Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

June 1, 2013

Where did the week go or for that matter the entire month of May? I just made it to the Resort, parked the Tahoe and with Duncan at my side I open the shop door and stepped inside. The first rain drops were loud as they hit the roof of the shop and echoed a little. I open the big doors and pulled my wood three leg stool over to get a better view. Duncan stood just inside the door and watched the rain as it started to fall. Not a shower this time but finally a heavy down pour as it quickly went from a few drops to a hard steady rain. A few claps of thunder and dime size hail started to bounce off the ground and enter the shop through the open doors. Duncan took a few steps back and then started to lick up the hail but there was more then he could lick up and he was soon losing the battle.

I sat on the stool and watched the rain fall and listen to the hail ricochet off the siding and the upturned rowboat on the saw horses just outside the doors. Hail did not last long but the heavy rain fell for a few more minutes before it to stopped as quickly as it had started. You could still hear the rain as the water dripped from the tall pines to land quietly on the needles laying on the ground. Duncan ventured out from the shop and shook, rain spray had gotten his coat wet but he is a lab and he lives to be wet. Robins start calling the all clear and sparrows emerged from where ever they were hiding from the storm and go back to do what ever sparrows always seem to be doing. A couple of bees bumble by, one following the other as they went back to being bees. I got up from the stool stood in the doorway and took in a deep breath of woods and rain and tried to remember what I was going to do.

With the over cast sky darkness came quickly last night. There was a pretty sunset somewhere it just was not here at Lake Iwanttobethere. The fire pit was wet and the old remains of the last fire were not going to start with out some help. With it being so wet this month we have stored some wood under a tarp and we sent kids to gather some sticks from it. A fire was started with the aid of an expired flare that Skinny just happen to have. It took an hour or so for the fire to settle down till we had a nice bed of hot coals and we would feed the fire some sticks to keep a flame licking skyward. Kids roasted marsh mellows and after awhile the fresh air and smoke got them yawning and they headed to bed. Women folk headed for a hen chat and it just left us men to sit on chunks of Maple smoking cigars and drying the bottom of our boots at the edge of the fire.

Vic wandering down to the fire with a flannel blanket draped over his shoulders and carrying his guitar. We gave him some lip about being old and needing a blanket but after awhile sitting at the fire and cooking on one side and feeling a cold draft on the back side the blanket was looking like a pretty good idea. As the evening progress the stories got fewer and the chatter and laughter got quieter, Vic would strum his guitar. He never played an entire song, just bits and pieces that some of us would almost remember. Big Earl pulled out his harmonica and from time to time would add to what Vic was playing. They would look at each other and share something that the rest of us would only be able to hear and not really feel like them.

I made a few attempts to get comfortable sitting on my chunk of Maple but my mind was wandering as I watched the flames and listened to the radon notes that were making a song that no one else will ever hear. I'm thinking there will be Friday night fires here at the Resort that will have black skies with thousands of stars watching us. Dry fire wood and the sound of frogs singing back up for the guitar. Warmer nights and kids laying in sleeping bags. Dogs snoring and old friends becoming even better friends. Loons calling and maybe a goose honking at her kids to go to sleep. I am also thinking that maybe owning a piece of a resort is a pretty good idea, that and I need a better chair, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,106,703}

June 2, 2013

Silent Sunday finds me sitting in the main room of the Club House with the laptop and Sunday's paper spread across the great table. Breakfast has been served and this morning Marv made flapjacks with thin slices of ham warmed up on the grill. For those who wanted eggs they were cooked and slid on to waiting plates sunny side up because that is the way Marv cooks them. Vic long ago took the rowboat out to the main lake and picked up the Sunday paper and for the first time in a long time he did it with sun shinning on him. As I sit here I have to adjust the screen of the lap top because there is sunshine coming through the big windows of the Club House.

Couple of the Fellows are here and they have both canoes launched and are over on the other side of the little bay fishing, they are over there because as we all know fishing is always better on the other side of the lake, or in our case bay. Big Earl and his son Junior are also out on the water but I don't see them. I think they went out the channel and are out on the main lake. KCUM radio is playing softly in the background, on Sunday mornings they play nothing but acoustical music and the quiet sounds of guitars and pianos seems to go just right with the morning mood here at the Resort. Since we have been sort a open for a couple of weeks now we have had a few Sunday breakfasts at the great table. This morning is the first one that felt like a Resort breakfast should. From time to time I lift the lid of the laptop and type a few lines, mostly ideas for future stories. I could write a story just about writing stories, if I did not have a laptop these stories would never make it past my fingertips. Me and a typewriter, I would be going through gallons of white out.

I am off track here I sat down with the idea of writing about newspapers. As I said Vic brought in the Sunday paper but also laying on the table are a few other papers that have been left by visitors in the past few weeks. The papers have gotten mixed up with our local paper and guys have found themselves sipping coffee and reading about what is happening in other small towns. If you don't look to the top of the page and see Lake Iwanttobethere it could be a story about here. Local high school having graduation next week, Fishing season is open, nice picture of a kid holding a walleye and a happy grandpa standing along side. Coupons for soda pop and hot dog buns on sale if you buy a twin pack of wieners. County market is open and local boy makes it to state in track. Standings for last Friday night's stock car races and the rodeo is schedule to come to town in July. Stock market reports and tire sales, garden tips and weather maps.

I have found myself leafing through the papers and reading something if it catches my eye. Kind of like looking over a year old outdoor life magazine waiting for an open chair at Burt's barbershop. I got an e-mail the other day from a reader who says when he is bored and it is quiet at his house and the kids are asleep he will log on and pull up Lake Iwanttobethere and just browse through the old stories. They are kind of like old newspapers from home that remind him of yesterday. Fishing trips, dogs, the old guy who lived next door. The guys who always seem to get into some kind of trouble. Camp fires and Grandma's warm cookies. Thanks for reading Paul, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,107,822}

June 4, 2013

Yesterday evening I was sitting on the deck of the Resort with Vic eating a late lunch. Actually it was my second lunch as we were both eating egg salad on Marv's Kaiser rolls. The eggs came from Chuck's free range chickens and the buns were baked by Marv right here in our kitchen. Vic says when he goes out in the morning to get the mail and the newspaper the smell of baking bread or the Kaiser rolls drifting across the bay leads him right back to the dock. The Kaiser rolls had probably twice as much egg salad in them as they should and some of it would drip out the back side of the bun when you took a bite. No matter, you just smeared the fallen salad up with some bun and ate it that way. Ice cubes clinked together in the beer mugs that we had filled with lemonade and as we wiped our bearded chins of salad we both looked at each other and just said "Tasty"

I was sitting with my back against the wood deck chair when I heard a quiet high pitched squeaking sound which quickly rose in volume to sound like what I would imagine a Sasquatch would sound like, that is if we had any Sasquatch around here. Vic and I both looked at each with raised eyebrows and we both came up to that same conclusion at the same time, The tiller.... I was eating a second lunch because I had been tilling up the garden here at the Resort and Skinny had come out to spell me for awhile. I got up from the table and made my way around the Club House with the sound of the screaming Sasquatch getting louder till it just stopped. I made my way up past the Pines where I could see Skinny standing over the tiller with one hand on his hip and the other hand holding his baseball cap and rubbing his forehead. The tiller was quiet and no fire or smoke so I was thinking that is good sign.

I followed the path to the garden and Skinny looked at me and just threw out his hands to his side. Like a mother robin I made my way to the tiller thinking the worse. You see I have had this tiller for about twenty-five years. Matter of fact we call it the NASCAR tiller as we have changed out everything on it except the transmission and the frame. Skinny didn't say anything to me, he just stood there like a doctor in an emergency room with that look on him that says sorry, we did all we could. I moved the throttle to the start position and gave the pull cord a tug, she started right up and purred away as I advance the throttle. I got behind the handles and engaged the tines and the terrible sound of the Sasquatch came from the trannie. I disengage the tines and cut the throttle and she coughed once and died. Skinny reached out and lightly punched me on the shoulder and just said "Sorry"

Skinny went and got the tractor and we rolled the tiller into the bucket and Skiing took it to the shop. Later we will open her up and see what killed her, the transmission is one of them sealed jobs so I am thinking it is probably is as dry as a bone inside. I made my way back to the Club House already thinking I am going to have to go find another tiller. I found Vic down at the dock throwing Howard the Duck some bread crumbs. "Trannie?" He asked. I just nodded my head yes. "So hard to find good equipment, sorry for your loss" and Vic handed me a few bread crumbs, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,109,896}

June 5, 2013

Sitting here today just waiting for something else bad to happen. The old guys always talk about bad things happening in threes and so far I have two down and one to go. My tiller died and on my way back home to the cabin here I blew a brake line on the Dodge. Still had some brake left and I just managed to coast to a stop in the drive. So now I have the broken tiller sitting in the back of the broken Dodge and it is raining out, again. Other then that it is the middle of the week and the grand kids are happy and looking forward too just one more day of school. # two grandson informed me that he is really looking forward to working up at the Resort with me this summer. We were sitting on the swing and his feet were tangling over the edge of the seat not yet long enough to reach the wood of the deck.

# two was spending the night since his sister was going on a field trip early the next morning and he and his brother would not be going in early to school like she had to. His brother was in with the wife and number two sat on the swing and told me of the plans he had for this coming summer. Being seven years old I was glad that he was planing on spending some of the summer working. I was swinging thinking that another boss is just what I need. I have my to do list and I have the wife's to do list, we have a to do list at the Resort and yet another one at the Lodge. Now the grandson was ticking off his to do list which included doing a lot of things with me. The to do list of a eighty-seven month old kid and a seven hundred and nineteen month old retired man share a lot of expectations.

With the flood lights flickering on we sat on the swing and I listen to the grandsons list. We have to go fishing everyday, I nodded. We need to ride our bikes, good luck I thought remembering the last time I tried that. We need to hike and build a new fort since we have all that land at the resort, No girls allowed and I nodded to that. We should visit Jeanie and the Ice Cream truck as often as we can and I gave that a nod. We should chase frogs and garden snakes and pick night crawlers after it rains. We need to camp out under the stars and cook wieners on sticks. We need to sleep in late and only go to bed when we are tired. I added no alarm clocks and he nodded to that.

As for work he said he was old enough to drive the riding lawn tractor and I didn't nod yes to that but I did say we will think about it. He also said he would help dip minnows in the bait shop when he was not selling night crawlers or guiding fishermen. I told him he can guide me anytime and he said he will have to check his schedule. Uncle Vic and Uncle Marv have already asked him to take them out, I smiled in the dark. He was quiet then and so was I, we sat swinging on the swing listening to the peepers croaking and not saying much of anything, then he said "Papa?" and looked at me. I replied "Yes" " Do you want to hear what I have planed for next week?" From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,111,903}

June 6, 2013

JUNEUARY, that is what people around town are calling this month. I am jotting down some thoughts this morning with the sound of the furnace running in the background. Little rivers of rain water are running down the glass panes of the den windows here at the cabin. It is cool out and it is raining still, not again but still. My garden plants are resting on window sills through out the cabin and the cats are treating the plants like they are the salad line at a buffet. But summer marches on, today is the last day of school and tomorrow buses will no longer be seen on the roads. Instead we will see kids on bikes with fishing rods across handle bars and sandals without socks. Of course they may be wearing their winter jackets and the smart ones will have stocking caps on under their hoods. Enough rain already, I want a nice thunderstorm with flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder if it is going to rain lets get a good storm and then let it stop. This drizzle and shower stuff everyday has me so far behind on chores and projects that need to get done around the cabin and the Resort that I just want to chuck it all and go fishing. Except it is raining out and guys at the Lodge now have a betting pool on when we will get snow, not if, but when.

Grass is green and thick and lush and teases me to mow it. Maple trees are finally starting to leaf out and the weeds are starting to creep in around the edges of the gardens. With no school tomorrow grand kids will be here for a long weekend and I am already working on a To-Do-List for them. It may not be the same list as the # two grandson has in mind but there may be a few things on there for him. Almost the first month of fishing season has passed and except for a few casts off the dock I have not gotten to go fishing yet. I really don't know where the month went. My only defense is that it is hard to get the boat in the water the first time but it is real easy after that. High gas prices, ice on the water late, constant rain OK now I am seeing why I have not been out yet. Yesterday I tinkered with the garden tiller, that was after I saw the price for a replacement down at the General Store. I pulled on the cord and it started right up and I engaged the tines and they quietly revolved without a squeak. Not pressing my luck I moved the tiller to it's summer spot in the garage and shut it down, maybe I might get the garden tilled after all.

I then walked over to the Dodge but I knew that the brakes had not fixed themselves and saw the puddle of water under the truck, I am leaving that job for the son to tend to. With no kids at home and the wife at work I decide to take a nap. Actually I sat on the couch with intentions of making a list of things that could be done in the rain and I guess a nap was at the top of the list. A hour or so later I woke up with Duncan staring me in the eyes. I got up and stretched picked up the clip board and wrote nap and then checked it off. I let Duncan outside and Bud and Barney appeared from down the hall and followed Duncan out on to the deck. Drizzle falling, everything was wet and I could hear Chuck hollering next door. A couple of geese came flying low overhead and I watched as they flew by and disappeared into the fog. I yawned and stretched and thought about sitting on the swing except it was wet.

Looking around I saw a curl of smoke coming up from under the blue tarp on the end of Elmer's dock. I put my hands in my jacket pocket and made the short walk over to Elmer's, my footprints showing up behind me in the bent over wet grass, As I got close I saw a single red and white bobber out on the water with the line resting on the surface. I followed the line back to the tip of a rod resting in a holder bolted to the end of the dock. Elmer sat under a blue trap that had been stretched from dock post to dock post at the four corners. A 2x2 piece of cedar that once served as a clothes line pole held the center of the tarp up. Elmer sat wearing his flannel jacket on his swinging bench with a cigar hanging from his lips and his eyes closed. I stepped onto the wood of the old dock and one of Elmer's eyes opened and he watched me. When I got close he said HIYA and I returned the greeting. I held back the urge to ask if he was fishing and instead said nothing. Elmer waiting for me to ask if he was fishing was waiting to give me a smart answer and so the two of us said nothing waiting for the other to go first.

Elmer closed his eye and said nothing and I watched his bobber, a puff on his cigar sent smoke drifting away and then Elmer said "You might as well get out of the rain and sit a spell" and I did. Two guys can always watch one bobber, especially when it was not doing anything. I am thinking that maybe I should go get my heavy coat on and go over and sit a spell on Elmer's dock. Looks like it is going to rain all day again, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,113,692}

June 7, 2013

No calls from the Lodge so I guess everything is OK so far. Yesterday afternoon I went to town for a few things and I ended up at the Lodge. Mostly because I saw the local electrician truck parked in the lot. I also saw a couple of the Fellows trucks parked alongside which usually means something is going on or something is going to be going on. I parked in my parking spot and came in through the back door. I exchanged HIYA's with Honey Sauce who was wearing an apron and cooking burgers on the grill. Vince was also wearing an apron and came into the kitchen with a order book in his hand. Looks like Honey has been elevated to fry cook and Vince to waitress. I looked around for Gus and Honey told me he was downstairs in the basement with the "Guys."

I went down the hall past the washrooms and past the panel where the controls are for Windy the Windmill, The panel was all dark which made me pause and also a little nervous. The door to the basement was open and I could hear talking and a whirling sound. I went down the stairs careful like because I don't know what I was going to be walking into. In the center of the room the Fellows at least four of them anyway were all walking on treadmills. A mess of wires from the treadmills were scattered across the floor and ended at the bank of batteries where Windy stored her power. Gus was holding a flashlight and our town electrician, Twitch was working on the panel. Now we don't see to much of Twich he is pretty much retired and not in a lot of demand. He used to be in the guard as a bomb disposal tech and the story is that is where he got his nick name. He owns a ragged looking curly Heinz 57 dog with a few bald spots that goes by the name of Zap, he was sitting by a tool bag with a roll of black tape in his mouth. Twitch is good friends with the Fellows having helped out on some of their projects and a part time Lodge member.

Gus who is the acting manager of the Lodge noticed that the batteries are low and figured that the Lodge is just not getting the power that we used to out of Windy the Windmill. He mentioned it in passing to the Fellows who were sharing a pitcher. Well he gave the Fellows a problem and of course they ran with it and now we have four slightly used treadmills that the Fellows all bought their wives for Christmas last year but Big Earl will not take back. Seems the Fellows all customize the treadmills with bottle and chip n dip holders. The wives all made a big deal out of the treadmills thinking that their husbands were trying to tell them something, which they were. So they brainstormed up an idea to bring the treadmills to the Lodge where members could work out and help put some juice back into the batteries. Gus was thinking he could get some of the dead beat members to run a little off their bar tab and Twitch was called to wire it all together.

I stood clear of the wires on the floor and watched as Twitch licked his finger and stuck it into the panel. Gus came over and filled me in on the progress and I asked him if he had engaged Windy since the last storm, Gus looked at me and said "I thought you did that" " Nope, that's the managers job" Gus just looked at the treadmills and said "Now what am I going to do" I smiled and patted Gus on the shoulder and said "Don't tell them" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,115,534}

June 8, 2013

Yesterday was National Donut Day and there was a long line down at Amy's Bakery celebrating it. Amy was giving away free donut holes and the rest of the donuts were buy three and get one free. I of course was down there as one should support their local business and it was after all donuts. Another over cast day but that didn't stop people from walking out with their white bakery bags and chatting on Main Street. It was also Friday which means we change up tourists at the resorts around town. Outgoing visitors stop at Ma and Pa's Grocery to stock up on Lake Iwanttobethere Maple Syrup and all three different bottles sell well. There is Light, Regular and this year Chuck came out with what he calls "Forty Weight" syrup. Those bottles are filled with the bottom of the vat syrup and pours like forty weight oil in the dead of winter.

Big Earl wearing his red apron and holding his corn broom stands outside the General Store ushering new customers in while holding the door for exiting customer's with their hands full on their way out. The revolving post card rack is out on the sidewalk and it is the same one that used to hold nickel cards back in the day but now they cost a dollar. The rack that holds umbrellas has some slim pickings as a month of rain will reduce inventory. Bug spray and tanning lotion, their is plenty of that, especially the tanning lotion. Repeat visitors wave good-bye and those who have been here a few times shout out HIYA's to folks. The new tourists drive in with their windows rolled down and point at Big Earl and wait for the town's one street light to change.

Several times during the morning Tinker will fly his float plane low down Main Street giving his customers a bird's eye view of the town. He will then head out over the lake and drop the customers off at one of the far islands that he keeps remote camps at and will come back in a week to pick them up. Church league softball team is holding a practice down on the field and there is more standing around and watching balls fall to the grass then there is running and catching. Jeanie and her husband Stan have the mobile Ice Cream/Tackle truck parked near the access and some fishermen are getting ready to launch their boats while trying to lick ice cream cones before they melt. Down the shoreline several familles are fishing from shore. They have already set up tents at the campground and they must have been here before as the good spots looked to be all taken already.

Several cars in the lot at the Masterbaiters Shop and I saw the minnow truck headed that way with a line of trucks behind it. Rumor had it there were shinners on the truck but that was just a wish that someone was spreading. I was just coming up to where I had the Tahoe parked and my daughter and grand daughter drove up and gave me a HIYA. I leaned up against the passenger door and gave my grand daughter a kiss on the cheek and got one in return. My number two granddaughter said to me "Papa I have three days off from school" I smiled at here and said "Honey, you have three months off from school" She looked at me then at her ma and then back to me and said "Guess I got laid off" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,117,181}

June 9, 2013

Today is National Donald Duck Day, no wonder "Lucky" the duck who lives in Chuck's pond is making so much noise this morning. Big bon fire at the resort last night, we spent the afternoon tearing down one of the out buildings so we can expand the garden into where it was standing. We did salvage some of the lumber but the siding was pretty shot so we lit er up. Was a good excuse for the Lake Iwanttobethere Volunteer Fire Department to hold the monthly meeting so the call was put out. Of course this also gave us a chance to show off the Club House and we booked a few cabins and Marv and Vic fed the group. After the fire was left to burn out the guys were good enough to rake it out to make sure there were no burning embers left. This morning I am writing and watching the approaching rain work it's way across the lake. Some chatter on the CB as guys on the lake are announcing to anyone listening when the rain starts falling at their place.

No grand kids here and I was going to put them all to work planting in the garden. That's OK with the coming rain I can wait till tomorrow to plant. The daughter had a day off from her job down at Diggers Garden Center yesterday and came out to help her dear old dad work in the resort's garden. Had a bad ten minutes as in that time span as she broke her glasses, walked into the corner of a picnic table, dropped a ladder on her shoulder and scraped her elbow on a big plastic planter. I told her to just head inside and see Vic and take a break. Ten minutes later I found her with her feet up in the main room an ice pack on her shoulder, her elbow resting on another ice pack and her good hand holding a cold beer with Vic working on her glasses. As I came in the room she told me she was done for the day and I told her bad things happen only in threes and she should be good for the day and just walk it off. "Nope, I am going to stay inside where it is safe and help Vic" and with that I lost the daughter for the rest of the day.

Arlo has been coming in and buying his crawlers from the grand kids, they have their own small fridge in the bait shop. We are also getting a little dock business as guys are making their way down the narrow channel and coming into our bay to fish a little before tying up at the dock. Selling a few sodas and the occasional beer but the weather has been cool and I think most of them are just buying something so they can use the outhouse. Everyone who stays here knows we have indoor plumbing but if they don't ask we don't tell.

This afternoon I am going to spend it all in the wood shop. Going to build some clothes poles so we can put a set for each cabin in. Looks better than having ropes hanging off the trees and there is a split double header of baseball today so I will have something to listen to while I work. I will pre cut the posts and cross member and screw the hooks in, make the braces and Hammering Hank can dig some holes with the tractor when it dries up. Concrete the posts in and come back a day later and put the cross braces in, hang line and I can say I did something. Not a bad way to spend a silent Sunday, baseball and finding a way to stay out of the rain, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,119,600}

June 10, 2013

National Yo-yo Day today and of course Big Earl at the General Store has a display of Yo-yo's just inside the main entrance. In an assortment of colors and a few different sizes, I don't think any of the kids coming in to the store have a clue what they are. The old guys do and it was kind of interesting watching Elmer doing a few tricks with a bright yellow one. Of course Earl told me that Elmer has been playing with the Yo-yo for two hours trying to remember how to get it to walk the dog. I just happen to be in the store early this morning as I needed more hooks for the clothes poles that I built in the shop yesterday. Drive into town was quiet and wet, a lot of standing water in the ditches and the sides of the roads have really greened up. Have to be careful coming around the curves as the deer are out early or should I say still out. Speaking of deer they are looking better, not so ragged as they did just a month ago.

Stormy Clearweather is calling for a dry week, just a chance of a shower this morning but then it is going to stay cloudy and dry the rest of the week. Going to take a few days for things to dry out as yesterday was a soaker with it raining just about the entire day. Vic still got wet though as he had to take the boat out to get the Sunday paper. He told Elmer he needs to get one of them bilge pumps in his rowboat, said he had a few inches of water sloshing around the bottom. His boots got wet and his tackle box was floating so today I think Hammering Hank and Skinny are going to rig some kind of awing to keep the weather off the old rowboat when it is docked.

Today Vic and I am going to start doing some planting, should have had stuff in the ground two weeks ago but better late then never. Vic told me he has a feeling that summer is going to take a turn for the good here soon and we are going to have a nice long warm fall to make up for spring. So today we are going to plant cherry tomatoes anywhere we can put a pot, so that means on the deck and porches of the cabins. Even going to put a few in the window of the Bait Shop, that gets good sun when the sun is shinning. With any luck the son is coming over to the cabin this afternoon and will get the brakes fixed on the Dodge. Of course with the Dodge out of action I of course need it. That is always the way that works, The old truck could sit for six months and I would not have to haul a 2x4 but now that it is down I have to get more fence posts and I need a load of wood chips and some more fencing.

Going to give the ground a day to dry out and then I am going to see if I can get the gardens tilled up, got my fingers crossed that there is one more day of tilling left in the old tiller. If I am lucky then the grand kids will be put to work planting both the gardens here at the cabin and at the Resort. Vic has a mess of flowers for the grand daughters to plant in hanging baskets as the boys would rather get dirty in the dirt planting spuds. For me the day will not be wasted as I am going to get the cover off the Puddle Humper and get it loaded. Rods are ready and tackle boxes sorted. Gas has gone down fifty cents at the Gas-N-Go so it is time to fill the boat tank. I plan on fishing later this week so we can get a real fishing report from here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,121.520}

June 11, 2013

King Kamehameha Day here at Lake Iwanttobethere and the weather for it is just perfect, highs to be in the mid seventies, calm winds and no rain on the forecast. The Ladies Auxiliary is the sponsor of today's events and they will be down in the park this afternoon. Lucky for us there will be beer sales as some of the Ladies might be passed their prime for wearing grass skirts. A Hula hoop contest will be held and this summer's first BBQ feed. Mindy and Mandy will have their world famous Lake Iwanttobethere root beer for sale and of course Jean and Stan will have the ice cream/tackle truck on site. Tourist and locals alike are welcomed to come down and take part.

Yesterday was a good day, amazing what you can get done outside when it is not raining. Dodge has a new brake line and is back in service and I want to thank Dan down at the auto parts store for going that little extra and finding us that fitting that we needed. Cherry tomato plants are now planted all over the Resort but that good idea might have one small problem. Watering the plants that we have stuck almost everywhere. I think we are going to have to put a water barrel in the little trailer and drag it around with the garden tractor, sounds like a job for Vic to do.

Grand kids were over and put to work, Gave them each a hard hat and a hammer and told them to go to work on the old patio block sidewalk. Good thing I didn't want to keep any of the block as they destroyed the blocks but did load the wheel barrow up several times. Vic made them a lunch of hot dogs and strawberry smoothies and after a break they were ready to go back to work. Number two son wanted to go swimming but as soon as he stuck his toe in the cold lake water he was headed back to the Club House announcing he was going to take a shower instead. Windows were open and I had a few screens to repair, kids ran the screens to the wood shop and I fixed them and they took them back to Vic who did the installing. I am jealous of the energy little kids have, I hardly had any time to take a break and there was a kid with a screen back for repair.

It did get a little humid as it was overcast and it took a long time for the grass to dry and the garden is going to need another day to dry out before I can till it. Tomorrow we will till maybe because today is going to be a mowing day. Kids are planning on taking the day off and fishing and if it gets warm number one grand daughter says she is going to spend her day in the baits shop reading a book. Marv is going to wash his trailer today and he has both grandsons enlisted to help with the job, anything with hoses and water and they are up for it. The Resort is getting so busy with chores all over the place that we are thinking of putting one of them white marker boards up so we can keep track of where everyone is. We did have a discussion that all work at the Resort has to be done by five PM so everyone has time for some fishing or reading or just doing nothing.

I am thinking that I will need to take a mowing break and perhaps head into town to take in some of the King Kamehameha Day doings and maybe a beer. If we can stretch a few days into a week of no rain I think we will finally have it feeling like summer around here. It might take that long just to get the grass all cut and flowers and gardens planted. Once that is done fishing will be the number one thing to do and work can wait. So I better get to mowing, I need to get into town in time to catch Mindy and Mandy compete in the Hula hoop contest, that should be worth the trip all by itself, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,123,514}

June 12, 2013

National Machine Day here today at Lake Iwanttobethere and I have decided to celebrate the day by giving my lawn tractor the day off! I figure it is the least that I can do. I am not the only one around town with the same idea as I overheard a lot of guys down at the park last evening talking about giving their machines the day off and just doing nothing. The wife's don't have the same appreciation as the men do for our machines and most of them said they were still going into work this morning, we are going to miss them.

Yesterday was as you know King Kamehameha Day and I am sure a lot of our tourist will be taking back some memories when they leave on Friday, but I am getting ahead of myself here. I did get mowing in and the grass was green and still a little damp, with Machine Day today I will have to go back and finish mowing on Thursday morning as I am planning on go fishing that afternoon, yup finally going to get the Puddle Humper wet. Yesterday in the park the Women's Auxiliary had a quiet event going on till dusk. Pretty much just an excuse to have a big BBQ with a Hawaiian theme. The ladies wore grass skirts and a few of them looked out of place as they were still wearing their oversized sun bonnets. It was also bocci ball women's league night and Mindy and Mandy both play. They were wearing their grass skirts and bikini tops and quite a crowd was watching the game they were playing. I for one was surprised at how many people the bocci league was attracting. Of course I wandered over to see what was happening and noticed there is a surprising amount of bending over by the ladies when they toss their balls.

I don't know who won the match, I don't think any of the guys were really watching the score board. Mindy and Mandy went back to the root beer stand and even though there was another match going on the crowd pretty much disappeared. As dusk arrived the tiki torches were lit and the drumming seem to get louder. Of course by now people had a little more time to drink beer and it was a pleasant evening. I still don't know if it was planned or not but Tiny who is one of the Fellows is also married to one of the ladies of the Auxiliary. Tiny dressed up as King Kamehameha was going to do a fire walk and it looked like he was going to get away with it till part of his grass skirt caught fire.

Now here is where it got interesting because this is going to take you longer to read then how long it took. A tourist was out fishing on Lake Iwanttobethere and ran out of gas, he was rowing his boat towards the sound of the drums and the flickering lights of the tiki torches. His first time on the lake and he was later overheard talking about how the memory will stick with him the rest of his vacation, maybe even his life. So he is rowing for the dock when he hears a roar from shore and looks up to see a really big man holding a spear with his grass skirt on fire lumbering down the dock in his direction screaming. Behind him he can see a crowd but not really see any faces as everyone seems to be carrying flaming torches. Just as the big man leaps from the dock to land in the water alongside his boat he looks up to see flaming arrows raining from the dark sky.

The guy does what most guys would do, he abandons ship and jumps into the water hiding behind his boat and finds Tiny holding on to the side with him. He looks at Tiny and says "What did you do?" Tiny wiping his wet beard with his hand just looks at the guy and says "My wife." The flaming arrows were really just the tiki torches, When Tiny started running for the lake a few people grabbed torches to follow and of course if one does it everyone else follows. When they got to the water's edge and saw Tiny jump off the dock one of his Fellows tripped on the edge of the dock and tossed his torch and of course everyone thought it was all part of the show and everyone tossed their torches in. In the end no one got hurt, it was a great ending to the evening and the guy can go home and spread a good story about his vacation here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,126,230}

June 14, 2013

National "Pop goes the Weasel Day" today here at Lake Iwanttobethere, yesterday was National Juggling Day and somehow the Fellows got the idea that if they combined the two days and Juggled Weasels it would attraction some attention. Trouble is they could not find any live weasels and Big Earl at the General Store was sold out by noon of the Weasels in the box. Big Earl does have a sale going on of slightly used Tiki torches that are drying out nicely leaning against the wall in front of his store.

No story was written yesterday as I am finding out that owning a Resort, still working at the Lodge and maintaining the cabin can be demanding. I did not get the Puddle Humper wet as planned yesterday either. Got the grass all cut and I had the trolling motor battery on the charger all day. Checked the battery and it was not holding a charge, Thought maybe I needed a new battery but first decided to check the charger, charger had died on me. I am thinking the charger was bought about the same time as the tiller was and thirty years later I guess it had decided it had enough. Went to Big Earl's and bought a charger and eyed a new trolling battery and of course Big Earl came up to me and said that I should buy it "It's the last one" Of course it is, Big Earl always tells everyone that no matter what they are looking at in his store, it is the last one.

Brought the new charger back to the cabin, connected the old battery up to it came back a few hours later and nothing happening, the battery was dead. Got back in the Tahoe, drove into town exchanged HIYA's with Big Earl at the door. Walked back to the battery rack and the marine battery was gone. Had Earl paged, or I should say Hollered back to the batteries for assistance. Earl showed up and saw me standing at the rack and said "I told you to buy it when you were here" I looked at Earl and the empty rack and said "I know you got some in back" Earl shook his head and said "Bobby, I really am out of batteries, that really was the last one"

Next stop Dan's Auto Parts store, guess what, no marine deep cycle batteries, got to be kidding me. I was feeling a little desperate so I drove into the next town over and went to the Al-Mart store. Big wood pallet sitting on the Auto department floor right next to stacks of tires completely empty of deep cycle batteries. I call my buddy Chuck on the cell and tell him I need a marine battery, he tells me I should go over to the Close Enough store, lots of batteries there, all less then a dollar. I shake my head over the phone at Chuck and tell him I need a big battery for the Puddle Humper and Chuck's answer is to just buy a lot of the little ones and have Twitch wire them together for me. I don't see that having a happen ending so I kept looking but I didn't have any luck finding a battery last night.

This morning on my list of things to do was to get some spray down at Diggers for the Resort. Need to knock some of the weeds down around the cabins as no sooner do I mow then the place is covering in dandelions. I am going through the check out at Diggers and sitting right next to the tomato cages is a deep cycle trolling battery, with the plastic caps on the posts. I wave Digger over and ask him if it is for sale, he tells me yes and I used the daughters discount and ten minutes later I am on the way back to the cabin with a battery. Battery is now in the Puddle Humper and I check it off the do to list. The wife just looks at me and says "Now that was easy enough" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,130,251}

June 15, 2013

Today is National Smile Power Day which looks kind of stupid to me. I say that because last night late at the Lodge the Fellows were all sitting around the big round table and exactly at midnight they all had these big grins on their face. They kept the grins on right up till closing. Honey Sauce the waitress made the comment that the Fellows are looking a little strange even for them. I wandered over and asked what was going on and they are the ones who told me about Nation Smile Power Day.

Already today I have been up and getting a lot done. I started the morning by taking the rowboat over to the Resort from my cabin. I picked up the mail and the morning newspaper and I found Vic at the dock just getting ready to go out. Vic just shrugged his shoulders and climbed down into his boat and pushed off. A moment later and the line was dragging out over the transom and he pulled on the oars heading down the shore. I watched for a moment and headed up the path to the Club House, Don't think I am quite in rowing shape to be coming from the cabin to the Resort everyday just yet.

Grand kids are coming over later in the afternoon and we are going to finish putting in all the flower gardens and vegetables. I am getting a lot of "It's not going to grow" comments but I know if I don't get it in the ground then it is not going to grow for sure. So I am going to try and finish tilling and planting today and maybe just maybe I will go fishing tomorrow. Last night I was working in the Lodge, catching up on paper work and working the room so to speak. Gus has things pretty much under control and to the surprise of both of us guys are actually using the treadmills down in the basement. With no rain and sunshine the Lodge is feeling more like a middle of the summer Lodge should be. Finally no fire going in the fireplace and just as many people sitting out on the deck overlooking the lake as people sitting inside watching baseball.

Since summer is so late getting here this year we have not even mentioned the skeeters, they are here there is no doubt about that. Come evening and the sun goes down the fly swatters have been coming out and this years crop are big enough to hit with the swatters. Arlo is saying that there is a creek that he has been fishing on that the skeeters are so big he just catches them in his hand and ties a #10 hook to them and then uses them as bait. Big Earl was in and told me that he found me a battery but I told him I found one at Diggers. He was OK with that and then told me that he is now sold out of tiki torches. He is thinking of sponsoring a fire walk in the park every month. It would appear the Fire Walk was a big hit with the tourists and they all bought out all of the General's Stores tiki torches to bring back as a souvenir of that evening. Earl has already talked to Tiny about reenacting his fire run off the dock but Tiny is having second thoughts. His wife gave him the once over and it looks like he burned all the hair off the back of his legs, The wife likes the look but the Fellows have been giving him the business about being hairless.

Father's Day, the wife's birthday, my 720th birthday all in the next few days. Matter of fact as I was sitting at the bar last night Big Earl told me an interesting fact. Men spend three times as much money on Mothers Day as Women do on Fathers Day. Don't really know if that has any real meaning but after I bought the new battery charger and the new boat battery the wife told me "Happy Fathers Day and I hope you enjoy your birthday present." Not only did she get out of shopping for me, I ended up paying for them, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,132,435}

June 16, 2013

Today is of course Fathers Day but it is also National Hollerin Days, somehow I think the two go together. It is not Hollering Days here at the lake though as you see in order to get to the National contest you first have to get through your local town Hollerin shout outs before advancing to county, regional, state and then nationals, that can take all year. To all you fathers out there here at the Lodge we want to send you out a pat on the back and a job well done. Also if you mention you are a father when you order we will give ya a free drink on the house. Just our way of saying thanks.

There has been growing ground support that there should be a second father's day, a grandfather's day. I did not really hear about this day till I became a grandfather myself but now that I talk to a lot of other grandfathers I agree that we should have our own day. Sure I know father's day is our day too but we have to share, we should have a day where only grand kids and grandpa's celebrate. No cards or ties or the dreaded gift card but we should have a day where we get kid time from our grand kids. Hot dogs and melting ice cream cones, maybe some fireworks. Dock fishing with bare feet in warm water, bluegills nipping at your toes. I suppose grand ma's should have a day to, but they should not be allowed to share with the grand pa's.

Kids have been hinting the last week what I want for Fathers Day I tell them I want the same thing they got their ma on Mothers Day. My oldest daughter said "You really want flowers and candy" and I nodded my head yes, yes I do. You see I have a plan, tomorrow is the wife's birthday, if I can get a mess of candy and flowers I will just regift. Would save me a trip trying to find her a present and I would for sure find something she likes.

This morning I slept in some, not because I wanted to it was because I was sore from yesterday. Maybe rowing the boat over to the Resort might not have been the best idea. It took five hours to get the big garden all tilled up and with the help of the grand kids it is now all planted. With no way back to the cabin I had to take the rowboat back. I was pretty loose from all the shoveling and raking but when I pulled up to the dock I was having a hard time standing up, Back had stiffen some and I finally got out of the boat and headed up the path to the cabin. I had my head down and my back hunched over some, but I made it to the cabin.

Today finds it sunny out and just enough of a breeze to keep the skeeters away. I am sitting out on the deck watching Duncan trying to catch butterflies and enjoying some peace and quiet. My neighbor Chuck just left as his son is taking him golfing for Fathers Day, lucky guy. When their round is over we will meet up at the Resort as Vic and Marv are planning a big BBQ and all the fathers are invited. Will be a big family event as Hammering Hank and Tess will be there along with Marv and Vic and I do believe Vic has invited Elsie from down the road to be his date. Elmer will of course be there and everyone staying at the Resort has also been invited. Throw in all the kids and I heard that Nytelyter might make a run through the bay will his catamaran and launch a few fireworks at dusk. Might just turn out to be a pretty good day, as long as I can get some candy for the wife, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,135,097}

June 17, 2013

National Eat your Vegetables Day and also the wife's birthday. I think the Eat Your Vegetables Day is sponsored by the farmers and most kids think that day is everyday. After spending the other day putting in the vegetable garden I have had enough of vegetables for awhile. Yesterday it rained off and on and when the first shower fell the number two grandson starting jumping up and down and yelling. I could not hear what he was saying as I was inside the cabin so I went out and waved him over. Never saw him so excited about falling rain till I heard what he was saying " I don't have to water the plants" over and over. One of his chores has been to water the tomato plants that sit in pots on the deck, he assumed that with the gardens all in he was going to have to carry water to all the plants and water them. Then it dawned on me, with the rain I don't have to water the plants either and I joined him jumping up and down cheering. The wife stood at the screen door drying her hands on a dish towel and watched the two of us jumping up and down in the rain and just shook her head.

Sheriff Tim came by this morning, I was surprised to see the sheriff car come up the drive and I saw that he had his dog Bailiff with him. Tim got out of the car and open the door for Bailiff to climb out. The old dog stretched a little and then went sniffing around. I walked over to the car and we exchanged HIYA's and I asked what brought him over. He told me he wanted to get right to it, and I started wondering what I might have done wrong. Tim told me that there is a story going around down at Diggers that I was digging a hole for the wife and I had also ordered some dirt, he was just here to ask about the hole. I just kind of stood there for awhile and noticed that Tim was kind of watching me all sheriff like. I then heard Bailiff let loose one of them hound bark howls and it was coming from over by the garden. Sheriff Tim looked at me and said "Lets take a little stroll"

Bailiff was standing alongside a hole in the ground and Duncan was next to him. Sheriff Tim walked up trying to look in the hole and keep an eye on me at the same time. Alongside the hole was a blue tarp about six feet long and maybe three feet wide covering something. I walked over and scratching my head I asked "What is the big deal about digging a hole" Sheriff Tim looked at me and said "Bobby, you want to pull that tarp back so I can get a look?" I walked over to the tarp and bent down to grab a corner, sheriff Tim said "Do me a favor Bobby, do it real slow" I shook my head and with Duncan scratching at the tarp I pulled it back to reveal..... Strawberry plants.

Bailiff howled again and Tim leaned over for a better look. "What are you doing here Bobby?" He asked. I stood up and said "I am putting in a raised bed for a new strawberry patch for the wife, I needed some more dirt so I dug a hole in the garden but that is not going to be enough so I ordered a load from Diggers, what did you think I was doing here? " Sheriff Tim looked at me and with perfect timing the screen door to the cabin slammed and the wife and Buddy and Barney came down to the garden. They exchanged HIYA's when the wife got close and she asked if Tim hand made the trip all the way out here to wish her Happy Birthday. Tim looked at me and back at the wife and said " It was no trouble at all, Happy Birthday" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,137,400}

June 18, 2013

I had to look a little harder today till I was stopped by a bus load of Canadian fishermen who were passing through town, that is when I found out it is International Panic Day. They were looking for Lake iwannabethere and I told them that this is Lake Iwanttobethere. The leader of the group told me that I was wrong, the lake they are looking for is called Lake iwannabethere. After arguing for a few minutes I simply used a tactic that works with almost all tourists, I told him he was right and I was wrong. I then gave him directions and pointed them south, told him another hundred miles or so and he will find Lake iwannabethere. As they drove by me I waved at them and I had a smile on my face. Some of them waved back at me holding on to their cans of Molson and eating their all day beef jerky sandwiches.

I have already been into town as you can see, middle of the week and I am getting a few HIYA's from tourist who are making themselves comfortable. Was down at the General store, needed some more hardware for the clothes poles and also I bought a sprinkler for the cabin garden. The one I had was not working, it would only go halfway so the garden was not getting watered and I was spending to much time moving the sprinkler. Also had to get a repair kit for the garden hose, that somehow got chewed off, I looked at Duncan as the most likely candidate but then I saw Echo the wonder dog running out of the yard last night.

Cabin was busy as the place was filled with the wife's relatives for her birthday gathering. I try and not talk about them so I wont start now. I will mention that a couple of her young nephews being helpful and not having any guidance decide to fill the hole in the garden for me with the dirt I had dug out for the raised berry patch. Today finds me trying to decide if I really want to dig the hole again or just leave as is and put the blue trap on it and walk away.

The regifting of flowers and candy was a success, of course the candy was minus the caramel that I prefer. Didn't take long for the wife's sisters to go through the boxes and I could hear them complaining that all the caramels were all gone. I must admit that put a smile on my face as I looked at the box hidden in my desk drawer filled with nothing but chocolate covered caramels. Duncan and I slipped out the door and went over to Elmer's, Duncan was getting to much attention and I think he just had enough of the patting and tugging on his ears and being told he was a handsome lad. I could almost hear him telling the ladies tugging on him that he is a Lab not a Lad.

I found Elmer sitting on the far side of his cabin, the side that faces away from my cabin. A small deck is attached to the cabin there and it has never seen a drop of stain in it's life. Elmer had a fire going in the pit just off the deck and he had his hose close at hand just in case the fire jumped the ring. Not much flame to the fire but a lot of smoke, the trade off was no skeeters either. I came around the corner and ducked under the smoke and found Elmer sitting comfortable like on his wood chaise lounge with a cooler close at hand. Duncan went over and Elmer petted him, Duncan likes Elmer and waiting till Elmer was done patting him before he came over and sat on my foot. "Beer" Elmer asked. "I thought you would never ask" I replied. Elmer looked at me and said "You don't think I am going to get up and get it for ya, do ya?" I threw up my hands and said "Geeze what was I thinking" chuckling I open the cooler found a beer in the ice water and sat down on the deck steps. I took a long sip of beer and wiped my eyes that were watering from the smoke and just looked at Elmer and said "Smooth" from Lake Iwanttobethere{1,139,129}

June 20, 2013

Today is Ice Cream Soda Day and even though it is still early in the day I am thinking that I will have to find where Stan and Jean have the mobile Ice Cream/Tackle truck parked and get me a float. Yesterday was World Sauntering Day and I would normally use that as an excuse to head into town and just wander around like a tourist. Back in the day I could just hang a camera around my neck and pull my hat down low but them days seem to be over. Now a day everyone has a phone in hand either texting or answering it and from time to time taking a photo with it. Most of the time they are do busy texting or talking that they miss good photos to shoot.

Since yesterday was World Sauntering Day I did actually do some sauntering, I just did it on the water. Sunshine Ray has been forecasting several wet days ahead and I still have not been on the water officially. I woke up yesterday and just decide that yesterday was the day I was going fishing. I stepped out onto the back deck and I saw Chuck next door. I hollered over "I'm going fishing, want to go with" Over the sound of chickens I heard his holler back, "Give be an hour" and I gave him a thumbs up.

Well, an hour was not enough time to get ready. The Puddle Humper was sort of ready but not really ready. I still had to load tackle boxes and fishing rods. Put the tie downs on and connect the batteries. Carry the trolling motor up from the basement and then look for the key to unlock the padlock on the mount. Rain coats, life vests, tool bag, change spark plugs just a lot of stuff that should have been done but was not. I backed the Tahoe up to the trailer and did a perfect stop and dropped the hitch right onto the ball. That does not happen to often when I don't have anyone directing me. But the time I saved there I quickly spent in getting the trailer lights to work.

More like two hours later and Chuck and I were driving down the blacktop heading for a little lake that should be loaded with bass. As expected no one was at the landing except for skeeters and we launched the Puddle Humper. I sat down to tie lures to rods as that is something else that was not done. Chuck was already fishing and I watched his line while trying to tie mine. It might have been a little easier if I had not left my glasses on the dash of the Tahoe but there was no going back to shore now, we were fishing. First bass of the day was caught by Chuck, all of eight inches and later in the summer he would be heckled for letting such a little fish be caught. Today though it was the first fish of the season and it was treated with respected, admired a little and then released.

A moment later and I caught the first northern of the season, a four pounder who made a nice little run and thrashed at the boat some. I held it up for Chuck to see and looked for the fish board to see how long it was and of course that is something else that I forgot back at the cabin. Northern released we were now even at one apiece and even though my fish was bigger it was not a bass and so the season long contest between us had started. I had brought my video camera along but I did not bother to shoot any action. I just wanted to fish and not have to worry about getting a good shot. We had a good day, thirty-two bass came over the side of the Puddle Humper and another five were lost at boat side. The one northern was the only one we caught and I made a point of pointing that out to Chuck.

As the sun started to settle low in the sky the sketters came out to find us, That is when I discovered something else I had forgotten back at the cabin, pants. Fishing in shorts can sometimes be a little disadvantage. I had not started the big motor yet so I thought maybe we should fire it up and head back to the landing. I turned the key and much to my surprise the motor started right up and I let it idle. The fogging oil was burned off and a nice blue cloud was forming around the stern of Puddle Humper. I went up to the front of the boat to pull the trolling motor up and turn back to see Chuck standing on the rear deck in a blue smoke cloud. Kind of looked like Gene Simmions on stage at a KISS concert.

We motored into the landing and not till I turned off the motor and we glided in on the calm waters did we hear the peepers. The boat grounded on the gravel landing and we sat for a moment and just listened. Then as old men tend to do we grunted and groaned and climbed out of the boat to get the trailer. Cigars tip glowing red and cans of cold soda in hand we drove back home, I for one thought we had a pretty good opener. This morning I have the battery for the trolling motor on the charger and the tarp covering the Puddle Humper. If it wants to rain that's OK because now we are ready to fishing on the next clear day, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,143,289}

June 21, 2013

Today is Ferris Wheel Day, the first day of Summer and Fly Swatting Day, pretty easy to put all of them together and have a reason to spend some time outside, that is if it not raining. Last night was filed with thunderstorms rolling in one after the other. This morning finds standing water in the gardens and the rain barrels are over flowing. The green house is empty of plants, everything is in the ground or in pots and with the rain I do not have to do any watering. Number two grandson is very happy about the no watering and rubbed it into his sister and brother who still have to do their chores when staying at the cabin. Yesterday afternoon we got some showers and a few quick thunderstorms came through. It was a good day to relax in the recliner and read a book so that is what I did. Arm was a little sore from casting the day before as I am in no way in fishing shape but I hope in the next few weeks I will be out enough to take care of that.

I did go down to the Lodge as there was not much around the cabin I could do, at least that is what I told the wife. I left a caramel on the kitchen table for her and moved the rest out to the shop where I hid them in the potbelly stove. I know as soon as I left she went in search of the candy that was missing from her birthday candy boxes. At the Lodge I went through some phone messages that were days old and tossed a bunch of mail that was of no importance. With the falling rain the place was pretty busy as no one was fishing but the Lodges parking lot is a good place to park your rig and be close to the landing just in case it clears up.

The Fellows were sitting at the big round table and the yellow think pad was out and they were busy writing away with their number two yellow pencils. I was working on a all day jerky sandwich that I had made earlier in the day and I went over and sat with them. We exchanged HIYA's and I asked what they were up to, Tiny said they were just getting ready to come and see me. The Lodge is always the first place the Fellows look to when they want something to get sponsored and sometimes we actually do, sponsor them that is. I sat my jerky sandwich down on a beer coaster and told Tiny to fire away.

Gary gathered up the drawings and put them in some kind of order and after a sip of his beer he started the presentation. Rather then go through the entire thing I will briefly touch on what they were proposing. The thought today was that since the cruise lines are having a really terrible stretch of luck that maybe it would be a good idea for the Lodge to sponsor a cruise line right here on the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. Since we don't have a cruise ship the Fellows were thinking they would just tie end to end all of their pontoon's boats and they could make maybe a hundred footer. They could put a hot tub on one pontoon and some green indoor outdoor carpet on another where you could have a putting green and also be able to drive golf balls into the lake. Not wanting to waste the golf balls they could have a shotgun shooting range on yet another pontoon boat and schedule the golf driving at the same time as the golf ball shooting.

Maybe even some snorking could be offered to retrieve the golf balls that didn't get shot! A couple of sleeper pontoons could be made up like sleeper cars on a railroad so they could cover that as a tie in to the Amtrak theme that they were also thinking about. The lead pontoon could be decorated up like a steam boat so they would then cover the Mississippi river gambling theme. Of course they are still working on a dinner section and a keg section but Greg's boat is already all set up for that. I nodded my head and grunted here and there and told them when I finished my jerky sandwich I would get back to them. They told me I should check back with them as it, the Cruise Line is still a work in progress. I left with my sandwich and I see it is still sitting here on my desk back at home. I am thinking it is kind of dry by now so I am going to go get a few caramels from the stove and freshen it up some, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,145,091}

June 22, 2013

Today is National Chocolate Eclair Day, National Set Adrift Day and my 720th birthday. Here at Lake Iwanttobethere it is just a wet, foggy Saturday. The past several days have been repeats of the previous day which means showers and thunderstorms and strong winds followed by dense fog, not exactly the best of fishing days nor really the kind of weather the tourists are looking for. Number two grandson thinks the weather has been great, it has been days since he has had to water any plants outside. There has been an upside to all of this wet weather and that is the night crawler picking has been excellent. Kids have several coolers full and they are already counting their profits.

At the Resort we are slowly picking up business wise. We still have not held our grand non opening yet but more and more fishermen are finding their way through the channel to our little hide away. This weekend finds three cabins rented out and four RV's parked. A second dock is in the water and we are even renting out the rowboats with out motors. Arlo held a fly fishing class last night on the little bay and the bluegills cooperated. Afterwards the class came into the Club House and we actually sold some beer and egg salad sandwiches.

Elmer has plans to build a deer stand over looking the main garden, he was out there and spotted a woodchuck digging. Elmer has had problems in the past with his own garden and he is not going to let any wood chuck gain a foot hold in the big garden here. I support him and told him as soon as my birthday is over I will come out and help build, but I think Hammering Hank and Skinny are going to do it today since it is to wet to fish. Having just said that it is to wet to fish I am thinking that is kind of a stupid thing to say, how can it be to wet to fish on water?

Minor accident in the bait shop last night as the kids were filling cups with leeches to sell and kind of dropped the bucket on the floor. A pound of leeches in a couple of gallons of water hit the floor and the leeches rode the water like it was a surfing wave, Took them better then an hour to find and pick up all the leeches. This morning when I was in there I found two that they missed. I was putting away a tackle order that had arrived yesterday, kind of like opening presents on Christmas morning. I knew what was in the big brown box since I had made the order but still fun to hang spoons and spinnerbaits on the pegboard. Nice to hear the sound of water gurgling in the minnow tanks and a static on the am radio.

Our inventory is growing as we are putting the profits from sales right back into more inventory. Guys come in here and look around the walls and we all smile at seeing sunshine reflecting of spoons and look forward to hearing the bell over the door that Vic installed jiggle when someone comes in. Guys take turns working in the bait shop but right now it is not work, good just to go in there and chat fishing and if we sell something that is a big plus. Vic has been working the evening shift as he like to call it, he has the baseball game on and sits on a stool and watches a bobber float in the minnow tank.

If the rain stays away this afternoon I am going to take Vic's rowboat out and just do a little drifting in the bay. Maybe drown a night crawler under a red and white bobber off the Lilly pads and play with some gills and maybe a bass. Think number two grandson will be coming with as he is the only one with all his chores already done, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,145,803}

June 24, 2013

Today is the first day of Hush Week here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Over the weekend we had our Hollerin Days and pretty much everyone in the town is speechless today. Emma Fergonson is our local champ and later this summer she will move on to the county fair Hollerin Days contest. Her husband Dale will be glad to see her get away for the weekend as it was reported that Mrs. Fergonson was not even entered in the contest and was just having an argument with her husband about where they should go to pick blueberries. Emma was so loud that the judges could hear her over the current contestant that they were judging and left the judging area to find her. After hearing her up close the contest was pretty much for second place after that.

Today finds people passing in the street just nodding and waving to each other. I picked night crawlers last night for me and the daughter to go fishing with this afternoon. I had to go pick my own because the grand kids would not give me a discount on the ones they have picked and have for sale in the bait shop. Today I have a sore back and hip from bending over and in the future I may just have to pay full price to the grand kids rather then go through the aching back of today. Today is also the only day this week when it is not forecasted to rain, I should mow the grass but if it comes down to fishing or mowing, the fishing should and in this case will win out.

The daughter and I are heading to a little sunnies lake that we have hidden to ourselves and there is a chance to catch a few bass to. We will arm ourselves with crappie rods and bobbers and dangle worms off Lilly pads and get excited over eight inch bluegills. We will stop at Amy's Bakery and get a couple of loose meat sandwiches and some of Mindy and Mandy's Lake Iwanttobethere Root Beer. When the time is right we will find the shade of a tree along the shoreline and eat the sandwiches and drink the cold root beer. Making sure of course to wash our fingers of crawlers and bluegills before hand.

I am guessing we will see red winged black birds and hear cows mooing. Skeeters are sure to be there but we have bug spray. Picked lots of worms so it will be a little while before we have to break them in two so they will last longer. Today's story is kind of short but that is because we are going fishing and still have to go to Amy's and the Gas-N-Go for fuel and some Kit Kat's. Gas has gone down that I can buy them again and I might even stop at Marv's Smoke Shop for a cigar for the ride back home. Have a good Monday, I'm going fishing with the daughter, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,147,602}

June 25, 2013

Today is Catfish and also Lightning Day and if Sunshine Ray's forecast is true we should be seeing some of the lightning later this evening. Warm and muggy here at Lake Iwanttobethere and if it was a tad cooler going over to Mystery River might just be the thing to do with the left over night crawlers we have from yesterday's fishing. The crawlers did not survive their day in the plastic coffee can to well. All the more reason why we should have used the metal coffee can but the plastic one was handy so that is what we took with. Of course no sooner were we on the boat and the daughter pulled the top off the plastic coffee can and dumped all the crawlers and bedding onto the carpeted floor of the Puddle Humper. Yup, the daughter went from being twenty-six to six in an instant.

I thought I did a pretty good job of not saying a word as I watched her trying to pick up the worms and clean the bedding off the carpet. Skeeters were thick for even mid day at the landing, we made quick work of getting the Puddle Humper into the water and away from shore. Didn't take but a few minutes for the black flies to find us and out came the bug dope and Elmer's secret fly lotion. I was just on this little lake five days ago and we did pretty good on the bass but I was here today because the daughter want's to catch gills and just have fun. We brought ultra lite rods and we had number six hooks with one inch bobbers on. The pond weed that was just starting to hit the surface a few days ago now has the little lake ringed in, I am guessing that in a week it will be a mat and fishing will be tough to get anywhere close to shore.

Daughter was baited up and first cast hit the water and the bobber barely had a chance to settle before a gill had it and the daughter was yanking on it. With a brief fight an eight inch gill came to the side of the boat and the forceps was brought out and the fish sent back into the water. I was to busy watching her and my crawler was stolen by a sneaky sunny. I told her we should probably spit the night crawlers in half so they will last longer and with a grimace she separated one and tossed me a half. Funny as the afternoon went on that every time I needed a worm I always got the smaller end.

The daughter was out fishing me on the gills so I picked up a rod with a small spinnerbait and started hitting the open pockets next to shore. As we worked our way around the lake I picked up some bass and lost a few but they all felt big on the little ultra lite rod. At seven-thirty the daughter announced that she would be done fishing at eight and when eight came she set her rod down and laid down on the back deck of the Puddle Humper and just watched clouds. She had lost count of how many gills she had caught and not a single bass had found her worms so she was calling it a night. We were still several hundred yards away from the landing so I told her I would keep fishing till we got there. With her laying on the back enjoying the evening we went right past the landing and she didn't even notice as I kept fishing.

I had my eye on a weedy point that I had seen a few swirls on over the past twenty minutes or so. When we got close I launched the little spinnerbait along the edge and turned the handle maybe once when a fish hit and the little rod bowed down to the water. The drag starting singing and the daughter open one eye and looked at me and saw the rod. I might have mentioned that I had a decent fish on and she sat up and saw the line cutting through the water and also noticed we were way pass the landing. It took a couple of minutes but I had a northern along side the boat and she reached down and pulled the fish in over the side. We took a picture and forgot all about weighing it before she eased it back into the water. Back to being a six year old she looked at me and said "Now can we go home" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,148,185}

June 26, 2013

National Canoe Day and here at Lake Iwanttobethere and the word is out. You would have thought that yesterday was the day it should have been celebrated as the jumping deer on the wall thermometer at the Resort was nudging ninety by mid afternoon. I saw several canoes strapped on top of cars and pulled behind trucks in those six pack canoe trailers. Come evening when I was back at the Lodge the shoreline of Lake Iwanttobethere had people paddling on by in a rainbow of colored canoes leaving small vee wakes behind them. Today has rain in the forecast and right now the sky is overcast and it is at least twenty-five degrees cooler, which is welcomed. At the Lodge the same guys who were complaining last winter about it being to cold are now the same ones complaining that it is too hot.

Good day to get some work done around the cabin as the cool air is so much better than that hot, muggy stuff. Having the skeeters and black flies creates just enough of a nuisance being outside that you can't enjoy the excuse of it being too hot to work out. That's where going canoeing was a good idea. Just far enough away from shore to get away from the skeeters and quick enough to make the flies have to work to keep up with ya. Today I am sure the canoes will be back on the water and hopefully the thunderstorms will stay away to the North for those who want to get a paddle in. Might be a good day to mow grass, I didn't say I was going to do it, just thinking about it.

Some bad news to report, with the long cold and wet spring I have just about given up on my apple trees this season. They never did blossom and I am going to have a bad year for apples which means apple pies are going to be few and far between this fall. Matter of fact the garden is doing very poorly, my hope for getting something might have failed as we are in for several more wet days before it dries out and that might be too late already. I am thinking I will just have to go fishing and the wife says that is my answer for everything. Of course she did mention that if the garden is doing so bad I can spend the weeding time instead on staining the cabin, which seems to be a never ending project.

Three of the four grand kids are here at the cabin and I am letting them sleep in late. As soon as they get up we are headed over to the Resort where Marv has promised to make blueberry pancakes, and muffins and pies. As you might have guessed blueberries are ripe as they took their sweet time this season. Of course the pancakes come with a price as the kids will have to go picking. Always chores for them to do at the Resort but then they will be able to go do some fishing in the afternoon if the rain stays away. Yesterday the bait shop was a popular place to hang out at, It might not have been any cooler then anywhere else in the Club House but the sound of gurgling water in the minnow tanks and our liberal policy about drinking beer seems to have a cooling effect.

The deer stand or should I say groundhog stand has been erected just off the big garden here at the Resort and Elmer has been spending time up there with his .22 of course since it has been built the ground hog has not been seen again. Elmer has been watching a doe with two fawns and now just goes out there to watch them and make sure they stay out of the garden. Elmer also said he thinks he saw a moose the other night so that might be interesting as Elmer wants to reinforce his stand, just in case. Pretty much just another middle of the week day here at Lake Iwanttobethere. {1,148,891}

June 27, 2013

No doubt summer has arrived here at Lake Iwanttobethere and with it came the excuse to go take in a baseball game. Vic has a friend of a friend that has an interest in the local minor league baseball team. From time to time he will pass Vic some tickets and Vic just so happen to have some yesterday. When I took the grand kids to the Club House to do some work Vic asked if it was OK to give the kid's tickets. With the promise of baseball tickets the kids attacked the chore list and I just stood by and watched them work. Matter of fact they were working so hard that I even broke a sweat.

By late afternoon the chores were done and the kids were cleaned up, grandpa style. Which means they were each given a bar of soap and told to jump off the dock. With grandma not around they shed clothes and hit the water and got rinsed off with the garden hose and were dressed and ready to head to the ball park. The ball park is in what once was a farm field and the view is great of the lake and surrounding area. The park has been around for a long time and has history to it but I must admit I don't go there often. When I was a young lad it was a cheap place to take a date to as admission was a dime, a hot dog or a soda a nickel and crackerjacks were an outrageous ten cents, but back then they actually came with a prize inside not like today with a piece of paper. On the way into the park we stopped and picked up grand daughter #2 because we would not hear the end of it if she missed a baseball game.

With four kids we made it through the gates and found our way down to the seats just behind third base. We settled in and I thought we got some good seats as we were close enough to hear the crack of the bat and the sound a ball makes as it hits the leather of the third basemen's glove. A pretty good crowd was gathered and even though there was a threat of some rain I had forgotten all about bring a umbrella. After the hot dog vendor came by and the soda guy who followed I was a little lighter in the wallet but the kids were content. By the second inning the youngest was getting restless and told me she wanted better seats. I thought we had pretty good seats but she wanted to go up higher where she could see more, it didn't take her long to convince her cousins and soon all four of them wanted to go up under the roof to the nose bleed section.

Knowing better than to try and argue with all of them I looked at the long stretch of stairs and we started climbing. Well I was doing the climbing they just ran up the stairs as easy as running down them. Me on the other hand took my time going up them and lucky I knew a few people at the game and I stopped to chat and used it as an excuse to take my time to the top. The granddaughter found the perfect set of seats according to her, right up against the back wall where you could look at the field and turn around and look out under the roof at the parking lot and a dark wave of clouds that were coming in our direction. Instead of seats there was a long wood bench up there and I was looking for that soda guy as I could use a drink. It would appear that the soda guy does not like taking the walk up the stairs either and after awhile I ended up sending the oldest grandson down to the good seats? To fetch me a soda and a round of cracker jacks for all of us.

The game continued but with one out in the bottom of the fourth the rain came. Sky just open up and rain fell mostly on all those seats down close to the field that had no roof over them. We sat with our backs against the wall and a roof over our heads and watched as people scampered up from the GOOD seats to get under the roof and out of the rain. The shower lasted maybe five minutes and when it stopped the folks headed back down to their wet seats. We didn't move, we were dry and had a great view of the next rain shower heading for the field, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,149,550}

June 29, 2013

Coming up on the end of Hush Week and voices are getting stronger after Hollerin Days. I think we always mess with tourist minds a little when they come into town this past week as everyone is whispering. It is kind of nice to have people wave at ya without screaming out your name at the same time. Even the other night at the baseball game the vendors just kind of waved their hot dogs and cotton candy over their heads to get your attention instead of yelling out their pitch. This weekend is Rhubarb Weekend and anything that can be made with rhubarb is on sale at the local eateries and diners and the Ladies Auxiliary is having a bake sale at the Lodge. The sale does not start till later in the afternoon as most of the ladies are holding their weekly meeting in the small meeting room here at the Lodge.

Days of summer seem to go by to fast now, already another week has gone by and for that matter the month of June will nothing but a memory in just a few days. Fourth of July is on a Thursday this year which for many means a four day weekend. Already the campground is full which is not unusually for this time of the year but most of the campers that have come into the Lodge have said they are here for all of next week to. Sunshine Ray's long range forecast is calling for decent temperatures and almost no rain for all of the upcoming week. Maybe my garden will finally take off with some sunshine, it has had more then enough rain. Some clouds in the sky this morning but I don't think we will be getting any rain and a lot of fishermen feel the same. Looking out over the water of Lake Iwanttobethere you can see the colored dots of boats and hear the jet skis.

First mow for hay will be starting soon and as you drive the gravel roads past the farms the grass is deep and rich. By supper time the horses are let out and they work along the fence line nuzzling the sweet grass and looking at the grass on the other side of the fence which we all know is better. Long tails slap at black flies and crows sit on the posts watching. Tractors sit in the middle of fields and you always wonder, at least I do if they broke down or that is just where the farmer decided to park them. Fire flies wink at dusk now and peepers are still making noise along with the croaking of the bigger frogs. Redwing black birds are also seen along the ditches but the robins are a little harder to find. Seagulls march across the softball field, once in the morning and then again at dinner time.

Deer are seen at sunset, especially in the farm fields. Sometimes there are so many of them they almost look like the farmer is raising them. At the Club House the deck is a pretty popular place to sit. We get last light and the sound of cows from a farm just on the other side of the bay usually serenades us. Add peepers and the occasional honk of goose and wind chimes lightly banging and we have some fine free entertainment. There are a lot of good things about the Club House but the best so far has been no jet skies in the Little Bay. Guess I never really noticed how much I hate the sound of that annoying buzzing sound they make. The main lake can have them, more water out there for them anyway.

The long days of summer are here but I guess they have to be long because there is just so much that there is to do. Flowers need to be watered and gardens tended. Repairs made to buildings and jobs that were too cold to do in winter can no longer be excused in summer. Then there is of course grass to mow but that is always better then shoveling snow. Books to be read on the covered swing and time measured by melting ice cubs in glasses. Toes dangling off the dock in the lake water and bobbers drifting off the patch of reeds. Getting to be that time of summer where summer should be experienced and not written or read about. I am going to cut back on the writing some and do some fishing and work on my fishing videos. Stories will still be found here but not daily. From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,150,242}

July 1, 2013

Sunshine Ray forecast about sunny skies and no rain is coming through, he does need to work on his wind prediction as a gentle five mile per hour breeze around your knees today is a snatch your hat off your head and blow it down the street steady gust. Of course the wind is no reason to stop you from going fishing and that is what I will be doing later this afternoon. With projects somewhat all caught up it is time to get some fishing in and check out a few of the lakes around Lake Iwanttobethere. Lucky for me I have a few fishing partners lined up and as I explained to the wife I am committed to go fishing with them at least a couple of times each month. It just so happens that it is going to be a nice week and I have someone to go fishing with for the next few days.

Made it through Hush week and I have eaten enough Rhubarb pie to last the rest of the month. The fair weather and having Thursday as a holiday has really brought a lot of people into town and every one is busy. Which is good because we really had a pretty slow spring. Yesterday afternoon we had a traffic jam here at the Lake which is something rarely ever seen. Our only stop light burnt out and four farmers were all stopped at the four way telling each other to go ahead. Finally the farmer driving the John Deer combine went and traffic was once again flowing.

The Fellows have an answer booth down at the park, actually it is a picnic table where they erected one of them temporary canopies. Always looking for some kind of way to make beer money they came across an idea by watching TV that they could have an answering booth and they could answer anyone's question for a small fee. Of course they will not be able to answer your question on the spot but promise to answer it, your question overnight. The idea is to gather questions and then they will stay overnight at the Holiday Inn Express and bring back your answer the next day, so far all they are doing is just drinking beer under the canopy.

Quiet day here at the cabin as no one is around, grand kids are not here and the wife is at work. Elmer is down working at Marv's cigar shop and Chuck is headed into town to Amy's Bakery to buy us loose meat samwiches. Chuck is my fishing partner for this afternoon and he volunteered to get the samwiches so I agreed. Now not having the grand kids around and no rain means I spent a good chuck of time this morning going around and watering flowers. Duncan of course helped me as we have been training him how to carry a plastic water pitcher. By accident we found him dipping the plastic pitcher in Buddy and Barney's swimming pool and then running off with it. He is such a smart dog that it didn't take me long to train him to dip the pitcher in the pool and then carry the water to the flower beds and dump the water back out. Only problem so far has been when it is hot out he tends to stop a lot and drink from his water pitcher.

4th of July parade and of course there will be fireworks that night. Nytelyter is promising an even bigger and better show then last year. The Fellows have been working on their Pontoon Cruse Line and I am told they are booked full for the $th I mean 4th evening dinner cruise. I am curious to see how they plan on having a fire pit and BBQ on one of the pontoons. Duncan just rang the back door bell here, I see he is done watering. Time to get the Puddle Humper ready for a road trip, have a good day I plan on spending the rest of it on the water, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,150,982}

July 4, 2013

Looks to be a real old fashion 4th of July Day today. I am at the Resort enjoying a cool beverage and listening to the chugging of the air conditioner trying to stay ahead of what should be a warm day. Chores are all done as grand kids are here and they have completed all the watering and have hauled all the garbage to the dumpster. From my vantage point I can see they are now hauling branches to the fire pit to be burned later tonight. For not having our grand opening we are pretty much full here. All four trailer spots have an RV in them and somehow we managed to squeeze in ten spots for tents and a couple of pop up trailers. We have four cabins open and they all have wet bathing suits hanging from their clothes poles.

The big room in the Club House has seen more people go through it already today then what it normally sees all week. Vic is in his prime waiting on people both at the bar and in the bait shop. Told me with a big smile on his face that this is how he remembers the old resort in it's day. Later this afternoon we will head into town to catch the parade and go-cart and lawn mower races. This will be Gus's first 4th of July running things at the Lodge so I will stop by and see if he needs anything but truth be told he has been running things for years. He has been making some changes and I must say I approve like the new sign he has by the main entrance that says "Walk in's Welcome" In the past we have had some people think that we would not let anyone but Lodge members enter.

The park is all set for the long weekend as Mindy and Mandy have their Lake Iwanttobethere Root Beer stand, Chuck has a booth to sell all three different kinds of his Lake Iwanttobethere Maple Syrup. Regular, Light and this year's new extra thick and heavy forty weight syrup. Mini donut trailer is chained to the big maple tree and Jeanie and Stan's Tackle and Ice cream truck is parked next to a row of picnic tables. The Lodge also has the big BBQ set up and Gus will be working back and forth between the Grill and the Lodge. Hammering Hank and Skinny have the firewood pile well stocked and the campground is filled and over flowing some. Once again Sheriff Tim was seen evicting campers trying to pitch tents in the softball field outfield. Ice House is open and the Lodge is selling the slabs of winter ice that was harvested just for this occasion. The slabs are used to slide down the grass of the hill right below the Lodge and a few are losing their riders and make it out to the water of Lake Iwanttobethere.

Gus has called a few times mainly just looking to find things that are only used on the 4th of July. The volunteer fire department will be grilling corn and they have a pretty big fire started already I heard. With the parade, food in the park and the Fabulously Fine Fingers of Fred and Fiona the Fiddle Players making the rounds it should be an excellent turn out. Fireworks are slated to start just after blue light and the Lake Iwanttobethere water squadron puts on a water skiing demonstration. One again Nytelyter will be firing an assortment of fireworks from Root Beer Island and this year the Fellows will be offering rides on the Pontoon Cruise Line. Speaking of the Fellows they are hoping to use the 4th of July event to kick of the sale of their latest idea. They have gotten together with a cousin in the big city to come up with Skeeter Plus. It is a lotion you give to your camping or fishing partner and it attracts the Skeeters to them. If it works they are also going to try and sell a fly version.

Time to end this as grand kids are ready to head into town and the Tahoe is loaded and the trailer hooked up. Number one granddaughter is going to be racing in the riding tractor powder puff derby. Only has a five horse motor and her uncle welded a complete roll cage around it. Thing is her mother does not know anything about her racing, matter of fact neither does her grandmother. But the guys will be all their rooting for her! Have a safe and happy Fourth of July from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,152,245}

July 5, 2013

The blue light also known to some as twilight settled in on the park here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Lawn chairs were placed near the waters edge and blankets were spread across the grass like a giant patch work quilt. Old people settled into chairs and sat close enough together to still hold hands. Teenagers gathered in small groups and stood a little off to the side. Kids with that endless energy of theirs still ran and zig zagged through the growing crowd at the water's edge. There was a quiet buzz in the air as conversations between friends and relatives mixed and just became a noise around you. From time to time a little kid's scream or a loud laff would stand out but as you turned your head to locate the source it would be gone just as quickly as it came. Crackling fires tossed sparks skyward and the little breeze that there was took the smoke away. Mindy and Mandy were still serving root beer but were trying to close up shop.

Earlier a short line had stood at Stan and Jeanies Ice Cream Truck waiting to be served when the crowd grew quiet. Those still in line turned and watched as the local VFW honor guard marched quietly to the lake. People stood and made way for the men as they found the path to the dock and walked out on it. As one they stopped, clicked their heels and turned to face where the setting sun was slipping into the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. Orders were shouted out and seven men of the honor guard raised their rifles and they each shot three times together on command. A call was made out for a moment of silence and was given.

Time stood still at the park, no kids were running no teenagers were talking. Couples held hands and all were lost in their own thoughts. Mr. Meister the retired high school band teacher took a single step forward and raised a bugle to his lips. The first three notes of Taps drifted across the waters of the lake and hands rested on hearts while other's hands were raised in curt salutes and held. The music of the bugle sang out and some tears were shed because this is what the Fourth is really all about.

The last note was held and drifted out across the lake, the park and the crowd. Finally the note slipped away and an order was given. The Honor guard turned as one and marched back up through the parted crowd. It took awhile for the moment to pass but the murmur of the crowd returned. Hands were shook and backs patted and conversations were restarted then the sound of the first motor was heard then felt and all eyes turned to Root Beer Island and the fireworks began.

Thank you to those who have served and are still serving.

{1,152,536}

July 7, 2013

Woke up early this morning and it was not planned. I felt the bed shake at the same time as a loud boom of a lighting strike hit somewhere close to the cabin. I open my eyes to catch the splash of light coming through the curtains of the open window and sound of rain hitting the glass. Duncan was laying on my feet and I could feel him move and heard him sigh and felt him rest his head back on my leg. I adjusted the pillow under my head and now facing the window I watched the rain fall and waited for another bolt of lightning to light up the night. Of course if you wait for something to happen odds are it is not going to happen and it didn't. The storm was just about done and I must have slept through most of it. Duncan having much better eyesight then I saw that I was awake and moved from the bottom of the bed up to where the pillows were. He leaned into me and we both watched the rain splatter on the screen of the window, but more than likely he was back to sleep and it was only me watching and running my fingers through the hair around his neck.

Yesterday was a hot one and the day was pretty much spent out on the deck trying to stay cool and waiting for the next rain shower to fall. Thunderstorms were in Stormy Clearweathers forecast but they never came close to us here at the cabin. I heard up north the rain fell long and hard but missed us here. We did get wet though but it was the kind of rain that you like to go fish in, a little more than sprinkles and enough to get you wet but you would soon dry off before the next batch would fall. Of course on the deck staying dry was not really much of an option as the grand kids were all here and the hose was on and the squirt guns were in great demand. The simple squirt guns of my days have long ago been replaced with hydra powered mega weapons of mass wetness. No matter how much we pleaded to not get wet there is always collateral damage in a war of water. So as older people tend to do, especially grand pa's, we got even.

The rules of a water fight are few and simple, first don't get wet, second when you are wet there are no rules, and the most important rule of all, protect and defend your water source. Not getting wet was not an option as we were fighting in rain showers, defending your water source was not in effect since the lake was close at hand for refills so that left no rules and I was quickly tossing buckets of water instead of squirting a water pistol. When the wife came out with towels I quickly pointed the finger of blame at the youngest granddaughter and said "She started it" the grand daughter was quick to raise her squirt gun at me and squeeze off a long burst which I sidestepped. The water was not wasted as the wife was standing in the line of fire and was not quick enough to raise the towels to block the water and she became collateral damage.

Her answer was to retreat to the cabin and close the door on us as rain started to fall again. The kids as one yelled "Rain" and ran to the dock to jump one by one into the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. I was left on the deck alone in the rain as the kids splashed in the lake and the wife locked the door as I approached. She waved her finger at me through the glass and teased me with a dry towel. I turned and headed for the covered swing but Buddy was already sitting on it. I stood on the deck and enjoyed the warm falling rain, I was already as wet as I was going to get so I moved a couple of pails to where they would fill from water coming off the down spout. I was plotting my revenge and counter strike on the grand kids when they got out of the lake. My plan was quickly changed when I spotted my neighbor Chuck looking rather dry heading my way yelling about "What's all the noise over here about?" From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,153,918}

July 9, 2013

Fishing Monday, that is what I am calling Mondays this summer. So far I have managed to get out the last three Mondays in a row and the weather has been decent each day. Yesterday my fishing partner for the day was under the weather so I went out by myself. Drove to a local lake and usually the landing is empty but yesterday there were a few cars with empty canoe racks parked right at the access. Of course there is parking a hundred feet away but I guess that after carrying their canoes to the water they were to tired to move their cars to the parking area. I backed the Puddle Humper around them and made it to the water without hitting anything.

With the boat floating I parked the Tahoe in the parking area and waved at the pesky black flies that were following me back to the lake. Dropped the trolling motor and got away from shore so I could get the rods out. As I was arranging the boat for an evening of fishing one of the canoes came around the point, just one guy casting to the shoreline and occasionally dipping his paddle in the water to move him along. When he got close I gave him a HIYA and he said hi in return. The normal stranger fishing chatter was then exchanged.

"Just get on the water" him

"Yup" me

"Fish this lake often?" him

"I try and hit it a few times a year" me

"Did ya slay them today?" me

"Nope, hardly a bite" him.

He then turned away and launched a cast towards shore. I reached for a spinnerbait and put a five inch green plastic trailer on it. Instead of casting toward shore I winged one out into the reed bed and turned the handle twice before I had a fish on. Hard not to keep it a secret as the northern came to the surface and made a big deal out of catching my spinnerbait. I lifted the fish over the side and saw the guy in the canoe was watching. I could not resist and I held the fish up and said loud enough for him to hear that the lake is full of these and then tossed the fish back into the water. Two casts later and I repeated the process, northern held up to admire then released with a splash back into the drink.

In ten minutes I caught four Northerns and of course lost a bigger one at the boat. The guy in the canoe watched me without really coming any closer. I figured I could catch all the northerns I wanted in the reeds so I started the big motor and moved on. As I went around the point I saw him paddling to where I had just been. Calm water and blue bird sky, not my favorite kind of day to go fishing but it was a Monday. I spent the rest of the day looking for bass and trying to keep the Northerns off my line. The Northerns trashed a few of my spinnerbaits and by evening I switched over to a buzz bait and managed to get a few bass to eat it.

No dock pattern on this evening, no one was interested in my plastic worms and the only bite I had was a decent fish that I didn't set the hook on well enough or it was just clamped down on the tail of the worm. I went back into the pads and tossed the buzz bait some more and the northerns were still there chasing anything that moved. Mayfly hatch was in progress and the little guys were everywhere, might be why the bass were not to interested in my offerings. The best part of the evening was the wind came up just as I was getting off the lake. I was actually skeeter free at the landing, wish I could say the same for them black flies, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,155,086}

July 11, 2013

Winter does not have a chance if you ask me, of course this was the topic of discussion at the Club House here at the Resort on Lake Iwanttobethere. We were having lunch and Vic and Marv had out done themselves with the afternoon feast. Featured was a Kaiser roll stuffed with fresh pan fried bluegill that Vic had caught that morning. Golden crispy hash browns and sweet onion, onion rings. Hammering Hank had brought sweet corn from the highway stand and for dessert we had ice cold slabs of seedless watermelon. Napkins, actually sheets of paper towel hung from the necks of our tee shirts and the table held nothing but crumbs and watermelon rinds.

Leaning back in our chairs we talked of how just about anything tastes better in the summer time. Men were meant to eat outdoors around smoking camp fires and drink grog. Of course as soon as someone mentioned grog Vic drew a pitcher of beer and now the lunch was complete. We were all inside but we did have all the windows open and the screens in place. No sense in giving the biting black flies a chance to share in our feast. Matter of fact we are pretty sure that if the caveman had screen he would have used it.

Yesterday some rain fell so that got me out of having to do any watering here this morning. The big garden has started taking off and maybe just maybe I might get something out of it. Cherry tomato plants have little ones on them and the rest of the tomato plants are flowering. Spuds are ready to get hilled for the first time but it is to wet to walk in there right now. This afternoon we are going to hang a new front door in cabin #5 and it should not be much of a deal for Hammering Hank and myself to do it. I won't say anything more about it as I don't want to jinx us. Tomorrow we are going to have our first annual mid summer mowing day, we have been mowing every week or so but tomorrow we are going to bring our own garden tractors in and we are going to mow everything way back and cut it tight. Even going to mow the ditches all out and with luck we will only have to do it just this once.

With everyone mowing we are planning an evening fishing contest and the Fellows have offered to do the weed whacking if they can get in on the contest. This might just turn into a good idea, I'll have to see if we can find something to give away to the winner or winners. We have a few deer who are hanging around and two fawns. The does are a rich caramel colored and are looking pretty good, they have been checking out the flower beds but so far they are just looking. No sooner did the ground hog stand go up then the ground hog disappeared. Yesterday we were treated to an air show as the local eagle had a disagreement with the local osprey. They buzzed each other out in the middle of the bay with the eagle looking like a bomber and the osprey a fighter jet. No winner and no loser as they just kept rolling at each other but interesting to watch from the deck here. I tried to shoot some video but they were just specks on the view finder.

I must say that I am enjoying have the wood shop out here at the resort. I made a frame and now have a screen across the entire garage door entrance. I also installed two big eye bolts in the beams holding up the walls and it just so happens that a hammock that I have fits exactly between the spaces between the eye bolts. With the speakers that I found hooked up to the old tube am radio the baseball games come in just fine. I hung the speakers up high out of the way and the game sounds like you are at the ball park. Not much better way then to lie back in the hammock with the game on and a breeze flowing through the garage. Best part is I don't have to take the hammock down when I am done, It can stay hanging right where it is as there is no wife to say that it is in the way of my work, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1.156,660}

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Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

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