June 6, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

For the first time since I've been here at Leech Lake I awoke to warm temperatures. This morning at 9:00 a.m. it was 65 degrees, sunny, and just a light breeze out of the south at 5 mph; the lake is nearly flat calm.

It is also one of the few days since I've been here that I am by myself. For the first two days I was here back in May, I was busy getting the boat from Corner Sports, putting it in the water, opening up the house and cabin, etc., so although I was by myself, the time flew by quickly and I didn't even notice the solitude I had.

Then Tim and Jackson were here with me for the weekend of walleye opener. On the day they left Kathleen arrived (and I always welcome any time I can spend with her), and before she went back to St. Cloud Rick arrived from Australia. He just left yesterday so today I'm here by myself.

But I have a lot of work to do around the properties, and the guys from WC Peterson Excavating may be here today or tomorrow to begin restoration work on the harbor, so I'm sure I will have plenty to keep my very busy.

Another quick nature update: After doing some work around the properties today I was hot and decided to cool off with an ATV ride. Along my ride I saw another painted turtle and a couple of ruffed grouse. I've heard that ruffed grouse are fun to hunt and even better to eat. Maybe some day I'll take up grouse hunting; I know that there are a lot of them here on Ottertail Peninsula.

I decided to go fishing at 4:30 p.m., and was only on the water for an hour because I simply got too hot! Imagine that, too hot. The temperature was 80 degrees, the wind was calm, the sky was clear, so out on the water with the sun beating down on me it was just to hot to fish comfortably.

I did catch numerous perch, including some good sized ones, but no walleye. I was using an 1/8 ounce Northland jig tipped with a fathead minnow. The water temperature had risen to 70.7 degrees, up from the mid-60 degree mark just a day earlier. That's what a hot day will do to the water temperature.

At 5:30 p.m. I came ashore, cleaned up, had some dinner and then watched as a huge thunderstorm cloud passed over head. As it did, the wind picked up and shifted from a south wind to a north wind and the temperature dropped several degrees. Although I heard thunder, it never did rain, at least not until well after midnight.

Until tomorrow...