It has finally happened; the state legislators have passed the bonding bill that will allow the last part of the dredging on Fountain Lake to be completed. Our State Representatives, Peggy Bennet and Senator Gene Dornick worked on this to help get it done. Thank you both for your efforts.
I had a chance to spend some time on Fountain Lake fishing with my son, Brad, and my brother-in-law, Lynn. I was amazed at how many boats were on the lake enjoying the beautiful day. I don’t believe that I have ever seen so many pontoon boats on the lake. We were there to fish, but I was glad to see so many folks just enjoying our beautiful lake.
Fishing was a little tough, although we did manage to catch a couple of bass and a catfish. That catfish was about 6 lbs., and did it ever put up a fight, which was super fun.
On Saturday, on a hot tip, we went out on Pickerel Lake to fish for northerns. Unfortunately, the hot tip had turned ice cold. We never even got a bite that day. It’s kind of like going up north for a week and the resort owner tells you, “You should have been here last week; the fish were jumping in the boat.”
As I mentioned in last week’s column, my first trip of the year to our cabin wasn’t uneventful. I was once again able to test my lumberjack skills. I don’t believe that I would ever cut it as the Paul Bunyan type, especially at my age.
On my last night I was serenaded by the sound of loons calling and, as if on cue, the trumpeter swans joined in. I don’t believe that there is a more peaceful way to fall asleep than that.
As I was packing to leave, I heard a “thump” on the deck door window. I then looked out to see if there was an injured bird. I found myself looking down at a bird of a species I had never seen before. I watched it for a few minutes as it tried to come to its senses. I opened the deck door and was able to get a picture of it. After a few minutes I decided that I needed to carry more things to the truck. When I stepped out onto the deck, it jumped up and flew away. This was a good sign and meant that it would be okay. When I got home, I showed my grandson, Dylan, the picture and he Googled it. We soon discovered that it was a Magnolia Warbler. Old Mother Nature always seems to come up with new ways to entertain us.
Last week, my sister, Judy, and I drove down to Lime Creek Cemetery and put out some flowers on our parents’ and grandparents’ graves. On the way down, we spotted an eagle on its nest, which is along Highway 69 just a mile or two north of Emmons. This is not uncommon today. I can’t remember as a kid that I’d ever seen an eagle in the wild. This would have been a big deal back then and even today it is a big deal to me. Sighting a deer was even uncommon back then.
Until next time: It is the perfect time of year to enjoy the outdoors. Visit one of our many area parks for a picnic, do a little fishing or just enjoy being in the outdoors. On June 10th you can enjoy free entrance to any of our 75 State Parks, so it is a great time to explore what our parks are all about.
Please show our support for the troops that are serving our country today. These servicemen and women are making that sacrifice, so that we may have the many freedoms that we enjoy today.