Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

Bobby Bass · January 23, 2012

We stood facing each other in the boat not saying much, the pond was quiet except for the piped in croaking of some frogs and maybe the hoot of an owl but it was hard to tell. "I thought you said it was a sunrise, not sunset fishing?" Chuck mumbled something about telling the lab coat guy we liked fishing at sunset. Chuck came down off the back deck and sat down behind the steering wheel. I could hear him flicking switches on the console and after a few clicks we had some interior lights. Not real bright but they gave off enough light that Chuck starting going through the tackle box under the seat looking for a replacement spinner to tie on. Chuck looked up at me and said "What? We might as well fish as long as we are here" Nodding I turned away and flinged the top water lure out into the darkness. It hit the plywood wall with a bang and I heard a splash as it fell into the water, just like night fishing off the dam at Lake Iwanttobethere.

I tossed the lure out a half dozen times and worked it back slow, Chuck joined in and I could hear the splash of his lure when it hit the water and we both waited for another hit. None came but I did get the trolling motor back running. I heard a few beeps coming from the motor and it reminded me of mine. I pulled the motor up out of the water and in the dim light I saw that there was fishing line wrapped around the prop. I located a pliers and a few minutes later I had the prop cleared and we were moving again. I didn't find Chuck's lure but I pretty much blamed him for getting his line wrapped around the prop. Of course I was trying to figure out how his line got wrapped around the trolling motor in the front of the boat but I would figure that out later. In the quiet of the make believe night we heard another beep and the graph was on! Chuck climbed down from the deck to sit behind the graph and started hitting buttons.

"Well will you look at that" Chuck called out. I stepped off the front deck to look down at the graph. As I watched the graph drew a boat on the bottom of the pond and it said it was at twenty-two feet. "A sunken boat" Chuck said and I replied with" Twenty-two feet! too deep for top water" Chuck continue to click buttons and adjusted the graph, soon he had the shallow and deep alarm set along with the fish alarm and was trying to figure out the side imaging. I found a diving plug in the tackle box and returned to the front deck. After a while even the frogs stopped croaking and it got pretty quiet on the pond. We passed over the sunken boat again but Chuck was thinking it might be a different boat. Hard to tell as since the pond was round and it was dark and we had no way of telling how many times we had gone around it.

Neither one of us wear a watch and we lost track of time, no bites, no splashes and we started thinking maybe we should have brought some samwiches. I let Chuck talk me in to running the trolling motor and we traded places. I sat in the driver's seat and let the rod hang over the side with the diving plug working in our wake. I watched the graph for anything and saw nothing. A little shiver caught me by surprise and I looked up to see fog on the water. I was seeing fog but how was that happening, I then noticed that it was a little brighter out, at least on one end of the pond, I am thinking we were going to get a sunrise. I blinked a few times and pulled my glasses off to wipe them, sure enough there was some moisture on them. I called out Chucks name and pointed towards the light, Chuck followed my finger and turned the boat towards the fog bank. I heard Chuck say "Just in time for the morning bite" and that is when the fish alarm went off for the first time that night. {565,331}

Bobby Bass · January 25, 2012

With the light growing brighter we crept into the fog bank, Chuck stepped down from the front platform and we exchanged places. As we past each other Chuck made a comment about he was not going to be the one that ran the boat into the wall or that reinforced dock. Come to think of it we had not seen that dock at all, I headed out farther from where I thought the shoreline was, just to be safe. Both of us had played with the graph trying to get the side imaging to display but we just figured it was just not working. Would be a nice thing to have with this fog and maybe even help us find some fish. I was back fishing with my top water bait, even if it was deep this was a good time to be working the surface. I could not see the lure but I could hear it sputtering through the water.

My belly was doing a little rumbling and I was thinking twice about not having brought my brown paper bag lunch, I didn't even have a stick of gum on me. I heard some smacking behind me and turn to see Chuck working some chew. "Where did ya get the chew from?" I asked. He kind of gave me a grin and open his mouth wide for me to see, no chew but he had one of them white Gulp trailers in his mouth. " Aww Geeze, you is eating the bait!" Nope, just soften it up some, the grape ones are kind of tasty" and with that he turns back to launch a cast out towards the plywood wall where it hit with a smack before landing in the water.

After awhile the fog seem to lift some and now we could see where our casts were landing, if we moved back closer to shore it got thicker. I was thinking it must be the way the lab coat guy had planned it. If ya can't see the shore then you can't see the plywood wall and the fake scenery. I launched a cast deep into the fog towards the shore and felt a thump, First thing I felt all night, or was it day? Anyway, I set the hook hard and just for good measure I set it again. Chuck watching me commented with "You crossed his eyes with that one" and I waiting for the answering tug on the line, nothing, I tugged again and lifted the rod high over my head, Dang snag! I turn the boat towards the snag and followed my line right to the dock where the lure was buried in the back of Chucks winter coat. Someone had set a cooler on top of the coat and the lure was not going anywhere. We eased up next to the dock and Chuck grabbed the cooler and I grabbed his coat. I used the small blade on my handy dandy universal tool and belt knife to cut the lure free. " Look what at what ya did to my coat" Chuck said . "What, you can't tell it apart from any of the other hook holes in your coat" I said as I held the coat up for him to inspect before tossing it back on the dock.

Chuck pushed the boat away from the dock and looked at me, "What? We got food, no reason to stop fishing" I nodded in agreement and watched as Chuck open the lid of the cooler and we both peered inside. Salmon eggs? What we suppose to do with salmon eggs. "Chuck did the lab guy say there were bass in this here pond" I asked. " Well I just figured it was bass since he sent us that there letter to the Lodge, your not thinking there is salmon here and we is fishing it all wrong" Chuck said as he pulled the eggs out and kept digging deeper into the cooler." I shook my head and pulled the cooler closer to me and started looking at what was under the cloth towel that was under the container of salmon eggs. Chuck said " See if there are any crackers for that there caviar "No crackers but there is two cans of them little Vienna sausages you like so much and a slurpie from the Gas-N-Go" how would they know to pack that stuff" I asked. Chuck popped the lid off the first can and used his fingers to dig out one of the sausages, Tossing the sausage in his mouth he then took a long slurp from the slurpie, " I might have mentioned it when I was giving the lab coat his forms back " he said. I was going to say something but then I saw the bottle of Hamms and the bag of pretzels. " So Chuck should we go left or right" from somewhere close to Lake Iwanttobethere {567,787}

Bobby Bass · January 27, 2012

Chuck looking up at the glowing light overhead said how about we go right and taking his can of sausages and his slurpie stepped up onto the rear casting platform. Using the remote control for the trolling motor I pointed us down the shoreline and munched on a few pretzels as I sat behind the steering wheel that was connected to nothing. Kind of hard to steer without a rudder and I told Chuck to look at the transom and see what was hanging back there. Chuck sat his slurpie down and getting on his hands and knees reached over the back to pull up a camera of sorts. " Guess we have someone watching us fishing" he said and he released the camera to splash back behind the boat.

Sipping on my Hamms I got an idea and I pulled the fish eggs out of the cooler. Taking the lid off I sat a container on the console and as I ate the pretzels I would sprinkle a few eggs into our wake. Chuck seeing me changed his spinner out for a bare hook and threaded some of the eggs onto the hook. The hook was then dragged in the wake of the boat and Chuck went back to eating his sausages with the rod jammed between his legs and the seat. We fished this way for a while and I was on my third Hamms when I tossed some pretzels in the water and fish eggs in my mouth. Lucky for me there was enough beer to wash the eggs down.

I moved back up to the front casting seat and made a few halfhearted casts towards the shore. Chuck and I chatted some and the talk ran to the thought that we might just end up getting skunked! We then of course decided that this fishing trip would not count as bass season is closed so then we can't get skunked. We were thinking that maybe we would not say anything to anyone back at the Lodge but maybe we would pass the letter on to Elmer and Marv and let the two old geezers have a crack at this fishing or lack of fishing hole. Bout then in a pause in our conversation my nose started twitching, I was thinking maybe fish as I have been told I can smell fish. But it was something else, I looked back at Chuck and made a comment about the foul odor in the air. Chuck turned away with a grin on his face and I knew right away it was him. He was passing gas like he was Chili judge working his third day of competition.

I was looking to pull my tee shirt covered in beer, pretzels and fish eggs up over my nose when I saw Chuck's rod tip twitch and make a slow decent towards the surface of the water. Chuck was standing up like he was making a money pool shot on the Lodge's table trying to hold the rod tip up. Then the first sound of the drag, music to my ears as the line started to sing as it left the reel and raced through the guides. Chuck was grunting and I stopped the trolling motor and let us glide through the calm waters. Trouble is the line was going straight under the boat and heading for the bow. Chuck was dragging his thumb on the spool but it was not slowing it down. A little puff of smoke came up and Chuck jerked his thumb off the reel. I quickly came off the front deck to assist moving across the lower deck stepping over the cooler I arrived in time to pour a few precious drops of my Hamms on to the spool to cool it.

With the spool slowing Chuck tighten the drag down till it would tighten no more and stuck the rod off to the side, the line slipped out from under the boat and leaped skyward. Chuck hopped down to the bottom deck and almost made it to the front deck before stepping in the cooler and slipping on the last container of fish eggs. Landing face first and just missing hitting the front seat the rod fell to the deck and went over the side. We both just looked at the bow and the missing rod. Chuck crawling on his hands and knees leaned over the bow and shouted " Hit the trolling motor hit it" I looked at him and watched as he lifted the trolling motor up on to the deck and I saw the line wrapped around the prop. I started the trolling motor and we watched as the line started to wrap around the prop and tighten. The boat however started to move forward and we both looked at each other, " Ye Haw" yelled Chuck. " Fish on, fish on!" To be continued from Lake Iwanttobethere. {570,576}

Bobby Bass · January 29, 2012

Now keep in mind here I might have had a few beers when Chuck finally hooked up with that monster. I have been telling and retelling the story to any Lodge member who would listen and if they bought me a beer I would embellish it just a tad. To put you in the boat with Chuck and I you need think of one of them there theme park water rides. A choppy sea, water spray coming over the bow and the real threat of sinking. Now add something big on the end of a line that you can't see. The boat being pulled wildly from side to side and the slight problem that you don't have a motor. Did I mention that I had a few beers on a stomach that just had pretzels and some old fish eggs?

I stood on the deck below the front casting platform, one hand holding the steering wheel to steady myself and the other holding onto the remote that controlled the bow trolling motor. As I retell the story I like to think that I looked like a harpooner in the bow of an old whaler. Water spray dripping through my beard and steely eyes locked ahead waiting for the great fish to surface and do battle on top. My first mate Chuck was prone on the front deck, hands locked in a death grip around the prop of the trolling motor, the braided line tight around the blades. Chuck fighting to gain a few inches only to lose a foot back. Water dripping from his forehead into his eyes and the grease of the small Vienna sausages mixing with the water to make his chin look like a rainbow. Fishing at it's finest, hand to fin so to speak. Just us and the water and the fish ahead of us sounding deep and turning the boat and us back in the direction we had just come from.

"Hold her steady Chuck, Hold her steady" I urged my first mate on with encouragement. " Aye Captain, I have her" he replied. His hands were tightly wrapped around the blades of the prop and he was turning the prop like he was turning the wheel of big oil rig shutoff valve. We turned sharply to port, my grip on the wheel all that was keeping me upright and standing. The turn was so abrupt that Chucks legs slid over the side of the boat in to the white cap of a passing wave. Not knowing what was at the end of the line or how close it was made Chuck pull his legs back into the boat before they even got wet. On a new course now with the waves at our back Chuck was quickly gaining line on what ever was down below.

I took a sip from my beer and glanced at the faces around the bar looking back at me. I had them now, I just need a big finish for my tale, should I tell them the truth or should I make something up. Stretching out the moment I took another sip of my beer and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. A few of the guys did the same, sharing the moment with me and waiting for the tale to continue. In the quiet of the Lodge the phone rang out, Gus answered it on the second ring "Lake Iwanttobethere Lodge, how may I help you? Sure, just a sec. Bobby, your wife on line one" I held one finger up and got up from the stool, "I'll be right back" with beer in hand I walked around the bar to answer the phone. A few minutes later I was heading back to my office to get my coat and truck keys. "Where are ya going Bobby" Gus shouted out. " I have to get back home I forgot the wife's mother is coming over." I said as I put my arm through a coat sleeve. "What about the story" Big Earl asked, his hands upturned out in front of him.

I finished the story as I was zipping my coat up. "The man made pond had a wave machine and Chuck had hooked into a submersible that had been following us the entire time we were fishing. The guy in the white lab coat had bought a twelve pack of Hamms but only had placed four of the long necks in the cooler, the other eight he drank as he watched us and thought he would have some fun with us. He did say there was a fish in the pond, a big one but no one had ever caught it. He told us we could return any time and try again but we thought we would just stick to fishing the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere" {572,362}

Mr.Perch · January 31, 2012

Thank you Bobby Bass for the news i read every chance i get and dream of moving back north someday.

Bobby Bass · February 1, 2012

February 1st and there is a growing ground swell of support for Spring. I am going to go out on a limb here and predict that we are going to have a very mld winter. Just this morning I saw several of the county buses and they did not have their plows attached. Even the county is thinking the worst part of a warm winter has gone by. Frank the plow driver is spending more time fishing then plowing and he says his over time is way down. We have received three days of snow here at the Lake Iwanttobethere in the last week and the grand total might be four inches. Monday we had a Lodge meeting as it was the fifth Monday of the month and Tuesday being the fifth Tuesday of the month we held the Town Hall meeting.

Lodge meeting was held in the big meeting room as for some reason there were a number of members on hand. I am thinking that with the weather there might just be the beginning of a little trace of cabin fever in the air. We quickly went through past minutes and some discussion was held in regards to the Spring drive for new members. Everyone was reminded about the Lake Iwanttobethere web site and asked to pass that information on. Talk then turned to Reed the Realtor who was offering, for a small fee, to drive his bio-disel bus down to the big city for the boat show in two weeks. Depending on the size of the members and weight restrictions a fair number of members will be making the trip down. On a side note after the meeting several members broke away from the main group to hold a conversation about bring some of them little Gulp lures to fish the trout tank with. These were of course going to be in addition to the cheese and corn they had been sneaking in for years.

Our next Lodge meeting will not be until April which will work out just fine with the opening of fishing season. However we will be having a very special February meeting to be held on the 29th our every four year Leap year officer election night. Already some campaigning is going on as Big Earl is passing out some old Halloween candy and offering raffle tickets on some fruit cakes. No one is buying any of the raffle tickets so Big Earl started just stuffing them in guy's shirts. Town Hall meeting was held last night, which is pretty much just like the Lodge meeting only the women are on hand and the food is a lot better. A big push by the ladies auxiliary to add another street light and a second park bench to the one of each we already have. Town Hall meetings here are I have been told much different that what is held in the big city. What we normally do is get a list of all the new laws that the big city has passed in the last few months, read them and then reject them. This saved everyone in town a dollar on their power bill as the big city now charges a fee for their street lights, here at Lake Iwanttobethere our taxes pay for the street light.

Today is a birthday day at the cabin as the #1 granddaughter turns ten and Duncan the lab turns one. The granddaughter is OK with sharing her birthday as long as she does not get a hamburger cake with a dog bone in it. Later today I will be making a trip down to see Vicki at the Masterbaiters Bait shop to pick up some fishing tackle for the granddaughters tackle box. Never can go wrong or have enough fishing tackle. As mentioned earlier the boat show is coming up and I even have a reason to go this year. Going to upgrade the fish finder in the Puddle Humper. Think I used up all the fish in the one I have and if I get a new one I can find some new fish. A new reel is also on the list and maybe a rod. I need a new reel and I should just replace it but sometimes, well most of the time when you buy a new reel you just have to buy a new rod to go along with it, I always tell the wife they come as a balanced set. At the Lodge meeting I did get cornered by a few of the guys who said they heard a rumor about my fish story, something about I didn't really tell what happen at the end. If I get a chance maybe I will let you in on the meanmouth bass that I caught, from Lake Iwanttobethere {574,694}

Mr. Perch we always have a stool open for family at the Lodge, Bobby

Bobby Bass · February 3, 2012

I was sitting at my desk in the den today working on a reel that I was having some problems with last fall. I gave it a good cleaning and oiling and the problem remained so I figured it was time to replace it. As I was cleaning the reel my mind got to wandering, which I am told by the wife is never a good thing. So I came up with this idea for a fishing challenge and as it rattled around in my mind some I called my neighbor Chuck and threw it out for him to take a few smacks at it. The idea for the challenge will be for me to go fish thirty days in a row starting June 1st and ending at the end of the month. The idea was a little crazy I admit and Chuck pointed out several obstacles to it. Weather came to mind and the never ending Honey-Do-list not to mention the wife herself. I told Chuck I already had that covered by explaining to the wife that if I could fish the entire month of June there would be a very good chance that I would not want to see the inside of the Puddle Humper all of the month of July.

July would then be my work around the cabin month and I would then be ready to ease myself through August before hitting the water hard again for fall. As if fishing thirty days in a row would not be hard enough Chuck offered a few other things to the mix. It should be thrifty days on thirty different lakes and I should set a goal for how many fish I would haul over the side of the Puddle Humper. Now fishing thirty days was easy when I was a kid but thirty days at my age might be a little more of a challenge. I figure if I don't try it this year it may be harder next year. I got off the phone with Chuck and called Elmer, told him my plan for the challenge and he told me to pencil him in for two days of fishing. The youngest daughter gave me a thumbs up for fishing said she would fish with me on her birthday and also on mine so I have four days covered. I called Chuck back and he said he was good for three more days and my buddy Gerry called said he heard about the challenge and he would like to fish a couple of days also.

I told the wife that I already have a third of the days covered so now I almost have to go fishing, otherwise I would be disappointing a lot of people. Wife kind of rolled her eyes at me and said something about a lot of work better get done in July and I might be working into August. I was supposed to be working on the Honey Do List today but now I was sidetracked with the lake map book. I was looking for thirty lakes and checking back on when I last fished them and how I did. Going to be a lot of planning, making sure I can be on the right water at the right time. I went to the Lodge and guys had already heard of my plan to fish the thirty days. I didn't have to say a thing as guys came over and offered suggestions on what lakes I should fish and how I should pick them. Throwing all the names in a hat and drawing them one by one was brought up or throwing darts at the county map and fishing the closet lake to the dart. Maybe the Lodge should have a contest to pick the lakes for me. Somehow this was getting out of hand as it was me who was going to be doing all the fishing and all the driving.

Marv said maybe I should look into having some kind of a support team, like Reed in the Bio-disel RV. He could follow me from lake to lake and carry extra trolling motor batteries and bait and such. Maybe even a keg of Hamms on ice for the support crew as they could wait at the landing for my return. Big Earl said he would give me a supply of Kit Kats if I would wear his General Store Logo on my shirt. I told him I would think about it as the group of guys moved off to a table by the fireplace to continue the planning of what was now their challenge for me. I could hear them laughing from time to time and pointing in my direction. Never a good sign when they are planning something but not going to be doing it themselves. First week of February and it is a long ways till the fishing opener, from Lake Iwanttobethere {576,137}

Bobby Bass · February 6, 2012

I hope I don't see another hot wing for at least a day. Of course last night the Lodge hosted our version of a super bowl party and Gus out did himself with a never ending supply of hot wings and dips. A safety in the first few minutes of the game sent everyone to scratching their heads as they tried to figure out combinations of scoring that would get them the right numbers to win. I was out of it till the final touchdown and the missed two point conversion. Suddenly all I needed was a last minute touchdown and I would win the pool, of course it didn't happen. The TV was showered in a rain of chicken wings, eaten of course and football season had come to an end. Gus passed out brooms and dustpans and the TV area was cleaned up and we quickly drank up the winnings of Reed who by some lucky chance had won the football pool and had offered to buy a round for the Lodge.

I retreated to my office where I sat back in my office chair and eyed the newly cleaned white board. Down one side I have thirty-four lakes in blue dry marker with a few of them followed by a red question mark. I have started the list of lakes for my fishing challenge, I need twenty-nine lakes besides Lake Iwanttobethere to fish on. Another column has a few guys from the Lodge who are willing to fish with me. Some of the lakes are little gems that are out of the way and difficult to get into by myself, I will need a partner for them. So I need to match up lakes with fishermen and then days and dates. There are five Fridays and Saturdays in June so I will need to find lakes for those dates that are off the beaten path and not too popular. Otherwise the rest of the dates should let me fish out of quiet landings, I also need a few small lakes for rain days.

On the other side of the white board is my do list, not the same list that is at home, this is my fishing do list. New boat license for the Puddle Humper already been checked off. I ordered a new reel Saturday, that should be delivered to the Lodge next week. Wife don't need to know that I spent a hundred and seventy-five dollars on a reel and still have to put line on it. Not to mention that I am thinking I should match up a new rod with it. But if a guy is going to fish thirty days in a row he has to have a good rod and reel to go along with the ten other ones in the boat. Oil change for the Tahoe and maybe some new tires, for sure I have to replace the tires on the Puddle Humper trailer and wheel bearings are also on the list. Another trolling motor battery has a ? mark behind it as I am thinking about that. Wondering if I should just order a case of beef jerky from our vendor here at the Lodge and a box of cigars from Marv at the smoke shop is printed in bold.

Gus came into the office and took a picture of the while board with his camera phone. Within a few minute's members of the Lodge all had copies of the lake list and I can't walk around the Lodge without getting questions about my choices. I am going to have to make a second secret secret list of the lakes that make the final cut and when I plan on fishing them. A group of guys, known around town as the Fellows have offered to be my support group. They are of course in need of a few items like a support vehicle and I don't really know if they are going to support me or cheer me. I was thinking more along the lines like NASCAR tires, gas, batteries fishing stuff. These guys are thinking more along the line of beer, BBQ and air horns when I launch. I add Decoy boat on to the white board under Needs.

Duncan lays at my feet sleeping, he sure does sleep a lot. His birthday day was on Wednesday and it is as if there was a switch pulled. He has stopped following the wife around the cabin and is now at my side all the time. The wife says it was because he chewed up a roll of toilet paper and got caught and yelled at. I think it might have something to do with him discovering his new favorite cookie that I slipped him, Chocolate Chip. Either way as long as he stays around me I can keep an eye on him, from Lake Iwanttobethere {577,893}

Bobby Bass · February 9, 2012

Sunshine has returned to Lake Iwanttobethere and not just for a few hours but all day everyday for the past few days. I have taken to hiding out in the greenhouse and doing some reading. I hauled one of the deck chairs and an old milk crate to prop my feet on inside and cleared out a space to set them up. I have a glass of lemonade and a coffee can for my cigar ashes close at hand so I can relax. Been pretty nice with it being around eighty in there and I am working on getting my vitamin D and maybe even a little color so I don't look like I am Minnesota farmer in the dead of winter. I chuckle as I sip on my lemonade at the gals who have to pay to slip into those tanning booths down at the little mini mall.

Pretty quiet otherwise around town, busiest place might be Reed the Realtor office since it is tax season and he does taxes. I used to volunteer down at the City Hall and help out some but now we got a real CPA who has retired and moved to the lake. Nice enough guy and from time to time we would chat at the Lodge some about taxes and fishing. Didn't take long to figure out he knew more about taxes and I knew more about fishing. Matter of fact I have been thinking I will let him do the Lodges taxes, would sure free up some time for me to just sit in the greenhouse and work on my tan.

Reed's Bio-disel RV is full for the trip down to the big city for the boat show. Matter of fact the Fellows are now working on their drop down shanty. They are going to hook up to the RV and sell some tickets to ride in style as they put it in their shanty to the boat show. It is a pretty good size shanty and it never sees the ice, more like a trailer that just had some rotten spots in the floor reframed to look like fishing holes. They are offering stand up, sit down and lie down tickets the last I heard. Later in the week my new fishing reel should be arriving at the Lodge and I want to be on hand. Already taking some grief from the guys on spending so much money on a reel but we will see. I am thinking that I will need to buy a new rod for it and I have spent some time down at the Masterbaiters shop with Vicki looking over her inventory. If I find something at the boat show that I like I will come back to Vicki and have her order it for me. I can always work it off down there and she will give me a lifetime warranty. Of course Elmer says that our age it is a win win for her on that deal.

Duncan and I have started to take walks together and he is on a leash. He is doing very well on it and I have to keep looking down to see if he is on it from time to time. Most of the time he is carrying the leash in his mouth so I am thinking in a month or so I will just hook up the leash to his collar and let him walk himself. I'll just take him down to the end of the drive and tell him to walk himself down to Harvey's cabin and then come back. This way the wife will see me head down the drive every evening with him and I don't have to go any farther then the road. I have tried getting Bud and Barney to take walks but as soon as they see the leash come out they roll over on the floor and face the other direction. Of course they get enough exercise as it is during the day being pestered by Duncan.

We have not decide yet if Duncan is going to be a hunting dog like Bud or a fishermen like Barney. He does seem to attract a lot of attention from the ladies though and I get stopped a lot from gals wanted to pet the "cute puppy" If I was thirty or forty years younger we would make a fine pair trolling for female tourists down by the lake in summer but now at my age am just the guy holding the leash. From Lake Iwanttobethere {581,527}

Bobby Bass · February 11, 2012

I bought Mark the mailman a Hamms at the Lodge last night, he looked like he could really use it. That time of the year when the catalogs start coming and Friday was my first day of going down to the box and finding it jammed with mail. A couple of seed catalogs and four Spring fishing catalogs including a few master fishing catalogs which are now stacked close at hand on the stand in the bathroom. Since I am in the market for a new depth finder for the Puddle Humper the catalogs will be cross referenced and scrutinized for the best possible deal.

At the Lodge the wood sign is hanging up by the back door reminding members to carry a stick of firewood in when they enter. Very little snow on the ground but it has been cold and sunny the past few days. We have a fire going in the fireplace and most of the morning crowd is sitting on that side of the Lodges main room or at tables where the sunshine is pouring through the glass of the over sized deck windows. As I write this Duncan is lying at my feet, resting from chasing the cats at the cabin this morning. The wife not being too subtle at all suggested, well strongly suggested that both of us should get out of the cabin. Might have been Duncan chasing the cats, and me having lake maps spread out across the kitchen table. Normally not a problem but the cats ran across the maps on the table taking out the sugar bowl and knocking it and several maps on to the floor. The sugar spread across the floor making traction for Duncan less then favorable and he lost his footing sliding across the floor to take out the garbage can which was filled with apple peels from the pies that the wife was working on.

Duncan sidetracked from the cats saw the tipped over trash can as something that should be investigated and stuck his head in. Wife yelled at Duncan who backed out with apple peels hanging from his ears and that "Not my fault look on his face" A few of my lake maps had cat footprints on them as one of the cats stepped in the butter then onto my maps. As I wiped the maps off I spied Smokey sitting on the desk licking his feet so I think I know who did what. With the garbage can picked up and the sugar swept up I pulled my maps together and put them back in their case. I was going to pour myself a glass of OJ when the wife appeared with the leash and Duncan sitting at her side tail wagging from side to side, he thought he was going for a walk.

I guess he was right as the wife closed the door behind the two of us. We got into the Tahoe and headed into town, Duncan sitting in one of the grand kid's car seats as he likes to sit up high so he can see better. First stop was the bank, didn't have any banking to do but Duncan gets a free dog bone. Second stop was Marv's Book and Smoke Shop, another free bone from Marv and I looked over the sports section of the out of town morning paper. Driving by the Gulp-N-Go I see gas went up a nickel and the temperature was five on the digital thermometer. Chicken Shack has a new sign nailed across the front window saying "Look for an early opening "The parking lot is empty of snow and a few crushed paper cups and a pile of dirt sweepings is all there is to see, well that and the faded yellow lines marking off parking spaces.

Mark the mailman drives by in his van, it is sitting low on the springs, no doubt loaded with seed catalogs and fishing wish books. He gives me half a wave and continues on down the road. I arrive at the Lodge and carry a stick of wood in with me, Duncan to his credit drags in another. Gus pats Duncan and gives him a bone. I start thinking to myself I should cut back on Duncan's food as he has everyone conned pretty good with this cute puppy thing he has going on. I sit at my desk typing on my laptop hiding a lake map between the folds of the Lake Iwanttobethere Times. I seem to be getting a lot of attention lately as Lodge members stand in the doorway to say HIYA and try to look to see what lake map I have out. Everyone wants to know where I am going fishing in June, from Lake Iwanttobethere {586.873}

Bobby Bass · February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day, you think someone would have sent me an e-mail. For some reason I thought it was tomorrow, perhaps I got the dates mixed up because the Boat Show in the big city starts tomorrow. That is the date that was sticking out in my mind. I had a late start this morning as I did not sleep well last night. Been doing some hand to hand fighting with a cold that came from out of no where. Last night around three or so I felt a cold nose rubbing up against the back of my neck and before I even rolled over I knew it was Bud wanting to be let outside. Now you older guys know all about having to get up in the dead of night and hit the bathroom. Little harder for the old dog as he has to go outside to do his thing. I pulled the covers back and was surprised to find not one but both of my bedroom slippers on the floor where I last left them. Duncan had not yet taken them to hide.

It looked cold out as I let Bud out the back door and I pulled the robe tight around my waist as I stepped out onto the deck following him. Moon was out and there was enough light to see Bud cross the deck and step out in to the yard. I walked across the deck to the edge to look at the lake and as I stepped across the deck it made a few sharp cracks as my weight pressed down on the cold wood. I will say it is always quiet at night here at the lake but not as quiet as a cold winter's night. No wind, no moth's doing figure eight's around the garage flood lights and no dogs barking in the distance. I can see smoke rising straight out of Elmers chimney. It makes a small cloud over the roof before rising and disappearing. I whisper out to Bud urging him to hurry as the cold is coming up under my robe.

I turn to go back in the cabin and see Duncan is waiting at the door, I open the door and he bursts out onto the deck where he leaps into the yard when he sees Bud. The dog has no neutral, he is all puppy all the time. Bud walks back up on the deck and gives me a look that we both understand. I open the door and he heads inside and Duncan seeing he is alone bounds over the steps and lands sliding on the deck stopping just in time to avoid hitting the open storm door. Bud heads for the bedroom and Duncan to the kitchen, I give Duncan half a biscuit and he carries it off to eat it in his crate in the den. I then follow Bud back to bed, I toss the robe on the chair and step out of my slippers. I ease myself back into the bed quiet like as to not wake the wife. My face is cold and I pull the quilt up under my chin. I feel the wife shift in bed and she rolls over and puts her hand against my cheek. I hold my breath, I'm thinking she is checking to see if I am alive and maybe the cold skin will fool her.

I feel her shift in bed right before she punches me in the ribs with her diamond ring pointed out. "I heard ya get up smartie" she says and with that she rolls back to her side of the bed. I close my eyes and seconds later feel a wet nose on my check. I open one eye and I am looking into Barney's eyes as now it is his turn to go outside. Ten minutes later and I am back in bed after moving Duncan out of my spot.

So I arrive at the Lodge this morning just as several cars are pulling out of the lot, I wave at Tess, Hammering Hanks wife as she is in the front car and I notice that it is filled with ladies from the Auxiliary. I walk in through the back door and I can smell the flowers and then see the decorations. The Lodge has been decorated for the sweetheart dinner which is held every Valentines Day. I guess that is today! Well, I know what I will be doing the rest of the day, searching for a gift and flowers. No matter if the wife says the day is nothing special Coney's and Apple pie is not going to cut it for dinner tonight, from Lake Iwanttobethere {591,579}

Bobby Bass · February 16, 2012

The state trooper was actually a pretty nice guy when he heard us tell him we were on our way to the big city to take in the boat show. All he did was give us a warning about mooning passing cars through the back window of the shanty being pulled by Reed's RV Back on the road again and with fresh air again flowing through the RV it, the air was breathable again. Normally the Bio-disel RV of Reeds is not that bad to ride in but the last batch of fuel came from a few different restaurants and the mix of French fries and garlic exhaust hung heavy in the air. The guys who bought the cheap seats in the shanty were being smoked by the exhaust coming up though the ice holes in the floor.

The last few hours of the road trip went off without any further incidents and we arrived at the gate to the parking lot. The sun had just set and already the lot was half full of cars and pickups and no way were we going to be able to park in the ramp. The lot attendant came up to the RV looking over his clipboard and looking at the RV. Reed hung his head out the side window of the RV looking like a bush pilot, he was wearing his goggles and bomber fur cap. "You guy's exhibitors" the young guy yelled over the sound of the RV idling. Skinny in the back of the RV though he was calling him an exotic dancer and mooned the young guy. Lucky for us the exhaust was thick enough to block the view. Reed thinking fast or maybe trying not to breathe in the fumes nodded his head yes. The attendant pointed to the rear of the arena and told us to park there. High five's around the RV as we just scored on free parking!

Reed parked the RV alongside a tour bus for what must be the night's entertainment at the show tonight. As the guys made their way out of the RV I gave them each a coupon for two dollars off that I had scored on the Internet. Like little kids at the fair they headed for the door in twos and threes and already I could hear Skinny asking if anyone knew where the beer garden was. I made my way back to the shanty and open the door, the hinges creaked some and I made my way in. The cigar smoke was at head height and I had to duck down to see. "Were here boys" I shouted out. Looking like some western the rest of the guys sat around a big empty wood wire spool that they were using as a poker table. Two Dollar coupons were stacked in a pile in the center. Marv said " We will be along as soon as I win my coupon back" and with that I just left the door open and headed towards the boat show.

The night was quiet as I walked with Gerry to the entrance, I did stop and look back at the RV it was making a sizzling sound like fries in a deep fryer, Gerry looking back said it was normal. I shrugged my shoulders and making sure I had my coupon we headed into the show. ( to be continued) from Lake Iwanttobethere {593,412}

Bobby Bass · February 17, 2012

Well the free parking was not such a deal after all, since it was behind the arena and we did not have any exhibitor passes, we could not get in the rear entrance but had to walk around. All the way around to the front and then up a long series of stairs and then down an even longer hall till we could find an open ticket booth to purchase our tickets. I was beginning to think I should have brought my day pack with me because then I would have had some water and jerky inside it. Finally paid our way in and we all agreed to meet back at the RV as soon as the Johnny Cash picker started playing. We separated in to groups of twos and threes and headed out to check out the doings. I had a couple of things I wanted to do, one being find the DNR guy and ask him about them new decals you are supposed to have on your boat and the other was to find the factory rep for a new fish finder I was looking to buy.

Gus and Skinny were walking in front of us and as they passed through the crowd I notice the people were rubbing their noses and kind of sniffing the air like a deer does. As I passed by a lady I overheard her tell her husband she had a sudden craving for garlic French fries. I looked behind Gerry and myself and saw that noses were upturned behind us as we walked. We passed by a display of deer scent products and I took a bottle from the counter and dropped a few drops on Jerry sleeve when he was not looking. The doe urine cover the scent of fries from Reed's RV and we were now free to roam among the crowd.

We went through the RV section pretty quickly, I don't have much of an interest in them. Pop up campers keep getting bigger and spendier. Didn't see a single boat on the display floor that you could go fish bluegills out of, everything was over sized and over priced. Boats sat on trailers so high that I could not see over the sides to look into them. Did see an impressive triple pontoon that was jacked up off the floor so you could walk under it. Was so big that if it was raining out you could hold a summer high school graduation party under it. No motor so I don't have a clue what you would need to push it through the water let alone get it up on plane. Docks are always a crowd pleaser as everyone on the lake has one or two of them and of course even more of the small work tractors were on display. In a variety of colors and sporting different attachments a guy could spend the price of a nice boat and trailer to play in the sand on the beach.

I did find the DNR guy and chatted for awhile, found out they didn't print up enough of the decals and have already had to find a different vendor to print more. They should be showing up at your local bait shop this summer. Fishing graph guy was helpful, showed me all the bells and whistles and I will be going to see Vicki at the Masterbaiter shop to have her order me one before fishing starts. Shook a few hands of some people I only seem to run into at the boat show and they are all getting older. I of course am staying the same age although one guy did ask if I was dyeing my beard gray? I headed for the beer garden as Jerry was offering to buy, right next door was the trout pond and there was the first real sign that things are changing in the world.

Trout fishing in the pond is now three dollars, I guess that is a fair price but now it is all catch and release! Three dollars and you don't get to keep the fish! Sipping on my beer and watching kids try in vain to hook a fish I was trying to do the math on what this guy was making. Was liking selling a hamburger but you couldn't eat it. I was pondering if I should order a second beer or just go into the washroom and return the one I just drank. We decide to move on and check out some of the resorts that had booths, from Lake Iwanttobethere {594,201}

Bobby Bass · February 20, 2012

As always when I walk down the aisle where the resorts have their booths I try and keep to the center. On this night the crowd was kind of sparse and it was hard not to make eye contact with resort owners trying to make bookings. As hard as I tried I ended up wandering toward the side and got caught up in entering drawings that I knew I was not going to win but would now find my name on some mailing list. Gerry seeing what was happening managed to pull me off to the side where the center stage was and we were now safe for awhile. We watched as patrons were being sucked down through between the booths, reminded me a lot of like going around rocks in a river rapids after losing your paddle.

Standing in the shadow of the metal and wood stage it brought back memories of a past sport show many many years ago. Back when they were really outdoor sport shows. There was always was a big pool of water and the sound of short whistle blasting in the air as retrievers were shown off jumping from a dock and chasing down dummies tossed in the water. There would be some world record holding fly caster that would shoot his fly line across the length of the arena to splat against the far wall. Colored balloons would be released and some other fancy rod guy would pop them out of the air with his baitcaster. Chain saws would start up and it would sound like you was in one of them monster truck rallies. Wood chips would fly and young guys with spikes would run up tree trunks to ring a bell before free falling to what always looked like a very thin pad and a deep pile of saw dust on the arena floor.

From the stands you would watch with frozen snow cones that didn't cost more than a dollar and the beer was always cold and the hot dogs were cooked. Log rollers would then perform and sometimes there might be a few gals in bathing suits splashing water and getting wet. A ventriloquist would perform but from across the arena floor you could not tell if he was any good or not. Some singer in the twilight of his or her career would end the show with a few old songs that you might have heard and you felt like you got your moneys worth, especially if there was bear wrestling involved. I shook a little as I remember the bear wrestling, I was of course a lot dumber then I am now and when we walked by the cage on the main floor that night and saw that bear in there and then the table with the sign up sheet, well....

About that time in my life I had been in a few bar fights but I had never been in a bear fight and it did not take much to coax me in to signing up for a round. It might have been that cold beer or the fact that Skinny said he had fought that bear the previous year and won! We were told to come back right before the stage show started and the trainer would explain the rules to us and make sure to bring back the signed release form, if I had the guts. Seems a lot of guys don't come back after thinking about it some, well that just kind of sounded like a challenge to me. Besides the bear in the cage didn't look all that big to me. Another beer and some cotton candy and I was back early, figure I should scout the bear some, you know get to know it's weakness. I think it's weakness was sleep as it was just dozing in the cage and ignoring everyone and everything around it.

I heard a ring bell go off and this lady was beating it with a hammer, I was thinking she must be the wife of the trainer. The arena lights dimmed and a single spot light was shinning down on the ring. I looked down at the cage on the floor and the bear was still sleeping like a baby. I heard bits and pieces of some introduction about "Now entering the ring, from parts unknown" and I saw the ring bounce. I stepped back for a better view and saw this bear, not the same bear in the cage at my feet but a much much bigger bear! And he had just flipped the trainer over his head to slam him down on to the canvas of the ring. (To be continued) from Lake Iwanttobethere {595,858}

Bobby Bass · February 23, 2012

The trainer rolled over several times and made it out under the bottom rope. He hit the floor and pointed in my direction. The bear who I am beginning to learn has done this many times before now took his eyes off the trainer and stared at me. Skinny slapping me on the shoulder yelled into my ear " This is when the fun starts" I turned around to ask him just what that meant and saw him and the trainer going out the gate in the chain link fence that surrounded the ring.

A second spot light was turned on and it was focused right on me. I know this because I was trying really hard to stay out of the light of the first one. Maybe it was the beer or the rush of the cotton candy was wearing off but I was not feeling so well about then. I should mention that we were not alone, there was a referee in the cage with us. He had a long neck Hamms beer in one hand and another in his back pocket. I didn't know that there was two sign up sheets, one for refereeing and one wrestling. I figured what harm could come to me if I stayed outside of the ring and just circled. The bear standing up on his hind legs pawed at the air and made a few roars, the crowd was yelling and then it happen. The bear stopped and looked right at me and pointed with his paw. The crowd laughed and then the bear did it again. The bear was calling me out!

Ok, so I must admit I was having third thoughts about this bear wrestling. I backed up against the chain length fence and could feel the metal links against my back. The lady with the hammer was standing behind me and I turned to yell for her to open the gate. Instead she smiled at me with a toothless grin and I saw the cattle prod in her other hand. I'm thinking that poor bear, they use a cattle prod on it, no wonder it is a wrestling bear. Then she lit up my backside with the prod and yelled for me to get in there and mix it up some.

I think I jumped three feet straight up and landed on the ring apron. The crowd roared it's approval as none of them saw the blue arc from the cattle prod. I looked to the corner where the referee was hiding, he was sipping on his beer and had a moon pie in his other hand. I don't think he was from around here. I heard another roar from the crowd and was thinking now what when the lights went dim. Not because someone had turned them off but the big ole bear had moved across the ring and had blocked them. I felt a paw as big as a tennis racket slip under my arm and the next thing I saw was the ceiling of the arena and then the wrestling mat come up to greet me. The bear had flipped me over the top rope and into the ring like he was opening the lid of a picnic basket.

I looked up from my backside and saw clouds and stars, the stars seemed to be out of place. One cloud looked like a big brown puffy bear head and I was wondering why I was laying on my back looking at clouds. I heard Skinny's voice yelling above the crowd "Roll, Roll" and so I did, I made a roll to my right just as the big cloud came crashing down where I had just been. The weight of the bear tossed me into the air and I landed, on top of the bear. Being a little woozy and like I said before I had been in a few bar fights I did what anyone would do. I grabbed onto the bears neck and held on. The bear reached up and tried to pull me over his shoulder just like he had done to the trainer but I was dug in deep and scared as hell. No way was I going to let go of the bear so the bear did the next best thing, he stood up.

The crowd roared it's approval as we made a circle of the ring, me holding on like a tick and the beer trying to rub me out along the ropes. The referee stepped out of the ring onto the apron when we came close and as we past I got an idea. I snatched the moon pie from the ref's hand and held it out in front of the bear like a carrot. The nose of the bear was twitching as he could smell the moon pie and we headed towards the edge. I dropped the moon pie over the ring rope and fell of the bears back. The bear went through the ropes to the floor after the moon pie and I yelled at the ref to count him out. The ref looked at me and the bear on the floor and started counting. The crowd picked up the count, six, seven, eight, nine, TEN and the ref pointed and me and yelled "WINNER"

Skinny climbed into the ring and helped me out, the trainer came over and gave me a coupon for winning, it was a dollar off a box of moon pies. With Skinny at my side we walked away from the ring but not before I noticed the trainer's wife give me a little wink and a big toothless smile. From Lake Iwanttobethere {597,929}

Bobby Bass · February 25, 2012

Sunshine Ray was wrong, again. Supposed to be an overcast day with snow on its way but this afternoon finds sunshine pouring through the windows of the Lodge and guys taking in the rays. Lodge is pretty busy for a Saturday but with football season done and counting the hours for fishing to come to an end the Lodge is a place to hang your hat. Lots of houses came off the ice this morning and the town is all but gone from the ice. Fishermen will still be going out but will be chasing crappies and perch and the portables work better for that. Ice Harvest was done last weekend and it was not up to our usual standards. Same amount of work and effort it was just that the harvested ice blocks were not as thick. Ice house is full and the old sawdust was spread along the trail down to the lake.

Something that only happens every four years and that is leap year and an extra Lodge meeting on Wednesday. Election time here at the Lodge and there is very little campaigning going on as guys seem to be satisfied with the officers in place. I think I have cemented my position as the president as I have offered to build a gym in the basement and is open at no charge to members. All I need to do is finish putting up some drywall and install an exhaust fan. I have already located a rowing machine along with a gym pack. The gym pack has ten work out stations on it that you move along in a circle. I have noticed that most of the handles on the gym pack will be good to hold hats and coats on. The rowing machine may get some use as we are going to put a TV in front of it. That may take a little while longer to get working as after we got the TV I noticed I will have to put an outlet in to power it.

Elmer helped me yesterday rough in the dumbwaiter that will travel between the gym and the kitchen. Not very big but it will be able to handle a full size nacho cheese platter and a pitcher of beer. No phone in the gym so we will be honest whenever any member's wife calls and want to talk to their spouses. We will just honestly say they are in the Gym. We did install a keypad to the door leading to the stairs of the basement for security purposes. We figure that when word gets out we have a gym people will try and use it. At least for the first few months of the year when everyone is all hot on their new year's resolutions. Nothing fancy about the keypad, it does have all nine numbers plus zero and an a big button that says OPEN To keep it simple you don't have to punch any of the numbers, just press open. Surprising how many of the members say they can't get in.

Duncan does not have a problem opening the door as he is still in his jumping stage. He is always going down in the basement and a few of the guys have come to the bar and asked if Duncan will let them in the gym. I just call Duncan by name, he runs to the bar and I say Gym, Duncan runs to the door jumps up and hits the open button with his paw and the guys think he knows the code. It's a good thing we don't have a touch pad on the inside of the door as I think a few of the guys would never get back out of the basement.

Time to head back to the cabin, Skinny said he was going to drop off a load of wood for me this afternoon. It might take me a few days to cut it, split it and stack it but at least it will give me something to do. Winter has been so good that I am well stocked with dry wood so there will be no rush. I might just have to stretch it out some so I don't have to mark it off the Honey Do List to soon, from Lake Iwanttobethere {599,634}

Bobby Bass · February 28, 2012

This time they say the storm is going to hit us for sure! They being of course Sunshine Ray and Stormy Clearweather as both of them agree that it looks just right for us here at Lake Iwanttobethere to get twelve inches of snow starting later today. Maybe even another four inches on top of that sometime tomorrow they are forecasting. The town is sure taking it to heart as stores are busy and you might have to drive past a few filled parking spaces to find an open one. I went into town to get a gallon of gas for the snow blower, not that I really needed it but the last gallon of gas I bought for it was months ago and I think I only paid three dollars for it. Figure I should at least buy some fresh gas and so I dumped the gallon of old gas into the Dodge and headed down to the Gas-N-Go to fill up the little red can.

Place was pretty busy with a couple of guys filling up their pickups and kicking at the plows mounted on front. A few of the county guys were inside filling up their two quart coffee mugs and talking about what they were going to do with the overtime money that they were about to earn. I filled the gas can and went inside to pay. Even had to wait in line behind the Hestor sisters as they were out for their afternoon ride and were complaining to the young clerk about having to wait to get gas for the old Chrysler. With the gas paid for and a Kit Kat in hand I headed into town. First thing I noticed was a couple of snowmobiles on a trailer and a brand new snow thrower sitting out front of Earl's General Store. The snow thrower had a little yellow tag hanging from the handle and I am sure that it said "Last One"

Earl was standing just outside the door, red apron on and broom in hand. As is his custom he opens the door for everyone heading in and thanked everyone when they came out. Just inside the door a pallet of gallon water jugs was being picked over and a display of candles and flashlight batteries had been moved to the counter where the old crank cash register rested. Nothing like the threat of a good winter storm to get people to stock up. I always scratched my head at the brisk sales of bottled water since just about everyone here at the lake has a well. Junior gave me a wave with one hand as he was carrying a mess of snow shovels with the other.

From the sidewalk in front of Earl's you could hear the bell over the door at Ma and Pa's grocery store. It jingled away as the regulars and others made their way in and out to pick up milk and eggs and of course bread and some thick sliced lunch meat from Pa's meat counter. Liquor store was busy as well as Del's Pizza and Sub shop. Even the Harvest House was busy as people were loading up on Chinese food. I guess when a storm comes no one wants to cook but everyone wants to get carry out. I didn't even stop at the Lodge as I had the day off but I will have to come into town tomorrow for the Lodge elections. I can already see if we do get any kind of snow fall at all it will become known at the Leap year Blizzard!

I got back to the cabin and thought I would haul a few extra sticks of wood down from the pile, Duncan helped me out some dragging a bigger piece of Maple down that he was fighting the entire way. With the wood box full I checked the fridge and saw I had ten long neck bottles of Hamms nice and cold and the shelf above the fridge had a half a bottle of Wild Turkey. Four cigars in the glass jar in the den and I figured I was as ready as I would need to be, for the Blizzard of 2000 and twelve, from Lake Iwanttobethere. {601,226}

Bobby Bass · March 3, 2012

They got it right and we got our self's a nice spring blizzard! My feeling is if you are going to get yourself a blizzard it should be in the Spring rather in the dead of winter. Cleaning up deep snow is no fun when it is below zero and everything has frozen. Cleanup continues around the lake here on Friday but it is in the low forties and water is dripping from the melting snow on the cabin roof. If some sun would make an appearance then we would really have a melt going on. As it is this way may be the best, just a nice melt so there is not a lot of run off but just a good soaker. Here at the cabin we got about nine inches of wet heart attack snow. The kind of snow that old men hate but young kids love. Too heavy to shovel but perfect for rolling huge snowballs. Grand kids starting to roll a big snowball here but they were picking up to much used dog food and decided to go elsewhere.

That first paragraph was written yesterday and then I got sidetracked with a phone call about a broken down snow thrower of a neighbors. I loaded up my blower in the Dodge and spent the afternoon over there in the garage trying to get his running. We ended up with him using my blower as I sat in his garage lazy boy and watched. He said that was a little unusual as most of the time when he is working his wife is the one sitting in the chair watching. Since I was halfway to the Lodge already I headed in that direction after the snow thrower was loaded back in the Dodge. I made a stop at the Gas-N-Go and filled the gas can and went inside to pay. I figured I should be rewarded for my work and bought a banana flip that was sitting on the counter. As I paid for the gas I made a comment that I thought they had quit making Banana Flips like five years ago. The clerk said he was not sure about that but had found a box of the flips in the store room when they were looking for something to do during the blizzard.

I got in the Dodge and tossed the flip up on the dash, was having second thoughts about eating it. Lucky for me I had also bought a couple of the Lake Iwanttobethere special order Moon Pies that the Gulp-N-Go stocks. I continued my way on down to the Lodge taking the road that runs around the lake. I spotted Skinny and Hammering Hank coming back up the access road from the grassy point. As I got farther around the lake I saw that they had hauled out the tractor for the Dunk the Junk Ice Out Contest. Every year we haul a tractor out on the ice and people throw money in a jar down at the General Store. Who ever gets the best guess at when the tractor breaks through the ice wins the jar. A lot of towns do the same thing with cars and trucks, matter of fact we once did it with a mobile home but that did not work to well as the house just floated away. Them pollution control people were none too happy about that, nor were the squatters that had taken up to calling the home, well home.

So now I am back finishing up yesterdays story and waiting for it to stop snowing. Yes, it is snowing again here at Lake Iwanttobethere, imagine that. Of course there was not much of a chance that Sunshine Ray was going to get his forecast right two times in a row as he was calling for two inches of snow to fall. Right now as I look out at the deck railing there is about seven fluffy inches of snow and big flakes are still falling. Am thinking it was a good idea to fill the gas can but maybe not such a good idea thinking I was done using the snow thrower. Normally when we get to March we just let it sit, the snow that is, and let mother nature clean up after herself. Since we have had no snow almost the entire winter moving snow is still in the fun stage and when it stops I will go out and play in it some. At least it is the fluffy stuff, much better than that heart attack stuff. Besides it is much better than sitting watching and waiting for the tractor to sink in the bay, from Lake Iwanttobethere. {605,801}

Bobby Bass · March 4, 2012

I am missing a few things. I was busy working with the snow thrower cleaning up the snow from the Leap Year Blizzard. It was warm out and I took off my gloves and hat and set them down and forgot to pick them up when I was finished. Now yesterday we got that extra snowfall which ended up to be another twelve inches of snow. I can't find my hat or gloves and I am also missing a shovel. I know they are out in the yard somewhere and when the melt starts I will find them, right where I left them. Been pretty spoiled this winter as a lot of things were left out late into the fall and I could still get my hands on them. Now with just about two feet of snow covering everything we are back to looking like winter should look like this time of the year.

The tractor for the Dunk the Junk contest out off Grassy Point is just a big bump of snow, the tractor got buried pretty good. There is a temporary suspension of the no motors on the weekend law as the sound of snow throwers can be hear echoing around the lake. Also some chain saws can be heard as the high winds did drop a few trees. I went around the yard some today picking up down branches and dropping them off in the general area where the fire pit is. The fire pit of course is buried and even the sitting logs are just bumps in the snow. A couple of illegal aliens from Canada were around yesterday afternoon. They were looking for snow shoveling jobs but I was pretty much already all caught up.

At the Lodge last night there were some happy steelhead fishermen as they stood in front of the fire discussing what this snow means. With the snow now comes the promise of a spring run off and there will be some water in Mystery Creek. Farmers are also happy as there will be some moisture in the ground for spring planting as them guys are already thinking about that. Come to think of it everyone has some smiles on their faces around town. Gas-N-Go has been very busy with locals coming in to fuel up and the plow drivers are happy as now they can get some paid four wheeling time in. Cross country skiers are out following the trail around the lake and you have to slow down at the snowmobile crossing as there are some sleds out now. Big Earl at the General store was seen standing outside the front door of his store wearing snow shoes. Of course they had the little yellow tag on them saying they were the last ones for sale.

Not surprising with the lack of snow through most of the winter when the big snow came there was no shortage of sleds at the General Store. Big Earl was happy as the snowfall put a big dent in his inventory of sleds, shovels and boots. Of course everyone who came in to shop was happy as they were all marked down for clearance and Earl is happy because he now does not have to store them over the summer. Matter of fact Earl was even bragging at the Sunshine Cafe that he even sold a few of the fruit cakes he always seems to have on hand and all his Valentine candy is now gone to.

Lodge did some good business also as the front end loader we had parked here was put to good use. Skinny cleaned the parking lot off and dumped the snow at the edge of the hill in one big pile. The heavy wet snow made for a good base and it did not take long for a few of the local kids to grab their toboggans and a run was made. Add the newly fallen powered snow to the run and the Luge was in business, it did not make it all the way to the lake but a sweeping turn took you into the softball field. Old McDonnell came down with his sleigh and today the park is a pretty popular place. You take the Luge down, get a sleigh ride back to the top of the hill and you can come into the Lodge to warm up and have a bowl of chili and some Coney's. The adults can sit near the deck windows and watch and sip on Wild Turkey or have a Hamms. Winter has finally arrived at Lake Iwanttobethere. {606,330}

Bobby Bass · March 8, 2012

Been a busy week here at Lake Iwanttobethere and I have not had much time to spend jotting things down. Of course some of that is on purpose as I am spending more time with Duncan the puppy who is no longer a puppy but still acts like one. The wife and Duncan don't see a lot of things eye to eye so to speak. He followers her everywhere and she can't turn around and not find him there. This I have been told is somewhat annoying when she is trying to take a shower. I find this strange as I seem to have him underfoot a lot myself and I am the only one he comes to when he needs to go outside. One problem is the wife talks to Duncan like he is Bud or Barney both who are just a month away from being twelve years old. Duncan appears to understand what she is telling him as he will turn his head from side to side during the one way conversations. He will raise his ears and stare back at her. No sooner will she be done talking to Duncan, which usually means she is saying no and shaking her finger at him then he will grab what ever he was not supposed to have and take off again.

I don't have that problem with him as I never catch him in the act. I will see him with a shoe, call his name and he will run under the dinning room table with the shoe and then reappear out the other side shoeless. He will then run to me in the den with that What's up boss look, you need me for something? And sit before being told to. I will then tell him to go back and get the shoe, which he does. He will then bring the shoe over to me and drop it at my hand, sit and look at me with the proud look that only a retriever can have when completing a proper retrieve. Well of course I praise him for a good retrieve, the wife will stand with arms crossed holding a wooden spoon and tap her foot in that way women express a shortness with men and retrieving Labradors. Duncan will look at me and I at him and we will both look away from the wife and the spoon.

I have broken pretty much all of my new year's resolutions so it is time to add a few mid season replacements. The fishing thirty days of June has now become a resolution and I am well on my way in the planning of it. The white board hanging in the den has a list of several things that need to be done written on it and several things have already been checked off it. New tires on the truck and new graph for the Puddle Humper are already checked. Yesterday I bought my new Lake Master chip and I have been eyeing a new rod to go with the new reel that I bought. The wife added a few things to the list in bold blue, they being that I need to be spending more time with Duncan as I need to get him "Up to speed" the wife explained to me. She wants Duncan to mind as good as Bud and Barney do, this brought a smirk to my face that was quickly wiped off by the threat of the wooden spoon covered in cookie dough. I told her I don't know how I would ever teach Duncan all the things we take for granted that Bud and Barney do.

Her idea was simple, time management. If I spent less time sitting in the desk at the computer I would have more time to train Duncan. If I spent more time training and spending time with Duncan I will have more time outdoors and will as a by product find more that I can write about Lake Iwanttobethere. It does kind of make sense. So yesterday I logged off a few web sites, closed down the Face book page, which I was spending way to much time playing games on anyway and Duncan and I went for a walk. We return to find the wife, Buddy and Barney all sitting in the kitchen eating cookies. I think the wife and older dogs are scheming against me and Duncan, from Lake Iwanttobethere {608,086}

Bobby Bass · March 11, 2012

The melt is here! At least it sure looks like it with the pools of dirty water and the brown grass forcing it's way back from under the snow. The red needle of the bass thermometer is nudging sixty and that is in the shade. What snow that was on the roofs is long gone and the last of the icicles have released their grip on the shingles and have fallen to the ground. A small river of water meanders down the hill through the hard packed snow by the boat house cutting a miniature grand canyon. Deck is just about dry and the few wood chairs that were never put away look inviting in the warm breeze and the bright sunshine. The fire pit has reappeared and no longer are the sittin logs covered in snow. Duncan is content to find a fallen icicle and carries it up on the deck wear he chews on it like it is a popsicle. Yesterday I turned the Dodge around so the back of the pickup would face the sun. It took most of the afternoon but the snow filled bed is now empty of snow and just some left over leafs from last fall remain.

This morning the wife had to go visit her sister in the next town over, I was not doing anything and a little road trip sounded good. We made the trip and spent a few hours at her sisters, on the way back we decide we should stop at their big box store called Al-mart. We wander around the store looking at a few things and buying a few other things. We were in the grocery section when I notice a little kid with red hair and right behind him was his brother also with red hair. Since I to have red hair we have an instant bonding. Only if you have red hair can you understand this pack that red heads share. The wife was looking over something when the kid's mother came by pushing her cart. I caught her eye and asked her how did she manage to have not one but two red headed kids. She replied that she actually has three and that her husband is a red head and is Norwegian. She and the kids went on their way and I mentioned it to the wife that is something you don't see to often. Her reply was "What Norwegians?"

What usually happens at Al-mart happen again and that is we will be walking down an aisle together and I turn to say something to the wife and she will be gone. I have learned in the past there is no sense in even looking for her as she has forgotten she was shopping with me and has wandered off to do shopping on her own. Since I was done shopping the best thing to do is check out and then wait back in the Tahoe till she is done and comes back to the truck. Al-mart is a pretty big store and should not be confused with other stores that the name kind of sounds like. One way to notice the difference is the checkout, state of the art if ya ask me. At Al-mart you check out by your age group. At the far left is the "kids check out", then the "kids with parents" check out next is the "no talking super fast check out" then there is the 30-40 check out the 41-50 checkout and the 51-54 checkout. A double check out is for the 55 senior discount and finally there is just an Old Check out.

I get to check out in the 55 senior lane while the wife has to use the 51-54 lane. I am looking forward to the Old Check out lane as that has outlets where you can plug in your scooter while you wait and also has couches that are set end to end. This means no standing in line, you can rest as you wait and a lot of times they will cater the stores free samples to you. I have heard Elmer talk about spending an entire morning just sitting in the check out and getting free cheese and crackers.

I quickly went through the check out and found my way to the Tahoe to wait for the wife. I put flame to half a cigar that I had not finished on the way down and sat back with the windows rolled down and the sound of spring baseball on the radio. Not a bad day here at Lake Iwanttobethere. {609,576}

Bobby Bass · March 13, 2012

The melt continues here at Lake Iwanttobethere, a little more quiet though as the snow is gone from the roofs and the steady drip, drip, drip is gone. I did find my missing gloves and that shovel that I misplaced, they were right where I left them. A few other things have emerged from the snow and Duncan is getting blamed for them. As the snow melts we are finding small plastic drinking cups popping up, they almost look like colored Easter eggs in the snow. Since Duncan is a puppy and the youngest in the house he pretty much gets blamed for anything and everything that happens around the cabin. If a roll of toilet paper goes missing and turns up shredded behind the couch, Duncan did it. If gloves are missing a hand, Duncan did it. If all the couch cushions are on the floor, Duncan did it, this one is true as I have seen him pull the cushions off looking for his ball. A lot of the other things can be blamed on the cats who think they are retrievers but since Duncan is here he gets blamed. So all the plastic cups that the grand kids hauled outside and forgot to bring back in are now being found in the melting snow, and Duncan is getting the blame for bring them outside. The one found with puppy teeth marks might be the reason why.

Normally up here the winters are long and the summers are short, that is not looking to be true this year. This winter could almost be counted as only a few weeks long and you could count the really cold days on the fingers of one hand while you used the other five fingers on the other hand to count the number of days you had to shovel. Winter this year has been treated like a team with a losing season, as soon as everyone knew it was going no where they just wanted it to be over with. Snow shovels have been out along with the clanking of ice chippers hitting the pavement on sidewalks and driveways. We are weeks ahead of a normal snow melt yet people can't wait for mother nature to do her melting thing and are helping to speed the process. Which brings us to the sweet smell of Maple sap being boiled over at Chuck's. For the last week Chuck and his girlfriend have been burning the midnight oil as they are boiling sap for syrup.

If the wind is right the smell of maple wood smoke along with the smell of boiling sap rolls low along the ground and wraps around the cabin. We have often said that if you could make a car airfreshner that smelled like the maple sap/smoke you could replace all the little fake pine trees hanging from car mirrors with it. This might be the only bad thing about the warm days of an early spring as it makes the sap season short. We still need those cool nights and warm not hot early spring days. I did help out the other night and I wished I had remembered to bring my video camera with. We were tapping trees and checking on others and doing it all under the rolling display of the Northern lights. We didn't get much done as we kept watching the sky waiting for the scene to change. There was another reason for us to be out late that night as we had a secret meet setup with a friend from across the boarder.

Now we don't want to let this get around to much but during the winter several times we head for the north border where we still trade with our friends from another nation. This year due to lack of snow we could only do it just this one time. We loaded up several cases of Hamms beer and a few cases of Wild Turkey and set off on the old Bomb-A- Deer snowmobile to exchange goods with our buddy that shall remain nameless. In exchange for the Hamms and Wild Turkey we brought back several cases of Old Dutch Ketchup Potato Chips and some Cuban cigars. Don't make sense does it? Old Dutch chips from Canada and cigars from Cuba in the woods north of Lake Iwanttobethere. Kind of keep that under your Took, we don't want Sheriff Tim to be getting any ideas, from Lake Iwanttobethere {610,434}

Bobby Bass · March 14, 2012

Lake Iwanttobethere has made the national news! It has recently been discovered that Lake Iwanttobethere has made a popular poll of the top ten places to retire to. Lake Iwanttobethere was announced to be in the eleventh place! Now being in eleventh place is a pretty good deal, that is better then say playing in the NIT basketball tournament where the winner is really playing for the sixty fifth position in the nation. Finding mention of Lake Iwanttobethere is kind of hard to do as they are just publishing the top ten places but I managed to get a hold of the entire poll and it shows Lake Iwanttobethere right near the top, in eleventh place and in a slightly smaller font. I thought I would just show some of the categories that are mentioned and where Lake Iwanttobethere stands.

Pleasant year-round weather- Could you beat the past winter here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

Affordable mountain town- Well we do have a few cabins up on the bluff.

Water views on a budget- The entire town of Lake Iwanttobethere is on the water and rates are great for trailers and tents.

Greenest place to retire- Can we say Pine Forest and the great north woods.

A college town for retirees- OK, we don't have a college building, but you can get your own degree in fishing and hunting here.

Place to launch a second career- All we need to do is point to Chuck's Maple Syrup or Mindy and Mandy's Root beer and look at Marv's Book and Cigar shop.

Best mix of affordability and amenities- Long list of personal service shop owners, not one but two park benches. A street light with another one in the works. Free use of the fish cleaning station. No entry fee for Ice House Fling nor for any of the 4th of July rides or races. Even have a bus come through town once a week just like clock work.

Best Place for Affordable Housing- Did we mention the low rates at the camp grounds and we don't charge at all for your lake houseboat.

Best place for single retires- I know ever since Hammering Hank got married there has been a drop off here but we still have Marv and Elmer both who are affordable and eligible.

Best place for recreation and culture- OK this one was a toss up, we were on top for recreation but we do lack in the culture department. We have the Ladies auxiliary but ever since the story got out about there mushroom tea they have been looked at under a different light. No matter how many fur coats you own or how many pearls you wear you can't go around talking about pretty colored spiders.

I think that we should have ended up number one but I guess they were looking for the best places and didn't really consider that we have just about the best of everything. They didn't even have categories that Lake Iwanttobethere would fit into so well. The number of parking spaces with hitching posts that you can still tie your horse to. Our access to Cuban cigars and Ketchup flavor potato chips. Who else has an Ice House Fling or races riding lawn tractors down Main Street. They didn't even count our two parking meters or public bulletin board. What about our open door policy for dogs and the law that all dogs need to be able to walk on their own and not be carried in purses. You want quiet? Name me another town with a law against running small engines on the weekend. Guess Lake Iwanttobethere is not for everyone and after writing this I am glad we came in eleventh place. If we were a top ten town we would have to run around with those big over sized gloves with numbers on the fingers and chant "Were number ten, were number ten" from Lake Iwanttobethere, have a good day {610,916}

reinhard1 · March 14, 2012

you got my vote Bobby!!!!!!good luck.

Bobby Bass · March 17, 2012

What can you say about this weather? Early this morning it felt like rain was on it's way, the air had that heavy feeling that comes before a good rain storm. The feeling past as did the clouds and the afternoon has turned warm and comfortable. The dogs have found different areas of the deck to lay on and the sun shine I am guessing feels good on their coat. The wife and I pulled out the deck table and set it on the deck and pushed a few chairs around it. No need for the umbrella as it was not that warm yet. A few piles of snow still in the yard, they look like icebergs floating on the grass. The big rug has been placed outside the back door so the dogs can wipe their feet before going back into the cabin.

One of those days where you keep getting sidetrack doing things on your way to do other things. Started off by bring the garbage can out to the big can and got sidetracking thinking about the approaching rain. Got out a new set of wipers for the Tahoe that I had bought down at Dan's Auto the other day but had not gotten around to putting on. With the feeling of rain in the air I put the garbage can down and put the wiper blades on. Somehow that got me thinking I should check the oil and a quart later I had to make the trip back to the garbage can to get rid of the old wipers and the empty oil can. Kitchen can back to the cabin I got sidetrack again looking at the big candle lantern that hangs off the side of the cabin by the deck. The bolt that holds the hook had come off during the wind storm and the lantern had fallen into the yard. Off to the basement to find a replacement bolt and lock washer.

Got distracted down in the basement by something else but I know it took me twenty minutes or so to look through the collection of nuts and bolts and screws and nails that us older guys all seem to have laying around in coffee cans. When I was younger I always had to go down to the General Store if I needed that oddball nut or a bolt that I was missing. Now all I need do is head to the basement and the coffee cans. I have no idea where the coffee cans came from, I suppose I had some extra parts and I tossed them in a can and then some more and some more and soon I had to get another can. Anyway I am getting distracted again here, so I found a bolt and lock washer and took it outside to the deck and the waiting lantern that held a candle only to find the missing bolt wedged in the bottom of the lantern. It had not fallen out when it fell off so now I had two and needed only one. A moment later and the lantern was back hanging off the wall and the replacement bolt was sitting in an empty coffee can that just happen to be at hand.

The youngest granddaughter spent the night last night, the granddaughter who turned five just a few months ago now insists that she is almost six now. Anyway she climbed into my bed last night and made herself comfortable. In the darkness I heard her say "Papa can I ask you a question?" I didn't answer right away as I was thinking, what was she going to ask me? She is a very smart little girl and her question could be just about anything and everything. I took in a short breath and prepared to answer her question with all the wisdom and knowledge that I could muster. "Yes, you can ask me anything" I said. "Papa" she said "Yes" I replied. " What is two plus two?" I looked at her in the darkness of the night with only the light coming in through the window and whispered "Three" "That's what I thought" she said. I chuckled to myself a little, even Grandpa's have to hold a few things back, from Lake Iwanttobethere. I read this story to my wife who chuckled out loud as I read, I thought she was chuckling about the story. No, she told me the granddaughter at breakfast said that Papa does not even know that two plus two is four! From Lake Iwanttobethere

{612,330}

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