Dusk on the 3rd, when we arrived, held the promise of a great week.
On morning of the 4th, a heavy dew covered most of the foliage near the lake. Despite this extra moisture the lake level continues to drop.
The main lake event on the 4th was the boat parade. There were more boats than I ever remember and all were entertaining with the possible exception of...
Pirates! Terrorizing tourists where ever they go, these eyepatch wearing, parrot toting, limb missing "Rude People of the Sea" infltrated the parade line and launched water balloons at innocent strangers on shore. While no territory was lost during the skirmishes, many were hit and some were rumored to be "soaking wet".
The night brought firework displays over most of the shoreline. This particular one was launched by Rouge Power on the east shore.
The shows continued strong till about 10:30 PM. Some of the displays were pretty massive and a few folks called for deployment of the National Guard to restore order but most just enjoyed the sights and sounds until the pyrotechnics ended.
The weather all week (with the possible exception of 2 days) seemed made for skiing. I did destroy my left knee during a kneeboard run late in the week but the important thing is that I can still walk (limp) and should be good enough to destroy it again in a week or so.
Mrs. Nemo continued to improve on one ski but fell badly later in the week. Thanks to modern pharmaceuticals the pain was manageable and she will be back on one ski by next week. On the plus side we both left the water with the same amount of appendages as we started with.
I really need to thank all the people that took the time to find us and commend our efforts here. I really enjoyed the time Ed from New Orleans and his family spent with us and we loved his dog, Tigger, one of the most fun and friendly pups that ever bobbed for bluegills!
Happy birthday Gwen!
One of the coolest things in the summer is watching the light creep up the east shore as the sun sets.
The fireflies were out in force along parts of westshore drive at about 10:30 at night.
No deep dives were attempted but we did do several shallower dives on the north end of the lake.
We encountered a few algae blooms which is a bit disturbing. There seems to be more of these strange looking patches each year. I have a theory. Now I don't want to sound like some sort of eco-hippie but if you are using fertilizer on your lawn near the lake please reconsider.
Two huge bass followed me during one dive. These monsters were over 20 inches long and fearless. They would swim within inches of my mask and give me a looks that seemed to suggest they were sizing me up for dinner!
There seems to be more and bigger walleye on the north end of the lake.
After diving, cover from the sun was found under the raft.
I soon found that I was not the first to seek relief from the sun under the raft. There were about a dozen panfish hiding with me.
A pack of loons were seen fishing on the north end of the lake.
The weather was so awesome that even the red squirrels seemed to be in a good mood.
Plants are at there peek. There are purple flowers,
Yellow flowers,
and Orange flowers along with a myriad of other colors.
As the sun set midweek so did the wonderful weather.
Light rain and cooler temperatures moved in on Wednesday. The skies improved by Friday.
The Rafto championship is not far off! In addition to winning and losing, style points may be given to those that dare articulate the deeper meaning of the game. Then again maybe not. Either way, I'll keep you posted.
By Sunday, the summer had returned but we had to leave. How sad for us.
