Dry and Warm

August 10th through 16th, 2026

Lake Lucerne
Last week was great with its highs touching 80°F and its lows not making the lake steam in the morning. And there was no rain. The lake level is falling fast. If you like your beaches bigger that's great. If you like to get your boat off a lift, not so much. We need some rain.
Lake Lucerne
There were several sunsets that suggested a damp night or a rainy morning, but aside from some morning dew, the precipitation never came.
Lake Lucerne
Early in the week, geese came back to the north end of Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne
Booo!
Lake Lucerne
The second last ski show of the year populated the middle of last week.
Lake Lucerne
It was good.
Lake Lucerne
The shrinking waters of Lucerne are still crystal clear.
Lake Lucerne
With highs in the 80s°F, the water clear, and the boat currently able to come off the lift, diving is practically mandatory.
Lake Lucerne
There's plenty of active fish in and around the rocks on the north end.
Lake Lucerne
The cribs on the north western shore are also fish filled.
Lake Lucerne
During our last dive of the week, a golf ball was spotted in about 25 feet of water. This is at about my personal limit for free diving. Every 33 feet is one atmosphere of pressure, so at 25 feet the air in your lungs is compressed to just over half the surface volume. It feels strange.
Lake Lucerne
A short time later, not drowning celebrations included sunsets and banana daiquiríes.
Lake Lucerne
Milkweed pod production is progressing at a normal pace on the north end of Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne
Other inevitable arboreal progressions mark the start of the end of summer.
Lake Lucerne
On the weekend we attended the now annual Virmond Park Tennis and Climacophobia Day. The event opened with a few games of tennis. Then there was the main event of descending and climbing back up the many, many steps on the bluff. Closing ceremonies included a few leg cramps and a little panting.
Lake Lucerne
There's a lake at the bottom of the stairs that may be bigger than Metonga and colder than Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne
On Sunday, you could get into Irish Fest free with three cans of food providing your purse size was not bigger than 6x9 inches. I usually don't carry a purse, so 3 cans of beans later I was in. Mrs Nemo just made it with less than an eighth of an inch to spare.
Lake Lucerne
Sunday mass at the event included high humidity, a huge crowd, and bagpipes.
Lake Lucerne
After mass, all enjoyed the music, food, and the all leg/no arm movement dancing. It was clear that the dance people did not climb the Virmond Park steps the previous day.
Lake Lucerne
There were also food items for sale at the festival that are difficult to obtain from local vendors in the Crandon area.
Lake Lucerne
Last week was one of those that never ends while you're living it and flies by too quickly once it's over leaving behind an empty gas tank and a little cramping. Gas tanks can be filled, albeit at a price that's not quite to our liking, and banana daiquiríes, with their high potassium and rum-tasticness, are good for dealing with cramping and other ailments of the humors. Coming up, the lake area has the last ski show of the year on Wednesday and FootStock on the weekend along with the usual swimming, diving, and lack of rain throughout the week. Before then, "May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."


-Nemo's not Irish, but occasionally wears green.