Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

July 20, 2011

This should be an interesting day here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Morning temperature is a very comfortable sixty-eight but Sunshine Ray is calling for a high of ninety-five. Some brisk winds out of the South that feel good now but if it gets hot them southern winds are going to make us feel like a piece of chicken on an oven rack. Yesterday was bearable only because the afternoon was filled with thunderstorms rolling in one after the other. Spent a considerable amount of time on the covered swing with bare feet resting on the wet deck and water dripping off the overhead cover. Barney finally got out of the lake and laid under one of the work trailers in a hole that Bud had dug earlier. Can't blame them, I was thinking that cool spot under the trailer was looking good myself. Duncan well Duncan is a puppy it does not matter if it is ninety out, he runs circles around the other dogs and then just falls to the grass and takes a puppy nap. We have learned when Duncan sleeps it is a good time catch some rest yourself.

This morning I had to come into the Lodge a little early to do some screen repair. I had a call that last night the Lodge was under attack by some giant mosquitoes. A tourist was sitting at a table by the window when he looked up and saw several as he described HUGE mosquitoes lifting the screen out of the window. He also said he saw a pack of them hovering behind the others waiting to attack. He used his beer mug to attack the intruders putting several holes in the screen. This allowed the mosquitoes into the Lodge where for some reason panic got other patrons involved in swatting at mosquitoes whether they were there or not. Gus was in the kitchen making onion rings for today when he came out to see the Lodge looking like something from a Mel Brooks movie fight scene.

One particular gentleman who had been in the Lodge for most of the evening was to say it mildly drunk. He also had some kind of thing for large flying bugs. When one of the mosquito Hawks landed on his shoulder he kind of lost it. It took several minutes for him to focus on his shoulder and he told Sheriff Tim that at first he thought that someone had just rested their hand on his shoulder. When he realized it was a huge mosquito his only thought was to cover his beer and hit the switch for the siren on the wall. Being a past patron he knew that the red switch on the wall was for summoning help and with people swinging tablecloths and all the yelling going on he thought it was his civic duty to hit the "switch"

The rotating siren on the roof slowly started to gain volume as it gained speed. I heard it sitting on my swing and I figured it was a warning for another thunderstorm coming in. I had just open a Hamms and sat back on the swing so I didn't think to much about it. My volunteer fire department pager I did not hear go off as Duncan was carrying it around in his mouth inside the cabin. His mouth makes for a very soundproof location. Luckily several other town firemen did have their pagers with them and they stopped swinging at the mosquitoes to see what the call was for.

With the arrival of the first fire truck and Sheriff Tim's cruiser lights flashing through the torn screen calm was soon restored. Elmer walked in the door in full firefighters gear carrying his axe. Sounding like Darth Vader but wearing bright yellow he cleared a path to the wall switch for the siren and hitting it with the butt of his axe the siren's wail started to fade. Popping his face mask off he set it top of the bar and pulling his fire glove off his hand reached down to the bar top and held up a huge mosquito between his fingers. It's a crane fly ! He walked to the shattered screen and released the fly into the night. Guys looked at their feet and shuffled a little as Elmer walked past them back to the bar. Sheriff Tim and Elmer exchanged looks and then asked Gus for a couple of "Cold Ones" from Lake Iwanttobethere {365,566}

July 22, 2011

Change over day here at the lake and after a week of heat it might be the best day for those leaving and the new ones arriving. Sunshine Ray is calling for a week of temperatures in the middle seventies with just a slight chance of rain each day. Looks like a good fishing week to me except for one small problem. Bugs! The sketters had a great hatch the last few days and they are roaming the town in packs. You can hear them coming if you listen for them and that is in the middle of the day. Evenings are best close to the fire pit and some green wood to make smoke is almost a must. I have cleared my calendar and am going to get some fishing in and maybe travel to a few of the farther bays where I have in the past done well this time of year.

Yesterday was Bud day and no not the beer. It was my dog Buddy's day to get some attention. Well he always gets some but yesterday the daughter took Duncan to show him off to some friends and Barney went fishing with Elmer and Pepper. The afternoon was spent with me and Bud sitting on the swing and enjoying some much better weather. Still hot and sunny but that humidity has gone down and now you didn't have to change shirts a couple of times a day. I gave Bud a good bath, cleaned his ears out and gave him a good inspection. With Buddy and Barney having turned eleven just a few months ago he needs more of that good loving. We took a walk on the trail behind the cabin and we did not pop any grouse up but we did see a fawn. Bud just looked and the fawn scampered away back into the deeper brush. Bud waging his tail just looked at me and we both just shared the moment.

Back at the cabin we made the circuit of the grounds, I followed him as he pointed out where the rabbit that Duncan has been chasing has been hiding. We walked along the edge of the wife's flower garden and Bud kept looking back over his shoulder to see if I was still with him. I think he was checking to make sure I didn't step on the flowers. Tomatoes are doing well in the pots, mostly the small cherry tomatoes and there are a lot of them, two were ripe and I plucked them. I ate one and Bud got the other. Bud likes tomatoes almost as much as he likes raiding the strawberry patch and eating the ripe ones. Big vegetable garden needs some serious weeding, the rain and then the heat has really gotten the plants making up for lost time. I wish I could say the same for my apple trees, this year looks like it is going to be an off year for them. I better start making some inquires as to the state of other apple trees as I will have to find a source if I want pies this fall.

After the inspection of the grounds were made we went and sat for a spell in the wood shop. I have a few projects scattered on the tables but it has been to warm to spend any time on them. Next stop was the boat house and Bud took a dip in the lake as I sat in the shade and watched. It was not all wasted time as I was making a mental list of things that I need to do around the place. Of course I do have the problem that there may be things lost when transferring the stuff to the Honey do list. However I do have a list close at hand and I added that I needed some blue skirts for the spinner bait box and some more bug spray. As long as I was close to the Puddle Humper I thought it was a good idea to check on it. By this time Bud had come out of the water and waited till he was close to me before he gave a good shake. Water sprayed all over me but I just reached down and patted his side and told him "Thanks Buddy"

We wander up the ankle deep grass to the deck where we both sat on the swing and rocked some more. The wife came out and asked if I was going to cut the grass, I looked at Bud and he looked back at me and shook his head no. " Bud says no" is all I told the wife and we went back to swinging, from Lake Iwanttobethere {366,575}

July 25, 2011

One of them days, went fishing last night because I could. The first thing that went wrong is that everything was going just right. I decide to head on over to Bacon Bay and do a little Northern fishing and maybe pick up a bass or two. The weather looked good for doing some buzz fishing and after the long stretch of hot weather I was looking for some relaxing time out on the water. I pulled out of the drive, put flame to a cigar and turn on the radio to find an afternoon baseball game on. Miles went by quickly between the play by play and the smoke rings. For a Sunday afternoon the highway was busy, thing is everyone seem to be going in the opposite direction. I soon gave up trying to count all the different boats heading to where I had just been.

I made the turn to the Bacon Bay landing and after a few minutes of winding single lane dirt road I came around the corner to find the landing... Empty! That was a surprise for a Sunday afternoon. I prepped the boat and backed the trailer into the water I got out and huffed and puffed trying to get the Puddle Humper off the trailer but nothing was happening. I pulled the trailer back out of the water to find a transom strap still attached, can't remember the last time I had done that. With the strap off the Puddle Humper slid into the calm water and I parked the Tahoe and climbed in. I grabbed the buzz bait rod and made the first cast to where the channel for the landing cuts through the reeds. Smack! A twenty-four inch northern took the buzz and a minute later it was back in the water swimming away. That is when I thought to myself it was going to be one of them days.

Forty-five minutes later my buddy Chuck calls me on the cell phone which I never have on but for some reason did, another sign of bad things to happen. We chatted for a few minutes and I told him I had caught but one fish so far, it was not looking good. But mother nature was biting, me. I looked down and saw a mess of gray flies swarming around the bottom of the boat and three of them had attached themselves to my ankle, if one had not been so greedy biting me they might have all got a piece of me. Using my hat as a fly swatter I made a counter attack and drove some of them off. Bug spray came out and pants went on. A few hours later and I was about ready to call it an evening, A few bass were missed and few small northerns caught and I was escorted around by a beaver that kept slapping it's tail on the water either warning or scattering any fish for me.

I did manage to catch a decent northern that went just a tad over seven pounds. We had a little tussle just off a mess of Lilly pads that it was hiding under. I took a few pictures and a quick weight before he covered me in water when I released him. I went back to sit in the front seat of the Puddle Humper and finish up the stretch of shoreline that ended at the boat landing. It took me awhile as the battery on the trolling motor died, Can't remember the last time that has ever happen either, I knew it was just going to be one of them days.

All in all it was not a bad time though, I always catch more fish when I am fishing than when I am back at the cabin just wishing. I loaded up the Puddle Humper and made my way back down the winding road to the highway. I pointed the Tahoe in the direction of home and with the radio on quietly I ate my last bologna sandwich and started thinking about where I should fish next. I am hoping for "One of them Days" but only a good one. From Lake Iwanttobethere {367,741}

July 28, 2011

Livin here at the cabin at Lake Iwanttobethere for the most part has been a good experience. Of course it does kind of make me a little set in my ways and I share my thoughts freely with friends, family and of course readers on the Internet. Some of my life long ideas are not shared by others who may read these fine articles. I have a few pet peeves and I have a few golden rules, I am sure I have touched on some of them over the course of several years writings. One such rule is simple, but yet there are still people who can not agree with me. If and when you see a mosquito, Kill it! So as I rub lotion on my leg from the bites I received last night when I fell asleep on the swing I thought I would just share that with you.

OK later this week a few of my nephews will be here to spend some time camping on the shores of beautiful Lake Iwanttobethere. Elmer is already thinking of ways of making their adventure something to remember. The young lads who are now in their twenties have reached the point in their life's where they have become expert outdoors men. They have been to the box stores and spoken with untold numbers of part time high school kids about GPS units, fire starters and dehydrate food pouches. The last few summers have gotten more interesting as they no longer come up with their uncles and prefer to rough it on their own. This in the past meant pitching a tent close to the waters edge here on the property but now this summer they are going to set off to one of the more isolated bays.

I have gotten a few e-mail's from them as they are in the final planning stages of packing and are just finishing up watching season two of Survival Man. Gary even sent me a picture of all the belly button fuzz he has been collecting since mid winter, of course it will be used as fire starter along with the nine volt battery and wire that he has packed in a zip-lock bag knock off he bought at the dollar store.

I did go fishing again last night to a place that we call Raspberry Bay. Normally this time of the year it is a quiet landing and it proved to be just that last night. But even with no waiting it took me longer than usual to launch the Puddle Humper because as the name implies there were Raspberries everywhere. I found myself pulling a few off the bushes just for a taste and then looking in the truck for something to do some serious picking. I told myself I would pick till someone else came wanting to use the landing but no one else showed. With a coffee can full of berries I figured I had better get some fishing in as that is what I came for.

Having fixed all the problems that happen the other day I figured fishing was going to be better, I was right. The first cast I had a fish hit and I missed it. Yup, it was going to be a better night. Three hours later and I had boated a handful of hammer handle northerns and a dozen bass. Several were decent size with one right at three pounds. Had a good stretch of water as in five minutes I caught the three pounder and then pulled three more two pounders out from under a dock. I figured anything after that was just gravy and so I missed my next three fish. Wind was out of the West and would not die. It kept the biting flies away but I was thinking the landing will have it's share of sketters. Dark clouds were coming in over the horizon when I decided to leave a little early. Another surprise, the landing was sketter free and I listen to the baseball game on the truck radio as I picked weeds off the Puddle Humper and took my time loading. This was a lot more like summer is supposed to be I was thinking out loud. With bologna sandwich in hand and the baseball game still on the radio I pulled out of the landing and headed home, I only had to stop once to let a doe and fawn cross the road. From Lake Iwanttobethere {370,792}

July 30, 2011

From time to time a man has to make a tuff call, a decision needs to be made and in the course of that decision life's will change. I had one of those calls to make just the other day. Should I go get some work done or should I go fishing.... I decide to go fishing, da

But you say that is an easy call and you would have made the same call but it opens up many other decisions that had to be made, First off is the rescheduling of the tree that I was supposed to trim for a neighbor down the road that was offering to pay me to play with my chain saw. I figured the tree had been there longer then I have been alive and unless a freak storm came and blew it down it would still be there when I got around to it. Then of course there was the matter of the current heat and humidity. I would rather be in a boat sweating then covered in pine needles and pesky flies sweating. Next decision was what bay on Lake Iwanttobethere should I fish on. Raspberry bay was a thought as I know I could pick more berries but then I would not be fishing would I.

I decide on Stump Bay, a little out of the way and a pretty decent drive as I have to go around the lake to get to it and there is a lot of county road construction going on. But the day was still pretty early and I decide to go there. I asked Chuck if he was interested but he was busy doing something with his big four wheeler. He was making some kind of attachment to hold his weedwackers so he could drive and mow at the same time. I thought it best that I did not get involved as I saw Elmer heading in his direction with duct tape and welding rods.

So with little fanfare I got the brown paper bag lunch from the fridge added a few bottles of water to the cooler and drove off to Stump Bay. I drove the Dodge as I still like to put some miles on it every now and then. As I drove along I had to hum to myself as the radio no longer works. I forgot about the holes in the floor boards to till I hit the dirt road and had to move the floor mats over the holes to keep the dust down. I was just a few miles out from the landing when I saw that the road had been recently graded. Matter of fact it looked like my truck tracks were the only ones. I came around a sharp corner to find Frank the plow driver's grader parked on the shoulder and Frank no where in sight. Checking the little clock that is stuck on the dash of the Dodge with double face tape I saw that it was still lunch time and I was guessing that Frank was fishing the little trout stream that is within walking distance of his rig.

A few miles later and I was at the isolated landing to Stump Bay and with no mishaps I was soon casting a buzz bait on the calm waters. A few hours later and I was still casting and not doing any catching. I was second guessing myself and thinking I could have been picking raspberries and catching fish by now. So this is where you would expect to read about how fishing improved and I started to catch fish or I caught a really nice fish or lost a huge one. Well, it didn't happen, matter of fact fishing was so slow I put the Puddle Humper on the trailer with a couple of hours of sunlight still left in the sky. Sometimes fishing is slow and sometimes you just make a bad call. I didn't get skunked as I caught one lonely bass and a few northerns not even big enough for canning jar Missed one fish that might have had some size but nothing to talk about because I didn't really even get a good look. Just a big hole in the water where he or she hit.

Suppose to rain today so I am going to go cut that tree, don't want to waste a good day working when I can be fishing later in the week. Before you say anything about me breaking the law about running a chain saw on the weekend I am not going to really cut the tree, but just spend time drinking a few beers with the neighbor and discuss how we will cut the tree down, someday. From Lake Iwanttobethere {373,606}

July 31, 2011

Well, Duncan is on a roll! I am sure by now all of you know about my new chocolate lab Duncan. The bundle of energy has stirred the quiet cabin into controlled chaos at times. The interaction between the three cats and him can be tracked through the cabin by the sound of feet scratching on the hardwood floors, the breaking of flower pots and the mountain lion screeches of the small Siamese cat that we call Mama. In the past twenty-four hours we celebrated the six month birthday of Duncan and I will share with you what he has done. We begin with the daughter sitting on one of the wooden deck chairs and calling Duncan. Duncan with a running start jumped into the daughters lap making her lean back in the chair and causing the chair to collapse beneath her and Duncan's weight. No one was hurt but the chair was declared a total loss and added to the burn pile at the edge of the fire pit. The chair came from a set of four that are sixteen years old and the wife has now declared that we need to replace the entire set.

This morning I was woke up by the whimpering of Duncan as he had crawled under the bed and could not get back out. He has grown so large that in order to get under the bed he has to spread his legs out and no longer can he get any purchase with his paws on the hardwood floor. I know this because I had to get out of bed and get on the floor and pull him out. Since we were up I decide I would run into the Lodge to get some end of the month paper work done. The wife told me to take MY dog with me. We arrived at the Lodge after first making a stop at the Gas-N-Go for orange juice and the Sunday paper. This is when I was reminded that the Tahoe has electric locks and when a dog jumps up and their paw lands on the switch all the locks on all of the doors lock.

Twenty minutes later the wife arrived with Bud and Barney and the spare set of keys. She took the paper and left me with all the dogs and something about spending the rest of the day home alone. Duncan having been locked in the Tahoe for over twenty minutes now wanted to run around the parking lot barking and Bud and Barney joined in. They don't have a clue as to what they are barking about but it seemed like the thing to do. Several minutes later with the help of some old Danish I lure everyone back into the Tahoe and we arrive at the Lodge. Barney heads down to the fishing dock, Bud heads to see if there is anything on the BBQ and Duncan is struck by a puppy nap and hits the floor outside of my office.

Gus comes in the back door and I hold my finger up to my lips in the universal sign of "Quiet" Gus looks down at the sleeping Duncan and makes exaggerated display of walking on his tippy toes. If you ever saw Gus you would know he was mocking me. Duncan opens one eye to see if I had moved and was soon back asleep. Bud had followed Gus in and stepping over Duncan entered the office and took his place up on the small couch that we discovered when we remodeled. Soon Bud to was asleep as everyone has learn to take advantage of Duncan and his puppy naps.

We should weigh Duncan to keep a record of his growth and I am thinking I will try and bring him down to Ma and Pa's grocery today, they have a floor scale there. The Feed Mill does not want him around after he was there last month and knocked over the crate of chickens and then chased them through the mill. To his credit no chicken was hurt and they were all recovered. I must admit I was standing and watching like a proud papa as he scattered them chickens and picked out the big one to run down. Looking at him sleeping in the doorway who would have thunk... From Lake Iwanttobethere {375,732}

July 31, 2011

wonderful! i baby sat my daughters golden lab pup yesterday and some today before the proud parents took him away from me . we put our two dogs to sleep a couple of years ago and swore we would never again go through the pain of loosing our loved pets. well it's wearing thin now.

i have Koda from my youngest daughter, and Hank which we baby sat this weekend. what a joy to have. he chewed my favorite deck of cards last night. big dummy me, forgot to bring up the bone i cooked and preped for him. threw up some junk on our bed and more. i loved every minute of it. what a great pup. everywhere i go he follows me. especialy in the kitchen of course. well i guess i didn't have the adventures you had, for you have the fortune of having that loving pup at all times but, i may be ready again. not two this time. just one. just one. good luck.

August 2, 2011

So I am back in the cabin after taking a break from working on Elmers Ark.... I mean really it can stop raining. My rain gage this morning was just at three inches when I dumped it out, rain barrels have long ago been filled and are shedding water through the overflow hole. Big garden looks once again like a rice paddy and I think I can hear the tomatoes pleading for the rain to stop. Duncan does not care as he is repeatedly at the deck door wanting to get outside. When the door is open he bolts out and runs and bounces through the wet grass and falling rain. I'm trying to remember what it was like to run in the rain and not have a care in the world. Bud and Barney stand at the door and just look at me and then look back out at Duncan running. I open the door for them and they just look up at me and in their eyes I can see what they are thinking. " I ain't going out there"

Calendar rests on a new month and I have a lot of days circled with penciled notations for planned fishing trips. Big x for today as it is still raining as I write this and more to come. I didn't say anything as the wife tapped me on the arm and pointed to the open Honey Do List on the kitchen counter. Between rain showers yesterday I managed to check off a few items, I had cleaned out all three trucks, bolted the tool box back on the Dodge, found out that the old bolts had worn holes through the aluminum and were no longer holding the box on. I noticed this the other day when I went through a big pot hole and I thought I saw the tool box jump up in the rear view mirror. I even managed to empty it and throw away a bunch of empty oil bottles and forgotten empty bags from the Masterbaiters Shop.

Spent time in the greenhouse but that was mostly spent listening to the sound of rain drops splatter on the roof and blowing smoke rings from my cigar. My apple trees are bare, not a single apple hangs from a branch. I will have to go elsewhere to find fruit for my pies. Maybe I can get some of the grand kids to assist me in some raiding. Now I am not promoting the theft of apples but if I get permission before hand the grand kids need not know that it is OK. I mean really, raiding apple trees is a rite of passage and as a grandfather I should, no it is my duty to provide the chance to get this merit badge. I make a note on my secret computer calendar about "apple tree raids" as a reminder.

I sit back in my chair here at the den desk and look out the window and see the rain has stopped for a moment. Having just written about apple trees I look at the one right outside my window and there is an apple! And below it two more. Can it be? Ed and Eddy did not eat all the small apples and missed a few, or maybe it has been all of this rain and they are just now starting to appear. I will have to keep an eye on that apple but I am still going to take the kids on a raid or two.

So I guess I should get to work on that do list, maybe I will find something that will be interesting and not take the afternoon to finish. If it does stop raining I can always go and drown a sucker off the dock. Maybe clean a reel and sharpen a few spinner bait hooks. Today was to be a fishing day so I don't feel right about not spending it in some way related to fishing. The wife reads this over my shoulder and walks out of the den, she rolls her eyes at me just like Bud and Barney did when I asked them about going outside. She lets Duncan in from outside and he runs to the den where he stops, looks at me and then shakes water from his coat all over the floor. Yes, it can stop raining anytime now, from Lake Iwanttobethere {381,136}

August 5, 2011

Friday and it looks like another good day to be fishing instead of wishing. Went fishing last night with the youngest daughter who actually came to me and asked if we could get out. Don't have to ask me twice and I told her she was in charge and I will just come along for the ride. I went out and sat on the covered swing and Duncan jumped up and sat next to me for awhile till he saw a butterfly and had to go give chase. Bud took his place and we watched as the daughter got rods from the rod locker and tied up baits to her rods. Clouds drifted overhead and although it was getting warm it was not uncomfortable. Twenty minutes or so passed and she told me that we were almost ready to go. I grabbed the camera and my wallet and I was ready, everything else is always in the Tahoe and the Puddle Humper was still hitched up from the last trip.

Daughter came out with the cooler and a change of clothes and we were rolling down the drive. At the bottom I asked her "Where to" she looked to the left and said "How about Passing Wind Point" I nodded in agreement and we turned left. Passing Wind is a secret name for a bay we fish with the kids a lot when they were young. It got it's name from when we would do shore lunches on a point that the kids would swim off and the one and only time Elmer made shore lunch after a breakfast of beans. It was not really that bad but kids seem to remember little things and over the course of years the incident has grown and Passing Wind Point is now forever linked with Elmer and beans.

I backed the trailer into the water and the daughter took care of the rest, no need for me to get my feet wet so I parked the Tahoe in the bushes and grabbed my glasses and hat. I arrived at the boat to find the daughter missing, I glanced around and mutter to myself where did she go when she surfaced. All in her plans no sooner had she pulled the Puddle Humper on shore then she went swimming. She climbed up over the transom and sat in the back seat, water dripping all over the carpet and shook her head of hair like the dogs do. I pushed the boat off shore and climbed in myself, I don't hop anymore. My daughter grabbed one of her rod's and before I could settle in she was already fishing.

Fishing was a little slow, the little bass were biting and so we were blaming them for not letting us catch any bigger fish. Bluegills were everywhere and they were always nipping at the tails of our trailers on the spinnerbaits. We would set the hooks and come up with nothing. The daughter found a bag of little gulps in the plastic box and soon she was retying her ultra light with a beetle spin and tipping it with the gulps. Now she was working the bluegills over and soon they were coming one after another over the side of the boat. The daughter is twenty-four but she was back fishing like she was eight. I was hearing squeals and laughter and the sounds of her coaxing little ones to bite. A bigger bass floated under the boat with it's posse of sunnies and the daughter went quiet as she tried to entice the bigger bass to bite. Suddenly it did and I heard the drag scream and then the disappointment and the kid in her as the bass got off, and of course the complaint of it "Took My Bait"

Clouds disappeared and it got hot, we went to the shoreline where a large stand of trees gave us some shade. The cooler was open and the daughter tossed me a ham sandwich, oreo cookies and sliced watermelon. I can't tell you how good that watermelon tasted on the hot summer day. We took a break, drank water and returned to fishing. I'm no dummy and I tied on a beetle spin and joined her, soon I to was peering into the clear water coaxing a sunny to just go ahead and take it. From Lake Iwanttobethere{387,531}

August 6, 2011

To warm in the cabin to do any writing so I brought the laptop outside to the swing. The afternoon sunshine has given way to a darkening sky as a front is moving through and Sunshine Ray is calling for rain tonight and tomorrow. Dogs are being busy as they spent most of the day in the bedroom with the ac on but have now come outside to join me. Duncan is on a mission of sorts as he is carrying rocks from the rock garden over to the pool on the deck and dropping them in. Both Buddy and Barney are watching and keep looking in my direction, I don't know if they are waiting for me to do something or not. So I will continue to just ignore all of them and keep an eye towards the sky and the dark clouds.

I was going to start a fire in the pit but that may have to wait for awhile as the winds are pretty brisk. After fishing yesterday afternoon and mowing most of this afternoon I have had enough sun and just sitting here with a cold one is working out just fine. Got the radio on and the baseball game has just started so this might just turn into a nice summer's evening. The rain along with all the heat we have gotten in the past few weeks has done miracles to the gardens. Ripening tomatoes in the pots on the deck and our own raspberries are now ready to be harvested. The granddaughter will be coming over in the morning so we will put her to work. She is just the right height for picking berries that I would have to bend over for.

Picked up some sweet corn from the farmers stand out on the main highway this morning. Little on the small size and he wanted grocery store price for them. I haggled some but he was pretty firm. Ended up with a dozen ears that even though they were small were still pretty tasty when I had a few at lunch. Apple trees have fooled me, now that I saw a few apples hanging from one of them the other day even more are showing up, might get me a few pies after all this fall. Got a call from Gus down at the Lodge today while I was mowing, good excuse for a break so I took the call. Seems while he was doing some cleaning in the basement of the Lodge he found a half dozen dusty bottles of some TJ Swan wine in a box marked "Taxes" they have not made that stuff in twenty years so we will be holding on to it till someone offers us big bucks. I think we might have paid a buck and a half a bottle for it. I bet Elmer will go as high as ten dollars a bottle as I remember him being a big fan of it with his pizza.

I went back to mowing thinking about the old wine and also thinking a bottle of Special Export beer would taste good, green death we used to call it as it came in a green bottle. But if memory serves me right they have not made it for over a dozen years and I doubt if you could find any of it on a shelf. Besides wine gets better with age, I am not so sure about beer. This story is spread over two days as I did end up setting the laptop down as the granddaughter came over early. We went and picked berries and then roasted some corn over a small fire in the pit. I thought I had my days mixed up but what actually happen is that her and the wife headed out early this morning to hit rummage sales. I kept an eye on the sky and the rain finally did hit the lake around noon today, still raining as I write this so fishing might not happen today.

Tomorrow we will be fishing, a cooler day is in the forecast and the daughter will join me in a little fishing challenge against her brother and some of his friends. Del is taking a day off from the Pizza and Sub shop and is predicting that he will out fish me. If you want a reminder that you are getting old a good one is when you follow your son and his boat and trailer down the road. It seems that just yesterday he was sitting in the seat next to me eating licorice and playing with night crawlers in the bait box. So it goes, another day and another fish to chase here at Lake Iwanttobethere {389,432}

August 6, 2011

great read!! hopefully duncan doesn't swallow one of those rocks. yea, just waiting for the internal temp of the 25 pounds of venison summer to reach 170 and in the mean time getting to make some baby backs. my wife took the grand kids to church a little while ago. with all the turmoil around the world life is pretty good at my house. dont want much, dont need much, and a great wife and family and that's about as good as it gets. good luck.

August 7, 2011

So easy to write stories in the summer then in the middle of winter. Just so much going on and everything seems to be so much more alive. In the winter you scan the white snowscape looking for a flash of movement and come summer you search the same spot for a moment of quiet. Ice cover creeks are now tumbling little rivers with their own waterfalls. Small minnows dart along the bottom of pea size rocks which must seem like boulders to them. Wood peckers bang away at trees and blue jays pick fights at the feeders. Geese with babies as big as they are now patrol the beach and move up onto the lawn to dare someone to move them.

Winds are welcome as they bring smells from distance fields, fresh cut hay and the mooing of cows. Drives along back roads let you catch the glimpse of horses and colts prancing in fields. Deer disappearing into long waving rows of corn, the tassels bending in the breeze. Tractors sit in fields at lunch time, unattended except for a crow or two on the roof looking for someone or something to bother. Kids ride in two and threes down the center of dusty roads, they move to the side when they hear you coming. Rods across handlebars and small tackleboxs lashed to fenders they head to the best fishing spots in the county.

Fresh hot bread cooling in the window, raspberry jams slapped on old bread just out of the toaster. Basket of eggs plucked from the hen house just minutes ago and ham waiting to go into the oven for supper sandwiches. Walks to the dock and a frisky minnow hanging under a bobber just a lazy cast out into the blue waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. Ice cold watermelon so sweet you swear it is the best you ever had drips on your shirt but you don't care. Summer at the lake, pretty hard to beat from Lake Iwanttobethere {391,190}

August 9, 2011

Rain, when someone mentions that word I usually look skyward to see if any is coming. Looking at the sky to tell if it is going to rain or not has become a lost art. Now a days you just click a few times on the mouse and you have a radar map right in front of you on your computer. Phones have apps and users sit in their boats and watch the weather channel or keep up on sporting events. No one is worried about getting lost anymore as they have their phones and their GPS. All they need do is make sure their batteries are charged and they are good to go where they have never gone before. So yesterday getting caught in the rain was refreshing in more than one way.

When we pulled out from Elmer's dock in his old wooded row boat we looked skyward and saw a few clouds but nothing that was going to make us change our minds. Pulling on the old air cooled Clinton Elmer gave up on getting it started, figuring it was a fouled plug. So instead I placed oars into locks and dipped them into the calm water and with Elmer tapping the side of the wood boat with the toe of his boot I rowed. Like a lowly pirates mate I rowed to the cadence of Elmer's tapping boot. Until I stopped, and told him it was his turn! The old boat slipped to a stop and the small vee waves from the boat were soon swallowed by Lilly pads. Elmer announced "This looks good right here"

The weathered wood box at Elmer's feet was open and the ten transistor radio was taken out, antenna pulled up and turned on. It was already set to the station where tonight's ball game was to be announced, which was good since the dial had broken off a few years ago. A bait box was taken out and inside were a few small frogs that Elmer had paid a neighbor kid a quarter each to catch. Elmer being Elmer tossed one in my direction and chuckled as I scrambled to catch the little bugger in the boat before he could make his escape. Hook was introduced to frog and both were tossed in the direction of a promising section of mixed reeds and pads. We sat and watched and usually if you are on fish the frog is gone quickly, if not you have some waiting to do and so we did, wait that is.

I heard the first rumble and passed it off as Elmer's stomach, He had been into the crackers and little sardines that he keeps in the old wood box. The second rumble was a little closer and when I looked back to say something to Elmer he was zipping up his rain coat. Reaching into my day pack I took out my rain coat and my rolled up wide brim hat. I just got the hat on and the raincoat zipped when the first drop hit the boat. Looking over Elmer's shoulder I could see the rain marching across the lake and the sound of splashing water was getting a roaring sound to it. I tugged the hat down tighter on to my ears and put my cigar between my lips and out of the falling rain.

The first rain was no biggie, lasted five minutes or so and when it went by Elmer's open the lid to the box and took the radio back out and a coffee can. The radio he held the coffee can he gave to me to bail with. The next rain came with hail, small pea size stuff that fell like candy from a spilled dish. A few bounced off the oars and hit me under the chin, They stung a little if they hit a spot with nothing to block them. With Elmer bailing I started rowing but now we were headed to an empty boat house close by. Making it under the canopy we tied the anchor rope to the dock and waited the storm out. We were wet, but we were not complaining. I could see Elmer smiling and wiping the water from his face, He leans toward me and says " Did I ever tell you the time when I was ten and we got caught in this big thunderstorm".... From Lake Iwanttobethere {396,228}

August 12, 2011

Clearing an area for the new shed yesterday so I spent the day outside working. Sunny day but I was in the shade for the most part as the new shed will be under the protection of some tall cedars. Fire pit had a fire burning most of the day as we cleared some brush and burned small branches from the cedars. Come late afternoon we made supper over the fire, a hobo dinner my daughter likes to call it. We cubed up some tatters, added some sliced sausages and a few strips of bacon along with onions, butter and salt and pepper. Rolling it all in tinfoil we set it off to the side of the flames and on the hot coals. As someone would walk by the fire we would turn the packets and after about an hour or so we added some corn on the cob that we had soaking in a bucket to the coals and pulled a few cold beers from the freezer that we were chilling.

Might have cooked the dinner a little long as there was a few charred tatters but when you cook outside no one seems to complain to much about the outcome. We sat on big pieces of maple that are scattered around the fire pit just for that reason and the meal with the beer tasted just fine. As we licked our fingers and tried to hold on to the hot corn we talked about the plans for the shed. Already we were making changes as nothing ever goes according to plan. A few of the cedars will have to come down as we will be redoing the fence and once the shed is up there will be no place to fall the trees. Looks like more cedar tops to burn and we will save that for evenings around the fire pit, they work great keeping the bugs away.

With tools away we sat around the fire as darkness crept in around us. Happening quick with the now overcast sky. Flames from the fire pit were reflected from the walls of the cabin and even though I hate to say they were dancing. I don't know a better way to describe the shadows on the side of the cabin. The cedar cracked and pop and every once and a while a spark would drift upwards like a firefly before going out. A little breeze was blowing, just enough to make the smoke from the fire follow you around. The leaves made that soft backgrounds noise as the rustle against each other. We were talking in quiet voices because that is how you talk around a fire. Crickets joined in and we stopped to listen. Funny how we don't notice them unless we are listening for them, We stopped talking and cocked our heads.

A frog, then another and the game was on. When the kids were young we would sit on the dock and listen, a game was made out of it as to who could hear the most sounds. Some nights were better than others and some nights we might have thought we heard more than what we did. Of course the call of the Loon was easy and the hoot of an owl was a bonus. Now that she is much older the cold beer in her hand seems to have done wonders for her hearing or maybe her imagination. Elmer came over and helping himself to a cold Hamms from the metal bucket filled with ice, he found a spot at the picnic table to sit down and lean back into. " Missed supper" I see "Missed cutting brush to" I answered. With that we both took a sip from our beers.

Darkness settle in around us and I looked at the hands on the big clock hanging on the wall next to the bass thermometer, nine o'clock, we are losing summer here. Does not seem that long ago when it was still a little light out at ten and now you can't see out past the end of the dock. I tossed a few logs onto the fire and settled in to enjoy the new flames, I heard a hoot and softly called out Owl! Elmer said "Who you calling a coot?" From Lake Iwanttobethere {401,803} wow 400k Thanks for reading Bobby

August 14, 2011

Sunday here at Lake Iwanttobethere and it looks like it will be a quiet one. Got up kind of early for me and spent time on the deck reading the Lake Iwanttobethere Gazette and cutting a few coupons. Drives the wife batty when I cut coupons before she can get to them. Cutting coupons is a chore when you do it left handed, scissors don't seem to work right. Yesterday afternoon I got mixed up in my own feet and took a tumble down the front porch stairs. Was doing fine till I hit the bottom which is what usually happens when you take a spill. So I ended my fall by ramming my shoulder into the bottom 4x4 post and rolled off onto the sidewalk. Duncan was there to lick my face so I don't know if it was him I tripped on. For now I am blaming myself so I don't get the pup in trouble with the wife.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with an ice pack on the shoulder and a Hamms. The wife being a nurse gave me no sympathy at all other then telling me I should drive in and see Doc Burriem and get an x-ray. She dropped me off then went to the Knitting House for some yarn. Didn't break anything so she told me I have forty-eight hours to get back to the Honey Do List and I swear she swerved to hit every pot hole on the way back to the cabin. So I am sitting on the deck explaining to Elmer who came over when he heard the top come off the bottle of Hamms what happen. He helped himself to a beer and started to tell me about how he took a tumble when he was ten when we were interrupted by the sound of a pontoon entering our little quiet bay.

A big pontoon with all the chairs missing came roaring into the bay and we could just make out that it was our fellow Lodge member Nytelyter at the helm. Without a glance in our direction he was headed straight for Elmer's dock before swerving and turning back out towards the Lilly pad field. Another course adjustment and now he was backing towards Chucks. I held my hand over my eye and winced with pain. I had my Hamms in the good hand and made the mistake of putting the hand connected to the bad shoulder up. Elmer just looked at me and said "Cry Baby" I switched the bottle to the other hand and now I could shade my eyes to see that Nytelyter was holding binoculars up and was scanning overhead.

About that time we could hear the distant droning of an airplane high overhead and a dot falling from the sky that was growing bigger. As we watched the dot grew arms and legs and the head popped open to become a colorful parachute. Elmer with his eyes shaded said " I think that is one of Tinkers airplanes" Was making sense now as out local outfitter Tinker was talking about expanding his fly in service to include some parachute drops for really back in the woods trout fishing. I was wondering if this was one of them guys falling now. Our attention was brought back to Nytelyter as he was revving his engine and making herky jerky motions across the bay.

Looking at the chute and then back at the pontoon it did not take this old bird hunter long to figure out Nytelyter was going to try and catch that falling chute. I made a move to take a sip out of my bottle of beer but had to wince again as that was to high for the shoulder to move. I switched hands again and then had to switch back into order to shade my eyes and catch where the chute was in the sky. Them guys fall pretty fast! Before ya know it Nytelyter was racing across the bay trying to catch up with the circling chute as it fell. Elmer said it must be one of them NASCAR chutes as all does is keep turning left. With a splash the guy in the chute hit the water just short of the front deck of the pontoon. Nytelyter grabbed a big muskie net and with one scoop had the guy and with a grunt we could hear all the way across the bay the guy was up out of the water and on the deck. The chute was grabbed before it could get tangle in the prop and the pontoon made a lazy turn in our direction. As it went by Nytelyter and his dad Tom waved at us and then headed back out of the bay. Elmer and I just looked at each other and waved back, "Ain't it Tom's seventy-third birthday" I said. "Yup, what a ride replied Elmer.. From Lake Iwanttobethere {405,527}

See Tom's real jump here . http://westsideskydivers.com/about/videos.html?videoID=3tjh489vk4nc8vde

August 18, 2011

There is a change in the air! Kind of easing it's way in but I think summer is slipping away from us. After several hot weeks and a lot of rain I think summer is done but fall is going to make a grand entrance. Already in the past few nights the chug of the air conditioner is gone. Turned off it sits quietly in the window and instead curtains flutter in the new found evening cool breezes. A recent batch of sketters big enough to carry away small dogs linger around at sunset but they to disappear. Crickets are getting loud and act as sentries, they stop making noise whenever Chuck or Elmer try to cut access the yards to catch me on the deck.

Working on a big shed to end sheds on the property. Made a deal with the wife if I can build a new shed I would tear down two smaller ones and expand the vegetable garden and create a play space for grand kids. The new play space has to be with in ear shot and viewing of the kitchen window, that is why the smaller sheds are coming down. Been working hard on the Honey-Do-List, adding things to it. But with the OK given for the new shed or out building as we prefer to call it I can delete a bunch of repairs and staining on the little sheds. This of course opens up a few days for fishing the way I see it.

Cut down two cedar trees that were in the way and after they were topped and brush haul away the bigger branches have been added to the fire pit wood pile. A few are added when the fire is going good and has helped keeping the sketters away. Chuck took the cedar trunks and will be cutting them up on his small saw mill. He has some projects in mind for the wood. Elmer listening in on the conversation mentioned he had a few straight pine trees that he would like milled into some 2x6's and before you know it we were dropping Elmer's trees and hauling more brush to be burned. Chuck told him it might be several months before he can cut the wood and still a few more months after that before he would have any wood he could use. Elmer just told him to stack it at his place as he was in no hurry to use it. Took us a little while to figure out we got had by Elmer yet once again. A new hammock hangs from two of the high stumps that we left per Elmers request.

Was down at the General Store early this morning to pick up my order of bolts and plates. Need them today if I am going to get the base of the shed together. Was at the lumber yard yesterday hauling wood back to the cabin and them sixteen foot 2x10's seem to be getting heavier then I remember them. Back at the Lodge with it being dark by eight-thirty now business has been picking up. Most of the guys have their wife's convinced that they are still fishing till ten so this gives them a good two hours to come in and socialize. The latest thing going around the Lodge is a new diet that one of the guys has been on and now a few more of us have picked up on. Well not a diet, it is a change in lifestyle to be politically correct.

The beer and Walnut diet, er lifestyle change is helping us lose weight and giving us a work out! First off we all know that beer is good for you, has all that grains and malts in and taste a lot better then yogurt. Now walnuts are good for your cholesterol and when you eat shelled walnuts you get your excise in as you need to crack the shell using your beer mug. Lifting that heavy mug up and down is like doing curls. I myself have lost ten pounds being on the new lifestyle and I pointed it out to my wife. Her answer was something foolish about cutting down trees and hauling brush the past few days. So today I am not going to cut any trees but am going to drink beer and crack nuts, so if I lose a pound I will just have to do it again tomorrow... From Lake Iwanttobethere {410,589}

August 21, 2011

Sunday morning here at Lake Iwanttobethere, I got up pretty early and when I stepped out on to the wet deck, it rained some last night I could smell breakfast cooking somewhere. With nose held up high I started to sniff the still air then I heard the clanging of metal on metal and knew where my breakfast was going to be served. I went back in to the cabin and grabbed a fork and plate and taking the path to Chuck's I followed my nose. Coming out from under the trees I found some of the fellows from the Lodge sprawled on and around the deck that serves as Chucks outdoor livin room. The big cast iron frying pan was still half full of scramble eggs, sausages and hash browns all mixed into a makeshift omelet that had been cooked over the older then old outdoor wood grill. I stepped over a few of the guys and helped myself to a couple of scoops adding some shredded cheese to bind it altogether.

The guys were taking a break from an all night card game that was supposed to keep them awake so they could get up at the crack of dawn to go fishing. With the over night rain they decide to just keep playing cards and now after eating breakfast sleep was looking like a good idea. With no place to sit I ate standing up and decided to pass on the Hamms and just took a few sips of some old coffee. Elmer and Marv came roaring in the bay, music blaring from the eight track player that Marv had installed on the pontoon when he took it over. Ramming the shore the two old coots made their way up the shore to the group clapping hands and shouting out "Daylight in the Swamp" a saying that I never really did understand but I guess it means something like time is wasting, time to go fishing, time you boys tried to keep up with us " Old Guys" Having other plans I took my plate and slipped back onto the trail to my cabin and disappeared. Already I could hear the fellows moaning like they were a bunch of ten year olds at camp and they didn't want to go.

Yesterday was a good day as I worked on the new shed some but mostly spent time with the grand daughter who had her '"Sleep Over" The grand daughter who now likes to be called "Lady Bug" she decided she needed an outdoors sounding nickname, spent the afternoon with the puppy Duncan. They spent a lot of time around the cabin but then started to do more exploring as the afternoon went on. The granddaughter who is four going on five reminds me that she is really closer to five then four and is now big enough to take Duncan for walks and does not need Bud to follow them. Bud sat on the deck and the two of us watched the pair head off and explore. Looking up from a book I was reading I glanced around looking for the two explorers. Easy to find as Lady Bug had dressed herself that morning and was looking like a box of variety popsicles.

She had on multicolored flip flops, yellow shorts, a pink tee shirt with a lime green hooded, add to that a blue necklace and my big green wool floppy hat. Duncan had on a red kerchief tied around his neck. I saw them at the edge of the grass walking very slowly both with their heads down. As a matter of fact as I watched Duncan was in a hunting posture, head down, tail straight back and slowly lifting up his paws before placing them back down inches away from where they had been picked up. OK so now I am interested and both me and Bud leave the deck to walk quiet like to come up behind the two of them. They never even noticed us as they were so intent on following the withering winding movement of a Garter snake making it's way through the grass, the two of them kept looking at each other and I could swear they were saying to each other " You touch it! No, you touch it, I'm not going to touch it you touch it" With my shadow and Buds heavy feet the snake made a sprint for a log and was gone. Duncan looked at Lady Bug and they both headed off for the next adventure. Bud just looked up and me and rolled his eyes, 'Kids" is the look he had on his face. I patted his side and we both headed back to the deck and the shade. From Lake Iwanttobethere {413,970}

August 23, 2011

Raining here at Lake Iwanttobethere, pretty big surprise eh! Work on the shed has come to a stop as there is not much we can do. I did make my way to the Lake Iwanttobethere Lumber Mill this morning and picked up my order of studs that I had put in for. They were good enough to have wrapped them in some plastic and had the load sitting out on the loading dock on a big pallet. I just had to drive up in the old Dodge and they set it right down on my trailer. The trailer is parked along the wood shop here and out of the weather. I went inside and chatted with the owners, Miss Luan who owns the mill with her husband Stud who have been in business for over forty years and before that Miss Luan's dad ran the place for fifty more years. Their daughter Joice answers the phones and sons Tong and Grove work in the yard.

Stud tried to talk me into buying some ready made tresses but I am going to make my own. I have to show the wife why I have all them table saws in the wood shop and after you get the first one made the rest are easy to cut and put together. I did order up some roofing panels after seeing how much the price of shingles have gone up since the last time I bought some. Petting their cat named Screws and stepping over the yard dog Nails I said my good byes and checked my shopping list. The new shed is giving me a chance to use up a lot of material from other projects that I have done so that is going to help clean up some of the clutter in the other sheds. Also a few more checks can be made on the Honey Do List under clean ups.

Made a stop at Big Earl's General Store on the way back home, needed to pick up a few tarps to cover the wood piles. I don't know where them tarps disappear to, I never seem to remember throwing them away but I always seem to be buying new ones. Before I made it out of the store Doc Burriem grabbed me by the elbow and asked about my visit I missed. Acting like I didn't remember he reminded me that I had to stop and have some blood drawn for my cholesterol check. He heard rumors about some new beer and walnut diet I was on and wanted to check on the numbers himself. Before I could protest to much he was guiding me down the street to his office and the warm hands of Mary his blood vampire. A few minutes later I was back on the street with a snoopy Band-Aid on my arm and a sucker.

Feeling a little lite headed I went into Ma and Pa's grocery and bought me a few candy bars from what use to be the penny candy case. Ma putting the bars in a small discreet brown paper bag told me to say high to the grand kids and gave me a knowing wink. Tuff to hide a sweet tooth in this town. The rain that was supposed to arrive during the night finally arrived when I was two blocks from the Dodge. Just a few drops at a time started to fall and splashed on the pavement. Besides I know from past experience that if I start to hurry to the truck the rain will increase in direct proportion to the speed I travel.

I should head into the Lodge and get some paper work done, I was thinking of going fishing but it is still dripping outside. Chuck has some pines he needs to move, the ones that were cut at Elmers are in the way of some other project he has in mind. That and I got a message from one of the Lodge members about a new beer mug design he is working on for the Walnut and Beer diet. A working mug is in progress that will hold the beer and dispense whole walnuts. Hmmm from Lake Iwanttobethere {415,606}

August 26, 2011

Thing about having grand kids is that they have parents, their parents are your kids and no matter how old they get they will remain your kids. Now there are many good things about having kids but there are a few bad things to. Tools and kids don't go together, as the kids get older they tend to start using tools and when they get even older they tend to borrow tools and when they still get even older they borrow tools and forget to tell you that they had borrow the tools. If you don't know that they have borrowed your tools you have no way to remind them to return the tools that they borrowed so they forget they have your tools until you go looking for your tools. Yesterday I set out in search of my half inch drill that one of my two sons or perhaps even my daughter had borrowed.

The search failed as no one remembered where the half inch drill was and no one was claiming even to have seen it. In a last ditch attempt I called Elmer and Chuck, neither remember even seeing the drill. So I was off to see Big Earl at the General store to buy a new drill, I was not to upset I think the old one was like twenty years old but still, I had to go buy a replacement. No parking at Big Earls and there was a crowd outside of the Sunshine Cafe. I parked in front of Doc Burriems just to the right of the parking meter and headed on foot to the General Store.

I had to walk right past the crowd outside of the cafe when I could hear some loud voices speaking way faster then you could understand let alone duplicate. I got a glimpse and then saw the husband and wife auction team of Dave and Dotty on the sidewalk. I was not aware of any auction going on today, especially at the Sunshine Cafe. As I mingled with the crowd I did see any one actually bidding on anything, I didn't even see anything for sale. Actually I saw a lot of smiling faces and heard some chuckling. It took me a while to get my hearing up to speed but then I figured it out, they were arguing! Something about where they should have lunch, at the Dew Drop Inn or at The Sunshine Cafe. Of course as in all arguments there was also stuff in there that made no sense at all. A moment later they came to an agreement and the discussion was over. Dave headed to the Dew Drop Inn and Dotty turned and walked into the Sunshine Cafe. I headed to the General Store wondering how much time the married auctioneers saved in arguments.

Big Earl stood outside of his store wearing his red apron and holding his bush broom. The sidewalk was clean and various items for sale were neatly stacked or parked along the storefront. Yellow tags with hand written prices flipped in the breeze. To the right of the door the cart with wheels was stocked in various brands of bug spray and repellent. The last week had brought on an invasion of sketters who even in the middle of a sunny day would attack without notice. All the rain we have had this summer has finally caught up with us and even though the lakes are high and the landing easy to launch out of the payment for it all is the swamps are full also. You don't want to hit a ball out of bounds at the golf course and you dare not look for your ball alone in case you are over welmed by a swarm of the blood thirsty little devils. Big Earl says there is no need to put screen on sale to move it this summer as it is a hot item.

I went into the store and found Junior back in tools, he was just showing me this fine half inch drill with chuck holder, a screw in side handle and a ten foot cord and I could use my Lodge member discount on it when the wife came down the aisle. "Another drill " she says. I told her of the search for the drill and that no one has seen it so I need to buy a new one. The wife rolled her eyes at me and said "Did you look in the wood box where the dowels are stored at?" No, why would I do that, I replied... D dowels, D Drill I was cleaning things up for you and put it away. You need the drill for dowels so that is where it belongs and with that she turned and walked away. Made perfect sense to me, Junior put the new drill back on the shelf and walked away. Only if you are married would you understand the wife's filing system From Lake Iwanttobethere {420,446}

August 31, 2011

Summer, can it be almost over already? I know it is the end of August and we still have a big holiday weekend coming up. State fair is going on and county fairs are in full swing. But you are starting to see four wheelers on trailers being pulled behind pick ups again. Dogs with bright red collars are taking over passenger seats and Big Earl has a big display of going back to school back packs and lunch boxes. No longer to you hear the hum of AC units echoing across the lake in the evening but instead you smell wood smoke. Yesterday I went and got some fishing in before the rain started to fall and today the first thing I did was put a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie in the Puddle Humper. It started getting a little chilly as the wind came up and the sun started going down and I had nothing to put on.

Fishing was good, Water is starting to cool and at least last night fish were biting. The pesky flies were no where to be seen and skeeters did greet me at the landing but nothing that the smoke from a burning cigar could not keep at bay. Lakes will start changing here in another week or so, as soon as people make there last trip of the summer to the cabins the docks will start to get pulled out of the water and tarps will find themselves snuggled down over pontoon boats. A wet summer this one was, which followed a cold Spring, I am hoping Mother Nature makes up for it with a nice long fall. But I am not going to push fall on to us just yet. It is after all still Summer and there is talk from Stormy Clearweather of some heat returning for this weekend.

New shed is moving along but slowly, base has been built and all the building material for the most part is at the cabin. Today we have an overcast sky and everything is wet. I don't think any outside work will be done today so that makes me eye the Puddle Humper. The charger is hooked up and by mid afternoon the battery will be ready to go fishing. If it does not rain I just may slip on over to Hidden Bay for a few hours. It is that time of the year when you can't be too picky about when you go fishing, really nice fishing days can get to be few and far between this time of year. Having said that some of my best fishing days have been days when the weather was not that great and the day not planed. Grand kids are busy today otherwise I would have them over and we would go on a frog hunt. They are much better then I am at bending over and running down frogs. Last night four frogs went fishing and none came back.

Duncan is being Duncan. Seven months old now and forty-eight pounds of pure energy with the whitest teeth always in search of something to chew on. The chewing may be his only fault and once he finally gets over with it he will be a good addition to the household. However day before yesterday he did chew up the TV remote control, I found out about it when I reached for the control and it felt a little lighter. The back was gone as were the guts, yelling for Duncan he came into the room like a teenager who got caught stealing apples. I told him to bring me the remote and he disappeared to return with a few parts. I got up and went into the den to find Bud standing outside of Duncan's crate. Looking at me then back at the crate Bud was giving up Duncan as I saw the rest of the remote lying in the bedding.

After a lecture which Duncan again reminded my of one of my teenage sons from years ago he sat and looked and me and cocked his head from side to side and occasionally blinked his eyes. I got the impression that he was not understanding a word I was saying and he wanted to be somewhere else. When I was done with his last Bad Boy he turned and walked away. Last night after coming home from fishing and not hearing of anything else chewed up I was hoping we were getting pass that phase. I climbed into bed only to have to get back out and turn the lights on. A pencil or what was left of a pencil was chewed up and under the covers. I shook my head, now he is hiding his handiwork, from Lake Iwanttobethere {424,561}

September 4, 2011

The last summer holiday is almost here but the long weekend has already started. This morning here at Lake Iwanttobethere finds the boat launches pretty full of wet trailers and smoke rising from several campsites at the campground. Vicki at the Masterbaiters shop was open early as in the past Labor Day can be as busy as opening weekend. The weather was kind of like opening weekend to as brisk winds were tossing whitecaps and making the sixty degree weather feel a lot cooler than it was. Shorts are still a common sight in town but now a few flannels have appeared and I might have even spotted a few scarfs. Golf course is busy as some people actually come to the lake to golf, go figure.

Sheriff Tim and his dog Bailiff were on patrol this morning, driving through town kind of slow like. Tim was tipping his hat at the female tourists and Bailiff was accepting pats on the head through the open window that he had his head hanging out of. With it being the last big weekend there is of course a lot going on around town. Out at the race track last night they had the trailer races and a fan favorite the demolition school bus races. Once again our own Lake Iwanttobethere bus driver Dean, finished first and second. His bus broke in two pieces just as he went pass the checkered flag and no one else was even moving.

The park is the place to be for lunch all this weekend with Gus manning the Lodges big BBQ serving up polish sausages and his monster half pound burgers. Hot pretzel cart is parked alongside the mini donut wagon which is parked next to the Chicken Shacks deep fryer wagon. Hammering Hank along with farmer McDonnell have a stall open and they are roasting sweet corn from sunup till sundown. The local corn has finally caught up and the ears are full and tasty. Roasted over the coals of the wood fire and then rolled in fresh farm butter it is hard to walk away with only one under your belt. Stan and Jeannie have the tackle/ice cream truck parked close to the landing so you can pick up any forgotten tackle and get a sundae at the same time. Nytelyter and his dad Tom are tending their BBQ and juicy BBQ with the secret sauce are seen dripping from the corners of mouths as people walk around with smiles on their faces.

We were hoping that we would have some of the new walnut and beer mugs to sell at the Lodge this weekend but we are having problems building them. The first prototypes did not hold enough beer and were not tall enough. When you smashed the mugs down on the walnuts to shell them you spilled your beer. We are working hard after hours testing the new mugs and the correct level of beer and nuts that we hope will make for the right combination. On that note I must report that my cholesterol has gone down and my HDL the good Cholesterol has gone up. This of course has DOC Burriem somewhat baffled and he has now joined us in the after hours development of the Nuts Mug as a quality control advisor.

Tomorrow several Lodge member will be getting into Reed's BioDisel RV and heading to the big cites to enjoy a day at the state fair. We are looking forward to doing some research into what we can find to eat on a stick and to maybe bring back and idea or two to the Lodge and then next year claim it as our own. We might make a side trip to the zoo as we hear it is much bigger than the zoo we have here in town. Well our zoo is really just the town dump that you park with your lights on at night and watch the bears and raccoons come in to feed. But we have had budget cuts like everyone else. We hope to restore our funding at the next town Hall meeting in October by maybe adding a third parking meter. Dean will be driving Reeds RV so I need to find a seat with a seat belt and claim it. Will be back to let your know how the trip went, From Lake Iwanttobethere {428,068}

September 9, 2011

Well, I missed my ride to the big cities on Reed's RV but I managed to hitch a ride with the daughter and granddaughter who also just happen to be heading to the Zoo in the big city. We did catch up with the guys from the Lodge at a rest stop about halfway there. There were several turkey vultures circling the rest area and as soon as I spotted them I knew the bio diesel RV had to be close. Sure enough we pulled in and the smell of French fries and grease was heavy in the air. The back cover was off the bus and Hammering Hank and Skinny were busy banging tools while Reed was holding his hat in his hand and wiping his forehead with a not so white handkerchief. Right about then I decide that I would continue my ride to the big city with the daughters and a change of plans was in order.

I spent the day at the zoo which is a lot better than what we call a zoo back at the lake. Saw a few animals that I had never seen before and got lectured to by my four year old daughter who is very knowledgeable in obscure animals. We spent the night at a cousin's house and after breakfast at a waffle house our next stop on Monday was the state fair. Let me tell you the state fair is nothing like the county fair. First of all the smell of the animal barns will clean your nose right out and how they can judge between them chickens is beyond me. I figured the only way you can tell which chicken should get a red ribbon or a blue ribbon would be how they taste. They tell me that kind of judging is frown on at a state fair.

But anything that you can eat and dip in cheese or chocolate or deep fry is sold at the state fair. I think I sampled more than my share of things and the next day I did regret some of them. The only thing I did not find and was really looking for by the end of the day was some kind of antacid on a stick. I think there were more people at the beer garden then the entire population of Lake Iwanttobethere on the Fourth of July. We got out before the fair official ended and it took us some time to get back to the car and find the right highway to get us back to the lake. I did the driving as the daughter and granddaughter fell asleep in the back sleep, the granddaughter still wearing the butterfly that was covering her entire face like war paint. The miles went by quickly and it took a long time for the bright lights of the big city to finally fade into darkness on the rearview mirror.

Tuesday found me sleeping in late only to be woken by a telephone call that I didn't want to pass up. Tinker was flying a customer to a well known vacation island and had room for a passenger, the gas was paid for and the front seat was open so an hour later I was up in the air hoping the seat belt would keep me from hitting my head on the ceiling. The flight also reminded me of several of the different foods I had sampled the day before. Tinker saw the look on my face and I think he went out of his way to make the little plane climb and dive. We made good time, landed and had to walk a little better than a mile into the one and only town. Had a decent meal and a couple of hours later we were back in the air flying back to Lake Iwanttobethere. I never pass up a chance to look over the lake from the air, seems every time I do I see another bay that I have never seen before and a way to get to it.

Midweek found me fishing on a flat down right beautiful evening. Light winds and the fish were biting, nothing real big, mostly just fish we call Patrick Swayze's . You know the line from the movie Road House where the doctor says to Swayze " I thought you would be bigger" Well that is how these fish hit. When we would get them to the boat we would just say how we thought they would be bigger, hence the Patrick Swayze nick name. Halfway through a vacation week and no rain in sight, can't get much better I don't think, from Lake Iwanttobethere {431,592}

September 13, 2011

Now I would not mind at all if this weather continued for the rest of September and then a little cooler for October so I can enjoy some fall fishing wearing just shorts and a tee shirt! Today I was busy working on the shed with the plan being that come dinner time I would put the hammer down and get the Puddle Humper wet. Tresses are all up and the walls are sheeted. Tomorrow we will get the roof on and then take a day off for fishing. Tonight I was right on schedule till the rain came. Was just putting the tools away when the sky got dark real quick and before I could get a tarp on the saw the first big rain drops fell to make craters in the saw dust piles on the ground. Five minutes later and I was under the cover of the swing as the hail started to fall.

Kind of ruined any idea of fishing but the rain did cool things off some and got rid of them pesky flies for awhile. If I was to pick out something to remember this past summer by it would be the abundance of flies that just refuse to disappear. Getting so you walk around with a fly swatter just so you can take out any one you get a chance at. Bud and Barney stayed in the cabin while the rain and hail fell, Duncan sat on the swing and tried to figure out these small ice cubes that were falling from the sky and bouncing all over the deck. He went out a few times to lick some but retreated when he took a few chucks of hail on his backside. The hail stopped after a few minutes and Duncna tried to eat them all off the deck, he of course failed as they melted quicker then he could lick.

I can't complain to much about the weather, this is the first rain that we have gotten in over a week and we did need it to fill the rain barrels back up and to save me a trip watering the gardens. I did make a check mark on the honey do list, taking credit for watering though. I have been enjoying my mornings getting up early enough to see dawn or maybe dawn has been later so it looks like I am getting up early. Bud and Barney open their eyes and watch me open the deck door but make no effort to follow me outside. Duncan on the other hand can't wait for the door to be open before he runs across the deck and jumps into the new day. A quick circuit to check for rabbits in the yard and then with wet paws from the dew he returns to jump up on me and say good morning in his special way. You know the dumb puppy, tongue hanging out what we going to do grin. Makes me grin back and I usually laff at him and shake my head as I pet his.

This morning I got that first good whiff of some northern air, hard to explain it, just different. Maybe it was the little cool to it or the smell of wood smoke from a distant fire burning. Maybe it was because it was the day after football official started and there was still some lingering smell of the burnt polish sausages that fell into the fire pit. I think it was just the north breeze bring smells across the lake of fall. This past week the pencil reeds are starting to turn brown as they just come out of the water. Lilly pads are curling up a little like they are trying to stay warm in the cooling over night temperatures. The days are divided into two parts now, cool till noon then the sun warms things up like a mid summer's day. As soon as the sun starts to dip low in the sky the jackets come out and fall arrives. Sooner or later the flies will leave and the skeeters will just be a memory.

Deer are seen at dusk again and all the little bunnies are rabbits now. Fawns have long ago found their legs and run like halfbacks stopping on a dime to wait for their slow poke mothers to follow. Crickets fill in the silence at dusk and sometimes the croaking of frogs join in with an occasional call of a loon singing lead. Are you getting the idea this is my favorite time of year? From Lake Iwanttobethere {435,018}

September 14, 2011

Really, I mean REALLY snow! We all know that Lake Iwanttobethere is an interesting place and a lot happens here that some might not believe but SNOW! This afternoon I am working on the shed roof and we get a few sprinkles. Now you should know that the shed is 10 x 16 feet with a single mono tress roof that stands about twelve feet off the ground, something you don't want to fall off of. With the wood getting wet we decide to take a break and we cover up the saws and decide to wait the sprinkle out. Sitting on the deck under the swing the light rain turns to pea size hail that quickly covers the deck in white, sipping on my hot chocolate I turn to the daughter and say " You don't see that to often" my daughter nods and the hail stops. In its place snowflakes start to fall, drifting down until the wind sends them blowing across the deck. The daughter not missing a beat turns to me and says "Now there something you don't often see" I nod back to her in agreement, Snow....

I was thinking I should go get the camera and take a few pictures but when I went in the cabin I took a look at the radar and saw rain coming. Back out side we got the big tarp out and covered the roof, we have enough roof boards up that it is worth it to try and keep the inside of the shed dry now. A few more tarps to cover the holes where the door will go and a bigger one to cover the opening for the not yet installed roll up door. We work quickly as the snow has turned back to light rain and no sooner than we get done then the sky clears and blue sky is overhead. I'm thinking it is time to just call it a day and so I go back to doing what I started the day off with and that is moving plants into the greenhouse. Ten minutes later and the greenhouse is actually starting to look pretty green with all the potted tomato and pepper plants that will call it home for the next two months or so.

No frost warning for us. Sunshine Ray is forecasting we are going to freeze tonight. I tell the wife to say good bye to her outside flowers and she digs out the covers for the garden plants. Inside windows have been closed all day and the solar collector officially has been put online. Fans are turned on and the cover removed from the passive heater and now we hope that we get some fall sunshine to help heat the cabin. I did stock the inside rack for the fireplace and maybe we might light just a little fire tonight. This is way to early for snow and I don't care if it was just some stuff that melted when it hit the ground. I was going to go fishing this evening but with it thirty-six outside and the sun once again behind dark clouds I will wait till the weekend when it warms back up.

One good thing, the water should start to cool and that means the fall bite will be starting, I will take the time to spend some time on the water, just hope I don't have to be in a snowmobile suit to enjoy it. From Lake Iwanttobethere where it appears that it snows in the middle of September, have a good one. {436,100}

September 18, 2011

Saturday started off like it does every opener with a problem. Should I work on the shed that still needs a roof put on, do some bird hunting or go fishing. I figured the tarp on the shed would make do for a while, should keep most of the forecasted rain off the inside so that left hunting or fishing. I decided to do both. Duncan was fast asleep having one of his puppy naps so I made my way to the gun cabinet and slipped out the double from behind the door. I turned around and Bud was patiently sitting behind me looking at me kind of smug like. A few minutes later we were taking the trail behind the cabin towards the fallen pine top that the lightning took a few years ago. Usually it is always good to kick up a bird or two there but not today. We walked up slow like and Bud had his nose to the ground, he gave me a look over his shoulder as if to tell me they were here but not now. We walked a little farther down the path before turning back, Bud was in no hurry to get back to the cabin but he was in no hurry to go walking into the high grass either. Together we just took a morning stroll and we were both OK with it.

Back at the cabin the overcast sky was getting a little brighter and the winds were brisk, I had already penciled in fishing for the day and as long as the rain stayed away that was what I was going to do. Bud eased himself down in front of the fireplace and soon he was dreaming of grouse that we didn't see. Duncan woke up long enough to move closer to Bud and return to what ever dream he was having. Barney was down at the dock the entire time watching the shallows and staying away from an occasional spray of water from the waves that were being blown onto shore.

Took an hour to get where I wanted to go and I saw a few boats on the highway, all under traveling covers they were headed in the opposite direction then what I was. Even a few pontoons were seen all going away from water. I arrived at a little out of the way lake and as I was hoping there was no one else at the landing. A lot of guys would be out hunting and fishing would be on the back burner of things to do now. Was a little fun putting the Puddle Humper into the water as the wind was pushing waves into me, But without getting to wet I got the boat in the water and the motor started. Not going to fool around I made the crossing to the other side of the lake to get out of the wind and a get my rods arranged. First thing I did was add an extra coat as the wind was making the fifty-nine degree weather feel a lot colder.

Five minutes after I started fishing a little northern grabbed the spinner and was hoisted aboard. I released it with a thank you and made a slash mark in the little fish notebook under northern. Two casts later at a good looking birch that was laying in the water and I was rewarded with a boil and some weight on the rod. I set the hook and feeling the weight I set it again. I was rewarded with a three and half pound bass that hung from my thumb and gave me the "Now what" look. I took a picture and eased her over the side, my day was starting out pretty good. Small northern followed and slashed at me for the rest of the afternoon, a few I hooked and brought to the boat. A half a dozen bass were caught but none bigger then the first one.

In a quiet bay where I have caught some nice fish before a very nice northern slashed at a buzz bait and rolled out of the water. All I saw was the huge tail as big as a dinner plate that waved at me before dipping back into the hole in the water that the fish had made. I threw several more cast in and around the area leading forwarding and waiting for a return strike but the water stayed calm and the moment was lost. I threw a few last casts right before I got to the landing and a seventeen inch bass hit the spinner and walked on the water before diving deep and trying to snag me on weeds. I won the battle and she was released over the side. She smacked the water with her tail just to let me know she had the last word. Wind had died some and loading the Puddle Humper was not as bad as it could have been. I ate my last sandwich and watched the last of daylight disappear. Not a bad fall day as I drove down the narrow dirt road, from Lake Iwanttobethere {438,852}

September 21, 2011

So I got a roof on the new shed which we are actually referring to as a shop since it is so big. I would like to say that as soon as the roof went on the threat of rain went away but for some strange reason that did not happen. It has been dripping ever since. I had figured that as soon as I had a roof on the threat of rain would go away and I would be able to get some fishing in. When I am fishing and the wind is blowing, it the wind, always stops just as I am cranking the Puddle Humper on to the trailer. If I am bird hunting as soon as I get in the Dodge and start driving down a birdy looking road that I just hunted it is a sure bet that is when a grouse will flush from beneath the wheels and fly out of sight.

Matter of fact as I write this it is dripping outside the cabin window, I can hear the rain coming off the eves to splatter on the deck. I was out for a little while checking to see that there are no leaks in the new roof and make sure I had left no tools out in the rain. Lots of work let to do but with a roof on there is not the hurry to get things done now. If it would stop raining I would grab the shotgun and Bud and I would take a walk down the back trail. Have always had good luck when the water is dripping off the pines and the grass is wet and quiet. But like the old shotgun I don't like to get wet when I don't have to.

I did notice that a lot of the peppers and tomatoes survived the hard freeze that we had, I put several plants away in the greenhouse but like a ship without enough lifeboats I could not save them all. Today they are standing tall and soaking in the drizzle. Yesterday the wife canned pickles and made salsa I am looking at the apple tree I say apple tree because only one has any apples on it. I took a picture of a lonely apple earlier this summer that I had posted. I was going to follow it's growth right up until it made it to my plate as part of a pie, but it fell off the tree. I am offering another picture of three other apples that I hope make it to harvest, I have named them the "Three Sisters"

Walnut and beer diet is going well, several of the Lodge guys have picked up on it and now we need to find a supplier for the walnuts. We tried the bagged baking ones that we can get from Ma and Pa's grocery but the guys prefer the smashing of the shells to the ones that are already shelled. We have even at the urging of Tess, Hammering Hanks wife to offer wine and walnuts. Tess got on the Internet and told us that drinking wine is a proven health tip and we should offer that to the wives of the Lodge members. Trouble is now is we get some of the single Lodge members offering to bust their nuts for the ladies. Which after you have had a few beers can sometimes not come out like it is intended.

Yesterday Chuck made a test run of his lumber mill cutting up one of Elmers logs. We now have some new wood for the fire pit as soon as it dries out. Chuck said he has the kinks worked out now and will give it another try when the weather clears. But that may be awhile because everyone here is watching the sky and looking for an excuse to either get out bird hunting or go chase some fish. Cutting grass is way down on the bottom of the list right next to pulling out the dock. A few trees are getting just a touch of color to them but I think we are safe for awhile, Sunshine Ray is forecasting temperatures to return to the low seventies and it is going to dry up, maybe even for as long as a week. I can see some fishing and maybe some windows getting installed. So from Lake Iwanttobethere you have a good day. {439,898}

September 26, 2011

I hate this time of year, actually I don't hate it I love it but it is so hard to decide what to do. So Sunday morning I wake up to the sound of Duncan's nails coming down the wood hallway floor, I almost get the cover over my head in time. Sliding around the corner he runs into the bedroom and jumps into bed landing on top of me. No longer the little puppy that we would have to help climb into the bed he now runs like a deer in the cabin. He no longer jumps but bounces straight upward oblivious to where he may land. Bud and Barney meander into the bedroom, not in any great hurry they just come in to let me know it is time to let them outside. Last but not least Buster my daughter's lab that we are watching for a week makes an appearance. I feel more like a goat herder as I make my way down the hall with dogs weaving their way in front of me.

On the deck the dogs scatter to do their thing, Partly cloudy sky but not as cold as it has been. Leaves are slowly changing and there is just a little chop on the water. So what should I do, work on putting windows in the new shop, no it's Sunday. Maybe I should try to get a round of golf in, Or maybe take Bud for a walk in the woods for a few grouse, but the talk at the Lodge is that there are to many leaves and birds have been few and far between. Watch football and do nothing or go fishing are my last two options, I decide I can listen to the football game and go fishing. With that done I head back into the cabin and start making a lunch.

I decide on a small lake not to far away and in an hour I am drifting away from shore and no one else is at the landing, matter of fact there is no one else on the lake and other then some smoke from someone burning brush there is no movement at all on the little lake. Fishing is tuff, the lake is turning over and as I work my way down the shoreline all I see is cloudy water filled with silt. After my first hour all I have is a pound and a half bass and a little hammer handle northern to show for it. Three hours later and I have not done much of anything, caught two fish and saw three more. Home football team gives up the lead in the second half and loses for the third time in a row, am glad I didn't stay at home and watch. Sun is out though and I am comfortable. I work my way around the little lake and hit some of my spots that have held fish before. I check up on my little eagle and he or she sits outside of the nest and watches me, I am thinking she thinks I am to big to try and eat.

Well, as usually happens I am coming down a reed bank tossing a big spinner bait when I get a big hit, I set the hook and get in a few turns of the handle before the weight is gone and the lure comes back missing the trailer. I toss back a few times but what ever was there is gone or no longer interested. I make a few comments to myself under my breath and entertain the idea that maybe I should call it a day. About an hour of light left and I am here so I continue to keep fishing, water is a little clearer here and I see a few smaller northerns take runs at my spinner. I make my casts a little longer and along side a dying weed bed I feel weight and set my hook only to get line with no lure on the end drifting back at me. Mumbling a little louder I tie on a bigger spinner bait and start making longer casts in a slick topped little cove.

A couple of minutes later I get a hit and I set the hook and this time I am rewarded with some thrashing and a fish. A bigger northern makes it's way to the side of the Puddle Humper and when I look down I can see there is something in her mouth, a closer look and I can see the tail of another northern. Not going to mess around I dip her up with the net and bring her over the side to see just what I have. With rod tucked unde my chin I lift her out of the net and pull a twelve inch northern from her mouth, The northern shakes trying to keep her supper and the small fish is flung overboard and I drop the big fish back into the net. A moment later and I release the big northern into the water and she sits on top for awhile looking at me. I don't think she is smart enough to know I took her supper from her but like the eagle I think she thinks I am to big to eat but then again she did have her mouth full when she took my big spinner bait. Just goes to show you, you always catch more fish on the water then sitting at home, from Lake Iwanttobethere {443,433}

September 26, 2011

Nice!

September 28, 2011

By noon yesterday I had developed a bad case of Hammer hand. I spent the good part of the morning putting in six windows in the new shop when I clutched my wrist and went to the wife, I told her that I had a bad case of Hammer Hand. The only known cure for Hammer Hand that I know of is the exercise you get when casting a bait casting reel. Seems the movement is just about the same but the results are different. By three PM I was sitting in the Puddle Humper tying on a spinner bait and eyeing the calm water around an island on another small local lake. This lake was a few miles away from the one I was on the other day but the results were going to be the same. The lake was turning over and no matter how great it looked on top, there was nothing going on below.

Fishing in late September in just a tee shirt and shorts does have it's good points though. Water was sixty and I was looking for some northerns to come out and play but all I was getting was some of the small ones who would nip at the spinner and then dart away. Small northerns are like the want to be gang members of the fishing world. They may pretend to be big when they slash at your lure but once you get them to the boat they just hang there. They have that attitude that they know they are going to be let loose so what the heck they just come and tear up your trailers or maybe if they are lucky they will cut your line. This time of year it is like they are playing tag as they rush the lure, grab it for a second, let go and look at you in the eye before darting away. I think they swim back to their buddies with the 'Did you see that" and wait for the next fishermen.

Still it was a nice day to be on the water, lot's of sunshine and even though there was some wind it was warm. If I had any complaint it was that almost all the docks were already out of the water and resting dry up on shore. I was looking to flip a few worms under a few of my favorite ones but they were gone and with them the fish that used to hide under them. An eagle would fly overhead about every hour just like clockwork, heading from one end of the lake to the other, guess he or she was on patrol. Back in one of the reed filled bays a couple of muskrats swam and made a nuisance of themselves. I would keep hearing splashes and thinking it was a big fish I would turn only to see the muskrats swimming away.

I did see an interesting sight as I heard a really loud splash and had to turn as a deer was running in the shallows before turning and heading to deeper water. As I watched the deer started to swim across the bay and went right past the point to continue towards the other end of the lake. To far away for me to capture on my video camera I just figured the grass was greener on the other side. A mess of geese or maybe several groups flew by just over the tree tops and I heard a few shots from some lucky grouse hunter who might have seen a bird or was shooting stumps by mistake. The sound of a lawnmower echoed across the lake and the yelling of a man calling his dog who was not coming broke up some of the silence.

With the sun still several fingers up in the sky I decide to call it a night, I made it to the landing and loaded the Puddle Humper on it's trailer. A few more things I noted, no skeeters but a few flies and it is getting to be that time when at dusk everything in the woods is loud. The leaves no longer muffle sounds and even the clanking of the winch sounds like what I would imagine a medieval draw bridge being raise at the end of the day. No crickets and no crows calling. No jet ski's and no pontoons making the twilight troll, fall might just really be here, from Lake Iwanttobethere {444,275}

September 30, 2011

Friend of mine came up from the big city to spend the weekend here at the Lake Iwanttobethere. No sooner had he parked his little mini car in the drive and unfolded his body out from behind the wheel and he was bull rushed by Bud. Bud getting up in years does not often jump up on someone but my buddy has known Bud since he was a pup and Bud knows if the buddy is here then a walk in the woods is in store. Chester rubs Bud behind the ears some and Bud presses up against his leg making it hard for Chester to walk as he tries to get around the little car to greet me. Duncan sits on the deck with the daughters dog Buster, they both just look at Chester but make no attempt to go to him. "HIYA" says Chester to me and I return the greeting. "Got something for ya" and Chester turns and opens the hatchback of the little car. I walk over and Duncan follows me close at my side. In the back of the car rests two boxes full of apples, there will be pie, I clap him on the back and tell him is lodgings are paid for.

Looking down he says "So this is the new guy eh" Duncan knowing someone is talking about him turns his head from side to side and looks up at Chester. Bud still pressing against Chester gives Duncan the OK and Duncan takes a few steps and Chester reaches down to rub Duncan behind the ear and just like that Duncan has a new buddy. We make our way to the newly stained deck, yes I did get the deck stained and relax on the swing. I get filled in about life in the big city and the new shop gets an inspection. Apples find their way to the kitchen and when the wife comes home from work I am sure she will comment on them. The rest of the afternoon goes by quickly as we head into town and spend some time at the Lodge and of course over at Amy's Bakery. Chester always has had a thing for Amy, as does every other guy in town.

Vicki at the Masterbaiters Shop gives Chester a big hug and I complain that I never get greeted that way, Vicki tells me if I left town for awhile she might greet me when I return, maybe. We sit and listen and sip on some hot cider as she tells us most of the lakes are turning over and fishing has been tuff, Birds are in the woods and that is where they are staying, to many leaves up and still pretty green. Chester tells her he is staying through Sunday and with luck we will return and pick up some bait. He leaves with yet another hug from Vicki and all she does is wave me out the door.

A stop at the General Store for a few things on my "List" and we are back at the cabin. The wife bless her heart is peeling apples in the kitchen and she stops to hug Chester and starts asking him fifty questions. I let myself back outside as I know I would be wasting my time trying to get a word in for the next hour. It gets dark fast this time of the year, I had just finished checking the plants in the greenhouse and had started a fire in the pit when the sun just seemed to blink out. Chester found me there feeding scraps of cedar siding to the flame. I knew he was coming as Duncan was sitting up and giving me a low puppy rumble. Chester came to the fire with Buddy, sat down in the chair next to me and I heard the clink of the beer bottles before I saw one extended out to me.

Next a couple of cigars from some expensive smoke shop in the big city, of course I just tell Chester everything is expensive in the big city but I don't turn the gar down. We put flame to gars and clank beer bottles together and then we sit and watch the fire. With dogs at our feet it takes but a few minutes for us to catch up and it is like he never left. No work this weekend, we are going to do some fishing, a walk or two with Bud in the woods and maybe sit around the campfire getting our clothes full of wood smoke and talk of old girlfriends, big fish and coveys of grouse, from Lake Iwanttobethere {445,268}

Sign In

GUESTS

Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

Recommended Posts

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

reinhard1

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

reinhard1

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Bobby Bass

Link to comment