Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

Bobby Bass · October 8, 2017

SUN IS SHINING here at the Lodge this early afternoon. Been a busy past few days as the guys all left for North Dakota Friday morning and we have not heard anything from them so far. Now this could mean one of three things. They are to busy busting roosters to call or they have not seen a thing and don’t want to call or more likely they are sleeping in after finding a tavern were they closed the place under the premise they were or are working the locals to find a place to shoot. No sooner did they leave on Friday then Paul dumped two big loads of crushed limestone in the parking lot. Just so happen that Frank the grader driver was going by and he came in and leveled the piles off for us, funny how that just happen to work out.

Tiny dropped the corn cob cannon off and I should have been listening more as he was giving instructions to his son Tie and his girlfriend Tammy who are going to be running it. With his dad gone Tie thought they would do a couple of test shots but had some problems. Seems Tie was not listening too hard either. To make a long story short the barrel was jammed or they were not suppose to put more then one cob in the barrel and maybe they should not have so much air pressure that the needle pegged in the red. The pound of butter rammed down the barrel for lube might have been a good idea if that was done first. As it was the butter melted because the barrel started vibrating, most likely from the heat and when the gun did fire it did not shoot out the cobs but instead shot out a stream of popcorn! it looked more like a snow cannon. Who would have thought that all the seagulls on this end of the lake like hot buttered popcorn.

Well the gulls cleaned up the lot and all returned too normal just as Mike from the junkyard dropped off a soccer mom’s van and a old grocery getting station wagon. Plenty of glass there to break over the weekend. Lodge was pretty busy for a Friday night, had a local college hockey game on and the home team won. That and there were more then expected grouse hunters came to register for our challenge, I was surprised till I saw how much the boxes of shotgun shells that will be given away cost. Saturday morning we got a lite rain shower which was good for the dust on the parking lot but not enough to bother anyone down at the landing. By mid morning there were a lot of cars parked and people carrying over priced bags of apples and pies and sipping on cups of hot cider.

Some football on the big screen in the Lodge followed by more hockey but this time the home team lost. Before Gus left he told me they had several cases of Pasties in the freezer that Amy’s Bakery was now making for the Lodge. I didn’t think to much about them till I started to get asked if they were ready yet. I asked Vinnie and he said he forgot and he put fifty of them in the pizza oven. Hour later they were all gone and I had one to, Vinnie put in another thirty and when the grouse hunters came in the pasties were all sold out. Fourteen grouse were exchanged for meal tickets and I expect to see at least that many or more today. Sixty-four in the boat and this is really turning into a fine fall day here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · October 10, 2017

A CHILLY TWENTY-NINE in the Puddle Humper this morning on Hidden Bay. Am glad that we pulled pepper and tomatoe plants and put them in the greenhouse yesterday. I talked to Vic at the Resort today and he told me it got down to eighteen last night. He had a fire going in the potbelly stove and it was needed. He also told me that he talked to Reed the Realtor and they ran into a few problems pheasant hunting. First off on the drive out to the Dakotas Reed was driving the RV and went back to make himself a sambitch and left the RV in auto pilot, I did not know the RV had an auto pilot. Anyway the RV came to a fork on the interstate and took the road to South Dakota. No one saw the signs welcoming them to South Dakota and it was not for several hours of looking for some good place to park and a tavern that they realized they were off by a state.

They were just going to stay and hunt there till they found out the season does not open for another two weeks. Next day they made there way to North Dakota but lost a day of hunting. Did not make much of a difference as hunting has been poor and no one in the group could hit a bird if they tried. Seems no one had done any practicing and just about everyone had forgotten to bring their glasses. Tiny’s dogs Gyspy and Rose just sit in the truck and watch, Reed says they are not even going to get out till someone shoots something. Everything is costing them more then they remember to. Paying twice the price for a soda and everyone is sleeping in the RV as you can forget about finding a motel room. Looks like their trip will be cut short and they should be back at the Lodge by Friday.

Weekend here went well, lots of apples sold and pies and jugs of cider. Mike came and picked up his van and station wagon with all the glass blown out. Seems the secret to blowing the glass out with the corn cob cannon is to use frozen corn cobs! Sold out of the Pasties which surprised me. Called Amy’s to order more but she told me we have a standing order already. My display case of candy took a big hit also. Lot of kids came up to the Lodge when they found out we were stocked again. All twenty boxes of shotgun shells were awarded, had a three way tie of five grouse each for single guys with their dogs then one guy hunting by himself scored four birds on Sunday afternoon. Sunday was a very good bird day as well and I heard the crappies were biting off Rootbeer Island, no one really missed football.

Lodge stayed busy last night, good beer sales with the football game on the big screen and the home team winning. Looking over the books we are doing really well with the beer sales and the pizza oven, thinking we may look at giving employees another raise and maybe increasing the HIYA discount from ten to fifteen percent for Lodge members. Got work to do around the cabin, stained the H/C ramp and Thursday is going to be the warm day of the week and I hope to get the big deck stained. Lodge deck needs a coat of stain but Skinny and Hammering Hank won’t be back from hunting. We still need a lot of nice fall days here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · October 12, 2017

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THE BEST LAID plans for work in the fall usually do just that, fall through. I had plans to stain the big deck here at the cabin today but woke up to a lite rain. But Sunshine Ray’s long range forecast says we will get some dry and warmer weather the beginning of next week so I have not yet abandoned the idea of getting some stain down. Someday I will actually stain my decks in the middle of summer like most people here at the lake do, but I can think of other things I would rather be doing with my time. Of course having time on my hands it does not go to waste. This afternoon I found my brass tack hammer laying outside on the work table by the wood shop. I don’t know how it found its way out there nor do I know who used it and then left it there. So I had some time on my hands and before you know it I started cleaning the old tack hammer up.

I got some sandpaper out and brushed up the brass till it shinned again then went to work on the oak handle. I am thinking the hammer is around thirty-five years old and as I sanded and cleaned the years fell off. I don’t remember for what job I bought the hammer but I have always made a policy of picking up a tool or two for every job. After awhile you rarely have to buy any tools because you have everything. The next policy is lock them up and don’t borrow anything to anybody, nothing worse then having a job to do and you have to go find your tools to do the job. With the tack hammer all cleaned up I put some tape over the brass and got out the can of oak wiping stain. After a few passes with a cloth dipped in the wiping stain I set the hammer on a shelf to dry. Put the sandpaper and stain back where they belonged and made a mental check off in my mind for thirty minutes well spent.

I used to give my father in law some grief when I would see him wiping down tools or sharpening saw blades by hand. As I get older I now see where that time was well spent. Of course my hands are throbbing a little as I type now, having the neuropathy in my hands makes that kind of work painful but at least I can still feel my hands so that is a good thing. As I worked on the tack hammer I thought back to a few jobs where I used the little hammer. I am sure it fell under the right tool for the right job need. Most of my hammering has been done with a twenty ounce framing hammer, driving tacks with a framing hammer is over kill and I am also sure that a finger or two got in the way using a framing hammer, I am guessing that is why I have this old brass hammer.

Got a stew simmering away in the crock pot and bread rising waiting to get just the right height to go in the oven. Hockey game on tonight and I am going to stay home and eat stew with fresh hot bread a few minutes out of the oven. Slowly but surely I am catching up on summer projects or adding them to next summers to do list. Moving slow around here but I am still moving around. Been a busy week with the guys out west but they should be back on Saturday the last I heard. Fishing just did not happen for me this summer but my leg is healing nicely and I should be able to get into the Puddle Humper next season. Big deal this year was the open wound and I could not get it wet. Going to be a big deal when it heals completely and I can take a shower and swimming in the lake will be the next big thing to look forward to. I am thinking I am winning Duncan back to me. the past few weeks he has been coming in the middle of the night to sleep with me for an hour or so and often I find him curled up close to me by the desk or in the living room. His paw resting on my foot just making contact with me. He has this new thing that when he is in the den he will walk pass the gun cabinet and he stops. He will bump the cabinet with his nose and then look back at me. I think he is trying to encourage me to take him out on the trails here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · October 15, 2017

WELL THE BOYS are back! the RV followed by the pickups returned Saturday afternoon and with a lurch the RV parked on the edge of the parking lot where I noticed a steady drip of catsup forming a little pool under it. Well on closer examination it was really trannie fluid but with a RV powered by bio-diesel and smelling like French fries a case could be made for the catsup. There was no movement for awhile then the side door of the RV open and the guys came out one by one. Wearing carhart jackets, jeans or brush pants, redwings boots on feet with untied laces tangling. Bags in hands or backpacks slung over shoulders. Dog carriers were open on the pickups and Gypsy, Rose and Lee hopped out on to the new limestone of the lot, stretched a little then headed to the woods to relieve themselves. From out of the RV another dog appeared one that I did not recognize and someone else who appeared to be his or hers owner.

The guys made their way into the Lodge and there was a question if they were going to make it to the big round table but they did. A few guys just put their arms on the table and rested their heads on their arms and I think they went to sleep. I looked back at the bar and Honey Sauce was holding up a beer mug and I nodded my head yes. She then took out some frosted mugs from the freezer, filled them with Hamms and brought them to the round table. A couple of the resting guys noses twitched and their hands went out searching for the beer mugs while still keeping their eyes closed. Lips found the mugs and slurping sounds could be heard followed by a few sighs.

No one was talking but I knew they would sooner or later. The new guy let in the four dogs and Gypsy, Rose and Lee plopped down in front of the fireplace and the brown dog made a round of the Lodge before he to found a spot off to the side of the fireplace. New guy pulled up a chair and leaning back he to closed his eyes, he looked a little familiar but I was having a hard time placing him. I caught Honey waving at me out of the corner of my eye holding a soup bowl. I looked at the wall clock and I knew we had only served up about a dozen bowls of the grouse soup and I nodded yes to Honey and she started filling up bowls and putting them on a serving cart. She rolled the cart over to the round table and noses started sniffing and a few eyes opened. I will admit I had out done myself with the grouse soup, Fourteen grouse breasts had been diced up and added to the big pot, wild rice and some sweet onion along with garden carrots from my own garden. A stalk of celery and as the day went on and the soup simmered I had made dumplings which I had eaten several bowls of myself.

Fresh rolls were brought to the table along with a pound of Old McDonnell’s butter and slowly but surely the guys started to stir and the clanking of spoons on the sides of bowls could be heard. Honey brought over a few pitchers of Hamms and set them on the table and some small talk broke out. The guys reminded me of times when we would go out searching for lost hunters and when we found them it just took a little while for them to get their bearings again. Lodge door open and several grouse hunters came in holding their free meal tickets. I went and helped Honey load up bowls and we left the guys at the round table alone, I am sure they will tell me about their trip now that they are back at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · October 19, 2017

FIFTY-TWO IN the boat here and we are looking at a high of sixty-five. Would be a great day to spend time out on the water but it is even a better time to make that push on fall projects that did not get done this summer. I have been busy all of this week as the weather has been surprisingly nice allowing me and the daughter to work on the front deck and the big deck here at the cabin. Was hoping just to sand the front deck but the old stain started coming up in clumps so the power washer came out and now we are a day behind as it needs to dry. The big back deck needed attention to as it sanded up fine but we found a few cedar board ends had rotted away and so a trip had to be made to town and replacement boards bought at the lumber yard. The daughter did a fine job of plunge cutting the bad sections out and screwing in replacements.

Today we are going to putty up some knotholes and stain the front small deck and do all the railings. Tomorrow we will stain the big deck and give it a few days of no traffic so it can dry good and not get any scuff marks. Have a few more sections of concrete that I want to replace but did not think I would get around to but with the down right nice weather they just might get done. Wife is working her way though a nasty cold so all she can do is watch and be the foremen to the foremen. The Tenners are in school so I can’t use them and this weekend Sunshine Ray is calling for cooler temps and some rain. Might be the end of the outdoor staining and painting season for me. Hammering Hank and Skinny along with some of the lodge membership is also working on the Lodges big decks. They are hoping to take advantage of tomorrow’s weather and finishing up on them.

Of course not everyone here at the lake is trying to finish up projects. Already this morning I have seen a few boats trolling by my place and I of course will exchange a wave and maybe a shout out to see if they are catching anything. Have also heard the sound of gunfire and that tells me there are grouse hunters out. I always stop what I am doing to listen for a second or third shot and wonder to myself if it is a down bird or just a clean miss. We did get a couple of hard frosts over the weekend and leaves here close to the water are now turning color and a few trees have dropped them. Not my apple tree though, leaves are still green and the apples are a nice bright red. Matter of fact the wife did bake up three pies on Sunday after I peeled the apples and then she complained that the pies were all gone as of yesterday. My only comment was that "You did make them to eat, right?" Maybe tonight I will have the daughter pick more apples and I will peel them for another three pies.

If it does rain on Saturday I think me and my neighbor Chuck are going to head up to the deer shack, aka The Hotel and poke around some. I know Chuck wants to put up a couple of trail cams and bring the propane tank back to town to get refilled. Since it is on the way we will also swing by the Resort and check in with Vic and I might even just stay over and watch the football game there on Sunday. I will bring Duncan with so we will not have to worry about him on the freshly stained decks and hopefully new poured sidewalk slabs. With any luck I might be able to get some of Vic’s canned red sauce as he did do some canning and he got a lot of tomatoes to ripen late. Only thing I have left in the ground at my place is carrots and we have been using them in stews and I am going to make a mess of pasties next week and will put some carrots in them. Hope you who read this are fishing or bird hunting not mowing grass and staining like I am here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

Bobby Bass · October 27, 2017

THE LEAVES NEVER had a chance. Overnight we had four inches of the heavy, wet, heart attack snow. The snow is caked on everything including the leaves on the trees and now the wind has come up knocking the snow down and the leaves to. A call to Vic at the Resort this morning and he told me the last he looked there was eight inches on the railings and he had a good fire going in the pot belly stove. Last Friday I was in a tee shirt and shorts and the bass thermometer on the side of the cabin said it was seventy out. Was just about a perfect day for staining the big deck, a little breeze and low humidity. My neighbor Chuck took advantage of the day and went fishing, Boated a eleven pound northern which made it all worth keeping the boat ready for that one last trip. Today finds the boat under snow without its cover as he was hoping for one more last trip out.

Saturday was a rain day but both of the Tenners came over to spend the night. They donned hard hats and picked the last of the apples off the tree. Hard hats are a must when picking apples, you only have to get hit in the eye once to figure that out and besides they are sometimes just fun to wear. Apples inside we quickly peeled, cored and sliced them up for the wife to make pies. Me and the Tenners watched a movie and just kicked back, it was after all a rain day. Rest of the week went by quickly, a few DR appointments and way to much time spent on picking up things in the yard and putting them back where they belong. Branches hauled to the fire pit and deck furniture put away. Garden should have gotten tilled but I would have to borrow a tiler to do it now that my old one finally died after thirty years. Rain barrels upturned and five gallon buckets and planters stacked in the garage. Oil change on the Tahoe and I made sure jumper cables and window scraper are where they should be.

Chuck and I did make it to the hunting shack better know as the Hotel. Propane tank was unhooked and loaded into the back of Chuck’s pickup. One thing I did notice and Chuck agrees with me is the older we get these little chores become more like jobs. That or they are just making propane tanks a lot heavier. We signed the "Visit" book kept on the kitchen table and I noted not many of the guys have been in the Hotel this fall. Those who have didn’t have much to say about how grouse hunting went for them. I went and sat on the old rocking chair on the porch and Chuck took out his back pack with his trail cams and took the trail down to his stand. I sat and rocked some with my hands in my pockets and just looked around. Sparrows came in and landed where we park and looked for something to eat. No doubt a few thousands other sparrows have done the same thing in the last few months.

The deer feeding station that we no longer use has lost a leg and is now listing. Grass has grown up around it and I am pretty sure that I could bet you if I sat long enough there would be some deer who would check it out just because it did have food in it once. Normally I would have brought up apples from home that had fallen to the ground but this year was a very poor year and there was not even any ground apples to harvest. The only ones who ate well were the two squirrel cousins of Ed and Eddie who decided to move in and make my turf theirs. From what the wife tells me they each would take an apple a day to eat in front of her. Matter of fact the other day I spotted one of the critters on the roof of my greenhouse. I didn’t have the .22 handy but I did have the pellet gun. I got the pellet gun and made my way to the den window where I open it just wide enough to slide the barrel out. I then had to wait as the squirrel was in the rain gutter and he hopped up on the roof with an old apple in his mouth. I took aim at his head and squeezed the trigger only to have the squirrel turn suddenly. I missed the head shot but did shoot the apple right out of his mouth. The look of surprise on the squirrel still made a good shot. Sometimes it is the little things here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · October 30, 2017

FEELS LIKE FEBRUARY out, late February that is. Even though it is thirty-seven in the Puddle Humper and seventy here in the cabin I am chilled. Am being lazy and have a space heater pointed at my legs as I type here at my desk in the den. A couple of inches of snow remain on the ground left over from our first winter snow fall. Windy out and tree tops are swaying. A few birds have flown by and the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere look cold and not very inviting. Sun was out briefly and no sooner was it out then it was gone again. Have to run into town this afternoon, poor Duncan has fleas. He has been scratching away and last night we gave him another bath and the daughter who has better eyes then me spotted the fleas. We are out of flea shampoo as it has been quite awhile since we have had a dog with a flea problem. I am thinking he more then likely picked them up from a rabbit as he has been doing a fine job of running them down and removing them from the property. Wife will be spending the day doing a deep cleaning of the cabin and the daughter and I will clean Duncan and try and give the tomcats baths to, that should be interesting.

Heard this morning that my son in law grandpa passed yesterday. Ninety years young and a avid outdoors men. Was just talking the other day to my son in law if gramps was deer hunting this year and he told me he was looking forward to it. A few more days and he would have made it out again with his sons. As timing would have it his funeral should be this weekend but one of his last requests was for the family to wait so no one would miss the deer opener. The son in law who was going to hunt up at the Hotel is now going to hunt out of grandpa’s stand for opener as that is something grandpa would want, over the many years it has been a good stand. Thinking back I don’t write to much about people passing here at the lake but we all are getting older and death is part of life. The wife and I will be traveling south to attend the funeral, I have met gramps several times and I will miss his stories.

I did spend time at the Lodge last night, football game was on just after breakfast and I had nothing else planned for the day. I came in and did some paper work and had a chat with Dieago the parrot. He has turned in to quite the spy for us. We have moved his cage from my office to the small side meeting room that the Ladies Auxiliary meets in on Saturday mornings. For some reason he remains quiet during their meetings but he is listening. I have kind of a debriefing with him and from time to time he will drop a few lines that he overheard. Nothing we can use as warnings or anything but it may prove to be helpful down the road. I let Dieago out of his cage where he flew into the main room and landed on Tiny’s shoulder, for some reason he likes it there and Tiny does not mind. Matter of fact Tiny will be a pirate here at the Lodge on Halloween and pass out candy.

Speaking of tonight it is our Town Hall meeting night and tomorrow is Lodge meeting night. Several new members to the Lodge will be announced and it will be a late start as it is also Halloween. Members need to take care of the trick or treaters and for Old McDonnell’s hay way to make his rounds. With paper work out of the way I went and sat down at the big round table where several of the FELLOWS were seated. Conversion was about their latest money making scheme which involved renting cats to guys with hunting shacks to clean up their rodent problem before deer opener. I was offered a beta test but I passed, reminding them I already had my own cats for the job. Which reminds me I need to pickup a few more mouse traps here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

Bobby Bass · November 1, 2017

SNOW FALLING HERE on the deck of the cabin on Hidden Bay today. Monday night we had a pretty relaxed Town Hall meeting at the Lodge. Went over summer tourist business and welcomed a few new business to town. The ten percent discount for locals who greet owners will continue and also the ten percent discount for senior citizens will continue. Ladies Auxiliary served pumpkin and apple pie and the Lodge donated coffee and hot chocolate under the direction of the Ladies Auxiliary. Before the meeting started Hammering Hank’s wife Tess along with Lodge staff decorated the main room and Skinny brought over a dozen pumpkins that were quickly claimed and hauled to tables where they were carved on by members with pocket knifes.

Last night we had the Lodge meeting which was held later then normal. It was Halloween night so we got a late start as we had trick or treaters here and members had trick or treaters at their cabins. Tiny dressed as a pirate and with the parrot Dieago perched on his shoulder went over big with the kids. I had ordered full size candy bars and the word got out and we actually ran out but Big Earl for some reason had a case of Kit Kat’s in his pickup and we used them. Meeting came to order around nine as Old McDonnell tied up his hay wagon and he was done for the night.

The ten percent discount for Lodge members who greet staff will be increased to fifteen percent but not the senior ten percent for seniors, we can’t be getting members drunk for almost free. The highlight of the night was introducing new full fledge members to the Lodge and one provisional new member, Henry is the provisional member and ten of the eleven new members were sworn in. Glenn who was to be sworn in was no where to be found and we do have a rule that you have to be here. Seems Glenn just has a hard time finding Lake Iwanttobethere let alone the Lodge. The following new members were giving locker keys and the code to the door lock on the men’s washroom and cooopon for one round of skeet, sporting clays or range time to sight in their deer riffles.

Welcome to

DUCKSLAYER

LEGALMUSKY

ANGLER JAKE

F GRIMES

VERMILLIONFOX

BILL

BUBBADAWG

WELLESY

MONSTERMOOSE and his dog Finn

Congrats and your secret membership papers are being written up and sent to your local address by carrier crow.

On another more personal note I am starting back up on chemo therapy tomorrow and I was hoping to avoid doing that till after deer season. This will now put my deer season at risk as the side effects of my new drug are about as long as my arm. twenty-one days on then a week off, deer season will be done by then. I will have to make a decision here if I buy a license or not. I don't know if I should spend anytime up at camp, don’t really want to take the guys away from the Hotel experience but I can’t drink or smoke or be around second hand smoke so that puts a damper on how much I can join the gang. Maybe I will go up just on weekends and be the camp cook and still find out what is happening here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · November 2, 2017

ANOTHER FOUR INCHES of snow fell overnight here at Hidden Bay. It is melting off the cabin roof and the water is dripping off the eves. Leaves are falling and mixing in with the snow on the ground and if it all freezes it will be quite the mess for the snow blower to clear later. My neighbor Chuck has his boat and trailer attached to his pick up truck. He is heading to his son in laws heated garage to melt out the snow and ice. He had forgotten to tarp the boat on his last fishing trip and he thought the first snowfall would have melted by now and was not expecting the eight or so inches of snow that has fallen the past forty-eight hours. Skinny and Hammering Hank came by and they have a job to do up by the Hotel so they will bring the filled propane tank up, and it will save me and Chuck a trip.

Got my Drs. appointment out of the way early this morning and me and the wife ran errands in town on the way back. First stop was at the Masterbaiters shop where the wife told me I was going to go in and buy my deer license and we were not going to discuss if I was going to camp or not. She had that look in her eye so I complied. Next stop was Ma and Pa’s grocery where I met with Pa to make sure he had freezer space for us to hang deer and to order up our steaks for Saturday night’s supper. I also had a list of deli meats that we wanted and some jerky. I did take home several pounds of stew meat as I plan on bring up a big pot on Friday and having the daughter make stew. Matter of fact yesterday she picked all the carrots that were still in the ground at the cabin and they will go into the stew and into some pasties that I hope to make later today.

This afternoon the sun has come out a few times and as I said the melt is on. Hammering Hank called me and told me the propane tank is hooked back up and since they brought the work truck up they dropped the plow and cleared the road into the Hotel. There was more snow there then they thought and we don’t need Reed and the RV getting stuck and blocking the road. If memory serves me right it was in the low sixties for opener last season, Forecast from Sunshine Ray says maybe forty for a high and a very good chance for some rain on Saturday. I think I will be spending time on the expanded porch and not down at my swamp stand. Keeping warm is a big deal for me as I don’t have much feeling in my hands and feet and I can’t tell when I get cold because I almost always feel cold, a side effect. I also will have to see how much the new med effects me. A guy in the woods with a loaded gun might not be the best idea if I am dizzy.

Been fielding telephone calls as I write this, everyone has checked in and I have checked off what everyone says they will be bring. Tomorrow Chuck and I will go to Amy’s bakery for our rolls, breads and buns and a couple of pies I am sure. Ma and Pa’s for our can goods, steaks and deli meats. Reed will make the stop at Louie’s Liquor for beverages and Elmer will bring cigars from his and Marv’s book and cigar shop. Big Earl will bring up candy for the stands and of course paper for the outhouse. Gas for the generator and a TV for football game will be borrowed from Reed’s RV When I am done with this I need to get out my deer hunting bag, clean the twenty gage shotgun and make sure I still have slugs from last year. Will toss in some #‘6’s just in case some grouse are foolish enough to get in range. Sleeping bag, pillow and a box of meds with instructions. Good thing I have a check list that I can just print out and mark off as I go.

Duncan already knows something is up and he is sitting next to the gun cabinet, his tail banging against it as it waves back and forth. He got another bath the other day with flea soap and he along with both tomcats are sporting flea collars. Buff the daughter’s cat was not too bad to give a bath to but Big Boy did not want to have anything to do with the bath and put up a fight. Lot of screaming and cursing and that was just the cat! Even though the daughter put on two pairs of leather gloves Big Boy bit her right through them. Today the daughter and the cat kind of circle each other when their paths cross, wary and not forgiving to what each one did to the other. Laptop is on the charger and I hope to find something to write about and share. Will be back in town on Monday for an appointment so I should post something then. Hope you who are getting out have a safe hunt, make some memories and share your old ones here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · November 7, 2017

OPENER AT THE Hotel was busy, I know guys are posting their success but with not much of how it went down, I tend to add a lot of description to bring my readers right to camp with us. This may be a very long story as it covers several days. So we are going to write it in chapter form.

ARRIVAL

Chuck went to town and picked up our stuff from Ma and Pa’s and Amy’s Bakery. He then came to my place for me and the work trailer. Earlier in the week Chuck had brought over a bucket of firewood with his tractor. The Tenners were here and they stacked the wood in the 6x10 work trailer then added wood from my pile till they covered the bottom of the trailer two sticks high. Covered it with a tarp and tied it all down with a 100’ of the wife’s clothesline. With my gear bags, coolers and shotgun along with a big pot of stew that I had been cooking all day we were ready to head out. Gave the wife a kiss and Duncan wearing his bright, bright orange collar came to me and we shook a paw good-bye. It was just about then when a light rain started to fall.

　We drove to the Hotel with the wipers slapping away the rain and when we went past Old McDonnell’s place I made comment about all his cows in the field were sporting bright orange scarfs, not a big surprise because a few years back during deer season a guy shot one of his cows and said he thought it was a deer, he was not from around here. Made the turn into camp and saw tire tracks in the mud and snow, we were not the first ones to camp on this Friday afternoon. We did a little sliding but made it to the opening where the Hotel sits and where we park our trucks. Reed’s RV was already there parked up along the edge and out of the way.

　Reed came out to greet us as we pulled up along side the H/C ramp that the guys put in for me last year even if they still say it is just a loading ramp. The Johnson twins came out and we were unloaded and the trailer was unhooked and pushed back to the wood pile that is by the outhouse. We will wait on unloading and stacking it for now but everyone did grab a armload of wood to stack out on the porch floor. The trailer will serve double duty this year as the plan is to use it to haul deer back to town. Low to the ground it will be much easier to load and unload. Stew pot was put on the gas stove and let to simmer. Reed who had been washing dishes went back to it and Hop was mopping the floor while his brother was washing windows.

　Normally I would be the one to start the first fire in the potbelly stove but they already had a good one going. I must admit it was nice to walk into a warm Hotel then having to wait to get the chill out. Now the next thing I noticed was new stove pipe and what looked to be a slightly used Magic Heat Reclaimer that was pumping out the heat. I would later find out that Skinny who has a weakness for auctions picked up the exchanger for next to nothing and Hammering Hank was already planning on replacing the stove pipe. With Chucks help we cleaned out the cupboards and started putting food away. A cooler with ice was filled with our cold cuts and steaks and vegetables, butter, pickles and cheese all went into the cold cabinet. We got the idea watching how people in Alaska would hang a wood box on the outside of the cabin with a hole cut through the wall and a door inside to get to the stuff. We did not use it last year, it was to warm but with rain turning to snow and the thermometer of the running buck pegged at 32 I figured it was cold enough to use.

　The rest of the afternoon guys arrived and soon the gun rack on the wall was filled with a variety of what everyone thought was the perfect deer rife. Stew was eaten and a dent put into the hard rolls. The big map came out and guys looked it over like they had never seen it before, but truth be known anyone of them could have recreated it by memory. Around nine or so the round table was cleared and guys started to build their lunches for the first day on the stands. We had ham, thin sliced roast beef, chicken, turkey and of course thick bologna. Sweet pickles and big dill pickles, lettuce and tomato. American, Colby and Swiss cheese. Peanut butter and jelly and of course tuna for the Johnson twins. Hard rolls, Kaiser rolls, home made bread in wheat, rye and white. Sandwiches were put in zip lock bags or wrapped in tin foil or as with the older guys just cheese cloth. They all went into the cold box to be taken out come morning where bacon would be added because everyone knows bacon goes with everything. With the wood stove loaded with Maple and mouse traps set everyone headed to bed. The Heat Reclaimer was pointed at the bunk room door and everyone said they have never gone to bed in there when it was actually warm. I have a bunk in the main room and as long as the fire burns I stay warm.

FIRST LIGHT

　Saturday morning I never heard an alarm go off, I just rolled over when I heard Reed poking at the coals and adding wood to the fire. Heard the door open and watched as Big Earl came in, he had gone down and used the outhouse and stocked it with tp and reading material. I put my feet on the floor and we exchanged HIYA’s. "Bobby, did you get apples" he asked me and I told him yes. "Did you happen to leave them on the porch?" I thought about it and said "I may have, why" Big Earl held up two ripped paper bags but no apples. "By the tracks I would say we fed two or three deer last night and one of them walked right up the H/C ramp" Well I had to chuckle, not a big deal I bought three bags, the other one has to be around here somewhere. Everyone else got up and the morning conversation was about the stolen apples. We had pancakes, bacon, ham and eggs. Toast was made eight slices at a time under the broiler.

　Lunches were taken out and Mayo and bacon added to those that wanted it. Bag of apples was found and apples were written on the white board as the first thing we need more of. Walnuts, raisins and chocolate chips along with granola were mixed and put in bags. Bottle water or soda or in some cases bottles of juice were packed away. One by one guys exited and headed out to the stands. I stayed back along with Elmer, we were going to be the house mothers and I was still feeling under the weather, I think spending some time on the porch was going to have to be good enough for me. Beside them thieving deer might make a daylight raid on us.

STANDS

　Chuck, Hammering Hank, myself and Skinny have been in charge of building and maintaining our stands. We have a dozen of them and they are spread out from the Hotel like the spokes of a wheel. Trails have been cut along with shooting lanes The outer edge has a trail that connects all the stands together and Reed and Chuck who like to still hunt will use it. We also play tag where one hunter will bump a hunter out of his stand and then that hunter bumps the next and so on. We usually only do this late in the season to try and get deer moving for others to get a shot. The stands are all made of green treated wood with carpeted floors and rough sawed wood on the outside about three feet up, this hides movement inside the stands. Some of the guys will put in the cheap rolling chair so they can move quietly inside. They all have roofs and at least one sheet metal corner where a coffee can with charcoal can be placed to give off some heat. A shelf wraps around three sides so you have a place for your lunch or it can be used as a rifle rest. Last year they expanded my swamp stand making it bigger for me and putting in a ramp. They all have names but depending on luck the names may be changed. The stands are also used in the nightly poker games as guys will use them in their last hands or all in, if they win they can change stands and the rest go to a hat to be drawn and traded.

FIRST DEER

　About thirty minutes after Big Earl and Junior headed out I heard a rife shot, then a second shot echoed and I knew it was from the spoke that Reed likes to still hunt. Forty-five minutes later and Reed appears with a big grin on his face. He held up six fingers made his hands look like antlers over his head and came to the porch. He sat down in the rocker next to me and told me he was walking slow like to his stand and he spotted a buck down the trail just as it was crossing. Reed was just a few yards away from where his trail has a fork in it and he took the right fork and hustled down about fifty yards to where he thought the deer should be crossing. He sat down on a stump and waited and just when he thought the deer had already crossed the trail the deer emerged from the brush and on to the trail. He looked both ways like a kid crossing the street then just stood there for some reason and sniffed the ground. Reed took the safety off, fired and the deer flinched. With his rifle still on his shoulder he jacked in a second round and pulled the trigger. This time the deer just folded up and Reed dressed it and covered it with the orange plastic leaf bag that we all carry and headed back to camp to get the sled and see if anyone was around to help him drag it out. Elmer went to the white board and put Reeds name on it with the day and time.

SECOND DEER

　Was not shot at the Hotel but I got a call from my son in law who was hunting out of his late grandfathers stand, he had shot a nice doe and he thinks it will be one that he will not forget. He will have it processed down there but he wanted to call and have me tell the guys.

THIRD DEER

　Around ten or so it started to rain again, the red needle on the deer thermometer shows thirty-four degrees and with a little breeze it was cold and damp in no time. Earlier I had added more tatters, onions, celery and carrots to the stew, browned some stew meat and added it to the pot. By mid day guys started heading back to camp wearing their orange leaf bags trying to stay dry. Johnson twins each gobbled down a big bowl of stew and chunks of warm bread from the oven. They then went with Reed and brought his deer to camp where it was hung from the meat pole and the orange bag wrapped around it. Reed got pats on the back and he told his story to who ever would listen. More wood was put into the potbelly stove and the reclamier was paying for itself the very first day, wet coats were hanging from the ceiling and the hot air was drying them out nicely.

　Around three or so the rain turned back to snow and most of the guys headed back out into their stands. I was back on the porch with Elmer riding shotgun in the other rocker. I was buried in my gear with a bright orange sleeping bag on top of me. I don’t know where the wife found it but she figured I would use it. I was thinking to myself I should put some potatoes in the oven as tonight is steak night. Skinny is our grill master and I was about to go inside and Reed came out and said he put a dozen tatters in all ready, I told him he should add a few smaller ones, the boys will be hungry tonight.

　A few minutes later and Elmer and I looked at each other as an old faded blue pickup came down the road and slid to a stop before hitting the porch. I was surprised to see Vic behind the wheel and DOC sitting alongside of him. Before I could say anything Vic held up a white package and said "We brought our own steaks" DOC went inside with Elmer and Vic zipping up his orange parka and tugging his hat down on his ears took his place in the rocking chair. I told him about the thieving deer and the apples and he told me he caught his thief. I sat back and listen as Vic told me he was just settling into his easy chair with some nachos and cheese and looked up to see a buck sneaking into his garden. He got up and went to the hall closet where he had his deer rifle, jacked in a round, snuck out the front door, eased himself around the corner and squeezed off one shot, Deer fell sixty-six paces away. DOC heard the shot and the two of them went to the garden and the fallen deer. DOC dressed the deer and they used the tractor to get it out of the garden. He told me the story so nonchalantly I was having a hard time believing him. So I asked "Where is this deer now" Vic pointed at the tarp in the back of the truck and sure enough you could see antlers. I asked him why they brought it here and he said you guys are just as far away as town is and I knew you will be taking your deer to Pa’s and I didn’t know of the old truck would make it, asI have not driven it in years. Skinny and Hammering Hank came out of the woods a few minutes later. They backed the truck up to the meat pole and hug the deer. I followed everyone inside and looked at the white board, I then added Vic and my son in law to it with a little *

STEAK NIGHT

　Skinny pulled the grill out from the shed and filled it with charcoal, the only way to cook porterhouse as far as I was concern. Skinny started grilling steaks and everyone pitched in making a big salad, getting out ice cold beers and waiting for the bread warming in the oven alongside the baked potatoes. As the steaks came off the grill Reed and Vic got first pick. No one picked the small porterhouse that I had Pa cut for me and as it was I only finished half of it. I made announcement for guys to trim their meat off the bone with a knife. I wanted no one chewing on bones the reason being I will add the bone to the stew pot to make new stock and I guarantee tomorrow you will have the tastiest stew you have ever had for lunch.

　With belts loosen guys found chairs and refreshments were served. Talk was exchanged about deer sign or lack of sign. Big Earl passed on a small buck and junior for some reason missed a doe. I got grief for feeding the deer apples and was accused of baiting! Cards were brought out and a few cigars were lit, the guys with the cigars retreated to the porch to smokem and chat and watch the snow fall. I knew they were out there because of me and if I told them so they would just shrug it off as no big deal. Their wife’s don’t let them smoke inside at home why should there be any difference here. I really do have some pretty good friends. Vic and DOC found bunks and after a round of "Good night John Boy" the Hotel was quiet, just the humm of the fan and the occasional crackle of wood burning. I closed my eyes and was asleep, tomorrow is another day.

SUNDAY

　Woke up not feeling too good, pretty much did nothing for most of the day. Guys made breakfast and packed lunches. Couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground but no one saw anything moving. Guys came in a little later, ate lunch on the stands but when they came in the Hotel and smelled the new pot of stew everyone had seconds. Reed baked up the stuffed pork chops for supper but I was not there, was not feeling any better so Chuck took me home. By Monday morning the skeleton crew was at the Resort, Reed n Elmer were going to be the caretakers this year keeping the fire going and doing some minor jobs. The day was sunny so they took off the shutters to let the light in and hooked up the solar panels to feed our back up twelve volt batteries. Sunshine Ray is calling for it to go below zero by midweek. Looking to be a more average deer season. I plan on feeling better by Friday when I will be heading back to the Hotel. Just have to get use to these new meds and find something I can eat and keep down. Check back for more here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · November 17, 2017

BUSY WEEK AT the Hotel I came home early, was not feeling well but have made some med adjustments and I feel better. The plan is after my Friday doctors visit I will stop off at Ma and Pa's and Amy's and pick up the last of our order for the last weekend of deer season. Tomorrow night, Friday we will caravan down to Maggies as we have heard through the grape vine that he will be serving prime rib instead of his usual spaghetti dinner feed. I did go back to the Hotel last weekend but pretty much hunted from the rocking chair on the porch. There is some good news as a buck shot by Barley and a doe shot by Chucks thirteen year old grandson were hanging on the meat pole late Sunday afternoon. Three deer shot at camp here is a big deal as we have been very deer poor here for several years. Everyone has seen deer too this season, another bright point to remember.

Tuesday afternoon found me in my swamp stand. over cast with some drizzle but forty-three out. Skinny loaded my wheelchair into the atv trailer and hauled me down the trail. Got me up the ramp and he put down the orange sleeping bag on the chair and I sat down and covered up. The wife's find is becoming very useful. I already had one coffee can heater in the stand but Skinny added a second and we lit them both. Told me he would be back at dusk or to call him if I needed anything. A few minutes later and the putt-putt of the atv was hard to hear as he headed back to the Hotel. I had borrowed Reed's rifle as my son in law had the 30-30. I worked the action a few times then set it down on a towel that I had on the shelf that runs around the stand. Heat was coming off the coffee can heaters and I took my gloves off and traded my stocking cap for a hat. Reached in my knapsack and got out the binoculars and started glassing the brush. Having snow has to let you see at least three times deeper into woods/brush.

About an hour later and I had my coat unzipped and snow was melting on the roof of the stand and dripping down on the leaves below. I was getting a little hungry but I had come prepared, I had a ham and cheese on a hoagie wrapped in tinfoil in my knapsack. I took it out and set it on top of the closest coffee can, when I could smell it I rotated it and then a few minutes later I did it again. When I figured it was hot enough I took it off the heat and put it on the shelf. Back to the knapsack for some chips and my hunting knife. Peeled back the tin foil and cut myself a nice two inch thick piece. Slipped the hot sandwich in my mouth added a few chips and sat back in my seat.

Now the sandwich could have been a little warmer, a little more toasted, the cheese melted a little more and maybe it could have used some more mircle whip but I will remember it because I had just cut the second chunk of sandwich and was putting it in my mouth and I looked down the trail to see a buck walking right to me. Time stopped, For some reason I kept chewing on the sandwich, I wiped my fingers off on my coat. Picked up Reed's rife, rested it on the handrail of the stand dropped the cross hair at the crook of the neck, took a breath and squeezed the trigger...

Deer crumbled where he stood, I watched through the scope for a few seconds and sat the rife back on the shelf and went back to my sandwich but my heart was trying to bang out of my chest. Reached for some chips and my hand was shaking I am sure I had a smile a mile wide. Been a long time since I harvested a deer and there will be a meal of backstraps in my future. You see here at camp who ever shoots a deer gets the backstrap, the rest of the deer is divided between everyone. This year everyone is going to get a nice portion of venison.

Put my hoagie back on the heat and called Skinny that I needed to come in and we need a sled. Finished my reheated hoagie and a little while later I could hear the putt-putt of the atv. Skinny appeared with the Johnson brothers holding their rifles sitting in the trailer facing different directions looking like a U N peace keeping unit. Skinny waved at me and we exchanged HIYA's and they made quick work of field dressing a nice little six point buck. They took the rife down and laid it along side the deer and took a picture for me. Put the coffee cans out loaded me up and we headed back to the Hotel. I now have my name on the white board.

Now I know I have been writing a lot about the meals here at camp. A good trade for lack of deer stories to pass on. This week Marv brought up a big pan of his grandmothers recipe from the old country lasagna Not to be out done Vic brought up a big pot of his grandmothers red sauce from the old country. Vic had the pot also loaded with meatballs ranging in size from golf balls to just under the size of baseball's. There was no leftovers and I didn’t get any as I was home. Saturday morning Elmer made egg salad for the guys. Started off with a dozen hard-boiled eggs and under the watchful eye of DOC he sliced them up, put them in a bowl, added some diced onions and sweet pantry pickles and a healthy dash of Paprika for some color, folded in some miracle whip and set it out on the table. Several of the guys hollowed out hoagies and spooned in the egg salad added some lettuce and took them out for lunch.

Big Earl was the first back to camp looking for water, he got one out of the cooler and quickly drank it then went looking for Elmer. Seems there was a little mix up, Elmer busy talking with DOC had poured in Cayenne pepper instead of Paprika, same color but a little bit of a taste difference. An hour later Reed came in, took off his gear and headed for the fridge we all watched and waited. Reed stood up and just asked if there was any of that tasty egg salad left, go figure.

Baked ham and a big turkey breast with mashed potatoes and gravy for Saturday dinner, ham for omelets Sunday morning and clubhouse sandwiches of fresh cut turkey/ham and of course bacon. Sunday was clean out the fridge of leftovers as there was chili and turkey and Coney sauce. Reed shot a couple more grouse so we did make a pot of grouse and wild rice soup with dumplings. No one can figure how every time Reed goes out he comes back with a few grouse. I know that in his knapsack he has a long barrel .22 pistol and a box of them bb load shells. They are a real good load out to about fifteen yards and Reed just waits for them to come and land in his tree and pops a few.

So I am sitting in the den here at Hidden Bay, been watching the comeback win by the Wild, writing and trying to keep my eyes open. Being tired is a side effect of my new round of chemo therapy. But with a deer under my belt I can sleep with a smile on my face at the Hotel this weekend. A big thank you to Skinny who took the time to get me out to my stand giving up some of his hunting time. I will sit on the porch and root for the guys, another deer or two would always be welcomed here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited November 17, 2017 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · November 19, 2017

Well first off you are not going to see a picture of me, no one has and no one will. After writing about the deer camp for 12 years and not getting a deer why would you question when I finally do get a deer? the lodge home page does have a pic of chucks grandsons doe but photobucket is not letting me upload my buck to them. I am working on figuring away to post it to the home site for you and anyone else that thinks it is a big deal to see my deer.

Bobby Bass · November 19, 2017

buck is up on my web page

monstermoose78 · November 20, 2017

Congrats on the buck Bobby

Tom7227 · November 20, 2017

Checked it out and it is a nice deer. Glad you had a chance to get out and take a crack at it. I hope you enjoy the backstraps and the memories you created. Be well.

vermilionfox · November 20, 2017

Nice deer Bobby! Congrats!

Bobby Bass · November 21, 2017

15 hours ago, vermilionfox said:

Nice deer Bobby! Congrats!

thanks

Bobby Bass · November 22, 2017

TWENTY IN THE boat here on Hidden Bay. been a cold windy day with just a few minutes of sunshine in the afternoon. Lots going on so I will try to be brief and cover as much as I can. Came back from the Hotel early in the afternoon on Monday. Chuck and I decided to be the last ones at the Hotel so we could close it down. Sunday after the football game a few of the guys went to the stands for a few hours but no more deer found their way to the meat pole. The rest of the guys made quick work of hanging the shutters on the windows and taking the solar panel and battery in from the outhouse. Left overs were eaten and the fridge cleaned. What food that was left was sent home with who ever wanted it. The winter box was filled with crackers and cocoa and soup along with a box of twinkies. A twelve pack of bottled water was set in the sink, if someone stops in and has to stay there is enough food to make a few meals. Wood rack in the Hotel was filled as was the kindling box. Food box was put on top of the cabinet hopefully out of the reach of any winter varmint.

When guys came in from the stands they met Skinny who hauled in the rolling chairs and coffee can heaters, Chairs went to the shed along with the heaters but not till the charcoal was dumped in the potbelly stove. I should mention that two old darken coffee pots have been on the stove for the past two weeks, one with coffee and the other with apple cider. My granddaughter came up with Matt on Saturday and they sat on my swamp stand for a few hours. H got cold and they came back to the Hotel where H made hot chocolate for everyone then sat in front of the potbelly stove feeding it kindling one piece at a time. We have plenty of kindling so I didn’t say anything, matter of fact I enjoyed watching the flames gobble up the wood. Matt joined us and we watched and did not say much as we all warmed up. Guys came in and H made hot chocolate for them, they said it was some of the best they ever had and asked her what she put in it, she smile at me and told them it is a secret. We did make it over to Maggies on Friday night and he did have prime rib, for the price we could not have done it at camp, maybe next year we will add it to the menu.

Every one said their good-byes but not until they made an entry in the book we keep on the table. Reed got his RV out to the black top without getting stuck, of course the mud was all froze so that helped. Chuck and I slept in late ate a sandwich for breakfast and packed our gear in the back of Chucks truck, checked to make sure shutters were secure, shed locked and the padlocked oiled. Wood was tarped tight and a roll of paper left in the outhouse. Rocking chairs were brought in and Chuck did his entry and I did mine. In sketchie hand writing I wrote

Great season here at the Hotel, got a deer as well as some of the other guys, ate well, made memories ( Cheyenne pepper in egg salad) want to thank all the guys who made my hunt possible, I know you guys went out of your way keeping an eye on me and tried to hide it, Thanks again to Skinny and especially to my neighbor and best friend for over forty years Chuck, Love ya bro

with that I closed the book and put the pen on top. Took out the WD-40 and gave the padlock a shot and rolled myself out to the porch for one last look around the place. Chuck closed the door put the lock on and cover it with the piece of rubber that is there just for that reason. Chuck sat on the railing and pulled out a couple of cigars and offered me one, I didn’t say no, it was the first one I had at the Hotel this season. We sat and watched a few snow flakes fall and said nothing, we didn’t have to. With cigars half done we got in the truck and headed home.

Today I spent a lot of time on the phone, Gus was forwarding my calls to me and Thanksgiving dinner at the Lodge has kind of sneaked up on us real quick. Had to confirm order and gifts from area business and during the middle of all of this Denise from the Women’s Auxiliary wanted to know if we had the tree at the Lodge yet so they, the Auxiliary could come and decorate it. I made a call to Hammering Hank who told me he and Skinny were a half hour away from the Lodge with a ten foot tree. Called Gus back and told him to get the Christmas decorations out from the basement and the Ladies are on their way. I then called Denise and asked her if the tree was going to be done tonight, nothing like putting a little pressure on the Ladies.

I will be at the Lodge most of thanksgiving doing meets and greets and then there is the fact that the football game is on before noon. I will graze as my wife calls it enjoying hot cloverleaf rolls, turkey and ham and all the fixing that always seem to find their way into the Lodge on that day. There is more but I will save it for the next time I write, have a good turkey day if you don’t make it back to catch up on us here at Lake Iwanttobethere

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Bobby Bass · November 22, 2017

21 IN THE boat here on Hidden Bay, have already been to town and back with the wife. At the cabin the score is Cats 1 Humans 1 as we have a mouse problem. While I was gone at the Hotel the wife was taking a shower and the big tom cat who goes by the name of Big Boy brought her a dead mouse and placed it on her clothes that she had laid out for the day on her bed. She came out of the bathroom towel drying her hair and sat on the mouse. She says it was no big deal but since I speak lab the brown dog told me he had to come to her rescue as she had let out a scream. I get in the door and was told of the problem. I have no snap traps and a call to Big Earl who told me he was out till today, seems I am not the only one with a war going on. I did find some old glue traps and I put a couple under the kitchen sink. I have caught them there before and a few hours later I was rewarded with one. But you know that they say if there is one then there is two and if there is two you have a problem. I also found out that mice carry fleas, this could be where the cats and Duncan got fleas from..

So the wife needed to go down to Ma and Pa's for our turkey, Pa called and told her he had a discounted bird waiting for her, the turkey for some reason had but one leg. I didn't ask, we got 25% off. Pa came out with a white package for me and told me he had my backstap. I took the package from him and then asked him when was the last time he had a backstrap? he lifted his cap and ran his fingers through the few strands of hair he has left on his head and told me he didn't remember. I handed the package back to him and said enjoy. "Bobby I can't take this" but I refused to take it back. "Heck I am getting venison for the first time in a long time, I have to work my way up to backstraps" I told him. Pa thanked me and our next stop was the General Store.

Big Earl met us at the curb with four mouse snap traps and a little something else in the bag. We chatted for a few minutes till the wife broke in saying you two just spent two weeks together, what on earth could you have to talk about. We both looked at her and said well the last two weeks of course! With that we left and went home. I have to go down to the city for a late Drs. appointment this afternoon so I thought I would write a little while as the wife has started to do some baking. She called for the brown dog who climbed out from under my desk and went to her. She gave him an egg carton and told Duncan she wanted a dozen eggs and let him outside. I thought OK the three egg trick was good but a dozen? Five minutes later the back doorbell rings and the wife lets in Duncan gingerly balancing a dozen eggs in the cartoon. She trades him two dog biscuits for the eggs and Duncan heads to the living room and the fire to chow down. I was going to say something to the wife but I could see she was just waiting for me so I said nothing.

Now on Saturday when my granddaughter and son in law Matt hunted off my deer stand I was not done with their day. Since there is no chair in there they used a plank that they can rest diagonally from one wall to the other to sit on. After H the granddaughter glassed the area and the small fire in the coffee can heater went out and the old Stanley steel thermos was empty of hot chocolate she was ready to head back to camp. Matt unloaded the rifle and gave it to H and told her to hunt her way back to the Hotel. Matt carried the knapsack and heater and followed H. H hunted slow and took her time, she did not see a deer but later she told Matt she likes walking better then sitting in a stand. They stopped at the Hotel clearing and when they started up again a grouse thundered skyward right at their feet, startling both of them and a fitting end to their deer hunt, Matt brought the heater to the shed an H headed inside to make hot chocolate and warm up.

Chuck was just here brought me some snap traps, didn't know I had been to town already. He asked me if the wife got the eggs that she asked for. "Hmmm so you gave Duncan a dozen eggs" I asked "Yup tape them all up to so he would not drop any" Chuck said. Chuck then left and I just smiled at the wife, patted Duncan and told him he was such a good boy, maybe he should go find us another dozen eggs here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · November 28, 2017

THIRTY-EIGHT IN THE Puddle Humper under wraps here on Hidden Bay. Thanksgiving at the Lodge went over big and I over did it and paid for it on Black Friday by just lying on the couch and sleeping most of the day away. I arrived around eleven and the FELLOWS were out in the parking lot with their tail gating canopy deep frying turkeys. Skinny had the Lodges big grill under there to and Pa had dropped off three big burlap bags of late season sweet corn. I think he got them from his nephew who lives in Iowa and had come up for a visit. The BBQ corn will be a nice addition to the meal till they are gone. Football game was on at eleven-thirty, a good game and those who sat by the big screen TV did not give up their tables till the game was over. Food came out at half time and the cherry wood bar was cleared and turned into a long buffet table. Roasted turkey, deep fried turkey, Ham with all the fixings. The FELLOWS round table was a dessert table covered in pies and cakes, cookies and bars.

Another rush after the game was over and yet another around six or so. The dessert table never really ran out as people came with their best cookies and bars and pies and put them on the table for others to enjoy. By seven we were done and all the staff came out and enjoyed their turkey dinner, DOC came in from the kitchen where he had spent most of the day doing the carving and the FELLOWS put the deep fryers away and sat and ate. We sent everyone home with treats and leftovers but not till I got my second piece of Denise’s banana cream pie, almost as good as the wife’s apple pie but I would never tell her that under the fear she would stop making my apple pies.

Wife and both daughters went to the big city for Black Friday and actually came home early. Being small town gals they don’t have the patience to be standing in a line just to get into a store. Don’t get me wrong the wife still had to make a few trips to the Tahoe to bring in bags. Duncan even helped coming through the deck door backwards dragging a bag in his mouth. I offered to help him and he growled at me. Like I say he is the wife’s dog and I am sure she is learning to speak lab and told Duncan not to let me see what was in the bag. After the bag was hauled to the bedroom Duncan came to me and put his paw on my lap and since I speak lab I knew he was telling me it was nothing personal, and we are still buds.

On the home front my youngest daughter came home with an early Christmas present. I was talking to the wife about a family present to replace our sixteen year old TV in the living room with something that we can plug our firestick into since we dropped cable again after they wanted to raise our rates forty-five bucks a month. We are back on the antenna and streaming. I was putting bread in the oven and the daughter came in the kitchen with a fifty-five inch TV that she decided to just go out and buy on her own. My mouth dropped as I was not expecting her to do that as I thought we had all agreed that we would all pitch in. What can I say I have one very special daughter. I have more to catch up on but my hands hurt and there is a hockey game coming on and I want to watch it on my new present here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · December 3, 2017

THIRTY ABOVE HERE on Hidden Bay well after the sun has set. Looks like winter here is going to be another strange one. I have gone from being venison poor to venison rich. Earlier in the week my neighbor Chuck was coming home from the Lodge and came up on sheriff Tim parked along the road with his lights flashing. As Chuck got out of his truck he heard a gun shot. Tim had just dispatched a young deer that had been clipped by a car or truck that had left the scene. Tim asked Chuck if he wanted the deer and Chuck of course said yes. The deer came home and Chuck hunged it in his garage. Next morning he came over and asked if I wanted to split it so the day after he quarter it and brought it over to the cabin. The wife and Chuck did the butchering and I have a meat slicer so they cut steaks and chops and a couple of modest roasts. I sat at the table and debone for jerky and a box of scrap to go to Pa’s to make sausage. Also I kept some for stew meat. Normally we would just have Pa do the whole thing but it was not that big of a deer.

I gave my backstrap from my buck to Pa and I guess what goes around does come around as Chuck told me to keep the backstrap from the doe. I agreed but only if he comes over tomorrow and the wife cooks it up for us for lunch at half time of the football game, he has agreed. Been busy this week but I can’t remember what I have been doing. Have most of my Christmas shopping done. The wife said she is not done but I don’t remember or she will not tell me how she did on good Friday. The weather has been in the low forties all week which means no snow making at the ski hill and Lake Iwanttobethere is not making any ice. The Ice House fling is a sure thing that it will not be held on the second Saturday of December. We are hoping we will be able to do it before the end of the year though.

With the warm weather Big Earl has been having a run on Christmas lights, which is good as shovels and snow throwers are not moving at all. Lodge has been busy during the day, no one is plowing snow that we don’t have and roofers are of course not roofing. Only one who is busy is the tree farmer out on the highway and he is running low already. Grouse hunters are getting birds as they have formed coveys again and the poor snowshoe hares are having a hard go. Being all white in a snow less woods makes them easy targets for those who are out hunting them. The winter trap league is already half over and guys are asking formaybe a second session if the weather holds out.

Last month I forgot to mention a few things that happen around the lake. On the twelfth the lake celebrated its twelfth year of being written about. I was reminded by an e-mail. Also I celebrated my 773rd monthly birthday. Which was originally a tongue in cheek comment about parents celebrating their kids eighteen monthly birthdays. I started to do it and now it is somewhat important to me as every month I celebrate means another month that I am still on the green side of the ground. Also Thanksgiving is my anniversary that I found out I had cancer, two years now and I am still fighting and my glass is still half full not half empty. I want to thank all of you hard core readers that are still reading my ramblings and keeping up with us here at the Lake. In the mouse war here at the cabin the cats have but one but the snap traps have six. I hope we are winning here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · December 11, 2017

WE ARE MAKING ice here on Hidden Bay at Lake Iwanttobethere. A week ago we had a thunderstorm and it was in the low forties, we are done I think with temptures like that for awhile. Been busy Christmas shopping most of the week, with four kids a couple of son in laws and eight grand kids I forgot how many presents needed to be bought and then having to find the right presents for the right kid. Add on neighbors and friends and Lodge buddies, I have lost count. Good thing the wife is taking care of her side of the family. I am also on a first name basis with Niel the UPS guy now as I have been ordering some stuff online. I will admit I am a cheapskate for eleven months out of the year but come December The wallet gets open up and aired out.

With the weather dipping into the low teens at night and barely making it to the low twenties during the day and no sunshine to speak of ice is forming on the big lake. The other afternoon Hammering Hank and Skinny fired the test log down the hill and out onto the ice. It broke through about twenty yards out but the next day it made it almost fifty. Not thick enough for shanties yet but if we keep this weather Christmas may be possible launch date for the Ice House Fling.

The market out on the highway is just about out of trees which is good and bad, Good that he will have sold all of his trees and bad that he could have sold more. Lots of people from the big city buying as the prices there are almost double of what the market is charging. We were all at the Resort the other night and trees were brought up we do have a lot of room here and we just may do some clear cutting and put in a tree farm. We may not be able to reap the rewards but it will add value to the place.

We also have been getting a little snow now every night, not much in town but there is over a foot on the ground at the Resort. The snowshoes hares are a little more relaxed now that they don’t stick out so bad. All the eating places are offering free coffee and cocoa in town, not many empty seats to be seen through the painted Christmas scene windows that my daughter has been doing the past few weeks. Mike has been running his snow cannons at the ski hill and has a few runs open for the snoowboarders and the rabbit hill for the young kids. The runs are open after school for a few hours for them.

General Store is busy, toyland and toolland always have someone poking around in boxes looking for something special for someone special. Big Earl is really almost out of lights and mouse traps. I mean really out nothing hiding in the warehouse. Snow shovels are moving along with ice melt and I saw the school bus has the plow on, I guess even the school board has given in that winter is here. Can you believe we are down to counting days instead of weeks here to Christmas at Lake Iwanttobethere

Blue sky, a good tailwind and a safe trip Colonel Powell, we will miss you and your stories at the Lodge. I will look for you in the clouds when I am fishing..

Colonel Powell was a retired United States air force Colonel that I was friends with for the past twenty years. He spent a lot of time up here and we spent time in a boat together chasing bass but also trading stories, he was a good story teller and I always tried to be a good listener. I hate losing fishing buddies but it seems to be happening a lot. He was 1021 months young.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · December 14, 2017

21 IN THE Boat here at Hidden Bay but 30 in the green house. I have added a sensor out there to keep track this winter. When it gets warm in there I can move that heated free air into my cabin but it has been weeks since the sun has shined enough to make it worth turning on the blowers. Lake Iwanttobethere gives us long falls, early springs and decent summers. However in the winter she can be nasty. Yesterday we had a few flakes of snow and by noon we had six inches of snow, by two in the afternoon when I needed to go to town we had nine inches of med heavy snow on the ground which is to much for the wife and her bad shoulder to move. A call was made to my son Dug who showed up with gas and a spark plug, He was prepared to take out the snow blower bought last year because he knew his ma had not winterized it.

I got at call a little while later that the new blower works a lot better then the old twenty-two year old one that we had replaced. He also asked me if I had the morning paper which I told him now that I think of it Duncan had not brought it in this morning. Dug then told me that he found it in the snow and the new blower does a fine job of making confetti out of rolled up newspapers. Told the wife who just shook her head and I just said it is no big deal, it is mulch now. Snow is just what we need, town is white and we have snow banks. Hill in front of the Lodge now has enough snow for the Ice House Fling and we are still making ice. As we drove by the ski hill the snow cannons were not running and I think Mike is finally getting some sleep.

Lake Iwanttobethere does not have a transit system, heck we don’t even have a single bus but we do have Old McDonnell and his hay wagon. Two weeks before Christmas Old McDonnell will bring his hay wagon into town and for a donation he will let you ride as he goes from one end of Main Street to the other from four till eight PM. You can tell those who have taken advantage of the wagon by the straw sticking in their clothes when they are shopping in the stores or drinking cocoa in the dinners.

We are done Christmas shopping, I think. The tree has a lot of packages under it and the wife will never stop buying stocking stuffers but I don’t tend to count them because some of them will be mine. I have been hinting maybe she should visit Marv at the Smoke Shop as I have talked with Marv about a few stocking stuffers in there that I would like it try. Came into the Lodge today to do some mail and to pick my name for the Lodge gift exchange, I got Big Earl’s son Junior, I don’t have a clue what to get him. That is what it makes it so fun, you get to learn about a Lodge member here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · December 21, 2017

WELL, PAST DARK here at Hidden Bay as I write this I just had a slice of the wife's Banana Cream Pie and it sure hit the spot. Outside the den window it is snowing and has been since supper time. Sunshine Ray is forecasting four inches of the white stuff and I think he will come up short, it is coming down pretty good. I have been meaning to write but my hands have been bothering me the past few days. After the snow falls the temperature is going to do the same. Right now it is only fourteen in the Puddle Humper and by Christmas day the word is it may not reach zero for the daytime high. Tahoe may have to get plugged in between trips to the Lodge this weekend.

Old McDonnell is no longer offering hay rides on Main Street but with all the snow he is now giving out sleigh rides instead. I made a deal with Frank the plow driver to not plow the right lane of snow that goes to the Lodge till Christmas. It came with a price as it cost me my last box of peanut butter Girl School cookies that I had. Actually I didn’t even know I had them till I was looking for a bread pan, I think Diego the parrot put them there when he was here.

Just days away from Christmas and I will be busy. We will be celebrating Christmas here at the cabin on Thursday night. All the kids and grand kids will be here for supper then present opening. Friday night will be the Lodge’s Christmas party and gift exchange. Saturday will be our first after dark Ice House Fling, instead of just ten houses to be launched we will launch till all houses are shot out on to the ice with the big bungee cord. The prizes that have been donated will be giving away to all that have launched till they are gone. I will have my fling shanty ready and right now I will go out at number twenty right behind my neighbor Chuck who is number nineteen. The first ten houses are all lightweight modern jobs so they should get away from shore far enough that us heavy boys don’t destroy them if we just happen to bump in the night.

Not many rule changes, the usual no drinking till you have launched, you need to stay in your Shanty till the all clear is given. We have added that lights must be added and on so we can see where your house stops. Flares must be onboard. Dan Theim will be loaded in a Alert One if needed and the ATV club will also be on hand. Launching should start at six PM We understand that a big football game will also be going on at the same time as we have arranged to have the speakers at the ice rink aimed at the lake so we can at least get the play by play of the game.

Sunday afternoon we will have Christmas dinner for all the Lodges familles and anyone else who needs a good home cooked meal. I will be there for all of these events but will slip away for awhile to attend the mother in law's get together, This was not my choice but a strong suggestion by my wife. This week I have already attended two Christmas parties involving my grand kids. Now that they are getting older I find myself enjoying them more for some reason. Of course going to them in my wheelchair lets me it in the front row, I just have to suffer a few "Poor guy looks" Chuck who has to sit on a small hard seat just rolls his eyes at me and waves at me not using all of his fingers. A busy weekend here at Lake Iwanttobethere

hoppe56307 · December 21, 2017

Love the last line, only a true friend would give you a wave like that.

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