July 31, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

The sunset as viewed from the dock at the cabin. Sucker Bay, Leech Lake.

I can't believe today is the last day of July. The summer is flying by way too fast.

Today was another beautiful day at Leech Lake. The temperature at midday was right around 80 degrees, the sky was clear and blue and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SW, or calm altogether.

Joe slept in late, but I started in on some chores first thing this morning. I moved several wheelbarrow loads of rocks from the pile at the cabin to along the harbor walls. I could probably move another dozen loads and still have more to do.

When Joe did arise he and I set out to start painting the out buildings at the house. We started with the ATV garage. We spent nearly 5 hours painting the entire building, although the green trim still needs to be applied. I think we'll wait until we paint the bunkhouse too, and then apply the trim paint to both buildings.

We ate a light dinner, watched the sunset, then decided to go to bed early. Both Joe and I are tired from painting for most of the day. And tomorrow, we have more another building to paint.

Also tomorrow Tim and Sandy Coyle (Kathleen's brother) and their two sons (Connor and Jackson) are coming up to the lake for a visit. They'll be here through Friday. Their presence should be a great excuse to do less around the properties and do more fishing!

Good night from Leech Lake.

July 30, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

This morning both Joe and I slept in a little later than usual. When I got up about 10:00 a.m. the sky was clear and bright blue, the temperature was 74 degrees, the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SW and the humidity was at 75%.

After a quick cup of yogurt, I went outside to waterproof the other set of stairs by the harbor. That chore took a little over an hour and when I was done I had some lunch before setting out on the next set of chores -- power-washing the out buildings in preparation for painting them.

Joe and I spent all afternoon, from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., power washing the fish cleaning house, the bunk house (which is where we store all of our lawn tools) and the ATV garage (which is where the ATV is stored, among other things). I took a shower and listened to a rebroadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, which aired last Fall, a show I remember listening to when I was here last year.

Just 20 minutes before an 8:54 p.m. CDT sunset, and right around moon set, I left shore to troll for walleye. Joe elected to stay on shore and cast off the dock for bass; apparently with no success.

The water temperature was 79 degrees, the moon was 0% waning (a new moon), and the wind was nearly calm. The surface of the lake was like a mirror reflecting the orange, purple, blue and other colored parts of the sky. With no "walleye chop" I wondered how the bite would be.

I set out into Duck Bay while trolling at 2.5 mph ground speed and pulling my Rapala #9 Minnow Rap in Tennessee shad color at a depth of 11 feet, just above the sand-covered bottom of the lake.

On my first pass heading north, I felt that familiar pull on the line and watched the tip of the rod shot toward the back of the boat. I held fast and set the hook. The fish felt like a decent size and the two things I needed to determine were "is it a walleye?" and if so "how big is it?"

As I reeled the fish toward the boat, it gave up and began "water skiing." A sure sign of a walleye. But when it was close to the boat, but not close enough to where I could see it, the fish dove deep peeling off some line. At this point I figured it was a northern.

When I finally got the fish back to the boat I saw that it was indeed a walleye so I grabbed the net and landed the fish. A quick measurement showed that it was a 19-inch walleye, a slot fish, so it immediately went back into the lake.

On my next pass through the same spot I again felt a pull on my line, but this time the rod and line didn't hook the fish, instead the line snapped. It was as if my lure just stopped dead in the water. Whatever took my favorite lure was definitely big. I'm guessing a muskie.

I decided not to retie a new lure onto my line and instead opted to come ashore.

Joe and I watched a DVD, then called it a night. We're going to start painting the out buildings a the house tomorrow. I'm not going to push the job however. We'll work at a steady pace, but if the weather is right for fishing, we will be on Leech Lake again tomorrow.

Until Sunday, good night.

July 29, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

This morning was absolutely gorgeous. The temperature was 68 degrees, the sky was sunny, blue with just a few scattered clouds, the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the west although the humidity was already 80%. As a result, it felt warm and comfortable outside. I'm sure as the day heats up, and if the humidity stays steady, it will feel hot and sticky.

Joe and I had a hearty breakfast before driving into Bemidji. We took care of several chores -- such as picking up the paint for the out buildings -- and dropping of the truck at Dondelinger GM where they waxed and buffed out my truck as promised; for free. While that was being done Joe and I went to the movies and saw Cowboys & Aliens, which just came out today. It was a fun movie, certain to not win any awards, but for a summer movie it was fine.

At 3:00 p.m. we went back to the dealership to get the truck, but it was still not ready, they needed another 30 minutes. We took advantage of that time to walk to Target and take care of shop of the shopping we needed to there.

After we got the truck we stopped for an early dinner at the Mexican restaurant Mi Rancho, which is actually pretty good. Then it was on to the grocery store and home.

This evening at 9:00 p.m., the wind was nearly calm, the temperature was right around 70 degrees, the humidity was a comfortable 60% and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky for as far as I could see. Since my arrival in mid-May, there hasn't been an evening as clear as it was tonight. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that with no clouds the sunset is fairly common.

Joe didn't want to go out on the boat and fish tonight, although he did throw a lure off the dock at the cabin. He caught a 14-inch bass, and something hit his lure hard and took off the plastic body on it. He got a few more bites, but didn't catch anything else. After he came inside we spent most of the evening just hanging out. We listened to music, talked and then watched a little TV.

July 28, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

This morning at 9:30 a.m. the sky was mostly sunny, the wind was out of the SW at 7-10 mph, the temperature was 70 degrees and the humidity was 76%. I'm not sure what the forecast calls for today, but I can tell it's going to be pretty warm and humid.

On a sad note, our neighbors and friends, the Newmans, had to put down their dog Merle today because he was suffering from cancer. It is a hard thing to say goodbye to a friend and family member, even it is a pet.

Just after noon I waterproofed one set of the stairs near the harbor while Joe threw a lure (a top water plastic frog) off the dock at the cabin. And he had some luck, catching a couple of nice bass. The temperature didn't go up that much, up to only 74 degrees, and the humidity held constant at 76%, but it sure felt hot.

At 2:30 p.m. Joe and I went fishing. It felt great out on the water with the wind blowing at 8-15 mph out of the west. The water temperature was 78 degrees.

We started out in 15 feet of water off Second Duck Point and drifted toward the shores of Ottertail Peninsula with the west wind. Both Joe and I used jigs tipped with leeches. We made several passes in this spot without any success before relocating in front of our house in 18 feet of water and drifting toward shore. Again, we had no success, except for the rock bass which Joe caught. We did have several bites throughout the day, but couldn't hook or boat any fish.

We came ashore just before 5:00 p.m. It was obvious that the humidity was lower, and in fact in registered at 60%. Joe has been trying to catch crayfish, for a crayfish feed, and added 8 more to the 4 he caught earlier. He still needs dozens more to make a decent meal. After tending to his crayfish, Joe jumped in the lake to cool off, while I got the grill ready to BBQ our chicken wings.

After a very tasty dinner, we showered and settled in for a night at the movies, Leech Lake style. Joe and I watched Iron Man 2 then called it a night. Tomorrow we're going into Bemidji to run a variety of errands. More on our adventures in tomorrow's post.

Good night from Leech Lake.

July 27, 2011 -- On/In Leech Lake

Well, I'm back at Leech Lake. I went to St. Cloud on Sunday in advance of picking up my son Joe from the airport on Monday. Actually, Joe flew into Minneapolis then took a shuttle bus up to St. Cloud where I met him at the Holiday Inn.

Joe had taken the redeye flight from San Francisco was understandably tired upon his arrival. He was also hungry, so we had breakfast at Perkin's. We spent Monday at Marge Coyle's house (Kathleen's mom) visiting with her as well as Kathleen's brother's family. We took care of various chores for people (such as hauling some old junk to the dump), but mainly we just hung out and talked with family.

On Tuesday, July 26, Joe and I packed up our stuff, said our goodbyes, and headed up to Leech Lake. We arrived sometime around 7:00 p.m. and spent the rest of the evening quietly, having dinner and just hanging out.

This morning we awoke to gray, overcast skies, a temperature of 70 degrees and light winds out of the SW at 7-10 mph. It rained last night so the ground, and everything else, was wet. The humidity is not nearly as bad as it was last week, but it's at 82%, so it was a little sticky. The temperature is supposed to reach 80 today, and with that humidity, it might get a bit uncomfortable.

After breakfast and a little work around the house, Joe and I went fishing. It was the first chance I had to use the new Drift Control drift sock, which I had bought at Scheel's in St. Cloud. I took the boat past Second Duck Point in 11 feet of water, which was at 77 degrees, and deployed the new drift sock; which worked wonderfully.

Both Joe and I used jigs tipped with leeches, but after two passes the only fish boated were a couple of small perch that I caught. We then realized that we had forgotten to get Joe a Minnesota fishing license, so we immediately came in off the water, drove to Birch Ridge Resort and got him an annual fishing license.

We came back to the house, had some lunch, and then set in on some yard work that included planting some lilies of the valley that we had brought back from Marge Coyle's house. I asked her if we could transplant some of her plants and she was more than happy to have them live on in another location.

By the time we were done working around the yard, both Joe and I were hot and dripping with sweat. The temperature had climbed to 82 degrees and the humidity was up over 90%. It was time to "cool the core," so both of us jumped in the lake. We swam around for 10 minutes or so and then got out. For the rest of the evening we remained fairly cool as a result of our plunge into Leech Lake.

Joe and I had a tasty dinner of pulled BBQ pork, Cole slaw and fries. We ended the night by watching a movie, a favorite of ours, a Coen brothers movie, The Big Lebowski.

Good night from Leech Lake.

July 24, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

Again I woke up early this morning, but not to storms, but to the sound of the furnace running. That's right the furnace. While most of the country -- including here a Leech Lake for the past week -- has suffered unbearable heat, the furnace was actually running.

I immediately turned it off since I wasn't about to close all the windows. The temperature outside was 55 degrees, and the temperature in the house was at 68 degrees, which is where the furnace is set to kick on.

It had obviously rained during the night because everything outside was wet. The sky was clear with only a few high billowy clouds and the wind was out of the WNW at 8-12 mph. It appeared to be a beautiful day, if not a bit chilly.

By 9:00 a.m. the temperature had warmed only slightly to 56 degrees and all other conditions remained consistent as earlier.

I grabbed a quick breakfast, loaded some things into the truck and was ready to set off for St. Cloud by just after 10:30 a.m.

I won't be back to Leech Lake until sometime on Tuesday, July 26, so there will be no post tomorrow.

Until my arrival back at Leech Lake, so long...

July 23, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

"Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning."

For the second time in recent days I'm reminded of that old mariner's adage. I had trouble sleeping last night and for some reason awoke at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of a strong wind. I took a look outside, and the sky to the east was bright red. As I stood marveling at the sky a flash of lightening appeared over head and within seconds was followed with a loud clap of thunder. Take warning indeed.

The thunderstorm brought wind, rain, lightening and thunder. At 8:30 a.m. the sky was gray and overcast, the wind was variable -- 8-15 mph swinging from the north to the ENE -- and the temperature was a cool 60 degrees. The humidity, most likely because of the rain, was at 70%.

Today I had planned to apply waterproofing to the wood stairs that are on either side of the harbor, but if it's going to rain all day I'll have to wait.

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the north-central part of Minnesota, including Leech Lake, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

I wasn't going to go fishing today, in part because I didn't have a drift sock and in part because it was supposed to storm, but at Kathleen's urging -- "go fishing whenever you can..." -- I hit the water at around 3:30 p.m. The wind was out of the east at 10-12 mph, and without a drift sock, it meant that the boat would be pushed rather quickly from our shoreline out into Sucker Bay. The further out into the bay I got, the stronger the wind and the faster the boat was propelled.

Given that scenario, I started relatively close to shore in 8 1/2 feet of water and let the wind move me out into deeper water. The wind also moved the boat slightly south as it moved out into the bay so I could start in front of the cabin and by the time I got out into the middle of the bay I had moved a south enough to where I was in front of the house.

As usual when drifting, I used a jig tipped with a leech. I caught a few rock bass, including some good sized ones, and a small perch but no walleye. On two occasions, I did feel that familiar "walleye tap" and when I checked my bait the leech had been bitten in half; meaning something with teeth, either a walleye or a pike, was checking out my lure. At 4:30 p.m. I went ashore to listen to A Prairie Home Companion, and later get dinner started.

The storm which had been predicted never showed up. Instead, the sky actually started to show a little blue. The sunset was of the type where the sun was a big orange ball, which looked amazing, but once it dropped below the horizon there was virtually no color of any sort which made for a rather unspectacular sunset.

I ate dinner, watched a movie, and talked with Kathleen and Joe on the phone. Tomorrow morning I'm driving to St. Cloud and will see Kathleen's mom and sister. Then on Monday morning I'll pick Joe up from where the shuttle from the Minneapolis airport will drop him off in St. Cloud. We'll spend Monday in St. Cloud visiting family before making our way up to Leech Lake on Tuesday.

Good night from Leech Lake.

July 22, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

This morning was a perfect summer morning. Bright blue sky, a light breeze that barely rippled the flag or lake, a temperature of 72 degrees and the humidity at 70%. Absolutely perfect.

After taking care of various chores around the house and properties, I decided to go fishing at 12:30 p.m. There was only a slight breeze and it was the hottest part of the day, not exactly ideal fishing conditions, but what the heck.

I took the boat out to 10 feet of water off Second Duck Point and began jigging. At that spot on the lake the wind, which was coming out of the SE was strong enough to where I had to deploy the drift sock to keep the boat from turning in the wind. The wind gently pushed the boat out into the bay at about .35 mph ground speed.

I had a few bites, but could never hook into anything. After about an hour or so I decided to relocate to a deeper hole I know over by the old Bay Shore Resort at the north end of Sucker Bay. I figured that the warm water, which was now at 81 degrees, may have forced the fish to go a little deeper than they've been the past few weeks.

Once at the spot marked by a waypoint I dropped in the drift sock, put a fresh leech onto the jig and began fishing. After about 30 minutes or so, the wind died down completely and the heat from the overhead midday sun was really baking me, so I decided to call it quits.

I stowed my jigging rod in the rod locker, got the boat ready to go then applied the throttle to get me home. I immediately experienced a drag on the boat and wondered what was up. I put the boat in neutral and everything seemed to be OK so once again I throttled up and got the boat moving quickly. That's when I felt the drag again, followed by a loud snap. Again I backed off on the throttle and quickly checked the motor to see if I had snapped a linkage or cable.

That, fortunately, wasn't the problem. What was the issue was that I had left the drift sock in the water, and that the rope snapped when I accelerated. My drift sock was now slowly sinking some 25 yards behind the boat. I quickly turned the boat around and went after my slowly descending drift sock. But by the time I got there it was out of sight; gone beneath the algae bloom of Leech Lake.

I wasn't about to give up that easily, so I got out my trolling rod and made several passes over the spot hoping to snag the drift sock with my lure and reuse it. Unfortunately, after numerous passes over the location where I last saw the sock, I had come up empty. My drift sock was gone.

The wind had died down and as a result I had completely forgotten that the sock was still in the water. It's particularly disappointing for me because that drift sock had been a Father's Day present from my son Joe several years back. I liked it so much that when it tore earlier this season rather than get a new one I had this one repaired. Now it was lurking somewhere in the depths of north Sucker Bay. Now I'll have to get a new one at Scheel's when I'm in St. Cloud on Sunday.

Since it was Friday night, I had pizza. Lately, when I've been getting pizza here at the lake, I've been picking up an unbaked pie from Great River Pizzeria in Cass Lake. Yesterday when I was driving home from Bemidji I stopped in and picked up a pizza in anticipation of "Friday night pizza," a tradition that goes back more than two decades in our family. I know for sure that those of my family in California will be ordering pizza tonight.

After my pizza dinner, I read some Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes, and then watched a 1962 Hammer Production movie starring Peter Cushing, Night Creatures.

I could tell that the wind had picked up a little by the sound of it blowing through the trees. Tonight there's a good chance of thunderstorm, and tomorrow there's a 50% chance of thunderstorms all day long.

I guess it's probably because I'm still fretting over the loss of my drift sock earlier today, but I decided against going fishing until I've got the boat outfitted with a new drift sock. So no fishing tonight.

Good night from Leech Lake.

July 21, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

For the first time in more than a week I awoke to weather that wasn't hot, humid and stifling. The humidity was at 70%, and that's 20% lower than it's been many days this past week. The temperature was 68 degrees and the wind was at 8-15 mph out of the WSW. I could actually wear pants, shoes and socks when I went into town and I wasn't too hot.

Of course I spoke too soon. Once in Bemidji, I dropped my truck off for service at Dondelinger GM and walked about 2 miles to the Perkin's for breakfast. It wasn't yet noon and the temperature in Bemidji was 85 degrees, and while I have no idea what the humidity was, it was significant enough to where I was definitely hot when I arrived at the restaurant.

After breakfast I walked back to the shop to pick up my truck. The service guy met me and had a troubled look about him. He started to apologize for the "little problem" that they caused and I started to worry. He then went on to tell me that after the truck was fully serviced (which cost all of $42) they washed my truck and accidently left the de-greaser on too long which caused some streaking. I told him it was no big deal, but he insisted that the next time I come into town that I leave the truck with them for 2-3 hours and they'll do a complete wax job on my truck and buff out all of the marks -- for free. This is the type of small-town, Northwoods service you never get in a big city such as San Jose.

I ordered some paint at Sherwin Williams -- so Joe and I can paint the out buildings when he's here -- got some groceries, and then drove back to the lake.

When I arrived it was still very windy with the wind out of the SW at 12-20 mph. There were white caps rolling across the lake. The temperature was 80 degrees and the humidity varied for the rest of the day between 64-70%. The lower humidity made it very comfortable, and the wind kept the deer flies and mosquitoes at bay, so I was actually able to lay in the hammock for about an hour. What a wonderful gift; not just the hammock (which Kathleen did get me for a gift) but for the time to be able to lay in it.

As the evening moved toward sunset the wind slowed a little, but not enough to where I felt like taking the boat out fishing, so I spent the evening reading the newspapers I bought in town, and working the various puzzles (Sudoku and crosswords), while listening to music. I only wish Kathleen could have been here with me. That would have made it a perfect night.

Tomorrow I have various chores to attend to around the property. I hope the lower humidity holds. Until then...

July 20, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

This morning it was once again hot and humid; gone was the cool air from last evening.

At 8:30 a.m. the temperature was 75 degrees, the humidity was at 92% and the wind was at 8-12 mph out of the SSE. There was a mist emanating from the ground as if the wet grass was creating its own low-level cloud.

Just an hour and a half later, at 10:00 a.m., the temperature had climbed to 80 degrees and the humidity hadn't backed off a bit, still registering at 90%. It was already uncomfortable and it was still two hours shy of noon.

The guy from T&K was out this morning, in the sweltering heat and humidity, to mow the lawns at the house and cabin. For the first time since the harbor work was completed back in late June, the grass was mowed in the section that had been torn up by the heavy machinery that was necessary for the harbor restoration. While there are still some spots where the grass hasn't grown in thick quite yet, overall the lawn is coming back nicely.

I know I'm obsessing about the humidity, but here's a snippet from a CNN news story on the heat wave that's enveloping much of the US:

"Minneapolis, Minnesota, recorded its highest dew point ever, 82 degrees, on Tuesday. The dew point temperature is a measure of atmospheric moisture."

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I ran out of leeches last night on the water so I took the ATV for a spin up to Birch Ridge. I took the ATV rather than the truck since the ATV provides an open-air, and thus cooler, ride. Ann, the wife half of the husband and wife team that runs the resort, was behind the counter in the bar/office/lounge and told me A.J., the dock hand, was down in the live bait area of the fish-cleaning house and could help me.

I picked up two containers, two dozen, leeches, paid Ann and then rode back to the cabin to get the leeches into some fresh water. I decided to check on the jumbo perch that I caught last evening (and which was on the menu for today's dinner) and I'm glad I did. The combination of being in captivity and in warm water had the fish looking rather "fatigued." Immediately I set about filleting the 12-inch jumbo perch and got the fresh fillets into the refrigerator. A beer-batter coating will be the perfect compliment to the pure white meat of the perch.

After filleting the perch, and cleaning up, I was hot and covered in sweat (or was it just the air?). Not wasting any time, I gathered up the bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap and took a refreshing camp bath in the relatively cool waters of Leech Lake.

At about 5:30 p.m. I took the ATV down to the Malays to say hi to their son Sean who is visiting from Colorado. Sean, and my son Joe, have become friends over the years, and I've gotten to like Sean and have spent several hours with him in the boat fishing. It was good to see him again.

While sitting at the Malays the wind began to pick up, and by the time I left it was blowing at 17-25 mph out of the WSW. The wind blew hard for most of the rest of the night. And maybe it was the wind, or the cold front that followed it in from Montana, but the humidity dropped to 64%. It was the first time in nearly a week that the humidity has dipped below 80%. Although the temperature at midnight was 70 degrees, it felt cool and sleep should come easily tonight.

Tomorrow I'm going into Bemidji to get the truck serviced, to pick up paint so I can paint the out-buildings at the house and run several other errands. If the weather permits, upon my return I'll try to get out fishing. Tonight it was simply to windy to go out onto the water. I love fishing, but I'm not going to battle 3-foot waves and white caps to do so.

Until tomorrow...

July 19, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

I happened to wake up at 5:30 a.m. this morning and look outside to see what the weather was like, and was surprised to see the entire sky a cantaloupe orange color. The wind was calm and the temperature was 70 degrees. The humidity, which has been very high the past few days, was already at 87%.

As I lay back in bed I could hear rumbling thunder in the distance, and soon the rain started to fall. "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morn, sailors take warn." As the old saying goes. With the sky the color it was I wasn't surprised that we had a storm.

By 10:00 a.m. the storm had passed for the most part, with just occasional rumbles of thunder, the wind was 6-10 mph out of the ESE, the temperature in the house registered 77 degrees while outside the thermometer read barely 70 degrees, and the sky was mostly cloudy and still retained a slight glow of red and orange.

Just before noon, the wind shifted and started blowing from the north at 15-20 mph. I always find it interesting to watch the lake when the wind shifts. For hours the wind was blowing out of the ESE so the water in the lake was moving in one direction. Then when the wind shifted to a different direction, and picked up in intensity, the water in the lake, for a short period of time, maybe 10 minutes, was going in all directions at once as it caught the new wind.

At this same time the sky darkened, and actually required me turning on the lights in the house to see. The temperature held steady at 70 degrees as did the humidity, which stood at 90%. But it sure looked and felt like a storm was coming.

Finally at 12:50 p.m. the rain came. A hard, steady rain fell for about 30 minutes. There were a few flashes of lightening directly over head followed by loud claps of thunder. The storm was directly on top of the house. But within an hour the storm passed, although the sky remained overcast and gray.

As the day went on I did some work and some various chores around the house, but the humidity made it unpleasant even if the temperature wasn't all that hot.

By 4:45 p.m., the wind had shifted to the ESE again and was blowing at about 8-15 mph. The wind blew most of the clouds away and the sky was partly sunny. So, I decided that with the temperature not as hot and the water near our shore fairly calm, that I would go fishing.

I motored out to spot not too far from shore right in front of the boat lift because I knew the wind would blow me out into the middle of Sucker Bay. I deployed the drift sock, tipped my jig with a leech and began fishing. The water temperature was 75.8 degrees.

I caught a few rock bass, including one that was actually quite big. Twice I had something pull hard on my line and bite right through the 8-lb test Fireline Crystal, taking my jig and bait. I figured it might have been a pike, but I've seen several boats in the past week fishing for muskie in this location so I wouldn't rule out that a muskie is what took my jig.

With yet another jig tied on and with another leech hooked just below its "sucker," I continued to fish. I hooked into what I thought was either another big rock bass or maybe a small walleye. When I got it to the boat I saw that it was a jumbo perch; and truly a jumbo.

I've often said that in my opinion a jumbo perch is one that is between 11-14 inches. Over 14" a perch becomes a monster and is approaching record size. I decided to keep this 12-inch jumbo perch because I thought it would be the perfect size for a meal for one. A 17-inch or even a 16-inch walleye once filleted is a perfect amount of meat for a meal for two, but for one person there is just too much there. I think a 12-inch perch will provide the right amount of fish for my dinner tomorrow evening.

I finally came ashore around 7:00 p.m., not because the fish stopped biting (they hadn't) or because the bugs were bad (they weren't) but because I ran out of leeches. I fished with a Mimic Minnow for awhile and then a Northland Slurpie Grub, but the fish seemed to be active on live bait, specifically leeches. Tomorrow I'll run up to Birch Ridge Resort and pick up a couple of dozen leeches, if they still have them. Sometimes as the summer progresses leeches are a hard bait to find.

Out on the lake the wind felt good and kept me cool. But once back on shore even in shorts and short-sleeved shirt it felt hot. Even after midnight the temperature was 72 degrees and the humidity was 84%. But if the weather service forecasts are correct, then tomorrow should be the last day of this prolonged heat wave.

Until tomorrow, good night from Leech Lake.

July 18, 2011 -- In Leech Lake

Another beautiful sunset over Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

For the third day in a row now I awoke to find myself inside a cloud. Heavy fog and mist extended from the ground up into the grayish-white of the sky. At 8:30 a.m. the wind was blowing out of the north at 8-12 mph, the temperature was 72 degrees and the humidity registered at 95%, but I don't see how any more water could be infused into the air since I can actually see water in the air.

Nature Update: I've talked a lot about the humidity the past few days but I'd like to give a couple of concrete examples of just how humid it is. Last night I made popcorn. Knowing how humid it was I put most of it in a plastic bag and sealed it up. I left a small bowl of popcorn out for me to eat. Within two hours of me making it, the popcorn was soggy and chewy, not exactly the characteristics of good popcorn. Then this morning when I got up, I looked at the big metal mixing bowl I used to put the popcorn in when it comes out of the pan. The bowl was empty (since the popcorn was in a bag) but what was in the bowl was water. Not a ton, but a significant amount. Apparently the dew point was so high last night that dew actually formed in the bowl and then collected at the bottom of it. That's how doggone wet the air has been the past few days.

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Here's a Heat Warning from the National Weather Service issued for the North Central part of Minnesota (home to Leech Lake):

Mon, Jul 18, 2011, 9:00 AM CDT

... EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... ... DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

* HEAT INDEX VALUES: A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HEAT INDICES FROM 95 TO NEAR 110 DEGREES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS HAS PROMPTED THIS WARNING.

* IMPACTS: DEHYDRATION... MUSCLE CRAMPS... SEVERE HEADACHES AND HEAT EXHAUSTION ARE POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THERE IS EVEN A THREAT OF HEAT STROKE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY.

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It's days like these that make me wish we had air conditioning here at the lake. But when the temperature is sub zero for so many months, air conditioning seems like such an extravagant waste.

But today, air conditioning would be most welcome. By 11:30 a.m. the temperature was at 80 degrees, and the forecast called for the mercury to hit 91. The humidity hadn't backed off any, so simple movements inside or out, led to immediate sweat and exhaustion. I'm sure glad I'm not out tarring a road or re-roofing the cabin, like I was doing last year. Wind was blowing lazily out of the NNE at 5-8 mph and the sky was mostly sunny and blue.

Nature Update Two: I took a ride on the ATV to cool off and as I rounded a bend on West Shores Road I spotted an auburn-colored doe standing in the road. I slowed to a stop and watched her. She stood motionless for a few seconds then turned her head and looked back toward the woods. A small fawn, no bigger than a large dog, stepped out onto the road behind its mother. Then the two of the trotted gracefully across the road and immediately disappeared into the woods. Its amazing how quickly whitetail deer can blend into a forest.

Midday I couldn't take the humidity any longer and jumped into the lake. Its cool waters were refreshing, although the deer flies buzzing around my head weren't making the experience all that enjoyable. I remained cool for all of about 15 minutes.

By 5:00 p.m. the temperature was at 82 degrees and the humidity had actually dropped to 84%. Still, it felt very hot, and sitting still was about the only activity that didn't raise a sweat.

No fishing tonight. Instead I stayed inside and tried to stay cool. More tomorrow.

July 17, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

A family of merganser ducks slices its way through the fog on Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

Much like yesterday, this morning was hot, humid and foggy. At 8:30 a.m. the temperature was 76 degrees, the humidity was more than 90%, the air was still, wet and heavy and there hung a dense fog over everything. It was as if I had awoke inside a cloud.

I spotted a pelican casually swimming off the end of the dock around 9:15 a.m., and an occasional boat motored by, but for the most part the lake was quiet and enveloped in fog.

I took a quick walk over to the cabin to give the leeches some fresh water, and in just that little distance I was sweating and wet from the humidity. Plus with absolutely no wind, or even a slight breeze, the deer flies were out in full force and were instantly buzzing around my head, landing on me and biting. Normally here at the lake I could step outside to cool off, but not today. Quite the opposite -- step outside and things heat up.

By 2:00 p.m. the temperature stopped rising at 80 degrees, the fog, which I thought would have lifted by now, clung stubbornly to the sky making it look like it might storm. There was a whisper of breeze every now and then, but not enough to clear the air of the 90% humidity that dampened everything. The lonely call of the loon echoed across the afternoon stillness, competing occasionally with the clatter of a 2-stroke motor from some determined fisherman.

By 3:00 p.m. the temperature had cooled a little to 76 degrees, the sky was getting a little darker and thunder rumbled across the horizon. The humidity was still up over 90%, however, so I took a refreshing camp bath in the lake. It cooled me off while I was in the water, but as soon as I got back up to the house I was hot again. Maybe a storm will show itself and with it cleanse the air of this infernal dampness.

Just before 4:00 p.m. the slight breeze that had occasionally made its presence felt out of the south, shifted to the north and actually started to blow. Lightening bolts were now visible across the bay and the lake began to rile. By 4:15 p.m. there were white caps on the lake behind the force of 15-20 mph north winds. Thinking that a storm would descend upon the lake at any minute, I raced outside to fold up the lounge chairs and lay them flat on the dock. I then came inside and began shutting windows so the rain wouldn't soak the floors.

I then sat back in my chair in the living room, book in hand (Truman Capote's In Cold Blood) and watched for the storm. For more than 45 minutes the wind howled, the lake rolled with waves, but little rain fell. A few sprinkles freckled the back porch and windows, but no humidity-relieving rain fell. As the wind blew hard from the north the sky actually started to clear and get brighter. The dark, ominous clouds blew by and a cantaloupe-colored sky appeared on the horizon.

Every now and again a lightening bolt would show itself over Sucker Bay, and the rumble of thunder would follow, but no storm appeared. At 5:30 p.m. rain fell for a short time before disapearing. The wind, too, had left the area and once again the flag hung limp against the pole. The storm blew by without really unleashing any of its fury.

The humidity, however, had dipped to below 90% for the first time in two days, and at 84% actually felt cool. The wind, I noticed, had shifted again, and was now blowing lightly at 5-8 mph from the south. I thought about going fishing, but everything was wet and damp and I just didn't feel like slipping on rain gear in this hot, humid weather. So rather, I stayed inside, tried to stay cool, and read.

By 9:00 p.m. the humidity had started to rise again, even though the temperature hovered around 75 degrees. The wind was out of the north at 6-10 mph and the sky was mostly cloudy. It was in these fairly favorable conditions that I decided to go fishing.

I got the boat off the lift, motored out to 9 feet of water, got the lights on, and the dropped my Rapala Minnow Rap (in Tennessee Shad color) into the water. I trolled south past Second Duck Point well into Duck Bay and then headed north toward our house.

In addition to the swarms of big, hungry mosquitoes I was forced to battle out on the water, I encountered another foe that eventually drove me back on shore -- weeds.

For years I've known that as I troll north of the Malays the weeds get very thick thus making it difficult to pull a lure through the lake without getting snagged. But in the past year or two, the weed seem to be migrating south, and are now common in fairly large patches all the way to Second Duck Point. While the weeds make for great habitat for rock bass, they make trolling for walleye very difficult.

Ever since its introduction seven or eight years ago, the #9 Rapala Minnow Rap has been one of my "go-to" baits, a confidence lure. In addition to flat out attracting and catching walleye, the lure has a very distinctive action in the water than enables me to "feel" if it's running true. If the bait is clean and running properly I feel a consistent "tap, tap, tap, tap" in the tip of the rod. But if it hooks a weed, even a 1/2 inch ribbon-sized piece of cabbage, the action of the Minnow Rap changes completely and feels as if it's "dead;" no wobble or tapping.

Tonight, I felt the Minnow Rap hook onto a weed nearly every time I dropped in the water and let it out behind the boat. In more than a half dozen cases I thought I'd actually hooked a fish only to reel in a two-pound, football-sized clump of weeds. After "catching" two such balls of weeds I decided to go ashore in frustration. It didn't help that I was fighting off hundreds of mosquitoes while trying to clean the weeds from my lure.

Needless to say, it was not my best outing on Leech Lake this year. In fact, it's one of the few times on the water in the past couple of months where I was completely skunked; not a pike nor a rock bass. I came ashore at 10:30 p.m. and sat up and read for a couple of hours before deciding it was time to call it a night.

I did hear from Kathleen and Joe earlier in the evening that Joe was able to get an airline ticket to come to Minnesota and that he'll be arriving in Minneapolis next Monday morning. I'll have to figure out if I'll meet him in Minneapolis at the airport or if I'll meet up with him in St. Cloud should he decide to take the shuttle. Either way, we'll be able to spend some time together at the lake -- just father and son. We haven't been able to do that in more than three years. I'm looking forward to it.

Good night from Leech Lake.

July 16, 2011 -- In Leech Lake

Heavy morning fog on Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

This morning at 8:30 a.m. the fog was very heavy over the bay, the temperature was 72 degrees, the air was still and the entire sky -- from horizon to directly overhead -- was a grayish-white color. The humidity was over 90% and there were no boats on the lake; I'm hoping because visibility is so low.

Many fishermen, however, have been kept off the lake the past two weeks because the Minnesota state government shutdown has prevented them from purchasing fishing licenses and the DNR has stated that it will ticket any fisherman without a licence, despite the shutdown.

The National Weather Service has issued heat and humidity warnings for most of Minnesota, but apparently Cass County, home of Leech Lake, is not among those areas under the warning. It will be hot today, in the high 80s to low 90s, and the humidity will be at or above 90%, but I guess that's not as bad as it's going to be elsewhere around the state.

By 11:15 a.m. the temperature had risen to 74 degrees, it was still densely humid, the wind was at 5-8 mph out of the SSW and the fog had begun to burn off a bit. Within a couple of hours it is supposed to be sunny.

Just past 12:30 p.m. I got so hot I couldn't take it any more so I took a plunge in the lake. I'm guessing the water temperature to be around 75 degrees, so it's much cooler than the air temp and as a result it felt really refreshing. I swam around a bit before getting out and walking up to the house. I'm sure I'll have to do it again later today if the heat and humidity persist.

Nature Update: This evening I noticed a female merganser duck with five little chicks swimming near the mouth of our harbor. I don't know if this duck bred late or if this may be a second brood for her. Either way, it was nice to see the little ducklings swimming around.

By 4:45 p.m., before I listened to A Prairie Home Companion on Minnesota Public Radio, I had jumped in the lake an additional three times; making four total so far. The temperature is 83 degrees and the humidity has climbed to 92%, which makes cooling off the lake very refreshing.

Nature Update Two: I saw two bald eagles perched in a tree just behind the fish-cleaning house on our property. Seeing bald eagles so close, so up and personal is a blessing.

The evening didn't cool off much but it did sap my energy. Rather than stay up late and fight the heat and humidity I decided to call it a night early and go to bed. The state-wide heat advisory is to continue for the next four days.

July 15, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

A hot and humid, yet beautiful, sunset over Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

There was a bright flash of lightening and the a deafening clap of thunder right over the house this morning at 7:36 a.m. I happened to be laying in bed ready to get up when the thunderstorm that been off in the distance moved directly on top of me here at Leech Lake.

The temperature at the time was 60 degrees, the sky was full of heavy rain clouds, but the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the ESE. The rain, however, fell in sheets and was heavy for about 30 minutes.

By 9:30 a.m. the rain had stopped, the temperature had risen slightly to 64 degrees and the wind was still very slight. The lake, in fact, had barely a ripple on it.

At noon, the wind had shifted and was blowing out of the south at 5-10 mph, the sky was mostly cloudy, but there was some sun starting to peek through and the temperature was steady at 65 degrees.

I hit the water at 12:30 p.m. and realized the wind was stronger than I had originally thought. It was probably blowing at 12-15 mph from the south. The air temperature was 68 degrees, the water temperature was 73.5 degrees, and the sky was mostly cloudy.

My fishing began at Second Duck Point in 11 feet of water using a VMC jig tipped with a leech. I immediately caught a medium-sized northern pike which I released back into the lake. For the next two plus hours I made several drifts in various parts of Sucker Bay from Second Duck Point to in front of our house north to Malays. I caught a few small perch, another northern and numerous rock bass but no walleye.

By 2:00 p.m. the clouds had disappeared and the sky was clear blue. The temperature started to climb and eventually hit 83 degrees. When I got back on shore at just after 3:00 p.m., it felt like I was walking into a sauna as I left the dock and stepped on land. The humidity had risen to an uncomfortable 85% and I was literally dripping wet by the time I got back to the house.

The rest of the afternoon and evening remained hot and humid. The wind died down to maybe 5-8 mph out of the south, making it feel even hotter. As I write this at just after 8:00 p.m. it is still unbearably humid at 90% or more; the air is hot and damp.

I ate my grilled marinated pork chop dinner and it was awesome. I'm going to have to remember this recipe and use it again.

The sunset was beautiful tonight as usual, but the humidity took away some of the enjoyment because it's just so hot and sticky.

I stayed up listening to music, reading the newspapers from the past couple of days that the Malays gave me, and tried to stay cool. All in all, despite the humidity, I'd rather be here than anywhere else I can imagine.

Good night to all, and a pleasant tomorrow.

Odyssey

Many millions of people throughout the ages have marveled at the poetic masterpiece Odyssey, by the ancient Greek Homer. But for all of my reading, I had never consumed this treasure before finishing it today.

What a wondrous tale of war, separation, determination and finally redemption. It is as beautiful and passionate as any modern love story, as exciting and thrilling as any Spielberg spectacle and as brutal and violent as anything Hollywood could conjure. No doubt its these very merits that have kept it in our human conscientiousness for so many millennia.

I was fortunate enough to read a fantastic translation by Stanley Lombardo, who is a professor of Classics at the University of Kansas. His treatment of the Odyssey retained the poetic cadence that I would imagine the original Greek verse to possess while using language that is consistent with the modern vernacular.

That I read it while at the shores of Leech Lake make it all that much more memorable for me.

July 14, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

It must have rained last night because at 8:00 a.m. this morning everything outside was wet. The sky was still grey and overcast, the wind light at 5-8 mph out of the ENE and the temperature was 54 degrees.

As the morning moved along the wind shifted a bit and seemed to be coming from the ESE, still at only 5-8 mph. The sky in the south looked like it might contain a storm but one wasn't predicted until sometime after 5:00 p.m.

Nature Update: I was sitting in the living room quietly reading when I spotted a large bald eagle swoop across our yard and land in a tree just behind the fishing-cleaning house. I quickly grabbed the binoculars and as quietly as possible crept out onto the back porch. I was unable to spot the enormous raptor so I stealthily walked across the yard toward the dock, the whole while scanning the trees for the big bird. Eagles, despite their size, have a way of using leaves and branches to conceal themselves quite effectively. Slowly and quietly I tread onto the dock. I moved my field glasses from tree to tree trying to spy the eagle. As if it could feel my gaze coming closer, the gigantic national bird sprung from its hiding place and with a couple of loud flaps of its wings soared over the lake, not more than 25 yards from me, took a quick right turn and landed in another tree near Poage's cabin. A magnificent sight on a cool July morning.

By noon the temperature has risen to a paltry 58 degrees. The wind was still at 5-8 mph out of the east, but seemed to be swirling a bit between ESE and ENE. The sky was grey and overcast and there was a light mist in the air. This is mid-July in the northwoods of Minnesota.

At 2:00 p.m., I thought about going fishing, but the heavy mist still embraced the air and I knew that sitting on a boat for very long would require rain gear to guard against the damp. I just didn't feel like putting on rain gear, so instead I remained inside. The temperature had fallen a couple of degrees to 56 and the wind still couldn't decide which way to blow, and at times seemed to blow from all directions at once; although not very hard at 5-10 mph.

The light, grey mist permeated the air still at 3:30 p.m. All day the air itself has seemed sad. The temperature clung to 56 degrees as the wind picked up to 10-12 mph as if to finally bring with it the rain. But at 4:00 p.m., still no rain fell.

I thought again about going out onto the water to fish for walleye, but with an east wind blowing and a cold front moving into the area I figured that the already difficult walleye bite would probably be even worse. So I remained inside and continued reading the classics.

Unable to sit inside any longer, I took a brisk 2-mile walk down past Paulson's and back. The temperature was still a cool 56 degrees, but the humidity was clearly 100% since I could literally see water in the air. I arrived home damp from the experience, but happy to have gotten in some exercise and the opportunity to take in the beauty of Ottertail Peninsula. And yes, the deer, horse or yellow flies, whichever you choose to call them, were as annoying as ever, buzzing around my head and occasionally biting my neck and ears.

Just before 6:00 p.m. I made my way to the cabin to prep the grill. I planned to make BBQed marinaded pork chops tonight with a side of fried potatoes, peppers, garlic and onions and a big bowl of fruit salad, complete with watermelon, cantaloupe, raspberries, and honeydew melon.

But by 7:30 p.m., my enthusiasm for preparing such a feast waned and I decided instead to finish off the beer-battered walleye, Cole slaw and French fries that were left over from last night. I hate to waste good food. I'll prepare my pork-infused meal tomorrow to celebrate the end of the week.

I had a very nice conversation on the phone with my son Joe. He is a great guy and I hope he has a chance to visit Minnesota and Leech Lake before the summer is over.

The evening passed quietly with me doing some reading, writing and watching a bit of TV. The rain never did come, although the ground and everything outside is wet. The mist is as heavy as it's been all day. I'm going to enjoy the cool weather, however, because the forecast is for hot temperatures, in the 90s, and very humid this weekend. So for now, I'll sleep in the coolness of my bed.

Until tomorrow...

Northwoods Proverb

There are two kinds of jobs.

One, you shower before you go to work.

The other, you shower when you come home from work.

July 13, 2011 -- In Leech Lake

This morning at 9:00 a.m. the temperature was a cool 54 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the NNE.

I think later today I'm finally going to get some wood chips from Tom Malay from the 3 trees he had taken down a couple of weeks back. The outfit that cut down the trees also ground up the stumps creating a good sized pile of small wood chips which I plan to lay on the low spots on the access road at the cabin. With all the rain we've had recently, the low area of the access road has been under water and is very soggy. I'm hoping the wood chips will help fill in the low spots and reduce the mud on the road.

I was just about to settle down to a sandwich I had made for lunch when I was interrupted with an hour-long work call. No sooner than I hung up the phone and Tom was knocking at my door wondering if I was ready to get started on the wood chips. I told him I'd be down right after eating lunch.

I took enough time to enjoy my sandwich -- and Kathleen is right, sandwiches do taste better at the lake -- and then I went down to the Malays. We spent about 45 minutes loading the two piles of wood chips into the back of a trailer that I had hooked to my ATV. Once the chips were all loaded I took them down to the cabin access road and filled in the low spots. That was fun work battling the heat, the mosquitoes and the biting deer flies. But at last the trailer was empty and cleaned out so I returned it to Tom's.

I then took an ATV ride to cool off. On Ottertail Point Road, which is commonly referred to as the "upper road," I spotted an ash tree that was hanging over the road ready to come down at any minute. I went back to Tom's so I could show him the tree. We agreed that it was only a matter of time before it came down and would thus block the road, so we decided that in the next day or two we'd come back with Ron Newstrand and take it down ourselves.

I took the ATV back home, walked over to the cabin and filleted the walleye I caught last night. I'll eat it later for dinner. Once I was done with my various chores I cooled off in the lake with a "camp bath." I was refreshed and ready to tackle some additional business issues.

Since I was going to be enjoying the bounty of Leech Lake for dinner tonight, I decided not to go fishing, opting instead to stay inside, listen to music and read. It was a pleasant evening even if I didn't get out on the water. Maybe tomorrow.

July 12, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

Kathleen leaves for California today.

The weather didn't even seem to try this morning, as if it and Leech Lake knew of Kathleen's impending departure. At 9:00 a.m. the sky was grey and overcast, the temperature was a chilly 54 degrees and the wind was blowing out of the NW at 8-12 mph. The lake was slate grey and looked uninviting. It looked more like a late-October morning than one in mid-July; save for the green of the leaves.

It's strange, the weather was poor, cool, grey and rainy the week leading up to Kathleen's arrival, and then suddenly, as if she brought it with her herself from California, the clouds parted, the sun came out and the temperature warmed by at least 15 degrees as soon as her plane landed in Bemidji. And now that she is preparing to leave, the weather seems to have once again given up.

We tried to make the morning last by savoring our coffee, lingering over breakfast, reading Billy Collins and just enjoying the peace of the northwoods. But time relentlessly moved forward and at last it was time for Kathleen to get ready for her trip.

The drive to Bemidji is always difficult when someone is leaving. Once at the airport, I helped Kathleen get her things inside the terminal and watched her go through security. Then it was time for me and her to go our separate ways.

I took care of a number of errands in Bemidji including getting Kathleen's bike serviced, taking care of some banking issues, getting groceries, etc. I drove back to the lake by 4:30 p.m., where the temperature had warmed to 70 degrees, the wind was still out of the NW but had slowed somewhat to 8-10 mph, and the sky was still full of big white clouds with only small patches of blue.

I took care of various business issues for a couple of hours before having some dinner. As the hour approached 9:00 p.m., I noticed that the sky had cleared and the wind had calmed to 5-8 mph from the NW. Leech Lake was inviting me to go fishing.

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Fishing Report

I motored my Lund Pro V 1800 Verado Limited Edition out onto the water at just after 9:00 p.m. The water temperature was just under 76 degrees, cooler than it's been the past few days, and the moon had already risen and was 93% waxing. The sunset was at 9:12 p.m., so I put the lights on the boat immediately after getting her off the boat lift. I watched as the cantaloupe colored sky turned darker and finally morphed into a color of concord grapes.

I was the only boat on Sucker Bay as far as I could see. I piloted my Lund out into 10 feet of water and began trolling between the cabin and the middle of Duck Bay. On my first pass south I hooked into a small hammer handle, which I released over the side of the boat.

On my next pass I hooked another fish and this one felt more like a walleye -- an initial hit then no resistance at all. When the fish got up next to the boat I saw it was indeed a walleye so I quickly slid the landing net underneath it and scooped it into the boat. I unhooked the Minnow Rap (Tennessee Shad color) from the fish and measured it on "The Judge." The fish measured a perfect 16 1/2 inches, a fine eating fish, so into the live well it went.

I made one more half-hearted pass, but since I already had tomorrow night's dinner in the box I wasn't too concerned if I caught anything or not. I didn't, by the way.

I put the boat on the lift right around 10:15 p.m., and was back inside the house by 10:30 p.m.

I listened to some music, read the newspaper, said goodnight to Kathleen in California and then called it a night myself. Good night from Leech Lake.

July 11, 2011 -- In Leech Lake

Last night's storm really cooled things off and greatly reduced the humidity. At 10:00 a.m. this morning the temperature was 69 degrees, the sky was partly cloudy and filled with big, white billowy clouds, and the wind was very strong at 15-20 mph out of the WNW.

Kathleen and I took it pretty slow this morning. We had coffee on the back porch, Kathleen spent quite a bit of time on the phone with AT&T trying to sort out some cell phone troubles, while I took the opportunity to read some of the newspapers Kathleen brought back from St. Cloud, make some work calls and send some emails.

At 2:30 p.m. the temperature was a very pleasant 73 degrees, the wind was still strong at 12-17 mph out of the NNW, and the sky was mostly covered with big white billowy clouds so that the sun cast shadows only occasionally.

Kathleen had finished doing yoga so we thought we'd take advantage of the relatively cooler temperatures and go for a bike ride. So it was off to the cabin to get our bikes out of the garage.

Our plan was to ride down to Duck Point Woods and back, about an 8-mile ride. We almost made it to Duck Point but the black and brown biting flies were so bad, especially around Kathleen, that we had to turn tail and ride home as quickly as possible.

Once home we had a late lunch on the back porch and laid in the hammock for a while. Then Kathleen decided to go running, but a series of calls from her work and sister-in-law delayed that until almost 6:30 p.m.

At that point the temperature had dropped to right around 70 degrees, the wind was still stiff at 10-15 mph out of the NNW with gusts up over 20 mph, and the sky was still filled with big billowy clouds that blocked the sun most of the time.

When Kathleen returned from her 6-mile run, and had completed her lunges and stretching, she and I went for a swim in the lake. Even though the air temperature was cool, the water was warm and felt great.

We had a simple, quiet dinner, played some cribbage and dominoes, then called it a night.

Kathleen has to leave for California tomorrow so we need to be on the road to Bemidji by 11:30 a.m. Tomorrow night, Kathleen will be in our San Jose house with Joe, Melissa and Jayden, and our dogs. I'm sure it'll be quite an adjustment from Leech Lake to a city of more than 1 million people, but being with our family will make for a welcome homecoming for her.

No fishing again today. Maybe tomorrow, depending on the weather and how I feel.

500th Post!

According to Blogger.com's dashboard for my blog -- Fishing Leech Lake -- this is my 500th post. That may not be such a huge milestone for many blogs, especially those that have multiple writers cranking out numerous posts per day, or for the blog maintained by some social media guru who churns out posts in his sleep. But for my humble little blog, 500 posts is a milestone worth noting.

I started Fishing Leech Lake back on February 20, 2005 as a way to capture various information about Leech Lake, such as weather conditions, fishing reports, and general news about the area of Leech Lake where my wife Kathleen and I have some property, i.e., Ottertail Peninsula.

True to the original name of "blog", weblog, my blog was a personal web log of my time at Leech Lake. Over the years I've added other components to my blog, and as the subhead of my blog now reads, "Musings, Observations and Fishing Reports from Minnesota's Leech Lake."

On occasion I will post something that has absolutely nothing to do with Leech Lake, other than it somehow reminds me of the time I've spent in the Northwoods of Minnesota.

So this is it. My 500th post. I look forward to the next 500 because that will mean I'll be spending more time at the place I enjoy the most -- Leech Lake.

July 10, 2011 -- In Leech Lake

At 10:00 a.m. the temperature was 70 degrees, the sky was blue and clear, the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SSE, the lake was nearly calm, and the humidity was in the high 60s, which isn't too bad; certainly it's not as humid as it was yesterday (at least not yet!).

Kathleen sent me a text saying that she awoke early this morning, had already packed and is most definitely ready to leave St. Cloud and come back to Leech Lake. She's been gone since Thursday afternoon.

With the Newmans back at home and the group that's staying at the Poage's cabin set to leave today, it should be a quiet couple of days here at the lake; Kathleen's final few until a possible return this Fall.

Kathleen called me from Walker at 2:15 p.m. She had stopped at the DQ for an ice cream cone and then was going to do a little grocery shopping before driving home.

At 4:30 p.m. Kathleen finally arrived at Leech Lake. We unpacked the truck and put away the groceries and that little bit of activity had us dripping with sweat because of the high humidity. So we grabbed some cold drinks, got on our swimsuits and went out to the end of the dock. We talked for a little while then jumped into the lake to cool off.

The 80 degree water of Leech Lake felt refreshing and it definitely cooled our cores. After swimming for a while, we got out and Kathleen wanted to go for run down the dirt road; something she really loves. So off she went.

Just before 8:00 p.m., with Kathleen still out running, the sky turned a sickly color green-grey, the air was very still and it started to lightening directly overhead. I jumped on the ATV and drove down the road to find Kathleen. Luckily she was already past Paulson's and nearing Schiebe's so she wasn't very far from home. She climbed onto the back of the ATV and we raced home just as the rain started to fall.

The temperature was falling and the wind was now very strong at 20+ mph out of the SSE and the lake roiled with waves and whitecaps. And one of the strangest parts of this summer thunderstorm was that the sun was shining below the big storm clouds and yet it was raining. This produced some amazing sites, such as the pictures below.

A huge rainbow stretched across the eastern sky over our woods


A small gap opened up between the giant layer of clouds and the horizon

Looking south on Sucker Bay as the storm rolled toward us

The craziness of the evening extended south to St. Cloud as well. Our daughter Liz was waiting in the car with Kathleen's mom when a large tree fell across the front of the car smashing out the windshield. Luckily, no one was hurt, but emergency crews including firefighters and police were dispatched to assist in removing the many fallen trees that littered the area.
A wild night of storms in Minnesota.

Water Level -- July 4th Holiday

I know it's nearly a week after July 4th, but I try to post an update on or near three holidays throughout the year -- Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day.

This is by no means a scientific measure of the water levels of Leech Lake, only gauge I can use against other similar measurements I take.

This year, just after July 4, 2011, the water level was up to and covering the 7th cement piling of my boat ramp with water lapping at the 8th piling. This is the same water level as in late May of this year.

The highest I've ever seen it was covering 9 pilings, while the lowest level didn't even reach the first piling.

My conclusion, therefore, is the lake is among its highest water level for this time of year.

July 9, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

For some reason sleep did not come easily last night. My mind raced in a million different directions before it finally calmed. As a result, I know we did not have a thunderstorm until sometime after 3:00 a.m., and maybe not even then.

It did rain here at Leech Lake sometime between 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. because the ground was wet when I arose. The temperature this morning was 66 degrees, the wind was 12-18 mph out of the SSW, the sky was overcast and grey and there hung in the air a heavy blanket of humidity that made everything from the floor to the trees damp.

By 10:30 a.m. I had not yet heard from Kathleen, either voice mail or text, if she was still in Minneapolis or on her way back to St. Cloud. Ashley's plane left MSP at 6:00 a.m. this morning, so it is probable that Kathleen dropped her off at the airport and then went back to the hotel to get some additional sleep. I'll wait until after noon before contacting her.

The rain and gloomy weather have put a damper on the "White Goods Clean Up" event at the Ottertail Peninsula Community Center. Each year, usually the Saturday after the 4th of July, several dumpsters are brought to the parking lot and surrounding lawn of the community center and residents are encouraged to bring in their various junk for disposal.

It's an exciting time for many of the locals who show up with trailers attached to their trucks and ATVs in preparation for hauling away treasures that other will throw out. It's funny to see these guys load up on old garden hose, pieces of metal pipe, old coils of electrical wire and other similar items.

And I have no idea why they call it the "White Goods Clean Up." Most of the junk that is tossed out is neither white nor all that good. But it's a fun day for many of the local hoarders.

Kathleen did send me a text just before noon saying that she didn't get much sleep last night, so after dropping off Ashley at the airport she did indeed go back to the hotel for some additional sleep. She needed to vacate the room by 12:30 p.m., however, so she will be in St. Cloud this afternoon.

The wind has picked up here at Leech Lake a bit, blowing at a consistent 15+ mph out of the SSW creating some decent waves, if not the occasional white cap. The flag is flying straight out from its mast. The temperature, according to the thermometer on our back porch, is 70 degrees; but it feels hotter than that.

At 12:20 p.m. the sun peaked out from behind the clouds for the first time today. It is supposed to be partly sunny later this afternoon with high temps in the mid 80s. And by 8:00 p.m., the wind is supposed to calm to under 10 mph, which might make it a nice night for trolling for walleye.

The humidity continued to rise and the stickiness of the air made me want to take a ride on the ATV to cool off. I decided to ride down to the "White Goods Clean Up" to see what treasures the local guys had found.

When I arrived at the community center, I saw Jerry Schiebe, Ron Geppart, Duane Paulson and Warren Snyder. Warren was just leaving, however, so I was left with the other three to chat about the hauls they'd made. Jerry had snagged a still usable patio furniture set, Duane had a truckload of odds and ends including an old computer table which he planned to use for cleaning fish, and Ron claimed the find of a still working lawn mower, among other sundries.

While we chatted a couple of trucks and car pulled in loaded with junk for disposal. Not wanting to sit around and watch, I put on my gloves and helped the guys unload the vehicles and throw mountains of junk into various dumpsters. The humidity was unbearable and soon I was soaked through my clothes.

Once things settled down a bit, I made leave after a 45 minute visit and once again sought the rushing air on the ATV to cool me.

When I got home I stopped by to see what the Newmans were doing and caught them loading their Suburban and just minutes from driving south to their home in Mahtomedi, near White Bear Lake. We bid each other goodbye and looked forward to our next meeting, whenever that may be. And with that I went home and they got into the truck and drove off.

By 3:00 p.m. the temperature had climbed to just over 80 degrees, the humidity reading was at 80% and the wind continued to blow at 12-15 mph out of the SW. The sky was mostly cloudy, but sun did shine through every few minutes.

Kathleen called me while I was outside, thus I missed talking with her, but she did leave a message. She said that as of 2:00 p.m. she was on her way from Minneapolis to St. Cloud and that she planned to see her mother, spend the night and drive back up to Leech Lake sometime on Sunday. That won't leave her much time here, since she is scheduled to fly back to San Jose on Tuesday afternoon out of Bemidji.

I finally did talk live with Kathleen just before 5:00 p.m. and she was planning on taking her mom to Saturday evening mass at St. Benedict's Church. I then listened to a Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor on the radio, and even though it was a rebroadcast, it was a wonderful show. Not only was the News From Lake Wobegon very heartfelt, but they had as a guest poet Billy Collins, whose work both Kathleen and I really enjoy.

At nearly 1:00 a.m. the temperature is 70 degrees, but the humidity is at 91%, which makes it almost unbearable to lay down in bed. It feels like I'm laying down on soggy sheets. But alas, I'm weary from lake of sleep last night, so no matter how humid and wet the air is, I'm going to have to call it a night.

No fishing tonight, maybe tomorrow. Too hot. Too humid to do anything but sit around and read the classics. Good night from Leech Lake.

July 8, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

At 9:30 a.m. it was a comfortable 68 degrees, the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the NNW and the sky was mostly sunny with just some high, hazy clouds.

As is typically here on the shores of Leech Lake there was a full orchestra of birds singing this morning. I have not yet been able to identify all of the birds' individual songs, but I do recognize the oriole and the kingfisher, both of which were singing brightly this morning.

It is odd knowing that Kathleen is in Minnesota, but not here with me at the lake. She is in St. Cloud visiting her mother, and will driving Ashley down to Minneapolis later today.

This has been a busy week here on Ottertail Peninsula, and more specifically on our little stretch of West Shores Road. Of course Norm and the Malays are here, they're here all year, but in addition to the "locals" I'm here, as are the Newmans, various groups at the Poages, Burgesons, Gizas and even Gunnufsons. There wasn't an empty cabin during the July 4th weekend. About half have gone home now, but the other half remain, so it's not as quiet here as it typically is during the week.

I spoke with Kathleen just before noon and she was in St. Cloud dealing with some troubling issues with her HTC Droid phone, and more specifically, with the service from AT&T. She was going to go to an AT&T store in St. Cloud to try to straighten out the problems. Once she gets that figured out she was going to pick up Ashley and take her to Minneapolis.

By 1:00 p.m. the temperature had climbed to 74 degrees and it felt hot and humid. The wind had also shifted and was blowing out of the SSW at a calm 5-8 mph. After a quick bite to eat I decided to fishing, but not for walleye. I thought since it's relatively calm and hot that it would be interesting to do some bass fishing.

Using the classic Palomar knot, I tied on a 3/0 offset hook and Texas rigged it with an original 5-inch Senko with no additional weight. I started by tossing the Senko into 3-5 feet of water near the reeds off the end of Norm's dock. As usual I caught a nice medium-sized "welcome bass." I fished in and around the reeds by Norm's for about 10 minutes but didn't catch another largemouth.

I then used the MinnKota electric trolling motor to work my way north along the edge of the reeds. The water temperature in this location was a hot 81 degrees. I made dozens of casts into the reeds as I moved toward Schiebe's cabin. But still I caught no more bass.

I finally gave up on bass fishing and decided to try a little slip bobber fishing with a small walleye hook tipped with a leech. I motored to a spot in 10 feet of water between our house and cabin and got to work. I spent about 45 minutes slip-bobber fishing, but again struck out.

I came ashore at 3:30 p.m. and had some lunch.

Since the fishing has been so poor, I decided to stay off the lake tonight and instead enjoy the beauty of the lake during sunset from our back porch. Unfortunately as the evening progressed storm clouds moved in and the sunset was more like grey turning to darker grey turning to black.

The forecast calls for storms after midnight, but as of 12:10 a.m. the only sign of a storm was some distant rumbling of thunder every so often. It's also supposed to be storming tomorrow morning and continue to rain until early afternoon. We'll see...

July 7, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

At 10:00 a.m. the temperature was 70 degrees, it already felt humid, the wind was 8-12 mph out of the SSW and sky was alternately cloudy or partly sunny.

Unfortunately, Ashley needs to go back to St. Cloud today because she has some plans to meet up with friends for dinner tonight before heading to Minneapolis on Friday. On Friday Ashley will stay with her aunt and uncle in Eden Prairie and then go to the airport very early Saturday morning so she can catch her 6:00 a.m. flight back to the West Coast.

I thought about going with Kathleen and Ashley to St. Cloud, but decided against it. This will allow Kathleen to focus her attention on her Mom, while Ashley can hang out with her friends and cousins. Plus, I just don't like St. Cloud all that much. I'd rather be at Leech Lake.

At 1:20 p.m. Ashley and Kathleen left Leech Lake bound for St. Cloud, with a stop in Walker because both of them like walking around the little downtown. Ashley was behind the wheel of the truck for the first time ever, and it was strange watching her drive the big Chevy Silverado 2500 HD down the driveway and onto West Shores Road.

Kathleen called me just before 6:00 p.m. to say she was in St. Cloud, had dropped off Ashley at dinner and was now on her way to see her mother. The way it looks, Kathleen will drive Ashley to the airport on Friday sometime, see her off first thing Saturday morning, then return to the lake either late Saturday or sometime on Sunday. Given that she wants to spend as much time with her Mom as is possible, I'm guessing I won't see Kathleen at Leech Lake again until mid- to late-Sunday.

At 7:30 p.m., with the temperature still 73 degrees, I decided to go fishing. The wind was relatively light at 5-8 mph out of the west. The water temperature was a very warm 78 degrees.

I motored out to a spot just past Second Duck Point in 13 feet of water and deployed the drift sock. I tipped my 1/8 VMC jig with a leech and started jigging for walleye. I made a couple of passes near Second Duck Point, but gradually moved north toward our properties. My final drift was made just north of Poage's cabin. During my several drifts, I caught only one rock bass. I did, however, hook a crayfish, which I hadn't done in years. And the thing was almost a mini-lobster at 4-inches long.

With the temperature cooling off as the sun dropped to just above the horizon, I pulled in the drift sock for the final time tonight, stowed it and my jigging rod/reel, and got ready to do some trolling. I got the lights on, got the rod holder in place, and set the SmartCraft controls to troll at a steady 560 rpm.

I trolled deep into Duck Bay and out into Sucker Bay. I watched as big anvil-shaped thunderstorm clouds gathered in the northeast. To the northwest there were dark clouds and I could see rain falling along the western shore of Sucker Bay. I kept an eye on the two storm fronts in case either started threatening the area where I was fishing.

The thunderhead at the northeast end of Sucker Bay

One by one the seven other boats in the area left, leaving just two or three of us still fishing. Unfortunately, I wasn't having any better luck trolling than I'd had jigging; just one rock bass hooked.

With the northeastern storm front flashing lightening and the northwestern front dropping rain on the north end of Sucker Bay, and with the onslaught of blood-thirsty mosquitoes, I decided to head ashore just before 10:00 p.m.

Once on shore I settled into a comfortable chair, picked up the book I'm reading, and had a quiet peaceful rest of the night on Leech Lake.

July 6, 2011 -- On Leech Lake

Kathleen is planning to drive Ashley down to St. Cloud on Thursday morning so this morning I drove into Cass Lake to pick up some supplies since I'll be at the lake alone without transportation for a couple of days.

The temperature at 10:00 a.m. was 73 degrees on its way to a high of 80 degrees. The was almost calm, at maybe 5 mph out of the NNW, so the lake was like glass. The clouds were the mixed -- some big, white and billowy, while others were very high and wispy.

When I got home, at just after 11:30 a.m., Kathleen and Ashley were just going out to the dock. I poured a cup of coffee for myself and joined them.

Since the water was still fairly calm at 1:30 p.m., and since it was a hot and humid 81 degrees, we decided to go tubing on the Hot Dog. Ashley asked if the neighbor boy Blake, who like Ashley is sixteen years old, could go with us. It was fine with us so Blake joined Ashley riding the tube in the 78 degree waters of Leech Lake.

I pulled them all over Sucker Bay -- from in front of our house into Duck Bay past Second Duck Point then north toward the resorts and finally back to our place. I probably did three or four loops during the 45 minutes we were out tubing. We had to come ashore because Blake and his family had plans to drive into Cass Lake for the farmer's market and craft fair.

Kathleen, Ashley and I, however, were not done with our time on the water and decided to go fishing. But first we made sandwiches, got some cold drinks and other snacks so we could spend as much time on the water as we wanted.

I got the leeches and fatheads into the boat and off we went. Fish started down in Bass Bay because Kathleen wanted to some fishing for "sunnies" (sunfish), but we didn't have any success. We then moved to the Birches, where we each caught some rock bass. Finally, we moved in front of our properties and drifted past Second Duck Point, but again all we could catch were some rock bass.

With our fill of fishing, Kathleen and Ashley wanted to go for a boat ride. Since the water was still fairly calm we could go quite a ways. We went past Ottertail Point and into Portage Bay and then south out onto the big part of the lake. From there we motored west toward Goose Island. We went around the island and headed north toward Big Hardwood Point and into the heart of Sucker Bay. And finally we motored home.

Just before sunset Ashley and Blake went for an ATV ride while Kathleen relaxed and meditated on the end of the dock. After a light dinner we all went over to the game room where we played ping pong and listened to oldies on the jukebox.

All in all a fun-filled day at Leech Lake.

July 5, 2011 -- In/On Leech Lake

By 10:00 a.m. the temperature was already 74 degrees on its way to a high of 82. The wind was brisk at 12-15 mph out of the NNW with gusts up over 20 mph. There were white caps on the top of good-sized waves rolling across the lake. The sky was mostly sunny, with some big billowy white clouds, which are typical for a Minnesota summer day.

It was too windy to go out on the lake, so Kathleen, Ashley and I had fun doing things on shore. After just hanging out on the dock and enjoying the beauty of the lake, we got on our bikes and went for a ride. We only made it to a point between Harbor Drive and the community center before we were forced to turn around and ride back because the black flies were biting us. Still, we managed to get in a 5 mile ride.

When we got home we were hot from the bike ride so we jumped into the lake and swam. The water was probably 74 degrees, but we were so hot from riding our bikes that it felt wonderfully refreshing. We played and swam for about a 1/2 hour or so when we noticed that the wind was starting to die down a little and the waves were no longer as big.

Taking advantage of the respite from the wind we got the Hot Dog tube ready by filling it with air and attaching the tow rope. Then we got it loaded into the boat, got the boat onto the water, and the Hot Dog tube into the water.

This the same 3-person Hot Dog Tube that Ashley and Kathleen rode on in Leech Lake.

Ashley went on the tube first and had a blast. Kathleen then joined her on the tube (it is made to hold three adults) and I pulled the on it all over Sucker Bay. We had a great time, but the wind picked up a little so we came ashore.

We had a wonderful dinner as we watched the sun drop into the western sky on the other side of Sucker Bay. Ashley really wanted to have a fire at the cabin fire pit, so I went next door and got it going. Ashley also wanted to invite the Newman's over for the fire and to share in some S'mores.

Just after dark John, Karen and Johnny Newman joined Ashley, Kathleen and I around the fire for some fun conversation and some tasty northwoods S'mores. Finally after midnight we called it a night and all went home.

We were all tired from the biking, swimming, tubing and playing at the lake. Another wonderful summer day at Leech Lake. The only thing missing was fishing. Maybe tomorrow...

The St. Cloud Adventure

Kathleen and I made the 2 1/2 hour drive from Leech Lake south to St. Cloud on Friday afternoon July 1. Since it was the start of the 4th of July weekend, the traffic heading north was very heavy, and in some places, such as through Brainerd/Baxter, it was actually bumper to bumper for nearly a mile.

We were on our way to a Coyle family reunion/picnic at Kathleen's mom's house. Not all of Kathleen's siblings would be there, but there were still more than 15 people planning to attend.

Apparently I'm the only one of the group that barbecues on a regular basis, so I agreed to bring my Weber grill to the picnic and be the one to do the BBQing. Once we arrived in St. Cloud, around 4:45 p.m., I unloaded the grill, got the grates into place and put the charcoal into the chimney in preparation for the grilling once everyone arrived.

By 5:30 p.m. most people had arrived. At right around 6:00 p.m. we all went to the end of my mother-in-law's driveway to watch the humongous black storm cloud move our way. The temperature for most of the day in St. Cloud had been in the mid- to high-90s, and just before the storm hit the temperature peaked at 97 degrees.

We could see some slight rotation in the storm clouds and thought that a tornado might be brewing. Within minutes, the storm had descended upon us bringing with it high winds, heavy rain and pea-sized hail.

I quickly moved the grill into the gazebo which is in the back of my mother-in-law's house to get it out of the rain. Surprisingly, the charcoal, which I had started just before the storm hit, was still burning. Quite a testimony to Kingsford charcoal.

As I began putting burgers, hot dogs, and brats onto the grill, the sirens started to sound warning of an impending tornado. At this point the backyard was littered with branches and leaves from the many oak trees in the yard.

The sky had darkened and looked an eerie color green. The wind was blowing so hard that even though I was inside the gazebo, with its walls of screen mesh, there was nary a place that was dry.

At one point I needed to run into the house, not more than a 20 foot distance, and got soaking wet before I could get inside. The rain was coming down so hard, and blowing from seemingly every direction, that I was completely wet as I entered the house.

Once inside I was told that water was seeping into the house from the utility room, underneath the stairs and from the bathroom. Just as we were checking to see if my mother-in-law had a sump pump which we could use to remove the flood of water, the power went off. Quickly candles were lit and flashlights located. Everyone was told to refrain from using the bathroom since her water supply is via a well, and with the power off, the well pump wouldn't be able to replenish the water in the toilets.

We ate our BBQ dinner and then before dark everyone got into their cars and headed elsewhere. Marge went back to St. Benedict's. The various other family memebers went back to their homes, while Kathleen and I went to a local hotel. Our plan was to leave the next day for the lake, so we had planned on spending only one night in St. Cloud.

On Saturday, once the power was restored, we spent hours using a Wet-Dry vacuum sucking up water from Marge's swamped carpet and running fans and a dehumidifier in an attempt to dry up the hallway, bathroom and dining floor. We actually made good progress and by evening the carpet was only damp.

Then came another wrinkle in our visit. The plan was for me, Kathleen and Ashley to go back up to Leech Lake on Saturday evening, but Ashley had an offer from her aunt and uncle to go see a Minnesota Twins baseball game on Sunday afternoon. So we all agreed to spend another night in St. Cloud (not our favorite place) and head north when Ashley got back from the game.

Finally at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday we were in the truck heading to Leech Lake. Marge's carpet was nearly dry, the power was on, and everything seemed to be in good shape.

We got to the lake just before 11:00 p.m. and were looking forward to some summer fun at Leech Lake.

July 4, 2011 -- Independence Day -- In Leech Lake

We're finally back at Leech Lake.

We left for an overnight picnic/BBQ/reunion at Kathleen's mom's house in St. Cloud on Friday and ended up staying until Sunday, not arriving at Leech Lake until after 11:00 p.m. I'll recap the mishaps of that trip in a separate post.

Today at 8:30 a.m. it was already 74 degrees, humid, with sunny skies and a 8-12 mph wind out of the SSW. It's supposed to be a beautiful summer day here at Leech Lake on this the 235th anniversary of America's independence.

By mid-afternoon the temperature had risen to 82 degrees, the humidity increased and it was a hot sticky 4th of July. So hot, in fact, that Kathleen, Ashley and I jumped in the lake and spent more than 1/2 hour swimming in the relatively cooler water of Leech Lake.

The wind, which blew at 12-15 mph out of the SSW all day, kept us from going tubing. There is no way I'm pulling someone in a tube across the lake when the waves are of a certain size.

We had a nice BBQ rib dinner, complete with grilled corn on the cob, potato salad and Caprese salad. We then sat on the dock and watched as a powerful thunderstorm moved our way. Just after sunset, the storm finally hit bringing with it strong winds, heavy rain and a wild lightening and thunder display.

The storm subsided around midnight, just as we were getting ready for bed. No fishing today, but hopefully tomorrow Ashley and I will get a chance to do some walleye hunting.