It obviously had rained during the night because when I got up this morning everything outside was wet and there were still puddles in the driveway. The temperature at 9:30 a.m. was 74 degrees, the humidity was 94%, the sky was mostly cloudy and the wind was very strong at 15-22 mph out of the north.
It was perfect weather in which to paint because the paint set up quickly in the wind, despite the high humidity.
I talked to the Coyles around 11:30 a.m. and they confirmed that they are coming up to Leech Lake today. I'm not sure how long they'll be staying, but I think they'll be here until sometime on Friday afternoon.
By noon I was out painting the bunkhouse and shortly thereafter Joe joined me. He was painting the side of the bunkhouse where there had been a wasps' nest, and sure enough, one stung him in the neck. We applied ice to it and he got the stinger out, but it still caused him some significant discomfort.
We continued to paint the bunkhouse all afternoon, and finally wrapped up around 4:30 p.m.
The Coyles arrived at just after 5:00 p.m. and we quickly got pizzas in the oven since everyone was hungry. After dinner we went next door to the cabin where we got a fire going in the fire pit and spent the next several hours just talking and enjoying the cool breeze off the lake.
We all headed inside to read and get ready for bed around midnight. We plan to do some fishing tomorrow weather permitting, and Joe and I also want to try to wrap up our painting project.
Until tomorrow, good night from Leech Lake.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Monday, August 01, 2011
August 1, 2011 -- On Leech Lake
I awoke this morning to gray overcast skies, a light wind of 5-8 mph out of the SE, a temperature of 70 degrees, with the humidity at 84%. The ground, and everything else outside, was wet from an early morning rain.
I checked the paint on the ATV garage to see if the rain had caused it to run, since it is a water-based latex paint, but it appears to have set up before the rain did any damage. The threat of more rain this morning, and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, kept Joe and I from doing any painting today. Instead, we may try to dodge the precipitation and get out on the lake for a little fishing.
Nature Update: This year there have been dozens upon dozens of leopard frogs in the area. Every time I walk around the properties numerous frogs are jumping here and there. For years I hadn't seen even one leopard frog (their population in Minnesota has been on the decline for decades) but this year they're everywhere. I don't know if it's because of the large amount of rain we've had, which has kept the swamps full all summer long, or because of the high water level in the lake, or some other reason altogether, but it's good to see the return of the northern leopard frog on the shores of Leech Lake.
Just before noon I decided to go fishing. Joe elected to stay on shore. The wind was out of the south at 15-20 mph, which meant that it was fairly calm at the boat lift, but windy once I motored the boat out into 10 feet of water. Since all of the leeches I had had died, I opted for trolling rather than drifting.
The wind was so strong that when I was headed south I had to set the Mercury SmartCraft control speed at 700 rpm just to keep the boat moving at 2.0 mph ground speed. The water temperature was 78 degrees and the swells on the lake were 18" to 2 feet. I pulled a yellow perch-colored #9 Rapala Minnow Rap behind the boat out into Duck Bay with no bites.
On the return trip, heading north, I had to adjust the speed down to 550 rpm because the boat was being pushed so quickly by the wind. I had a couple of taps while heading north, most likely small perch hitting the lure, but I hooked no fish.
After an hour on the water I came ashore. It still wasn't raining and I was half tempted to start painting, but every weather forecast I checked called for mid-afternoon rain followed by thunderstorms starting around 5:00 p.m. and getting severe after 9:00 p.m.
The Coyles called from St. Cloud and said they were postponing their trip up to the lake until Tuesday because of the severe storms in that part of the state. While I was on the phone with Tim I could hear loud claps of thunder on his end, and he added that that wasn't even a loud one compared to those that were so strong that they were shaking the house. It looked like that storm was heading north, which put it on the path to hit Leech Lake later in the afternoon.
A light rain fell for a few minutes right around 3:00 p.m. then stopped almost as soon as it had started. A similar rain fell for a few minutes just before 4:00 p.m. The humidity was 82%, the temperature was at 80 degrees and the wind was around 10-15 mph out of the SSE. Every now and then the low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. The air was heavy and muggy.
As an appetizer before dinner Joe made Leech Lake crayfish. He boiled up about 30 crayfish and then we dipped the meat from their little tails in garlic butter and they were very tasty. We then ate our dinner and then watched a movie.
We kept waiting for the storm to arrive, but we had already headed off to bed before it hit.
Good night from Leech Lake.
I checked the paint on the ATV garage to see if the rain had caused it to run, since it is a water-based latex paint, but it appears to have set up before the rain did any damage. The threat of more rain this morning, and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, kept Joe and I from doing any painting today. Instead, we may try to dodge the precipitation and get out on the lake for a little fishing.
Nature Update: This year there have been dozens upon dozens of leopard frogs in the area. Every time I walk around the properties numerous frogs are jumping here and there. For years I hadn't seen even one leopard frog (their population in Minnesota has been on the decline for decades) but this year they're everywhere. I don't know if it's because of the large amount of rain we've had, which has kept the swamps full all summer long, or because of the high water level in the lake, or some other reason altogether, but it's good to see the return of the northern leopard frog on the shores of Leech Lake.
Just before noon I decided to go fishing. Joe elected to stay on shore. The wind was out of the south at 15-20 mph, which meant that it was fairly calm at the boat lift, but windy once I motored the boat out into 10 feet of water. Since all of the leeches I had had died, I opted for trolling rather than drifting.
The wind was so strong that when I was headed south I had to set the Mercury SmartCraft control speed at 700 rpm just to keep the boat moving at 2.0 mph ground speed. The water temperature was 78 degrees and the swells on the lake were 18" to 2 feet. I pulled a yellow perch-colored #9 Rapala Minnow Rap behind the boat out into Duck Bay with no bites.
On the return trip, heading north, I had to adjust the speed down to 550 rpm because the boat was being pushed so quickly by the wind. I had a couple of taps while heading north, most likely small perch hitting the lure, but I hooked no fish.
After an hour on the water I came ashore. It still wasn't raining and I was half tempted to start painting, but every weather forecast I checked called for mid-afternoon rain followed by thunderstorms starting around 5:00 p.m. and getting severe after 9:00 p.m.
The Coyles called from St. Cloud and said they were postponing their trip up to the lake until Tuesday because of the severe storms in that part of the state. While I was on the phone with Tim I could hear loud claps of thunder on his end, and he added that that wasn't even a loud one compared to those that were so strong that they were shaking the house. It looked like that storm was heading north, which put it on the path to hit Leech Lake later in the afternoon.
A light rain fell for a few minutes right around 3:00 p.m. then stopped almost as soon as it had started. A similar rain fell for a few minutes just before 4:00 p.m. The humidity was 82%, the temperature was at 80 degrees and the wind was around 10-15 mph out of the SSE. Every now and then the low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. The air was heavy and muggy.
As an appetizer before dinner Joe made Leech Lake crayfish. He boiled up about 30 crayfish and then we dipped the meat from their little tails in garlic butter and they were very tasty. We then ate our dinner and then watched a movie.
We kept waiting for the storm to arrive, but we had already headed off to bed before it hit.
Good night from Leech Lake.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
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.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, July 29, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
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...
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...
Saturday, July 23, 2011
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.
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.
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