Winterize Week

Last week's temperatures resembled a saggy bridge. Two pillars close to 50°F anchored both weekends. They were joined together with wilting weather that sagged and slogged into the 40s°F and 20s°F. There was also some rain. Streams and creeks are gushing into the lake and the lawn ponds are back.

Some of the sunsets have been spectacular.

Campfires to keep the cold at bay are commonplace even here at this year's Knottlane Board Meeting and Pool Party in the extreme southwestern corner of the lake area. Blazes here are scheduled at 8, 9, and 10 o'clock with an 11 o'clock fire added to the weekends.

Just down the road from this year's board meeting is the Pinball Hall of Fame. Because some of the bar's machines need a little tech attention a motion was passed that called for a bicycle trip to get some advice.

It turned out the hall was more than trophies, ribbons and lore. Dozens and dozens of machines covered the floor. All were playable with just the insertion of a quarter or two.

And not just pinball machines. Over a dozen old coin-op video games were ready for quarters, too.

The old graphics from the 60's and 70s took us back to a time when the lake was dotted with resorts, the Ski Serpents had shows on the North end, and the Timber Shores lodge held a few of these games.

Northern Wisconsin was represented or, more specifically, that little town (slight spelling error though) you pass through going from Crandon to Rhinelander.

One of the newer-older machines surprised us with its Wisconsin-ness.

The narrative on the backglass of the Party Zone described the game as a "Parallel Universe That's Way Beyond Wisconsin." I'm not sure where the "Cosmic Cottage" is but we think it might be referring to Rathert's old place at the end of Knott Lane (back in the day when Knott Lane didn't go through).

There's no snow yet. There's hope that lawns may get dry enough for a final mowing if the snow continues not to fall. With the lake temperature dropping into the 40s°F, it surprised no one that nobody skied last week. The lake temperature has a way to go before we see the first ice grow on the edges. There's still time to get a date in this year's ice-in contest. Here's a link that will take you directly there and avoid the pre-November play in questions. Special thanks to xxLt for the lake images from last week.

-Nemo has a soldering iron and a plan.

Winterize Week

October 21st through 27th, 2019