Rain, Concrete, and Whistlepigs oh my

July 11th through 17th

The lake got a little deeper last week, the days got a little shorter, the weather got a little warmer, skiers fell, lawns were mowed, tennis and golf balls were swatted, campfires and Bailey's Comets were lit up. In all, it was a typical Summer week.

Plus there was a whistlepig! (aka ground hog, aka wood chuck) While smaller than a bear and less likely to make a deer like dent in a car, nonetheless whistlepigs have made "The List" due to their small part in extending 3 of the past 5 Winters.

It rained. North of the lake, enough came down to wash-out roads, but we only got just over an inch and our roads are fine.

On quiet nights, if you listened carefully, you could hear the grass grow. That sound was drowned out by lawn mowers during the day.

Rain speeds the growth of grass, but slows the march of progress, at least when it comes to new foundations.

After a few days of drying out, trucks bearing block were spotted along West Shore Drive.

The block was dropped off at the top of the lane and placed by a crew of five.

It took two rain free days to lay most of the block.

The fire danger is low. Soon it'll be time to burn the remains of the "Iron Elm"

Just when you think that the flowers have peaked, more explode up from the ground.

East of the lake, it's not the grass nor the flowers but the trees that are exploding all over the hills.

Ski shows on Lake Lucerne continue to occur at a rate of two per week for the rest of the month. You should go.

The bar was opened on Friday and Saturday. Technically it was open a third day as Saturday flowed into Sunday.

The weekends have been packed with great weather and boat traffic. The Moon was almost full, but apparently not bright enough to extend skiing past sunset. Skiing at night can be done safely and legally if you follow one simple rule: Wait until sunrise. Finding something to do to occupy the time before sunrise is not as hard as you might think. Fishing or sleeping are popular choices.<br><br>-Nemo sleeps all night and skis all day.