flap. A coffee can of worms at his side he is feeding the gills in an attempt to catch a pond and half bass that lives under the dock. He has lost it twice so far and says he ain't leaving till he gets it. Got to admire his stubbornness. His young brother helped him carry concrete blocks to the dock with the battery powered jeep which after drying out still runs. After setting the tent poles up and tying the lines to the blocks the tent is up. He has a cordless phone from the cabin down there and from time to time he thinks he is at the local drive in. He calls grandma and orders something from the kitchen. Grand ma thinks it's cute. I get stuck being the delivery boy. Kid ain't gave me a tip yet!

He had the bait box full of bluegills till I made him let them all go. Told him they were to small to keep. He said that I said they had to be at least as big as your hand. I meant my hand not his. Mindy came by and took the girls shopping in town. She was going to meet up with the wife and Tess for lunch and they were going to continue to shop. Us boys will be left to fend for ourselves. As soon the wife leaves I 'll get the boys each a fork and we will see what we can find in the fridge for lunch. No sense in dirtying up any plates and we can drink right from the milk jug. No sense in using glasses either. Today was bib day as we did go to McDonnell's farm early this morning. Boys got to see cows get milked and we brought home a couple of bales of hay for the garden. I had them spread it around the tatters. Nothing like the smell of hay in the morning. Stays with ya all day as you are picking it off your bibs.

Sunshine Ray has rain in the forecast. Everything went around us yesterday and it looks like it is staying south today. Overcast day and cooler so the fishing from the tent is not such a bad idea. Steve is on worm duty as he and Bud are turning over rocks and moving logs trying to keep his brother in bait. Barney is somewhat under the weather the past few days and is just spending the day sleeping in one of the beds. The girls have been nursing him with hand fed cookies and lots of hugs. If he don't perk up here in another day I will have to see about bring him into the vet for a look over. Bout time for shots anyway.

Did take the boys to the Lodge yesterday afternoon. They like eating the conies with out the hot dogs and onions. Gave them a job to keep them busy. Took the popcorn popper apart and they cleaned the inside. Them little hands can sure get into all them little corners and they got all them old kernels out. After they were done we put in a new light bulb and loaded the hopper. They got to grab the first handfuls as it fell out. Some of the guys made a comment that the popcorn tasted different. Fresh like you get at Earl's. Must be all that old butter that was stuck on the glass but I didn't say anything. Boys took there pops and sat with Elmer on the wicker couch and watched some TV. After a while they both fell asleep, time for their naps. Elmer was not to far behind them and when people came in through the front door they were hushed so as to not wake the three of them.

Daughter is going to watch all four kids this afternoon and I am going to take the puddle humper out and do some fishing. With the bad weather just hanging out of reach I am thinking maybe a few northerns would like to play. So I hope to have something to write about later. From Lake Iwanttobethere.... (65372)

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Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

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