Two Weeks To Go

May 3, 2008
All the cabins have been cleaned. The weather this week is expected to be above freezing so we put the water on all the cabins. The front dock has been straightened. We still must fix dock #10 at the top pf the crib. All the motors are ready except one that had a throttle problem. That motor is at the dealer to be repaired. The past two days we have had solid rain and everything is water logged. We have cut the front grass twice but the back lawn is just way to wet. I checked the fiberglass on the boats and there is some minor repaired required. As best I can tell the “powers” are holding the water back in the lake. “They” told us that on May 21 the lake was at + 9.5 in inches and the river was at + 20.9. Then “they” tell us that on May 28 the Lake is at + 5.9 and the river is at +5.12 inches. That means that “they” are holding the lake water back to prevent too much flow in the French river to protect the fish spawn.

The Ice is gone!

The cleaning crew has cleaned cabins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11. There is still ice under cabins 4, 5, and 6. That means that I cannot turn on the water. So in the meantime the crew has to carry the water. The ground around these cabins has risen up due the frost. The stairs on #5 & 6 are not touching the ground this is a usual occurrence in the spring. I looked ahead and on Sunday the temp. is expected to drop to 28 f. The first loon was sited on April 21. On April 22 there was slush ice in front of our place. With a bit of a breeze, the slush was pushed to the west shore. At about 6.30 that evening the ice was gone. I plan to put my boat in the water this week. Then I must check to see that the five rocks are marked. Judy has notified the people on Musky Island that the ice is gone and that they can get to their cabins.

More Signs of Spring

More signs of spring. There is water under the Bridge in Lavigne. That’s the good news but there were also Cormorants there. These birds eat their weight in bait fish per day. They seem to stay on the main lake because the main lake is shallow. We don’t have too many on the west arm because the lake here is much deeper. As I drove through Lavigne there were two Turkey Vultures souring over head. The Government tells us that the lake is + 11 inches and the French River is + 21.65 inches high. That tells me that the controlling of the lake level seems to be on track. Again that depends on the snow melt north of here. Some other signs that the ice is melting fast is that there is open water around the dock cribs. We still have 4 to 6 inches of ice in the parking area and in the back yard as of April 14 th. There is a lot of ice under cabins 4, 5, and 6. That means that I cannot turn the water on to those cabins. Our cleaning crew is coming on April 18th and they will have to carry water until I can turn the water on to those cabins. In the past I tried to put the water on too early and froze the shower valve in cabin 5! Our little store will be cleaned and items priced and replaced on there shelves. That will also happen on April 18 th. As of April 18, 2008 the lake ice is looking grey. That tell me that is will not be long before the ice will be gone.

From My Chair

April 10, 2008
As I sit here watching the evening news waiting for spring to start I thing about all the wildlife I have seen from my chair. Most guys have a there chairs in front of the T.V. Well from my chair I can see the lake as well as the area in front of cabins #2, #3, and #11. On the land I have seen flying squirrels, red squirrels, and chipmunks. Twice a fox came along. In the spring the snow shoe male rabbit is chasing the female for guess what. Morning doves and partridges ravens and crows. The ravens are the only ones that stay here all winter. The only way to tell the difference is that ravens will sore when flying and crows do not sore. I have seen weasels in the summer coat and in the winter coat, all white with a black tip on the tail (ermines). On the lake, the great blue Herron will stand on the dock to hunt for small fish. When the lake ice is starting to melt the flock of common Mergansers and dive from the ice into open water to fish. I believe that they stay here while they are on their way north. I saw an Osprey hit the water and grab a fish. In the fall the there may be hundreds of common Golden Eyes appear on their way south. Beavers are fairly common and the beaver may be well liked by many but, in the north not so much. There is a beaver pond that will cause our road to flood in the spring. A beaver dropped an aspen tree near to cabin #1. That tree landed on the roof of the cabin. Other critters that I have seen from my chair are raccoons. They don’t do any damage like beavers but, they like to get into the trash cans and make a mess.

Spring?

April 4, 2008
The weather up here has been to say the least terrible. On Wednesday we had a rain storm, followed by driving snow, and then all the standing water froze. The farm fields look like huge skating rinks. This would be a great time for the NHL to have an outdoor game. At Lucky Strike the back lawn and the parking lot are all ice. We are planning to have junior come this Saturday to assemble the five new propane grills. Then he will start changing the oil on the garden tractor, lawn mower and the snow blower. Each will need new spark plugs as well as the chain saw and the string trimmer. If the time allows I will have him start on the outboards. We hope to open up the cabins by the middle of April. What we need is for the weather to warm up to melt all the snow that we have. A good sign, on April 3 I saw flock of geese heading south. I hope they know what they are doing. I went to town today and saw a hock and two sea gulls. These signs tell me that perhaps we can get the cleaning crews into cabins soon. One more thing I saw a robin on the part of the front lawn that is not frozen.

Around Camp

Around Camp March 26, 2008

We have been repairing our propane grill for the last five years. Canadian Tire has sale on grills. We had two of these grills last year and our customers just loved them. So I went to town and bought five more. When junior starts to work in April assembling them will be one of his first jobs. His next job will be to work on our outboard motors. He will install new spark plugs and fill the lower units with oil. I always drain the lower units in the fall and if the oil looks “milky” that means that there is a seal leak. I only had one motor that had to have new seals last year. Junior will also pull the props off to check for any fishing line that could be wound around the prop. The only other this that he will do is clean and wax the motor cover.
I am still working on my R.C. boat model. I need to finish it soon as it will be time to start to open cabins for the clearing crew to do their jobs.
Judy is in Tennessee to visit the grand kids. My son-in law Mark was transferred there about three years ago. Our daughter Katie likes Tenn. because they have no snow to speak of. Where did we go wrong?

March,24 2008

I fish for walleyes with floating jig heads. One of the things that I do is to sharpen the hooks on the jigs. I have a battery powered hook hone. I find time this time of year to check all my jigs and sharpen the hooks. I will also use a floating spinner rig. Again now is the time to check the hooks and sharpen if required.
Now is the time that I turn to the fishing poles. I check all the eyelets for any nicks and replace if necessary. When I check the eyelets I look at the bindings and if they look a bit frayed I apply a bit of clear nail polish to stop the fraying. When I assemble a two piece rod I rub the male end along side of my nose. I learned from an old friend that area of your nose has a bit of oil that will prevent binding when you take apart your rod. The rod that I plan to use for the spinner, I tie a “Sampo” ball bearing snap swivel. I have learned that you must use a ball bearing swivel because spinners will twist your line if you use a cheap swivel. One other thing that I check is my landing net. I look for is any area that needs to be repaired. If the net is too bad I go to my local tackle shop and buy replacement netting. Many of our customers bring their own trolling motors. Now is the time to check your deep cycle battery. Make sure that if the battery needs water you use distilled water. You should charge with an automatic charger and at 2 amp charge.