This morning was beautiful. The temperature was 62 degrees at 9:00 a.m., the sky was mostly sunny and the wind was 8-12 mph out of the southwest; although the forecast is for stronger winds throughout the day.
Kathleen and I had lots of errands to run today, so just after 10:00 a.m. we drove into Bemidji.
More than nine hours later, at right around 7:30 p.m. we arrived back at the lake. We'd accomplished a lot in town, but it took us all day. Once home, Kathleen went for a quick 6-mile run while I unloaded our groceries and other items.
We had a quiet night of reading and talking before heading to bed early. No fishing today. Maybe tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
June 12, 2012 -- On Leech Lake
The wind this morning had decreased significantly from the howling winds of yesterday, but were still stiff at 12-18 mph out of the WNW. The temperature at 10:00 a.m. was 52 degrees and the sky was mostly sunny. The lake was full of foam and debris from the pounding it took from all of the wind, and I'm doubtful that the fishing will be very good today. There are a few boats on Sucker Bay, most between our place and Second Duck Point, and they are out a ways, in roughly 14-17 feet of water.
By noon, the wind had calmed to about 10 mph and had shifted to WSW. The sun was shining and the sky was mostly blue with some white fluffy clouds. I decided it was a perfect time to go fishing, but I needed minnows first.
I drove the truck up to Birch Ridge Resort and picked up a scoop of fatheads. Once home, I got the boat in the water, noted the water temperature to be 69.5 degrees, and motored out to a spot between our house and cabin in 12 feet of water.
Using a red Northland "Vegas" jig tipped with a fathead I immediately started catching perch. I must have caught close to 20 perch in the 7-10-inch range. I then felt that familiar tick of a walleye. I set the hook and hauled in a beautiful 16 1/2-inch walleye that went into the live well; that will be dinner tonight. So much for my earlier doubts about it being a poor day for fishing.
I stayed out for a total of 90 minutes and caught more perch and a northern, but I didn't catch any more walleye. No matter, I would have thrown any other walleyes back into the lake since I already had dinner in the live well.
Once on shore I ate some lunch, then Kathleen and I took a bike ride. It turned out to be a beautiful day -- sunny, temperature in the mid-60s, light wind. A perfect day to be outside in the northwoods.
While Kathleen was out for her daily run, I cleaned the walleye. Along with the beer-battered walleye, using Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy for a hint of lemon, we had Minnesota-grown wild rice, salad and broccoli and cauliflower. A wonderful dinner at the lake!
After dinner we watched the sunset and then just hung out together in the living room. It was another fantastic day, and evening, at Leech Lake.
By noon, the wind had calmed to about 10 mph and had shifted to WSW. The sun was shining and the sky was mostly blue with some white fluffy clouds. I decided it was a perfect time to go fishing, but I needed minnows first.
I drove the truck up to Birch Ridge Resort and picked up a scoop of fatheads. Once home, I got the boat in the water, noted the water temperature to be 69.5 degrees, and motored out to a spot between our house and cabin in 12 feet of water.
Using a red Northland "Vegas" jig tipped with a fathead I immediately started catching perch. I must have caught close to 20 perch in the 7-10-inch range. I then felt that familiar tick of a walleye. I set the hook and hauled in a beautiful 16 1/2-inch walleye that went into the live well; that will be dinner tonight. So much for my earlier doubts about it being a poor day for fishing.
I stayed out for a total of 90 minutes and caught more perch and a northern, but I didn't catch any more walleye. No matter, I would have thrown any other walleyes back into the lake since I already had dinner in the live well.
Once on shore I ate some lunch, then Kathleen and I took a bike ride. It turned out to be a beautiful day -- sunny, temperature in the mid-60s, light wind. A perfect day to be outside in the northwoods.
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| Sparkling water on a beautiful Leech Lake afternoon |
After dinner we watched the sunset and then just hung out together in the living room. It was another fantastic day, and evening, at Leech Lake.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
June 11, 2012 -- At Leech Lake
Well, the weather forecast was spot on, it is very windy today. By mid-morning the wind was howling at 25-35 mph out of the WSW, the lake was churning with white caps, the sky was mostly cloudy and grey with a few occasional patches of sun peaking through and the temperature was a chilly 62 degrees compared to the heat and humidity of yesterday.
As the day went on, the wind continued to blow in excess of 25 mph and the temperature actually dropped. By late afternoon, the temperature was only 54 degrees and near sunset it was 48 degrees. Throughout the day waves of heavy mist and light rain would wash across the lake from the southwest and everything would be left cold and wet.
During one of the breaks in the rain, Kathleen and I took a bike ride. We rode down the road to 26th, then up to Ottertail Point Road, around to the community center and back home. I nice ride of between 6-7 miles. When we got home Kathleen decided to go for run. She ran to the community center and back which is about a 6 mile round trip. Then she climbed into our big spa bath to warm up.
This evening we took it easy and just hung out and talked and listened to music. The wind was still blowing at more than 25 mph from the WSW as Monday morphed into Tuesday. The forecast for tomorrow is more wind, but sunny skies.
No fishing again today, due to the strong winds. Good night from Leech Lake.
As the day went on, the wind continued to blow in excess of 25 mph and the temperature actually dropped. By late afternoon, the temperature was only 54 degrees and near sunset it was 48 degrees. Throughout the day waves of heavy mist and light rain would wash across the lake from the southwest and everything would be left cold and wet.
During one of the breaks in the rain, Kathleen and I took a bike ride. We rode down the road to 26th, then up to Ottertail Point Road, around to the community center and back home. I nice ride of between 6-7 miles. When we got home Kathleen decided to go for run. She ran to the community center and back which is about a 6 mile round trip. Then she climbed into our big spa bath to warm up.
This evening we took it easy and just hung out and talked and listened to music. The wind was still blowing at more than 25 mph from the WSW as Monday morphed into Tuesday. The forecast for tomorrow is more wind, but sunny skies.
No fishing again today, due to the strong winds. Good night from Leech Lake.
Monday, June 11, 2012
June 10, 2012 -- In Leech Lake
At 9:00 a.m this morning the sky was grey, although the sun was still strong enough to cast shadows through the light, grey clouds. The air felt heavy and the wind was light at 5-10 mph out of the NW. The temperature was already 72 degrees.
While Kathleen slept I went next door to check on the minnows. I had given them fresh water on Friday evening, and I keep them aerated, but I figured yesterday's heat might have gotten to them; I was right. The entire scoop I had just purchased had perished. It was simply too hot for them. I often keep them in a minnow bucket in the lake, but with strong winds the rough water can also kill them, so I tend to keep them aerated in a bucket in the "fish garage." I'll have to run up to the resort today to pick up another scoop. I would like to get out on the water fishing today since it's been a few days now since I last fished.
As it turned out, however, I would not get up to the resort to buy any minnows, nor would I get out on the water to do any fishing. The wind picked up as the day went on until it reached its peak in the late afternoon at 25-30 mph out of the SW as a severe thunderstorm rolled through. Just an hour or so before the storm hit, Kathleen and I took a camp bath in the lake to cool off and escape the heat and humidity of the day. The temperature was in the mid- to high-80s and the humidity was very high as well. The lake water, which was probably in the low 70s, immediately cooled our core and refreshed us. We then sat on the dock and watched as the storm approached from the southwest.
As the storm raged on, I got dinner started. Soon we had a wonderful dinner of salmon, risotto, broccoli and cauliflower, salad and garlic bread. A very tasty dinner, if not way too much food.
The storm passed and as we sat eating dinner the sky cleared somewhat and treated us to a beautiful sunset. After dinner we hung out in the living room, listening to music, played a dice game and eventually called it a night.
The forecast for tomorrow is much cooler temperatures, with a high of only 68 degrees, and strong winds upwards of 30 mph. If that is indeed the case, it may be yet another day with no fishing. Good night from Leech Lake.
While Kathleen slept I went next door to check on the minnows. I had given them fresh water on Friday evening, and I keep them aerated, but I figured yesterday's heat might have gotten to them; I was right. The entire scoop I had just purchased had perished. It was simply too hot for them. I often keep them in a minnow bucket in the lake, but with strong winds the rough water can also kill them, so I tend to keep them aerated in a bucket in the "fish garage." I'll have to run up to the resort today to pick up another scoop. I would like to get out on the water fishing today since it's been a few days now since I last fished.
As it turned out, however, I would not get up to the resort to buy any minnows, nor would I get out on the water to do any fishing. The wind picked up as the day went on until it reached its peak in the late afternoon at 25-30 mph out of the SW as a severe thunderstorm rolled through. Just an hour or so before the storm hit, Kathleen and I took a camp bath in the lake to cool off and escape the heat and humidity of the day. The temperature was in the mid- to high-80s and the humidity was very high as well. The lake water, which was probably in the low 70s, immediately cooled our core and refreshed us. We then sat on the dock and watched as the storm approached from the southwest.
As the storm raged on, I got dinner started. Soon we had a wonderful dinner of salmon, risotto, broccoli and cauliflower, salad and garlic bread. A very tasty dinner, if not way too much food.
The storm passed and as we sat eating dinner the sky cleared somewhat and treated us to a beautiful sunset. After dinner we hung out in the living room, listening to music, played a dice game and eventually called it a night.
The forecast for tomorrow is much cooler temperatures, with a high of only 68 degrees, and strong winds upwards of 30 mph. If that is indeed the case, it may be yet another day with no fishing. Good night from Leech Lake.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
June 9, 2012 -- At Leech Lake
I had a lot of trouble falling asleep last night and didn't doze off until after 1:00 a.m. Then I awoke at 4:00 a.m. and tossed and turned until 6:00 a.m. when I thought about getting up. But then I dozed off again awaking for good at 8:00 a.m. I guess I was excited about Kathleen arriving from California later today and all of the things I need to do to get the house ready.
At 8:00 a.m. the sky was mostly sunny with some high clouds, the wind was out of the SSE at 5-10 mph, but the water along the shoreline was calm. The temperature was nearly 70 degrees, and the forecast is for temps in the low- to mid-90s with a dew point up over 70; a hot and humid day ahead.
I immediately got the linens off the bed and into the laundry. Then I made coffee; must have coffee. As I was waiting for the coffee to brew, I noticed that one of the suet feeders I had put for the birds was missing. It was the same one that came down a few days ago when the branch it was attached to was completely snapped off. I searched the area for the suet feeder, but all I could find of it was a few small pieces of the chain from which it hanged. The feeder itself was gone. Maybe I'll find it in the woods sometime this Fall when the thick growth of knee-high plants and grasses dies back. For now, it's missing.
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The cleaners came at 9:30 a.m. and immediately got to work. I had already pulled the ladder out of the garage and has started washing the windows. It took me a little over three hours to wash the windows and screens, and then another half hour to wash the back porch. The day had grown to be a hot one. The temperature by 2:00 p.m. was 85 degrees. Although there was some wind, about 10-15 mph out of the SW, it felt a lot hotter under sunny skies. By the time I was done with the porch, the cleaners had completed cleaning the house.
I took care of some other chores, had some lunch, swam in the lake (for the first time this year) cleaned up and then listened to A Prairie Home Companion on MPR. Eventually at 9:00 p.m. I went into Bemidji, had some dinner and then picked up Kathleen at the airport at 10:45 p.m. It's always so exciting to start a vacation here in the northwoods, and Kathleen was excited.
It had been a long hard day of work for me, and travel for Kathleen, so we went to bed soon after her arrival. It's supposed to be another hot one tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
At 8:00 a.m. the sky was mostly sunny with some high clouds, the wind was out of the SSE at 5-10 mph, but the water along the shoreline was calm. The temperature was nearly 70 degrees, and the forecast is for temps in the low- to mid-90s with a dew point up over 70; a hot and humid day ahead.
I immediately got the linens off the bed and into the laundry. Then I made coffee; must have coffee. As I was waiting for the coffee to brew, I noticed that one of the suet feeders I had put for the birds was missing. It was the same one that came down a few days ago when the branch it was attached to was completely snapped off. I searched the area for the suet feeder, but all I could find of it was a few small pieces of the chain from which it hanged. The feeder itself was gone. Maybe I'll find it in the woods sometime this Fall when the thick growth of knee-high plants and grasses dies back. For now, it's missing.
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The cleaners came at 9:30 a.m. and immediately got to work. I had already pulled the ladder out of the garage and has started washing the windows. It took me a little over three hours to wash the windows and screens, and then another half hour to wash the back porch. The day had grown to be a hot one. The temperature by 2:00 p.m. was 85 degrees. Although there was some wind, about 10-15 mph out of the SW, it felt a lot hotter under sunny skies. By the time I was done with the porch, the cleaners had completed cleaning the house.
I took care of some other chores, had some lunch, swam in the lake (for the first time this year) cleaned up and then listened to A Prairie Home Companion on MPR. Eventually at 9:00 p.m. I went into Bemidji, had some dinner and then picked up Kathleen at the airport at 10:45 p.m. It's always so exciting to start a vacation here in the northwoods, and Kathleen was excited.
It had been a long hard day of work for me, and travel for Kathleen, so we went to bed soon after her arrival. It's supposed to be another hot one tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
Friday, June 08, 2012
June 8, 2012 -- At Leech Lake
First, a very Happy Anniversary to my mother and father who are celebrating 55 years of marriage today. Congratulations Mom and Dad, you are an inspiration to all who know you.
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I woke up well before 6:00 a.m. this morning to a light breeze out of the southwest and mostly sunny skies. I didn't check the temperature because I decided that 5:45 a.m. was too early to get up. I went back to bed for 90 minutes or so, and when I got up again I saw that the wind had picked up and was blowing at 8-12 mph out of the southwest, the sky was partly sunny with some clouds, and the temperature was 68 degrees. Despite the wind, I could "feel" that it was likely to be a hot and humid day.
There were no white caps on the lake, but the water was quite choppy. That didn't dissuade a half dozen or so boats that were camped in front of my house in 10-14 feet of water. Most looked to be jigging or pulling spinner rigs for walleye. Another method that seems to be working very well at the moment is trolling crankbaits, especially in the evening after sunset. If you troll during the day, downsize the bait a bit to say a Shad Rad or Flicker Shad.
At just after 11:00 a.m. I drove into Cass Lake to run some errands. I started with a visit to the 371 Cafe for lunch followed by stops at Clem's Hardware, Safari Liquor, Cass Lake Building Center and Froggy's Sports; the latter for a scoop of fatheads. I then stopped off at Great River Pizzeria for an unbaked pizza which I will enjoy during my solo Friday-night Pizza night.
I didn't make it home until close to 2:45 p.m. and then spent the afternoon cleaning up the kitchen, reading and waiting for T&K to show up to cut the grass at both properties. They showed up at 3:50 p.m. and immediately set to work. It's been almost 3 weeks since their last visit and the grass was getting quite long. The two boys, and I'm guessing that neither was 21 years old, from T&K did a great job of not only cutting the grass, but trimming around all the trees, and even around the fire pit on the boat ramp. Then they used a blower to blow the grass off the driveway and porches. First rate job.
The temperature at 4:00 p.m. was 75 degrees, the wind had picked up considerably and was fairly brisk at 15-18 mph out of the WSW. The sky was mostly sunny, with just a few clouds. The forecast suggests that the wind will die down a bit around 9:00 p.m. this evening, to around 8-12 mph, and if it does, I might consider going out and doing some crankbait trolling for walleye.
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Tomorrow Kathleen arrives at the lake. We'll have roughly 10 days alone here at the lake before Melissa, Jayden and Ashley arrive in Minneapolis on June 20. Ashley has only 8 days of visiting time, so we'll have to decide how she wants to split them; say 4 at the lake and 4 in St. Cloud, or some 5-3 combination. It'll be a short visit, but I know she really enjoys it here.
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After much consideration, I decided not to go out fishing tonight despite the fact that the wind had died down to no more than a gentle SW breeze. Instead, I ate my pizza, finished reading the Garrison Keillor book my kids got me for Father's Day (I opened it early), and watched the sunset.
It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's not very pleasant and tonight was one of those nights. There must have been 10 boats cruising between Second Duck Point and Norm's cabin and one of them was loaded with a group of loudmouths. Yelling, hooting, screaming and talking to each other as if they were a mile apart. FIB's most likely; staying at the resort. It made sitting on the dock and watching the sunset much less enjoyable than it could have, and should have, been. I much prefer the calling of loons than the crowing of lunatics.
The temperature remained warm, near 70 degrees as 9:30 p.m. came and went. The breeze was just enough to rustle the leaves in the maples and birch near the shoreline and the purple martins swooped and dived through the air just inches above the water. The sky was mostly clear and had changed to a wonderful shade of purple.
I have a very busy day tomorrow, in preparation of Kathleen's arrival, so I am going to sign off now. Good night from Leech Lake.
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I woke up well before 6:00 a.m. this morning to a light breeze out of the southwest and mostly sunny skies. I didn't check the temperature because I decided that 5:45 a.m. was too early to get up. I went back to bed for 90 minutes or so, and when I got up again I saw that the wind had picked up and was blowing at 8-12 mph out of the southwest, the sky was partly sunny with some clouds, and the temperature was 68 degrees. Despite the wind, I could "feel" that it was likely to be a hot and humid day.
There were no white caps on the lake, but the water was quite choppy. That didn't dissuade a half dozen or so boats that were camped in front of my house in 10-14 feet of water. Most looked to be jigging or pulling spinner rigs for walleye. Another method that seems to be working very well at the moment is trolling crankbaits, especially in the evening after sunset. If you troll during the day, downsize the bait a bit to say a Shad Rad or Flicker Shad.
At just after 11:00 a.m. I drove into Cass Lake to run some errands. I started with a visit to the 371 Cafe for lunch followed by stops at Clem's Hardware, Safari Liquor, Cass Lake Building Center and Froggy's Sports; the latter for a scoop of fatheads. I then stopped off at Great River Pizzeria for an unbaked pizza which I will enjoy during my solo Friday-night Pizza night.
I didn't make it home until close to 2:45 p.m. and then spent the afternoon cleaning up the kitchen, reading and waiting for T&K to show up to cut the grass at both properties. They showed up at 3:50 p.m. and immediately set to work. It's been almost 3 weeks since their last visit and the grass was getting quite long. The two boys, and I'm guessing that neither was 21 years old, from T&K did a great job of not only cutting the grass, but trimming around all the trees, and even around the fire pit on the boat ramp. Then they used a blower to blow the grass off the driveway and porches. First rate job.
The temperature at 4:00 p.m. was 75 degrees, the wind had picked up considerably and was fairly brisk at 15-18 mph out of the WSW. The sky was mostly sunny, with just a few clouds. The forecast suggests that the wind will die down a bit around 9:00 p.m. this evening, to around 8-12 mph, and if it does, I might consider going out and doing some crankbait trolling for walleye.
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Tomorrow Kathleen arrives at the lake. We'll have roughly 10 days alone here at the lake before Melissa, Jayden and Ashley arrive in Minneapolis on June 20. Ashley has only 8 days of visiting time, so we'll have to decide how she wants to split them; say 4 at the lake and 4 in St. Cloud, or some 5-3 combination. It'll be a short visit, but I know she really enjoys it here.
---------
After much consideration, I decided not to go out fishing tonight despite the fact that the wind had died down to no more than a gentle SW breeze. Instead, I ate my pizza, finished reading the Garrison Keillor book my kids got me for Father's Day (I opened it early), and watched the sunset.
It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's not very pleasant and tonight was one of those nights. There must have been 10 boats cruising between Second Duck Point and Norm's cabin and one of them was loaded with a group of loudmouths. Yelling, hooting, screaming and talking to each other as if they were a mile apart. FIB's most likely; staying at the resort. It made sitting on the dock and watching the sunset much less enjoyable than it could have, and should have, been. I much prefer the calling of loons than the crowing of lunatics.
The temperature remained warm, near 70 degrees as 9:30 p.m. came and went. The breeze was just enough to rustle the leaves in the maples and birch near the shoreline and the purple martins swooped and dived through the air just inches above the water. The sky was mostly clear and had changed to a wonderful shade of purple.
 |
| Fading sun over Sucker Bay, Leech Lake |
I have a very busy day tomorrow, in preparation of Kathleen's arrival, so I am going to sign off now. Good night from Leech Lake.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
June 7, 2012 -- On Leech Lake
I received a call this morning at 7:25 a.m. from Mark from Shore Brothers. He said he was coming out this way working on another job this morning and that he could swing by my place sometime today to adjust the boat lift. In preparation of his visit, I moved the boat from the lift to the harbor. The transfer was complete by 7:45 a.m. and it was time for a little breakfast.
The temperature at 7:45 a.m. was 64 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SSE.
I spent the day around the house, cleaning, weeding the gardens a bit more, etc. As the day wore on the temperature climbed to near 80 degrees, but it felt warmer because of the relatively high humidity. The wind varied throughout the day ranging from 5-12 mph out of the SE.
I expected T&K to come out today to take care of the yard, since they didn't come out on Wednesday as scheduled, but they were a no-show. I'll call them in the morning to try to figure out a schedule that works, and that they can adhere to.
Mark and the Shore Brothers team stopped by the boat lift around 5:00 p.m. They made some repairs to the boat lift winch, which may have been part of the reason the lift was going down far enough. They also noticed that the winch cable was frayed and ordered a new one for me. Everything appeared to work fine when they left.
I went down to the Malay's around 6:00 p.m. to pick up some beer Tom had got on sale and to chat with both Tom and Lainy. I eventually came home around 7:00 p.m. and by 7:20 p.m. was lowering the boat into the water. I noticed that the water temperature had increased to 71.5 degrees. A few degrees warmer and it'll be fine to swim in.
I jigged with minnows in 10-15 feet of water between the house and cabin but caught nothing but small perch. I did have a loon surface right next to the boat, and then let out its fabled call. What a magnificent bird. I came in at sunset, just after 9:00 p.m. because I just feel like fishing late tonight.
I noticed that when I got the boat on the lift the motor started to made a grinding noise that didn't sound good. I'll keep an eye on it and have Mark look at it when he comes out to put the new winch cable in.
Instead of fishing tonight, I stayed home and read Garrison Keillor's newest book, "Guy Noir, and the Straight Skinny."
Tomorrow I have to go into Cass Lake to run a few errands, including getting a pizza for Friday night pizza. More tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
The temperature at 7:45 a.m. was 64 degrees, the sky was mostly sunny and the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SSE.
I spent the day around the house, cleaning, weeding the gardens a bit more, etc. As the day wore on the temperature climbed to near 80 degrees, but it felt warmer because of the relatively high humidity. The wind varied throughout the day ranging from 5-12 mph out of the SE.
I expected T&K to come out today to take care of the yard, since they didn't come out on Wednesday as scheduled, but they were a no-show. I'll call them in the morning to try to figure out a schedule that works, and that they can adhere to.
Mark and the Shore Brothers team stopped by the boat lift around 5:00 p.m. They made some repairs to the boat lift winch, which may have been part of the reason the lift was going down far enough. They also noticed that the winch cable was frayed and ordered a new one for me. Everything appeared to work fine when they left.
I went down to the Malay's around 6:00 p.m. to pick up some beer Tom had got on sale and to chat with both Tom and Lainy. I eventually came home around 7:00 p.m. and by 7:20 p.m. was lowering the boat into the water. I noticed that the water temperature had increased to 71.5 degrees. A few degrees warmer and it'll be fine to swim in.
I jigged with minnows in 10-15 feet of water between the house and cabin but caught nothing but small perch. I did have a loon surface right next to the boat, and then let out its fabled call. What a magnificent bird. I came in at sunset, just after 9:00 p.m. because I just feel like fishing late tonight.
I noticed that when I got the boat on the lift the motor started to made a grinding noise that didn't sound good. I'll keep an eye on it and have Mark look at it when he comes out to put the new winch cable in.
Instead of fishing tonight, I stayed home and read Garrison Keillor's newest book, "Guy Noir, and the Straight Skinny."
Tomorrow I have to go into Cass Lake to run a few errands, including getting a pizza for Friday night pizza. More tomorrow. Good night from Leech Lake.
June 6, 2012 -- At Leech Lake
This morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and thought about getting up, but it was simply too early for me so I forced myself to go back to sleep. I eventually got up a little before 8:00 a.m. and saw that the temperature was 65 degrees, it's suppose to be up around 75 degrees today, the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the SSW and the sky was cloudy. In fact, the sky had a greenish grey tint to it that usually means rain. I think a thunderstorm is predicted for sometime today, but we'll see. The recent weather forecasts haven't been very accurate.
At 10:00 a.m. a light rain started to fall. More accurately, the drops were heavy and loaded with water, but there were few of them which created a soothing patter on the back porch and quickly had the entire area wet with rain. The wind remained light, if not calm, and the flag hung limp on the pole.
Most of the morning I spent reading and attending to some work calls. After lunch, since the rain had stopped, it was time to get outside and do some weeding in the various gardens and flower beds. It's amazing how many weeds come up in relation to the relatively few number of plants we actually want in the beds/gardens. I spent a couple of hours pulling weeds before calling quits and going inside to get cleaned up.
My concerns about my boat lift, and a forecast calling for possible severe thunderstorms, kept me off the lake today. I'm hoping that sometime again soon I can get out and do some fishing.
At 4:45 p.m. there was brief spell of heavy rain. The really heavy rained stopped after a minute or two, but a lighter steadier rain fell for maybe 30 minutes. I did hear some rumbling of thunder off the distance, but a quick check of the radar weather map showed that most of the worst weather passed by just to the north of Leech Lake.
The evening was quiet and uneventful. I hope to be able to get on the lake tomorrow to do some fishing. If I do, I'll more to report. Good night from Leech Lake.
At 10:00 a.m. a light rain started to fall. More accurately, the drops were heavy and loaded with water, but there were few of them which created a soothing patter on the back porch and quickly had the entire area wet with rain. The wind remained light, if not calm, and the flag hung limp on the pole.
Most of the morning I spent reading and attending to some work calls. After lunch, since the rain had stopped, it was time to get outside and do some weeding in the various gardens and flower beds. It's amazing how many weeds come up in relation to the relatively few number of plants we actually want in the beds/gardens. I spent a couple of hours pulling weeds before calling quits and going inside to get cleaned up.
My concerns about my boat lift, and a forecast calling for possible severe thunderstorms, kept me off the lake today. I'm hoping that sometime again soon I can get out and do some fishing.
At 4:45 p.m. there was brief spell of heavy rain. The really heavy rained stopped after a minute or two, but a lighter steadier rain fell for maybe 30 minutes. I did hear some rumbling of thunder off the distance, but a quick check of the radar weather map showed that most of the worst weather passed by just to the north of Leech Lake.
The evening was quiet and uneventful. I hope to be able to get on the lake tomorrow to do some fishing. If I do, I'll more to report. Good night from Leech Lake.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Shore Brothers/Boat Lift Update
Per my original post on June 5, 2012 I want to issue a retraction, and an apology to Shore Brothers, particularly its owner Mark.
I was frustrated that I was having trouble getting the boat off the lift despite the lake's water level being at or near normal. Last year, with the lake at similar levels I had no problem moving my boat on and off the lift with ease.
What I failed to understand is that with the unusual thaw/freeze/thaw cycle this spring, the lake bottom was significantly altered along Sucker Bay. As a result, Mark, and Shore Brothers, made the correct call by adjusting the lift accordingly. So despite the lake level being normal, the lift is having troubling dropping the boat low enough to get it to float.
This was not an adjustment issue by Shore Brothers. I want to let it be known that Shore Brothers is a quality outfit run by honest, hardworking people. They do the best job of putting in and taking out docks and boat lifts in the Leech Lake area.
Should you happen to read this post, I recommend giving them a call for all of your all of your lake and shoreline needs.
I was frustrated that I was having trouble getting the boat off the lift despite the lake's water level being at or near normal. Last year, with the lake at similar levels I had no problem moving my boat on and off the lift with ease.
What I failed to understand is that with the unusual thaw/freeze/thaw cycle this spring, the lake bottom was significantly altered along Sucker Bay. As a result, Mark, and Shore Brothers, made the correct call by adjusting the lift accordingly. So despite the lake level being normal, the lift is having troubling dropping the boat low enough to get it to float.
This was not an adjustment issue by Shore Brothers. I want to let it be known that Shore Brothers is a quality outfit run by honest, hardworking people. They do the best job of putting in and taking out docks and boat lifts in the Leech Lake area.
Should you happen to read this post, I recommend giving them a call for all of your all of your lake and shoreline needs.
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