The Blue and The Gray

It was sunny and dry last week. It was also cold, close to record cold at sunrise on the weekend. As the temperatures fell, so did a bit of snow. Not enough to call it a work of the last Horseman of the Snowpocalypse, but enough to underscore the delicate, skittish nature of this point in Spring. If it ever gets warm again remember not to make any loud sounds or sudden movements that might scare away 20 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit or, worse yet, attract the attention of 2 or 4 inches of snow.

By mid-week, a little green could be seen in the trees, but they were mostly shades of gray or brown under a totally blue sky. The water temperature pushed into the upper 40s (°F) and a few piers and lifts were pulled back into the lake.

On the weekend, the biggest black squirrel we've ever seen lumbered down the length of Knott Lane..

It bruined North to West Shore Drive and then strolled East.

Eventually it crossed Potawatomi Trail heading South...

...and up the bar's driveway.

Many of the locals stopped what they were doing and watched it.

Others continued to do whatever they were doing and watched it.

Still others ignored the big, black blob and ate fish.

It explored the woods behind the bar and continued South toward the boat landing. If you are launching a boat and it shows up, hurry and try not to look very tasty.

That was different. Normally we shoo gray or black squirrels away from the bar's bird feeders, not the other way around. We've never really thought about it, but It's much better to be the the shoo-er rather than the shoo-ee. In contrast to the large amounts of blue and cold, there was very little rain or snow last week. The lake level fell about 2 inches and small parts of some underwater docks peeked above the water line for the first time in months. If this dryer trend continues for another 12 weeks, the lake level will only be about a foot above normal.

-Nemo's less of a snack, more of a meal.

The Blue and The Gray

May 4th through 10th, 2020