By 9:30 a.m. this morning the temperature was already 74 degrees, the humidity was high, the sky was clear blue and sunny and there was virtually no wind; maybe a slight breeze at 3-5 mph out of the SSE. Within an hour or two Jayden and I were so hot that we decided to go swimming.
I'm really glad Rick and I got the stairs attached to the dock back in May when Rick was visiting because it's now easy for Jayden to get in and out of the lake. We splashed around and played in the water for 20 minutes or so before he got chilly and wanted to get out. By that time Kathleen had joined us on the dock so I left Jayden with her to go up to the house to grab some lunch.
As the day went on it kept getting hotter and more humid until the temperature was up near 90 degrees and the humidity was 75 percent. And with no wind at all, it was uncomfortably hot.
The only way to cool off was to either be in the lake or out on the boat; so we did both. We made some sandwiches, put drinks and other snacks in the cooler got in the boat and took off. Moving at 30+ mph on the lake did cool us off so I kept the boat moving until we had traveled south past Otter Tail Point out into the big part of the lake and onward to Stony Point.
I stopped the boat just off shore from the Stony Point Narrows Forest campground and instantly Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley and I were sweating and hot. I sat on the edge of the boat and dangled my legs in to cool off, while Jayden ate his sandwich. In no time, Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden and Ashley jumped in the water and were swimming around.
They must have played in the water for 30 minutes before climbing back into the boat. The lake had cooled them off, but sitting in the sun on the boat would have been too hot so I fired up the Verado and got the boat moving again.
I motored into Trader's Bay toward Pine Point and during the run Kathleen's new, "flapper" style hat flew off into the water. I quickly swung the boat around but we were too late. The hat Kathleen had just bought a couple of days earlier when she and the kids went to Walker, was now on its way to the bottom of Trader's Bay.
I got the boat going again and this time sped the boat toward Goose Island. I went around the south side of the island and piloted the boat to the northwest side of the island where there's a little cove with a sandy beach. I slowed the motor and guided the boat to a spot in front of the beach in 6-feet of water.
Once again, Kathleen and kids jumped into the lake, only this time they swam the short distance to the beach. I stayed in the boat and enjoyed a cold Leinie Summer.
When everyone was done swimming, they made their way to the boat, climbed in and we motored home. We then barbecued, and just enjoyed hanging out at Leech Lake. Another wonderful day in the northwoods; even if I didn't get any fishing in.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
June 30, 2012 -- On Leech Lake
With no accidents during the night we were all able to get up comfortably and say goodbye to my parents; as we had planned to do yesterday. It was great having them visit and as always it was hard to say goodbye.
The weather this morning was beautiful. The temperature was already 74 degrees at 10:00 a.m., the sky was mostly sunny and the wind was light at 3-8 mph out of the WSW. As the morning progressed and evolved into early afternoon the clouds rolled in and the sky darkened. It looked as if it was going to storm, or at least rain. But as it turned out, no rain fell and by 2:30 p.m. the sky had cleared again leaving nothing but blue sky.
With Jayden and Melissa napping and Kathleen and Ashley doing yoga and Pilate's, I took the opportunity to go fishing. With no fatheads in my minnow bucket I tipped my jig with a jumbo leech. I spent more than an hour in spots from Second Duck Point to a spot in front of my house to in front of Malay's without so much as a bite. So I went ashore to get a little lunch.
Everyone was still busy or napping so I went out onto the water again. The water temperature was 75 degrees, the sun was bright and the wind had died down completely. With those conditions I figured my best chance to hook a fish was to go bass fishing. With a spinnerbait tied on, I set up on the edge of the reeds in front of Norm's cabin.
I fished for more than an hour, moving slowly all the way to Schiebe's cabin. I made a 100 casts or more and couldn't hook a largemouth, or even a northern pike. With high skies, no wind and hot temperatures I decided it wasn't a good time to fish so I again made my way to shore.
Ashley and I went up to Birch Ridge Resort to buy a scoop of fathead minnows and on the way I noticed that the check engine light was on. I just had the truck serviced less than 1,000 miles ago so I'm not sure what's up. I'll have to take the truck into Bemidji on Monday to ensure all is working smoothly before we head down to St. Cloud later in the week.
We got back from Birch Ridge just in time for me to listen to A Prairie Home Companion, something I really enjoy doing on Saturday evenings at the lake.
After the "News from Lake Wobegon" I went outside and joined Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden and Ashley on the dock. Actually, Melissa, Jayden and Ashley were on the Hot Dog in the water so I jumped in and joined them. With the water at 75 degrees, it was very pleasant being in the lake. The kids asked if I could pull the Hot Dog behind the boat, and I agreed.
We gathered some snacks and drinks and all climbed into the boat. The water was still dead calm so I motored out just a short distance from shore before we dropped the Hot Dog in the water. Melissa and Ashley climbed on the tube and off we went. We raced around Sucker Bay for 15 or 20 minutes before stopping in front of our house. Jayden wanted a turn to ride on the Hot Dog, so Ashley got off the tube and climbed back into the boat while Jayden joined his Mom on the Hot Dog.
I started to make a slow trip around the Bay but Jayden wanted to come back into the boat. At that point we all decided it was time to go back on shore and get dinner ready. I had made some BBQed pulled pork earlier and we added onion rings and a fruit salad to complete the dinner.
We were all tired so after cleaning up the dinner dishes and getting Jayden to bed I called it a night and went to bed myself. We'll try some fishing again tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
The weather this morning was beautiful. The temperature was already 74 degrees at 10:00 a.m., the sky was mostly sunny and the wind was light at 3-8 mph out of the WSW. As the morning progressed and evolved into early afternoon the clouds rolled in and the sky darkened. It looked as if it was going to storm, or at least rain. But as it turned out, no rain fell and by 2:30 p.m. the sky had cleared again leaving nothing but blue sky.
With Jayden and Melissa napping and Kathleen and Ashley doing yoga and Pilate's, I took the opportunity to go fishing. With no fatheads in my minnow bucket I tipped my jig with a jumbo leech. I spent more than an hour in spots from Second Duck Point to a spot in front of my house to in front of Malay's without so much as a bite. So I went ashore to get a little lunch.
Everyone was still busy or napping so I went out onto the water again. The water temperature was 75 degrees, the sun was bright and the wind had died down completely. With those conditions I figured my best chance to hook a fish was to go bass fishing. With a spinnerbait tied on, I set up on the edge of the reeds in front of Norm's cabin.
I fished for more than an hour, moving slowly all the way to Schiebe's cabin. I made a 100 casts or more and couldn't hook a largemouth, or even a northern pike. With high skies, no wind and hot temperatures I decided it wasn't a good time to fish so I again made my way to shore.
Ashley and I went up to Birch Ridge Resort to buy a scoop of fathead minnows and on the way I noticed that the check engine light was on. I just had the truck serviced less than 1,000 miles ago so I'm not sure what's up. I'll have to take the truck into Bemidji on Monday to ensure all is working smoothly before we head down to St. Cloud later in the week.
We got back from Birch Ridge just in time for me to listen to A Prairie Home Companion, something I really enjoy doing on Saturday evenings at the lake.
After the "News from Lake Wobegon" I went outside and joined Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden and Ashley on the dock. Actually, Melissa, Jayden and Ashley were on the Hot Dog in the water so I jumped in and joined them. With the water at 75 degrees, it was very pleasant being in the lake. The kids asked if I could pull the Hot Dog behind the boat, and I agreed.
We gathered some snacks and drinks and all climbed into the boat. The water was still dead calm so I motored out just a short distance from shore before we dropped the Hot Dog in the water. Melissa and Ashley climbed on the tube and off we went. We raced around Sucker Bay for 15 or 20 minutes before stopping in front of our house. Jayden wanted a turn to ride on the Hot Dog, so Ashley got off the tube and climbed back into the boat while Jayden joined his Mom on the Hot Dog.
I started to make a slow trip around the Bay but Jayden wanted to come back into the boat. At that point we all decided it was time to go back on shore and get dinner ready. I had made some BBQed pulled pork earlier and we added onion rings and a fruit salad to complete the dinner.
We were all tired so after cleaning up the dinner dishes and getting Jayden to bed I called it a night and went to bed myself. We'll try some fishing again tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
June 29,2012 -- At Leech Lake
This morning Jayden came into our bedroom and woke up Kathleen and me sooner than we would have liked. As it turns out he was on a mission. My father, who along with my mother were set to leave for home in the Chicagoland area this morning, was waiting for us in the kitchen. He was there to tell us that sometime during the night, my mother rolled out of bed hitting her head on a chair and hurting her rib cage, and was currently lying in bed in some degree of pain.
Kathleen and I quickly got dressed and hurried over to the cabin where my parents are staying. My mother had a black eye and was holding onto her ribs in pain. Kathleen sprung into action getting ice packs made, giving my mother some pain medication and calling the hospital in Bemidji to see if we needed an appointment to have a doctor see my Mom.
We managed to get my Mom dressed, out the back door of the cabin and loaded into the car. I then drove her, me and my Dad into town to get her checked out at the Emergency Room (which was the hospital's recommendation).
Since Kathleen and I had planned to take Ashley, Melissa and Jayden down to St. Cloud today so a) the kids could see Kathleen's Mom and b) we could get Ashley to the airport by 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning, plans had to be changed. Kathleen pushed Ashley's flight back to California out a week, called her family in St. Cloud to alert them to the change in plans and then start looking into alternate flights for herself; she was set to fly back to San Jose mid next week.
In the meantime, I got my Mom to the hospital where she was checked out -- including an X-ray -- and was found to have a badly bruised rib cage and black eye, but that nothing was broken or otherwise damaged. Good news. From the hospital, my parents and I went out to lunch since none of us had eaten before leaving the house this morning. Kathleen, in an effort to keep a promise to take Ashley and Melissa shopping, drove into Walker on the south side of Leech Lake for a day of fun. Dramatic change in plans, but all things considered, things worked out.
As for the weather today, it was another hot day in the Northwoods. The temperature at the lake inched up all day long to reach a high of 82 degrees, although it was nearly 90 degrees in Bemidji. The sky was mostly sunny with some high wispy clouds and the wind was blowing out of the WNW at speeds ranging from 10-20 mph. By the time we had returned from our Bemidji hospital trip, the wind was such that it was just a bit to rough on the lake for me to go fishing. And with Kathleen and the kids still in Walker, I decided it was best to stay on shore in case my Mom (and Dad) needed any assistance.
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Kathleen, Melissa, Ashley and Jayden got home from their trip into town around 7:00 p.m. The temperature had climbed all day and was 82 degrees when I got dinner started. I had picked up a couple of pizzas from Great River Pizzeria on the way home from Bemidji. We all enjoyed Friday night pizza at the lake.
The cool breeze that had been blowing eventually calmed leaving the lake nearly still. My Mom, Kathleen, Melissa, Ashley, Jayden and I all sat out on the end of the dock and watched the sunset. My Dad, who was up most of the night worrying about my Mom, was tired and went to bed early.
Once the sun was down, the mosquitoes came out so we retreated indoors. My Mom, also tired, went back to the cabin to go to sleep. Kathleen called it a day early, while I stayed up a bit and read the paper.
It surely was an eventful day, with a trip to the Emergency Room and significantly altered plans, but all in all, things ended up OK. My mother was not seriously injured and we all enjoying an additional day at Leech Lake. Good night.
Kathleen and I quickly got dressed and hurried over to the cabin where my parents are staying. My mother had a black eye and was holding onto her ribs in pain. Kathleen sprung into action getting ice packs made, giving my mother some pain medication and calling the hospital in Bemidji to see if we needed an appointment to have a doctor see my Mom.
We managed to get my Mom dressed, out the back door of the cabin and loaded into the car. I then drove her, me and my Dad into town to get her checked out at the Emergency Room (which was the hospital's recommendation).
Since Kathleen and I had planned to take Ashley, Melissa and Jayden down to St. Cloud today so a) the kids could see Kathleen's Mom and b) we could get Ashley to the airport by 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning, plans had to be changed. Kathleen pushed Ashley's flight back to California out a week, called her family in St. Cloud to alert them to the change in plans and then start looking into alternate flights for herself; she was set to fly back to San Jose mid next week.
In the meantime, I got my Mom to the hospital where she was checked out -- including an X-ray -- and was found to have a badly bruised rib cage and black eye, but that nothing was broken or otherwise damaged. Good news. From the hospital, my parents and I went out to lunch since none of us had eaten before leaving the house this morning. Kathleen, in an effort to keep a promise to take Ashley and Melissa shopping, drove into Walker on the south side of Leech Lake for a day of fun. Dramatic change in plans, but all things considered, things worked out.
As for the weather today, it was another hot day in the Northwoods. The temperature at the lake inched up all day long to reach a high of 82 degrees, although it was nearly 90 degrees in Bemidji. The sky was mostly sunny with some high wispy clouds and the wind was blowing out of the WNW at speeds ranging from 10-20 mph. By the time we had returned from our Bemidji hospital trip, the wind was such that it was just a bit to rough on the lake for me to go fishing. And with Kathleen and the kids still in Walker, I decided it was best to stay on shore in case my Mom (and Dad) needed any assistance.
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Kathleen, Melissa, Ashley and Jayden got home from their trip into town around 7:00 p.m. The temperature had climbed all day and was 82 degrees when I got dinner started. I had picked up a couple of pizzas from Great River Pizzeria on the way home from Bemidji. We all enjoyed Friday night pizza at the lake.
The cool breeze that had been blowing eventually calmed leaving the lake nearly still. My Mom, Kathleen, Melissa, Ashley, Jayden and I all sat out on the end of the dock and watched the sunset. My Dad, who was up most of the night worrying about my Mom, was tired and went to bed early.
Once the sun was down, the mosquitoes came out so we retreated indoors. My Mom, also tired, went back to the cabin to go to sleep. Kathleen called it a day early, while I stayed up a bit and read the paper.
It surely was an eventful day, with a trip to the Emergency Room and significantly altered plans, but all in all, things ended up OK. My mother was not seriously injured and we all enjoying an additional day at Leech Lake. Good night.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
June 28, 2012 -- At Leech Lake
The wind this morning was blowing hard at 12-20 mph out of the WNW. The sky was mostly sunny and the temperature was 74 degrees. Although it was too breezy to go fishing or tubing, the wind sure cooled things off from the heat and humidity from yesterday.
We eased into the day with a pot of coffee, a breakfast of eggs, hash browns and sausage, and then went outside. It was such a wonderful day, despite the wind, that we all loved being outside.
Jayden and I played croquet, Bocce ball and had sword fights with sticks. We went on two different ATV rides including one when we went to the beach and threw rocks into the lake. Kathleen and the girls went for runs, bike rides and exercised out on the dock. What a fun day!
We had so much food left over from the past few days -- meat loaf, salmon, and ribs -- that we just had left overs tonight. Kathleen did make a cake so we could have an early birthday celebration for my Mom who has her birthday on July 2.
After dinner we watched the sunset, just hung out on the porch talking and enjoying the evening before going to bed. Tomorrow we need to take Ashley to St. Cloud so she can see her grandma Coyle before Ashley leaves early Sunday morning. We may stay down in St. Cloud until the Fourth of July, or we may come back up here. What we do will be determined in the next day or two.
As much as I'd like to do some fishing, I'm going to spend as much time as possible with my wife and kids before they all head back to California. Once they do, I'll focus my time on applying stain to the house and fishing. Stay tuned for detailed mid-summer fishing reports from Leech Lake.
We eased into the day with a pot of coffee, a breakfast of eggs, hash browns and sausage, and then went outside. It was such a wonderful day, despite the wind, that we all loved being outside.
Jayden and I played croquet, Bocce ball and had sword fights with sticks. We went on two different ATV rides including one when we went to the beach and threw rocks into the lake. Kathleen and the girls went for runs, bike rides and exercised out on the dock. What a fun day!
We had so much food left over from the past few days -- meat loaf, salmon, and ribs -- that we just had left overs tonight. Kathleen did make a cake so we could have an early birthday celebration for my Mom who has her birthday on July 2.
After dinner we watched the sunset, just hung out on the porch talking and enjoying the evening before going to bed. Tomorrow we need to take Ashley to St. Cloud so she can see her grandma Coyle before Ashley leaves early Sunday morning. We may stay down in St. Cloud until the Fourth of July, or we may come back up here. What we do will be determined in the next day or two.
As much as I'd like to do some fishing, I'm going to spend as much time as possible with my wife and kids before they all head back to California. Once they do, I'll focus my time on applying stain to the house and fishing. Stay tuned for detailed mid-summer fishing reports from Leech Lake.
June 27, 2012 -- On Leech Lake
By 9:00 a.m. this morning it was already 75 degrees and it was on it's to being a hot and humid day. The wind was almost nonexistent from calm to 5 mph out of the southwest. The sky was mostly sunny and it looked like a perfect day to go tubing.
My dad, who normally doesn't like anything to do with the water or boats, asked if I could give him a boat ride. So shortly before 11:00 a.m. we made our way to the end of the dock to get into the boat. Jayden really wanted to join us, so I got his life jacket on him and secured it and helped him into the boat. No sooner had we left the boat lift than Jayden wanted to "go home" to see his mom. So I turned the boat around, got it on the lift again, and walked my little grandson back home.
With Jayden happy and secure on shore, I made my way back to the lift, lowered it into the water and took my Dad for a bit of tour of Sucker Bay. We made our way north along the shoreline to Norm's to The Birches and to Schiebe's. Then I swung the boat around and headed south past Second Duck Point into Duck Bay.
Twice during our ride the few dark clouds in the area opened up and it sprinkled a little, but it lasted no more than a minute or two. By the time we got back on shore, the humidity had risen to more than 70 percent and the temperature was up over 80 degrees. It was definitely a hot day.
After lunch, Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley and I went out on the boat for some tubing. With Jayden on the Hot Dog I went slow, just fast enough to keep the tube afloat and Jayden happy. But when Jayden got in the boat with me and Kathleen and it was just Melissa and Ashley on the tube, I could go fast, and I did.
I pulled them at nearly 30 mph all over Sucker Bay; swerving back and forth and bouncing them over the wake. They screamed, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. After several long rides, we dropped the tube off at the dock and Melissa and Ashley jumped into the lake and swam out to the boat. With the water still very calm, I took everyone on a long boat ride around Sucker Bay -- past Duck Point, down to Ottertail Point, over to Goose Island, up toward Big Hardwood Point and eventually back to our house.
After we all ate a little lunch we went over to the dock to do some fishing in the reeds and weeds next to the boat lift. In no more than a couple of minutes Jayden caught a little bass. Unfortunately that was the only fish anyone caught, even though earlier in the day I'd seen dozens of bass (including some good-sized ones), several bluegills and a few rock bass swimming in the weeds.
All day long I had three racks of pork spare ribs slow-cooking in the oven. When it was time for dinner, I got the grill going, grilled up a whole bunch of marinated vegetables, the put the ribs on for a quick searing before adding the final coating off BBQ sauce. We all ate a great dinner and then retired to the back porch and dock to watch the spectacular sunset.
My Dad was tired and went back to the cabin fairly early. Melissa went to bed at the same time as Jayden, so Kathleen, Ashley and my Mom stayed up to watch a movie.
We had another wonderful day at Leech Lake. We are so blessed to all be together in such a spectacular and peaceful place. I wish we could all stay here forever. But alas, that can't happen so we'll have to enjoy every second of every day that we are here. Good night.
My dad, who normally doesn't like anything to do with the water or boats, asked if I could give him a boat ride. So shortly before 11:00 a.m. we made our way to the end of the dock to get into the boat. Jayden really wanted to join us, so I got his life jacket on him and secured it and helped him into the boat. No sooner had we left the boat lift than Jayden wanted to "go home" to see his mom. So I turned the boat around, got it on the lift again, and walked my little grandson back home.
With Jayden happy and secure on shore, I made my way back to the lift, lowered it into the water and took my Dad for a bit of tour of Sucker Bay. We made our way north along the shoreline to Norm's to The Birches and to Schiebe's. Then I swung the boat around and headed south past Second Duck Point into Duck Bay.
Twice during our ride the few dark clouds in the area opened up and it sprinkled a little, but it lasted no more than a minute or two. By the time we got back on shore, the humidity had risen to more than 70 percent and the temperature was up over 80 degrees. It was definitely a hot day.
After lunch, Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley and I went out on the boat for some tubing. With Jayden on the Hot Dog I went slow, just fast enough to keep the tube afloat and Jayden happy. But when Jayden got in the boat with me and Kathleen and it was just Melissa and Ashley on the tube, I could go fast, and I did.
I pulled them at nearly 30 mph all over Sucker Bay; swerving back and forth and bouncing them over the wake. They screamed, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. After several long rides, we dropped the tube off at the dock and Melissa and Ashley jumped into the lake and swam out to the boat. With the water still very calm, I took everyone on a long boat ride around Sucker Bay -- past Duck Point, down to Ottertail Point, over to Goose Island, up toward Big Hardwood Point and eventually back to our house.
After we all ate a little lunch we went over to the dock to do some fishing in the reeds and weeds next to the boat lift. In no more than a couple of minutes Jayden caught a little bass. Unfortunately that was the only fish anyone caught, even though earlier in the day I'd seen dozens of bass (including some good-sized ones), several bluegills and a few rock bass swimming in the weeds.
All day long I had three racks of pork spare ribs slow-cooking in the oven. When it was time for dinner, I got the grill going, grilled up a whole bunch of marinated vegetables, the put the ribs on for a quick searing before adding the final coating off BBQ sauce. We all ate a great dinner and then retired to the back porch and dock to watch the spectacular sunset.
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| Another amazing sunset over Leech Lake |
We had another wonderful day at Leech Lake. We are so blessed to all be together in such a spectacular and peaceful place. I wish we could all stay here forever. But alas, that can't happen so we'll have to enjoy every second of every day that we are here. Good night.
June 26, 2012 -- On Leech Lake -- 31st Wedding Anniversary
Today Kathleen and I celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary. We were married on the shores of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, MN, and here we are all these later once again in Minnesota, this time at Leech Lake.
And it was a beautiful at the lake. By 10:00 a..m. the temperature was 70 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny and blue and the wind was 8-12 mph out of the SSW so there was a bit of chop on the lake. Melissa and Ashley want to go tubing on the water as soon as possible, and if the wind dies down just a bit, we'll try to get out today.
Most of the morning and early afternoon we -- Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley, my parents, and I -- just hung around the house, drank coffee, had breakfast and enjoyed the beauty of the lake. By mid-afternoon, the temperature had risen to 78 degrees, the wind was still a bit breezy at 10-15 mph out of the SSE and the sky was sunny and blue.
The girls really wanted to go tubing (on the Hot Dog), so even though it was a little more windy than I'd like to pull a tube behind the boat, I acquiesced and onto the water we went.
I couldn't go real fast, nor could I swerve side to side and give them as crazy a ride as they like, but we still had fun on the lake. Even Jayden and Kathleen went for a ride.
Once back on shore, Jayden took a nap while Kathleen went running and Melissa and Ashley went on a bike ride. Jayden didn't sleep all that long and when he woke up he wanted me to take him on the ATV to find his mom and Ashley.
Jayden joined my on my Polaris 500 Sportsman and off we went. I didn't go much more than 10 or 12 mph because Jayden was with me, but we did manage to traverse the entire loop from our house to the community center up Ottertail Point Drive to 26th and back to our house. Somehow during that entire loop we didn't see Kathleen, Melissa or Ashley. Jayden and I arrived home to find Melissa and Ashley on the dock.
After we all cooled off and cleaned up we had a wonderful salmon and risotto dinner before we moved next door to have a camp fire. As the sun set and the sky darken, the clouds moved in and as a result we couldn't see the stars as well as we were hoping to. On a clear night, the stars are so bright here at the lake that it is easy to see the Milky Way, and billions of other stars.
We didn't have a chance to fish on the lake today, but we did have a great time at Leech Lake.
And it was a beautiful at the lake. By 10:00 a..m. the temperature was 70 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny and blue and the wind was 8-12 mph out of the SSW so there was a bit of chop on the lake. Melissa and Ashley want to go tubing on the water as soon as possible, and if the wind dies down just a bit, we'll try to get out today.
Most of the morning and early afternoon we -- Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley, my parents, and I -- just hung around the house, drank coffee, had breakfast and enjoyed the beauty of the lake. By mid-afternoon, the temperature had risen to 78 degrees, the wind was still a bit breezy at 10-15 mph out of the SSE and the sky was sunny and blue.
The girls really wanted to go tubing (on the Hot Dog), so even though it was a little more windy than I'd like to pull a tube behind the boat, I acquiesced and onto the water we went.
I couldn't go real fast, nor could I swerve side to side and give them as crazy a ride as they like, but we still had fun on the lake. Even Jayden and Kathleen went for a ride.
Once back on shore, Jayden took a nap while Kathleen went running and Melissa and Ashley went on a bike ride. Jayden didn't sleep all that long and when he woke up he wanted me to take him on the ATV to find his mom and Ashley.
Jayden joined my on my Polaris 500 Sportsman and off we went. I didn't go much more than 10 or 12 mph because Jayden was with me, but we did manage to traverse the entire loop from our house to the community center up Ottertail Point Drive to 26th and back to our house. Somehow during that entire loop we didn't see Kathleen, Melissa or Ashley. Jayden and I arrived home to find Melissa and Ashley on the dock.
After we all cooled off and cleaned up we had a wonderful salmon and risotto dinner before we moved next door to have a camp fire. As the sun set and the sky darken, the clouds moved in and as a result we couldn't see the stars as well as we were hoping to. On a clear night, the stars are so bright here at the lake that it is easy to see the Milky Way, and billions of other stars.
We didn't have a chance to fish on the lake today, but we did have a great time at Leech Lake.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
June 25, 2012 -- At Leech Lake
This morning at 7:00 a.m. the sun was shining, the wind was relatively calm at 5-8 mph out of the SSE and the temperature was 62 degrees. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day at Leech Lake.
Kathleen and the kids had some errands to run in Bemidji today, so around 11:15 a.m. they got in the truck and drove into town. I stayed at the lake did a variety of chores -- laundry, cleaning up at the cabin, prepping for our dinner later today, etc.
My parents were expected here sometime mid-afternoon and we want the cabin to be clean for their arrival. So I cleaned up the cabin and made sure things were in order. In the mail today, the part for me to fix the Anderson Window crank arrived, so I also spent a little time repairing the window.
I thought about going out to do a little fishing, but I didn't want to be on the water when my parents arrived.
At 3:30 p.m. my Mom and Dad drove up. We had a great time catching up and talking until Kathleen and the kids got home at 5:30 p.m. We then made dinner, ate and had a very nice time talking and enjoying grandma and grandpa's company.
We stayed up until roughly midnight and then all went to bed. It was another nice day at Leech Lake, even if I didn't have a chance to get out fishing.
Kathleen and the kids had some errands to run in Bemidji today, so around 11:15 a.m. they got in the truck and drove into town. I stayed at the lake did a variety of chores -- laundry, cleaning up at the cabin, prepping for our dinner later today, etc.
My parents were expected here sometime mid-afternoon and we want the cabin to be clean for their arrival. So I cleaned up the cabin and made sure things were in order. In the mail today, the part for me to fix the Anderson Window crank arrived, so I also spent a little time repairing the window.
I thought about going out to do a little fishing, but I didn't want to be on the water when my parents arrived.
At 3:30 p.m. my Mom and Dad drove up. We had a great time catching up and talking until Kathleen and the kids got home at 5:30 p.m. We then made dinner, ate and had a very nice time talking and enjoying grandma and grandpa's company.
We stayed up until roughly midnight and then all went to bed. It was another nice day at Leech Lake, even if I didn't have a chance to get out fishing.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
June 24, 2012 -- On Leech Lake
Unlike the past few days here at Leech Lake, we woke this morning to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. The temperature was 66 degrees and the wind was out of the NNW at 10-15 mph. The water was fairly choppy with some white caps, yet after days of rain, many boats were out on the lake fishing.
With the lake as choppy as it was, I focused my attention on tasks on shore; mainly getting the gutters on the house cleaned out. We've had more than 8 inches of rain in the past five days, much of it very heavy, so I knew that the gutters needed a good cleaning. I hadn't cleaned them since last autumn and they had a lot of debris in them.
I got the ladder from the cabin and began the cleaning process. As always, it was a dirty and stinky job. But when it's done, I always feel a sense of accomplishment. Let it rain!
We -- me, Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley, Tim, Connor and Jackson -- all hung out on shore for most of the day just relaxing, playing, talking and enjoying the splendor of the lake. As the day progressed, the wind died down a bit to 8-12 mph out of the north as the temperature rose to 75 degrees. It turned out to be a wonderful day.
At just after 3:00 p.m. I took Tim and Jackson out fishing while Jayden napped and everyone else played Liar's Dice. I motored out to a spot in front of Malay's cabin in 11 feet of water and deployed the drift sock. With the wind blowing the way it was, the boat was pushed almost parallel to the shoreline south toward Second Duck Point.
We all were using jigs tipped with minnows in the 71.5 degree water. The sky was mostly sunny and it was warm on the boat.
I caught a number of perch. Jackson caught fewer and smaller perch. And I'm not sure if Tim caught more than two or three small perch. Unfortunately, during our three drifts from Malay's to Second Duck Point, in water varying from 11 to 15 feet of water, all we caught were small perch. Finally, around 4:45 p.m. it was time to come ashore.
Shortly after arriving on shore, Tim, Connor and Jackson all packed up and left the lake for home in Rice. Kathleen went running, while Ashley and Melissa worked out. I stayed at the house and Jayden and I played with his toys.
I made a tasty dinner of shrimp pasta and garlic bread and after dinner we all relaxed, cleaned up and went to bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Kathleen and the kids are talking about going into Cass Lake and Bemidji, while I'll probably put up some zinc stripping on the garage at the house. And sometime around mid-afternoon my parents are due to arrive from Chicago. I'm looking forward to seeing them and having the opportunity for them to enjoy Leech Lake.
Good night.
With the lake as choppy as it was, I focused my attention on tasks on shore; mainly getting the gutters on the house cleaned out. We've had more than 8 inches of rain in the past five days, much of it very heavy, so I knew that the gutters needed a good cleaning. I hadn't cleaned them since last autumn and they had a lot of debris in them.
I got the ladder from the cabin and began the cleaning process. As always, it was a dirty and stinky job. But when it's done, I always feel a sense of accomplishment. Let it rain!
We -- me, Kathleen, Melissa, Jayden, Ashley, Tim, Connor and Jackson -- all hung out on shore for most of the day just relaxing, playing, talking and enjoying the splendor of the lake. As the day progressed, the wind died down a bit to 8-12 mph out of the north as the temperature rose to 75 degrees. It turned out to be a wonderful day.
At just after 3:00 p.m. I took Tim and Jackson out fishing while Jayden napped and everyone else played Liar's Dice. I motored out to a spot in front of Malay's cabin in 11 feet of water and deployed the drift sock. With the wind blowing the way it was, the boat was pushed almost parallel to the shoreline south toward Second Duck Point.
We all were using jigs tipped with minnows in the 71.5 degree water. The sky was mostly sunny and it was warm on the boat.
I caught a number of perch. Jackson caught fewer and smaller perch. And I'm not sure if Tim caught more than two or three small perch. Unfortunately, during our three drifts from Malay's to Second Duck Point, in water varying from 11 to 15 feet of water, all we caught were small perch. Finally, around 4:45 p.m. it was time to come ashore.
Shortly after arriving on shore, Tim, Connor and Jackson all packed up and left the lake for home in Rice. Kathleen went running, while Ashley and Melissa worked out. I stayed at the house and Jayden and I played with his toys.
I made a tasty dinner of shrimp pasta and garlic bread and after dinner we all relaxed, cleaned up and went to bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Kathleen and the kids are talking about going into Cass Lake and Bemidji, while I'll probably put up some zinc stripping on the garage at the house. And sometime around mid-afternoon my parents are due to arrive from Chicago. I'm looking forward to seeing them and having the opportunity for them to enjoy Leech Lake.
Good night.
June 23, 2012 -- On Leech Lake
This morning we awoke to more rain. The sky was grey and overcast, a steady rain was falling, the wind was at 8-12 mph out of the southeast and the temperature was a cool 62 degrees.
Jayden was excited to be at the lake, and wanted to do everything at once -- go fishing, play baseball, ride on the ATV, play with his toys, and see his cousins. But with the rain falling, we had to stay inside; at least for a while. By 11:30 a.m. the rain had ceased, the sun was trying to push its way clear of the clouds and the temperature was inching its way toward 75 degrees.
With the weather on our side, we all went outside to enjoy it. Melissa and Ashley went for a bike ride. Connor made his way out onto the end of the dock to enjoy the lake. Kathleen got ready to go for a run. And Tim, Jackson, Jayden and I gathered up our things and went fishing.
The water temperature was 70 degrees, the breeze was blowing at 8-12 mph out of the southeast and the mostly sunny sky made conditions relatively perfect for fishing for walleye and perch. We spent about 45 minutes dragging minnows on our jigs, but all we caught were a few perch and one smallish northern pike. At that point Jayden really wanted to go ashore so I motored the boat back to the lift. Tim and Jackson waited in the boat while I walked Jayden back home so he could see his Mom, grandma and cousin; with his minnow still firmly gripped in his little hand.
With Jayden happily playing on shore, I went back to the boat lift and motored Tim and Jackson back out onto the lake. We spent another 90 minutes catching dozens of perch, but unfortunately only one jumbo and no walleye. Still, it was a lot of fun being on the water.
We were all getting a bit hungry so we came back on shore where I made some chicken salad for sandwiches, while everyone else just relaxed or played in the gameroom.
Everyone just enjoyed being on shore during the late afternoon and into the early evening. I grilled brats, hot dogs and burgers for dinner, and Kathleen made corn on the cob, salad and got some fruit in bowls for us. We all had a wonderful dinner.
After dinner I grabbed my baitcasting reel paired with a lipless crankbait and went out onto the dock to try a few casts. The sky was dark grey and ominous. The air was still and the humidity was high. It felt like we were going to get a storm.
I made a few casts off the dock when I noticed a large fish at the mouth of the harbor. I made a couple of casts toward it and hooked into the 2-foot long dogfish. The fish went crazy after attacking my lure and jumped out of the water, and in the process spit the hooks of the lipless crankbait. The fish bolted from the area, but within minutes was back again.
By this time Tim, Ashley, Connor and Jackson had joined me at the harbor and while looking for the large dogfish discovered a large school of dogfish fry. Ashley, ever the northwoods girl, dipped her hand into the shallow water near the harbor and scooped up a small dogfish. After examining the little dogfish, Ashley carefully released the fish back into the water so it could rejoin the school.
The light rain that had been falling started to get heavier and we all made our way up to the house to seek shelter. Jayden wanted to watch the movie Mary Poppins, so most of the group gathered in the TV room to watch the movie. When Jayden, and Tim, finally pooped out and went to bed, the rest of us gathered in the living room to play Liar's Dice.
We played several spirited games before Connor and Jackson went back to the cabin to go to bed. No sooner had they left when a heavy thunderstorm hit, complete with lightning, thunder and sheets of rain. I can't believe how much rain has fallen this past week. My unofficial lake water level is now at 8 cement pilings; two higher than it was just 4 weeks ago.
When the storm finally petered out, Ashley and Melissa went to bed while Kathleen and I cleaned up. Although no walleye were caught today, and only one jumbo perch, it was still a fun-filled day on the shores of Leech Lake.
Good night.
Jayden was excited to be at the lake, and wanted to do everything at once -- go fishing, play baseball, ride on the ATV, play with his toys, and see his cousins. But with the rain falling, we had to stay inside; at least for a while. By 11:30 a.m. the rain had ceased, the sun was trying to push its way clear of the clouds and the temperature was inching its way toward 75 degrees.
With the weather on our side, we all went outside to enjoy it. Melissa and Ashley went for a bike ride. Connor made his way out onto the end of the dock to enjoy the lake. Kathleen got ready to go for a run. And Tim, Jackson, Jayden and I gathered up our things and went fishing.
The water temperature was 70 degrees, the breeze was blowing at 8-12 mph out of the southeast and the mostly sunny sky made conditions relatively perfect for fishing for walleye and perch. We spent about 45 minutes dragging minnows on our jigs, but all we caught were a few perch and one smallish northern pike. At that point Jayden really wanted to go ashore so I motored the boat back to the lift. Tim and Jackson waited in the boat while I walked Jayden back home so he could see his Mom, grandma and cousin; with his minnow still firmly gripped in his little hand.
With Jayden happily playing on shore, I went back to the boat lift and motored Tim and Jackson back out onto the lake. We spent another 90 minutes catching dozens of perch, but unfortunately only one jumbo and no walleye. Still, it was a lot of fun being on the water.
We were all getting a bit hungry so we came back on shore where I made some chicken salad for sandwiches, while everyone else just relaxed or played in the gameroom.
Everyone just enjoyed being on shore during the late afternoon and into the early evening. I grilled brats, hot dogs and burgers for dinner, and Kathleen made corn on the cob, salad and got some fruit in bowls for us. We all had a wonderful dinner.
After dinner I grabbed my baitcasting reel paired with a lipless crankbait and went out onto the dock to try a few casts. The sky was dark grey and ominous. The air was still and the humidity was high. It felt like we were going to get a storm.
I made a few casts off the dock when I noticed a large fish at the mouth of the harbor. I made a couple of casts toward it and hooked into the 2-foot long dogfish. The fish went crazy after attacking my lure and jumped out of the water, and in the process spit the hooks of the lipless crankbait. The fish bolted from the area, but within minutes was back again.
By this time Tim, Ashley, Connor and Jackson had joined me at the harbor and while looking for the large dogfish discovered a large school of dogfish fry. Ashley, ever the northwoods girl, dipped her hand into the shallow water near the harbor and scooped up a small dogfish. After examining the little dogfish, Ashley carefully released the fish back into the water so it could rejoin the school.
The light rain that had been falling started to get heavier and we all made our way up to the house to seek shelter. Jayden wanted to watch the movie Mary Poppins, so most of the group gathered in the TV room to watch the movie. When Jayden, and Tim, finally pooped out and went to bed, the rest of us gathered in the living room to play Liar's Dice.
We played several spirited games before Connor and Jackson went back to the cabin to go to bed. No sooner had they left when a heavy thunderstorm hit, complete with lightning, thunder and sheets of rain. I can't believe how much rain has fallen this past week. My unofficial lake water level is now at 8 cement pilings; two higher than it was just 4 weeks ago.
When the storm finally petered out, Ashley and Melissa went to bed while Kathleen and I cleaned up. Although no walleye were caught today, and only one jumbo perch, it was still a fun-filled day on the shores of Leech Lake.
Good night.
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