October 17, 2011 -- At Leech Lake

For the fourth day in a row I awoke to strong winds and cool temperatures. The wind by 9:30 a.m. was blowing at 18-25 mph out of the WNW with gusts up over 30 mph. The sky, for the first time in days, was a clear pale blue and the temperature (according to our thermometer on the back porch) was 32 degrees. A beautiful, if not breezy, mid-Autumn day at Leech Lake.

I spent all morning and into the afternoon doing consulting work. That had me glued to the PC and the phone for a good portion of the day. Shortly after 1:00 p.m., I drove into Cass Lake to pick up a couple of grocery items. That will probably be my last grocery run during my stay here at Leech Lake this Fall, since next Tuesday, October, 25, I fly back to San Jose.

I did a little more consulting work when I returned from Cass Lake, but finally shut things down around 4:00 p.m. I took a walk in the woods, and during my walk I thought I should check the hitch on the boat trailor since it had given me problems this Spring when I picked up the boat from Corner Sports in Bemidji.

When I got back from my walk in the woods I got out the ATV and drove it over to the cabin where the boat trailor is stored. I tried attaching the trailor to the 2" ball on the ATV but the hitch just wouldn't fit on the ball securely. I got out my socket wrench set and adjusted a nut on the underside of the trailor hitch, and after several tries got the hitch to fit snuggly and securely onto the ball on ATV.

I then pulled the trailor from its summer resting spot and positioned it at the top of the boat ramp. There was no way I could remove the boat lift canopy and trailor the boat today, however, because the wind was howling at near 30 mph out of the west. I am feeling better about the trailor hitch. If it fit well on the 2" ball on the ATV it should fit securely on the receiver hitch on the truck since the ball is the same size.

After decoupling the trailor from the ATV I took a little ride on the four-wheeler. I was making my way past Dick Schiebe's house when I spotted him standing outside, so I quickly turned around and drove up his driveway. Dick was there with his youngest daughter Lynne. While we were talking Ken Lichttennegger stopped by. Ken and his wife Terry own the property between the two Schiebe brothers, Jerry and Dick. The four of us caught up on the gossip around the peninsula and Dick's plans for the upcoming deer hunting season. Dick also showed me the remodeling he's doing in his cabin -- new oak cabinets and panelling in the kitchen and new black ash panelling on the walls and ceiling of the living room. It looked very good.

After my brief visit with my neighbors I got on the ATV and rode home. The sun is setting before 6:30 p.m. now so by 5:30 or 5:45 p.m. it's starting to get dark. Today was even darker than usual because of the dark clouds that had gathered throughout the day in the western sky. It wasn't raining, but it sure looked like it could. The temperature was hovering around 40 degrees and the wind was still strong at 22-30 mph out of the WNW.

I ate an early dinner, and then got a fire going in the fireplace. I really enjoy watching the fire. It would be infinitely better, however, if Kathleen were here to enjoy the fire with me.

I listened to some music, and followed the Sharks losing effort against the Ducks on my smartphone, before calling it a night and going to bed. Yet another windy day with no fishing. I may not have a chance to fish again before I am forced to pull the boat out of the water. Goodnight from Leech Lake.