Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

[Bobby Bass]

I had to look a little harder today till I was stopped by a bus load of Canadian fishermen who were passing through town, that is when I found out it is International Panic Day. They were looking for Lake iwannabethere and I told them that this is Lake Iwanttobethere. The leader of the group told me that I was wrong, the lake they are looking for is called Lake iwannabethere. After arguing for a few minutes I simply used a tactic that works with almost all tourists, I told him he was right and I was wrong. I then gave him directions and pointed them south, told him another hundred miles or so and he will find Lake iwannabethere. As they drove by me I waved at them and I had a smile on my face. Some of them waved back at me holding on to their cans of Molson and eating their all day beef jerky sandwiches.

I have already been into town as you can see, middle of the week and I am getting a few HIYA's from tourist who are making themselves comfortable. Was down at the General store, needed some more hardware for the clothes poles and also I bought a sprinkler for the cabin garden. The one I had was not working, it would only go halfway so the garden was not getting watered and I was spending to much time moving the sprinkler. Also had to get a repair kit for the garden hose, that somehow got chewed off, I looked at Duncan as the most likely candidate but then I saw Echo the wonder dog running out of the yard last night.

Cabin was busy as the place was filled with the wife's relatives for her birthday gathering. I try and not talk about them so I wont start now. I will mention that a couple of her young nephews being helpful and not having any guidance decide to fill the hole in the garden for me with the dirt I had dug out for the raised berry patch. Today finds me trying to decide if I really want to dig the hole again or just leave as is and put the blue trap on it and walk away.

The regifting of flowers and candy was a success, of course the candy was minus the caramel that I prefer. Didn't take long for the wife's sisters to go through the boxes and I could hear them complaining that all the caramels were all gone. I must admit that put a smile on my face as I looked at the box hidden in my desk drawer filled with nothing but chocolate covered caramels. Duncan and I slipped out the door and went over to Elmer's, Duncan was getting to much attention and I think he just had enough of the patting and tugging on his ears and being told he was a handsome lad. I could almost hear him telling the ladies tugging on him that he is a Lab not a Lad.

I found Elmer sitting on the far side of his cabin, the side that faces away from my cabin. A small deck is attached to the cabin there and it has never seen a drop of stain in it's life. Elmer had a fire going in the pit just off the deck and he had his hose close at hand just in case the fire jumped the ring. Not much flame to the fire but a lot of smoke, the trade off was no skeeters either. I came around the corner and ducked under the smoke and found Elmer sitting comfortable like on his wood chaise lounge with a cooler close at hand. Duncan went over and Elmer petted him, Duncan likes Elmer and waiting till Elmer was done patting him before he came over and sat on my foot. "Beer" Elmer asked. "I thought you would never ask" I replied. Elmer looked at me and said "You don't think I am going to get up and get it for ya, do ya?" I threw up my hands and said "Geeze what was I thinking" chuckling I open the cooler found a beer in the ice water and sat down on the deck steps. I took a long sip of beer and wiped my eyes that were watering from the smoke and just looked at Elmer and said "Smooth" from Lake Iwanttobethere{1,139,129}

[Bobby Bass]

Today is Ice Cream Soda Day and even though it is still early in the day I am thinking that I will have to find where Stan and Jean have the mobile Ice Cream/Tackle truck parked and get me a float. Yesterday was World Sauntering Day and I would normally use that as an excuse to head into town and just wander around like a tourist. Back in the day I could just hang a camera around my neck and pull my hat down low but them days seem to be over. Now a day everyone has a phone in hand either texting or answering it and from time to time taking a photo with it. Most of the time they are do busy texting or talking that they miss good photos to shoot.

Since yesterday was World Sauntering Day I did actually do some sauntering, I just did it on the water. Sunshine Ray has been forecasting several wet days ahead and I still have not been on the water officially. I woke up yesterday and just decide that yesterday was the day I was going fishing. I stepped out onto the back deck and I saw Chuck next door. I hollered over "I'm going fishing, want to go with" Over the sound of chickens I heard his holler back, "Give be an hour" and I gave him a thumbs up.

Well, an hour was not enough time to get ready. The Puddle Humper was sort of ready but not really ready. I still had to load tackle boxes and fishing rods. Put the tie downs on and connect the batteries. Carry the trolling motor up from the basement and then look for the key to unlock the padlock on the mount. Rain coats, life vests, tool bag, change spark plugs just a lot of stuff that should have been done but was not. I backed the Tahoe up to the trailer and did a perfect stop and dropped the hitch right onto the ball. That does not happen to often when I don't have anyone directing me. But the time I saved there I quickly spent in getting the trailer lights to work.

More like two hours later and Chuck and I were driving down the blacktop heading for a little lake that should be loaded with bass. As expected no one was at the landing except for skeeters and we launched the Puddle Humper. I sat down to tie lures to rods as that is something else that was not done. Chuck was already fishing and I watched his line while trying to tie mine. It might have been a little easier if I had not left my glasses on the dash of the Tahoe but there was no going back to shore now, we were fishing. First bass of the day was caught by Chuck, all of eight inches and later in the summer he would be heckled for letting such a little fish be caught. Today though it was the first fish of the season and it was treated with respected, admired a little and then released.

A moment later and I caught the first northern of the season, a four pounder who made a nice little run and thrashed at the boat some. I held it up for Chuck to see and looked for the fish board to see how long it was and of course that is something else that I forgot back at the cabin. Northern released we were now even at one apiece and even though my fish was bigger it was not a bass and so the season long contest between us had started. I had brought my video camera along but I did not bother to shoot any action. I just wanted to fish and not have to worry about getting a good shot. We had a good day, thirty-two bass came over the side of the Puddle Humper and another five were lost at boat side. The one northern was the only one we caught and I made a point of pointing that out to Chuck.

As the sun started to settle low in the sky the sketters came out to find us, That is when I discovered something else I had forgotten back at the cabin, pants. Fishing in shorts can sometimes be a little disadvantage. I had not started the big motor yet so I thought maybe we should fire it up and head back to the landing. I turned the key and much to my surprise the motor started right up and I let it idle. The fogging oil was burned off and a nice blue cloud was forming around the stern of Puddle Humper. I went up to the front of the boat to pull the trolling motor up and turn back to see Chuck standing on the rear deck in a blue smoke cloud. Kind of looked like Gene Simmions on stage at a KISS concert.

We motored into the landing and not till I turned off the motor and we glided in on the calm waters did we hear the peepers. The boat grounded on the gravel landing and we sat for a moment and just listened. Then as old men tend to do we grunted and groaned and climbed out of the boat to get the trailer. Cigars tip glowing red and cans of cold soda in hand we drove back home, I for one thought we had a pretty good opener. This morning I have the battery for the trolling motor on the charger and the tarp covering the Puddle Humper. If it wants to rain that's OK because now we are ready to fishing on the next clear day, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,143,289}

[Bobby Bass]

Today is Ferris Wheel Day, the first day of Summer and Fly Swatting Day, pretty easy to put all of them together and have a reason to spend some time outside, that is if it not raining. Last night was filed with thunderstorms rolling in one after the other. This morning finds standing water in the gardens and the rain barrels are over flowing. The green house is empty of plants, everything is in the ground or in pots and with the rain I do not have to do any watering. Number two grandson is very happy about the no watering and rubbed it into his sister and brother who still have to do their chores when staying at the cabin. Yesterday afternoon we got some showers and a few quick thunderstorms came through. It was a good day to relax in the recliner and read a book so that is what I did. Arm was a little sore from casting the day before as I am in no way in fishing shape but I hope in the next few weeks I will be out enough to take care of that.

I did go down to the Lodge as there was not much around the cabin I could do, at least that is what I told the wife. I left a caramel on the kitchen table for her and moved the rest out to the shop where I hid them in the potbelly stove. I know as soon as I left she went in search of the candy that was missing from her birthday candy boxes. At the Lodge I went through some phone messages that were days old and tossed a bunch of mail that was of no importance. With the falling rain the place was pretty busy as no one was fishing but the Lodges parking lot is a good place to park your rig and be close to the landing just in case it clears up.

The Fellows were sitting at the big round table and the yellow think pad was out and they were busy writing away with their number two yellow pencils. I was working on a all day jerky sandwich that I had made earlier in the day and I went over and sat with them. We exchanged HIYA's and I asked what they were up to, Tiny said they were just getting ready to come and see me. The Lodge is always the first place the Fellows look to when they want something to get sponsored and sometimes we actually do, sponsor them that is. I sat my jerky sandwich down on a beer coaster and told Tiny to fire away.

Gary gathered up the drawings and put them in some kind of order and after a sip of his beer he started the presentation. Rather then go through the entire thing I will briefly touch on what they were proposing. The thought today was that since the cruise lines are having a really terrible stretch of luck that maybe it would be a good idea for the Lodge to sponsor a cruise line right here on the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. Since we don't have a cruise ship the Fellows were thinking they would just tie end to end all of their pontoon's boats and they could make maybe a hundred footer. They could put a hot tub on one pontoon and some green indoor outdoor carpet on another where you could have a putting green and also be able to drive golf balls into the lake. Not wanting to waste the golf balls they could have a shotgun shooting range on yet another pontoon boat and schedule the golf driving at the same time as the golf ball shooting.

Maybe even some snorking could be offered to retrieve the golf balls that didn't get shot! A couple of sleeper pontoons could be made up like sleeper cars on a railroad so they could cover that as a tie in to the Amtrak theme that they were also thinking about. The lead pontoon could be decorated up like a steam boat so they would then cover the Mississippi river gambling theme. Of course they are still working on a dinner section and a keg section but Greg's boat is already all set up for that. I nodded my head and grunted here and there and told them when I finished my jerky sandwich I would get back to them. They told me I should check back with them as it, the Cruise Line is still a work in progress. I left with my sandwich and I see it is still sitting here on my desk back at home. I am thinking it is kind of dry by now so I am going to go get a few caramels from the stove and freshen it up some, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,145,091}

[Bobby Bass]

Today is National Chocolate Eclair Day, National Set Adrift Day and my 720th birthday. Here at Lake Iwanttobethere it is just a wet, foggy Saturday. The past several days have been repeats of the previous day which means showers and thunderstorms and strong winds followed by dense fog, not exactly the best of fishing days nor really the kind of weather the tourists are looking for. Number two grandson thinks the weather has been great, it has been days since he has had to water any plants outside. There has been an upside to all of this wet weather and that is the night crawler picking has been excellent. Kids have several coolers full and they are already counting their profits.

At the Resort we are slowly picking up business wise. We still have not held our grand non opening yet but more and more fishermen are finding their way through the channel to our little hide away. This weekend finds three cabins rented out and four RV's parked. A second dock is in the water and we are even renting out the rowboats with out motors. Arlo held a fly fishing class last night on the little bay and the bluegills cooperated. Afterwards the class came into the Club House and we actually sold some beer and egg salad sandwiches.

Elmer has plans to build a deer stand over looking the main garden, he was out there and spotted a woodchuck digging. Elmer has had problems in the past with his own garden and he is not going to let any wood chuck gain a foot hold in the big garden here. I support him and told him as soon as my birthday is over I will come out and help build, but I think Hammering Hank and Skinny are going to do it today since it is to wet to fish. Having just said that it is to wet to fish I am thinking that is kind of a stupid thing to say, how can it be to wet to fish on water?

Minor accident in the bait shop last night as the kids were filling cups with leeches to sell and kind of dropped the bucket on the floor. A pound of leeches in a couple of gallons of water hit the floor and the leeches rode the water like it was a surfing wave, Took them better then an hour to find and pick up all the leeches. This morning when I was in there I found two that they missed. I was putting away a tackle order that had arrived yesterday, kind of like opening presents on Christmas morning. I knew what was in the big brown box since I had made the order but still fun to hang spoons and spinnerbaits on the pegboard. Nice to hear the sound of water gurgling in the minnow tanks and a static on the am radio.

Our inventory is growing as we are putting the profits from sales right back into more inventory. Guys come in here and look around the walls and we all smile at seeing sunshine reflecting of spoons and look forward to hearing the bell over the door that Vic installed jiggle when someone comes in. Guys take turns working in the bait shop but right now it is not work, good just to go in there and chat fishing and if we sell something that is a big plus. Vic has been working the evening shift as he like to call it, he has the baseball game on and sits on a stool and watches a bobber float in the minnow tank.

If the rain stays away this afternoon I am going to take Vic's rowboat out and just do a little drifting in the bay. Maybe drown a night crawler under a red and white bobber off the Lilly pads and play with some gills and maybe a bass. Think number two grandson will be coming with as he is the only one with all his chores already done, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,145,803}

[Bobby Bass]

Today is the first day of Hush Week here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Over the weekend we had our Hollerin Days and pretty much everyone in the town is speechless today. Emma Fergonson is our local champ and later this summer she will move on to the county fair Hollerin Days contest. Her husband Dale will be glad to see her get away for the weekend as it was reported that Mrs. Fergonson was not even entered in the contest and was just having an argument with her husband about where they should go to pick blueberries. Emma was so loud that the judges could hear her over the current contestant that they were judging and left the judging area to find her. After hearing her up close the contest was pretty much for second place after that.

Today finds people passing in the street just nodding and waving to each other. I picked night crawlers last night for me and the daughter to go fishing with this afternoon. I had to go pick my own because the grand kids would not give me a discount on the ones they have picked and have for sale in the bait shop. Today I have a sore back and hip from bending over and in the future I may just have to pay full price to the grand kids rather then go through the aching back of today. Today is also the only day this week when it is not forecasted to rain, I should mow the grass but if it comes down to fishing or mowing, the fishing should and in this case will win out.

The daughter and I are heading to a little sunnies lake that we have hidden to ourselves and there is a chance to catch a few bass to. We will arm ourselves with crappie rods and bobbers and dangle worms off Lilly pads and get excited over eight inch bluegills. We will stop at Amy's Bakery and get a couple of loose meat sandwiches and some of Mindy and Mandy's Lake Iwanttobethere Root Beer. When the time is right we will find the shade of a tree along the shoreline and eat the sandwiches and drink the cold root beer. Making sure of course to wash our fingers of crawlers and bluegills before hand.

I am guessing we will see red winged black birds and hear cows mooing. Skeeters are sure to be there but we have bug spray. Picked lots of worms so it will be a little while before we have to break them in two so they will last longer. Today's story is kind of short but that is because we are going fishing and still have to go to Amy's and the Gas-N-Go for fuel and some Kit Kat's. Gas has gone down that I can buy them again and I might even stop at Marv's Smoke Shop for a cigar for the ride back home. Have a good Monday, I'm going fishing with the daughter, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,147,602}

[Bobby Bass]

Today is Catfish and also Lightning Day and if Sunshine Ray's forecast is true we should be seeing some of the lightning later this evening. Warm and muggy here at Lake Iwanttobethere and if it was a tad cooler going over to Mystery River might just be the thing to do with the left over night crawlers we have from yesterday's fishing. The crawlers did not survive their day in the plastic coffee can to well. All the more reason why we should have used the metal coffee can but the plastic one was handy so that is what we took with. Of course no sooner were we on the boat and the daughter pulled the top off the plastic coffee can and dumped all the crawlers and bedding onto the carpeted floor of the Puddle Humper. Yup, the daughter went from being twenty-six to six in an instant.

I thought I did a pretty good job of not saying a word as I watched her trying to pick up the worms and clean the bedding off the carpet. Skeeters were thick for even mid day at the landing, we made quick work of getting the Puddle Humper into the water and away from shore. Didn't take but a few minutes for the black flies to find us and out came the bug dope and Elmer's secret fly lotion. I was just on this little lake five days ago and we did pretty good on the bass but I was here today because the daughter want's to catch gills and just have fun. We brought ultra lite rods and we had number six hooks with one inch bobbers on. The pond weed that was just starting to hit the surface a few days ago now has the little lake ringed in, I am guessing that in a week it will be a mat and fishing will be tough to get anywhere close to shore.

Daughter was baited up and first cast hit the water and the bobber barely had a chance to settle before a gill had it and the daughter was yanking on it. With a brief fight an eight inch gill came to the side of the boat and the forceps was brought out and the fish sent back into the water. I was to busy watching her and my crawler was stolen by a sneaky sunny. I told her we should probably spit the night crawlers in half so they will last longer and with a grimace she separated one and tossed me a half. Funny as the afternoon went on that every time I needed a worm I always got the smaller end.

The daughter was out fishing me on the gills so I picked up a rod with a small spinnerbait and started hitting the open pockets next to shore. As we worked our way around the lake I picked up some bass and lost a few but they all felt big on the little ultra lite rod. At seven-thirty the daughter announced that she would be done fishing at eight and when eight came she set her rod down and laid down on the back deck of the Puddle Humper and just watched clouds. She had lost count of how many gills she had caught and not a single bass had found her worms so she was calling it a night. We were still several hundred yards away from the landing so I told her I would keep fishing till we got there. With her laying on the back enjoying the evening we went right past the landing and she didn't even notice as I kept fishing.

I had my eye on a weedy point that I had seen a few swirls on over the past twenty minutes or so. When we got close I launched the little spinnerbait along the edge and turned the handle maybe once when a fish hit and the little rod bowed down to the water. The drag starting singing and the daughter open one eye and looked at me and saw the rod. I might have mentioned that I had a decent fish on and she sat up and saw the line cutting through the water and also noticed we were way pass the landing. It took a couple of minutes but I had a northern along side the boat and she reached down and pulled the fish in over the side. We took a picture and forgot all about weighing it before she eased it back into the water. Back to being a six year old she looked at me and said "Now can we go home" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,148,185}

[Bobby Bass]

National Canoe Day and here at Lake Iwanttobethere and the word is out. You would have thought that yesterday was the day it should have been celebrated as the jumping deer on the wall thermometer at the Resort was nudging ninety by mid afternoon. I saw several canoes strapped on top of cars and pulled behind trucks in those six pack canoe trailers. Come evening when I was back at the Lodge the shoreline of Lake Iwanttobethere had people paddling on by in a rainbow of colored canoes leaving small vee wakes behind them. Today has rain in the forecast and right now the sky is overcast and it is at least twenty-five degrees cooler, which is welcomed. At the Lodge the same guys who were complaining last winter about it being to cold are now the same ones complaining that it is too hot.

Good day to get some work done around the cabin as the cool air is so much better than that hot, muggy stuff. Having the skeeters and black flies creates just enough of a nuisance being outside that you can't enjoy the excuse of it being too hot to work out. That's where going canoeing was a good idea. Just far enough away from shore to get away from the skeeters and quick enough to make the flies have to work to keep up with ya. Today I am sure the canoes will be back on the water and hopefully the thunderstorms will stay away to the North for those who want to get a paddle in. Might be a good day to mow grass, I didn't say I was going to do it, just thinking about it.

Some bad news to report, with the long cold and wet spring I have just about given up on my apple trees this season. They never did blossom and I am going to have a bad year for apples which means apple pies are going to be few and far between this fall. Matter of fact the garden is doing very poorly, my hope for getting something might have failed as we are in for several more wet days before it dries out and that might be too late already. I am thinking I will just have to go fishing and the wife says that is my answer for everything. Of course she did mention that if the garden is doing so bad I can spend the weeding time instead on staining the cabin, which seems to be a never ending project.

Three of the four grand kids are here at the cabin and I am letting them sleep in late. As soon as they get up we are headed over to the Resort where Marv has promised to make blueberry pancakes, and muffins and pies. As you might have guessed blueberries are ripe as they took their sweet time this season. Of course the pancakes come with a price as the kids will have to go picking. Always chores for them to do at the Resort but then they will be able to go do some fishing in the afternoon if the rain stays away. Yesterday the bait shop was a popular place to hang out at, It might not have been any cooler then anywhere else in the Club House but the sound of gurgling water in the minnow tanks and our liberal policy about drinking beer seems to have a cooling effect.

The deer stand or should I say groundhog stand has been erected just off the big garden here at the Resort and Elmer has been spending time up there with his .22 of course since it has been built the ground hog has not been seen again. Elmer has been watching a doe with two fawns and now just goes out there to watch them and make sure they stay out of the garden. Elmer also said he thinks he saw a moose the other night so that might be interesting as Elmer wants to reinforce his stand, just in case. Pretty much just another middle of the week day here at Lake Iwanttobethere. {1,148,891}

[Bobby Bass]

No doubt summer has arrived here at Lake Iwanttobethere and with it came the excuse to go take in a baseball game. Vic has a friend of a friend that has an interest in the local minor league baseball team. From time to time he will pass Vic some tickets and Vic just so happen to have some yesterday. When I took the grand kids to the Club House to do some work Vic asked if it was OK to give the kid's tickets. With the promise of baseball tickets the kids attacked the chore list and I just stood by and watched them work. Matter of fact they were working so hard that I even broke a sweat.

By late afternoon the chores were done and the kids were cleaned up, grandpa style. Which means they were each given a bar of soap and told to jump off the dock. With grandma not around they shed clothes and hit the water and got rinsed off with the garden hose and were dressed and ready to head to the ball park. The ball park is in what once was a farm field and the view is great of the lake and surrounding area. The park has been around for a long time and has history to it but I must admit I don't go there often. When I was a young lad it was a cheap place to take a date to as admission was a dime, a hot dog or a soda a nickel and crackerjacks were an outrageous ten cents, but back then they actually came with a prize inside not like today with a piece of paper. On the way into the park we stopped and picked up grand daughter #2 because we would not hear the end of it if she missed a baseball game.

With four kids we made it through the gates and found our way down to the seats just behind third base. We settled in and I thought we got some good seats as we were close enough to hear the crack of the bat and the sound a ball makes as it hits the leather of the third basemen's glove. A pretty good crowd was gathered and even though there was a threat of some rain I had forgotten all about bring a umbrella. After the hot dog vendor came by and the soda guy who followed I was a little lighter in the wallet but the kids were content. By the second inning the youngest was getting restless and told me she wanted better seats. I thought we had pretty good seats but she wanted to go up higher where she could see more, it didn't take her long to convince her cousins and soon all four of them wanted to go up under the roof to the nose bleed section.

Knowing better than to try and argue with all of them I looked at the long stretch of stairs and we started climbing. Well I was doing the climbing they just ran up the stairs as easy as running down them. Me on the other hand took my time going up them and lucky I knew a few people at the game and I stopped to chat and used it as an excuse to take my time to the top. The granddaughter found the perfect set of seats according to her, right up against the back wall where you could look at the field and turn around and look out under the roof at the parking lot and a dark wave of clouds that were coming in our direction. Instead of seats there was a long wood bench up there and I was looking for that soda guy as I could use a drink. It would appear that the soda guy does not like taking the walk up the stairs either and after awhile I ended up sending the oldest grandson down to the good seats? To fetch me a soda and a round of cracker jacks for all of us.

The game continued but with one out in the bottom of the fourth the rain came. Sky just open up and rain fell mostly on all those seats down close to the field that had no roof over them. We sat with our backs against the wall and a roof over our heads and watched as people scampered up from the GOOD seats to get under the roof and out of the rain. The shower lasted maybe five minutes and when it stopped the folks headed back down to their wet seats. We didn't move, we were dry and had a great view of the next rain shower heading for the field, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,149,550}

[Bobby Bass]

Coming up on the end of Hush Week and voices are getting stronger after Hollerin Days. I think we always mess with tourist minds a little when they come into town this past week as everyone is whispering. It is kind of nice to have people wave at ya without screaming out your name at the same time. Even the other night at the baseball game the vendors just kind of waved their hot dogs and cotton candy over their heads to get your attention instead of yelling out their pitch. This weekend is Rhubarb Weekend and anything that can be made with rhubarb is on sale at the local eateries and diners and the Ladies Auxiliary is having a bake sale at the Lodge. The sale does not start till later in the afternoon as most of the ladies are holding their weekly meeting in the small meeting room here at the Lodge.

Days of summer seem to go by to fast now, already another week has gone by and for that matter the month of June will nothing but a memory in just a few days. Fourth of July is on a Thursday this year which for many means a four day weekend. Already the campground is full which is not unusually for this time of the year but most of the campers that have come into the Lodge have said they are here for all of next week to. Sunshine Ray's long range forecast is calling for decent temperatures and almost no rain for all of the upcoming week. Maybe my garden will finally take off with some sunshine, it has had more then enough rain. Some clouds in the sky this morning but I don't think we will be getting any rain and a lot of fishermen feel the same. Looking out over the water of Lake Iwanttobethere you can see the colored dots of boats and hear the jet skis.

First mow for hay will be starting soon and as you drive the gravel roads past the farms the grass is deep and rich. By supper time the horses are let out and they work along the fence line nuzzling the sweet grass and looking at the grass on the other side of the fence which we all know is better. Long tails slap at black flies and crows sit on the posts watching. Tractors sit in the middle of fields and you always wonder, at least I do if they broke down or that is just where the farmer decided to park them. Fire flies wink at dusk now and peepers are still making noise along with the croaking of the bigger frogs. Redwing black birds are also seen along the ditches but the robins are a little harder to find. Seagulls march across the softball field, once in the morning and then again at dinner time.

Deer are seen at sunset, especially in the farm fields. Sometimes there are so many of them they almost look like the farmer is raising them. At the Club House the deck is a pretty popular place to sit. We get last light and the sound of cows from a farm just on the other side of the bay usually serenades us. Add peepers and the occasional honk of goose and wind chimes lightly banging and we have some fine free entertainment. There are a lot of good things about the Club House but the best so far has been no jet skies in the Little Bay. Guess I never really noticed how much I hate the sound of that annoying buzzing sound they make. The main lake can have them, more water out there for them anyway.

The long days of summer are here but I guess they have to be long because there is just so much that there is to do. Flowers need to be watered and gardens tended. Repairs made to buildings and jobs that were too cold to do in winter can no longer be excused in summer. Then there is of course grass to mow but that is always better then shoveling snow. Books to be read on the covered swing and time measured by melting ice cubs in glasses. Toes dangling off the dock in the lake water and bobbers drifting off the patch of reeds. Getting to be that time of summer where summer should be experienced and not written or read about. I am going to cut back on the writing some and do some fishing and work on my fishing videos. Stories will still be found here but not daily. From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,150,242}

[Bobby Bass]

Sunshine Ray forecast about sunny skies and no rain is coming through, he does need to work on his wind prediction as a gentle five mile per hour breeze around your knees today is a snatch your hat off your head and blow it down the street steady gust. Of course the wind is no reason to stop you from going fishing and that is what I will be doing later this afternoon. With projects somewhat all caught up it is time to get some fishing in and check out a few of the lakes around Lake Iwanttobethere. Lucky for me I have a few fishing partners lined up and as I explained to the wife I am committed to go fishing with them at least a couple of times each month. It just so happens that it is going to be a nice week and I have someone to go fishing with for the next few days.

Made it through Hush week and I have eaten enough Rhubarb pie to last the rest of the month. The fair weather and having Thursday as a holiday has really brought a lot of people into town and every one is busy. Which is good because we really had a pretty slow spring. Yesterday afternoon we had a traffic jam here at the Lake which is something rarely ever seen. Our only stop light burnt out and four farmers were all stopped at the four way telling each other to go ahead. Finally the farmer driving the John Deer combine went and traffic was once again flowing.

The Fellows have an answer booth down at the park, actually it is a picnic table where they erected one of them temporary canopies. Always looking for some kind of way to make beer money they came across an idea by watching TV that they could have an answering booth and they could answer anyone's question for a small fee. Of course they will not be able to answer your question on the spot but promise to answer it, your question overnight. The idea is to gather questions and then they will stay overnight at the Holiday Inn Express and bring back your answer the next day, so far all they are doing is just drinking beer under the canopy.

Quiet day here at the cabin as no one is around, grand kids are not here and the wife is at work. Elmer is down working at Marv's cigar shop and Chuck is headed into town to Amy's Bakery to buy us loose meat samwiches. Chuck is my fishing partner for this afternoon and he volunteered to get the samwiches so I agreed. Now not having the grand kids around and no rain means I spent a good chuck of time this morning going around and watering flowers. Duncan of course helped me as we have been training him how to carry a plastic water pitcher. By accident we found him dipping the plastic pitcher in Buddy and Barney's swimming pool and then running off with it. He is such a smart dog that it didn't take me long to train him to dip the pitcher in the pool and then carry the water to the flower beds and dump the water back out. Only problem so far has been when it is hot out he tends to stop a lot and drink from his water pitcher.

4th of July parade and of course there will be fireworks that night. Nytelyter is promising an even bigger and better show then last year. The Fellows have been working on their Pontoon Cruse Line and I am told they are booked full for the $th I mean 4th evening dinner cruise. I am curious to see how they plan on having a fire pit and BBQ on one of the pontoons. Duncan just rang the back door bell here, I see he is done watering. Time to get the Puddle Humper ready for a road trip, have a good day I plan on spending the rest of it on the water, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,150,982}

[Bobby Bass]

Looks to be a real old fashion 4th of July Day today. I am at the Resort enjoying a cool beverage and listening to the chugging of the air conditioner trying to stay ahead of what should be a warm day. Chores are all done as grand kids are here and they have completed all the watering and have hauled all the garbage to the dumpster. From my vantage point I can see they are now hauling branches to the fire pit to be burned later tonight. For not having our grand opening we are pretty much full here. All four trailer spots have an RV in them and somehow we managed to squeeze in ten spots for tents and a couple of pop up trailers. We have four cabins open and they all have wet bathing suits hanging from their clothes poles.

The big room in the Club House has seen more people go through it already today then what it normally sees all week. Vic is in his prime waiting on people both at the bar and in the bait shop. Told me with a big smile on his face that this is how he remembers the old resort in it's day. Later this afternoon we will head into town to catch the parade and go-cart and lawn mower races. This will be Gus's first 4th of July running things at the Lodge so I will stop by and see if he needs anything but truth be told he has been running things for years. He has been making some changes and I must say I approve like the new sign he has by the main entrance that says "Walk in's Welcome" In the past we have had some people think that we would not let anyone but Lodge members enter.

The park is all set for the long weekend as Mindy and Mandy have their Lake Iwanttobethere Root Beer stand, Chuck has a booth to sell all three different kinds of his Lake Iwanttobethere Maple Syrup. Regular, Light and this year's new extra thick and heavy forty weight syrup. Mini donut trailer is chained to the big maple tree and Jeanie and Stan's Tackle and Ice cream truck is parked next to a row of picnic tables. The Lodge also has the big BBQ set up and Gus will be working back and forth between the Grill and the Lodge. Hammering Hank and Skinny have the firewood pile well stocked and the campground is filled and over flowing some. Once again Sheriff Tim was seen evicting campers trying to pitch tents in the softball field outfield. Ice House is open and the Lodge is selling the slabs of winter ice that was harvested just for this occasion. The slabs are used to slide down the grass of the hill right below the Lodge and a few are losing their riders and make it out to the water of Lake Iwanttobethere.

Gus has called a few times mainly just looking to find things that are only used on the 4th of July. The volunteer fire department will be grilling corn and they have a pretty big fire started already I heard. With the parade, food in the park and the Fabulously Fine Fingers of Fred and Fiona the Fiddle Players making the rounds it should be an excellent turn out. Fireworks are slated to start just after blue light and the Lake Iwanttobethere water squadron puts on a water skiing demonstration. One again Nytelyter will be firing an assortment of fireworks from Root Beer Island and this year the Fellows will be offering rides on the Pontoon Cruise Line. Speaking of the Fellows they are hoping to use the 4th of July event to kick of the sale of their latest idea. They have gotten together with a cousin in the big city to come up with Skeeter Plus. It is a lotion you give to your camping or fishing partner and it attracts the Skeeters to them. If it works they are also going to try and sell a fly version.

Time to end this as grand kids are ready to head into town and the Tahoe is loaded and the trailer hooked up. Number one granddaughter is going to be racing in the riding tractor powder puff derby. Only has a five horse motor and her uncle welded a complete roll cage around it. Thing is her mother does not know anything about her racing, matter of fact neither does her grandmother. But the guys will be all their rooting for her! Have a safe and happy Fourth of July from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,152,245}

[Bobby Bass]

The blue light also known to some as twilight settled in on the park here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Lawn chairs were placed near the waters edge and blankets were spread across the grass like a giant patch work quilt. Old people settled into chairs and sat close enough together to still hold hands. Teenagers gathered in small groups and stood a little off to the side. Kids with that endless energy of theirs still ran and zig zagged through the growing crowd at the water's edge. There was a quiet buzz in the air as conversations between friends and relatives mixed and just became a noise around you. From time to time a little kid's scream or a loud laff would stand out but as you turned your head to locate the source it would be gone just as quickly as it came. Crackling fires tossed sparks skyward and the little breeze that there was took the smoke away. Mindy and Mandy were still serving root beer but were trying to close up shop.

Earlier a short line had stood at Stan and Jeanies Ice Cream Truck waiting to be served when the crowd grew quiet. Those still in line turned and watched as the local VFW honor guard marched quietly to the lake. People stood and made way for the men as they found the path to the dock and walked out on it. As one they stopped, clicked their heels and turned to face where the setting sun was slipping into the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. Orders were shouted out and seven men of the honor guard raised their rifles and they each shot three times together on command. A call was made out for a moment of silence and was given.

Time stood still at the park, no kids were running no teenagers were talking. Couples held hands and all were lost in their own thoughts. Mr. Meister the retired high school band teacher took a single step forward and raised a bugle to his lips. The first three notes of Taps drifted across the waters of the lake and hands rested on hearts while other's hands were raised in curt salutes and held. The music of the bugle sang out and some tears were shed because this is what the Fourth is really all about.

The last note was held and drifted out across the lake, the park and the crowd. Finally the note slipped away and an order was given. The Honor guard turned as one and marched back up through the parted crowd. It took awhile for the moment to pass but the murmur of the crowd returned. Hands were shook and backs patted and conversations were restarted then the sound of the first motor was heard then felt and all eyes turned to Root Beer Island and the fireworks began.

Thank you to those who have served and are still serving.

{1,152,536}

[Bobby Bass]

Woke up early this morning and it was not planned. I felt the bed shake at the same time as a loud boom of a lighting strike hit somewhere close to the cabin. I open my eyes to catch the splash of light coming through the curtains of the open window and sound of rain hitting the glass. Duncan was laying on my feet and I could feel him move and heard him sigh and felt him rest his head back on my leg. I adjusted the pillow under my head and now facing the window I watched the rain fall and waited for another bolt of lightning to light up the night. Of course if you wait for something to happen odds are it is not going to happen and it didn't. The storm was just about done and I must have slept through most of it. Duncan having much better eyesight then I saw that I was awake and moved from the bottom of the bed up to where the pillows were. He leaned into me and we both watched the rain splatter on the screen of the window, but more than likely he was back to sleep and it was only me watching and running my fingers through the hair around his neck.

Yesterday was a hot one and the day was pretty much spent out on the deck trying to stay cool and waiting for the next rain shower to fall. Thunderstorms were in Stormy Clearweathers forecast but they never came close to us here at the cabin. I heard up north the rain fell long and hard but missed us here. We did get wet though but it was the kind of rain that you like to go fish in, a little more than sprinkles and enough to get you wet but you would soon dry off before the next batch would fall. Of course on the deck staying dry was not really much of an option as the grand kids were all here and the hose was on and the squirt guns were in great demand. The simple squirt guns of my days have long ago been replaced with hydra powered mega weapons of mass wetness. No matter how much we pleaded to not get wet there is always collateral damage in a war of water. So as older people tend to do, especially grand pa's, we got even.

The rules of a water fight are few and simple, first don't get wet, second when you are wet there are no rules, and the most important rule of all, protect and defend your water source. Not getting wet was not an option as we were fighting in rain showers, defending your water source was not in effect since the lake was close at hand for refills so that left no rules and I was quickly tossing buckets of water instead of squirting a water pistol. When the wife came out with towels I quickly pointed the finger of blame at the youngest granddaughter and said "She started it" the grand daughter was quick to raise her squirt gun at me and squeeze off a long burst which I sidestepped. The water was not wasted as the wife was standing in the line of fire and was not quick enough to raise the towels to block the water and she became collateral damage.

Her answer was to retreat to the cabin and close the door on us as rain started to fall again. The kids as one yelled "Rain" and ran to the dock to jump one by one into the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. I was left on the deck alone in the rain as the kids splashed in the lake and the wife locked the door as I approached. She waved her finger at me through the glass and teased me with a dry towel. I turned and headed for the covered swing but Buddy was already sitting on it. I stood on the deck and enjoyed the warm falling rain, I was already as wet as I was going to get so I moved a couple of pails to where they would fill from water coming off the down spout. I was plotting my revenge and counter strike on the grand kids when they got out of the lake. My plan was quickly changed when I spotted my neighbor Chuck looking rather dry heading my way yelling about "What's all the noise over here about?" From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,153,918}

[Bobby Bass]

Fishing Monday, that is what I am calling Mondays this summer. So far I have managed to get out the last three Mondays in a row and the weather has been decent each day. Yesterday my fishing partner for the day was under the weather so I went out by myself. Drove to a local lake and usually the landing is empty but yesterday there were a few cars with empty canoe racks parked right at the access. Of course there is parking a hundred feet away but I guess that after carrying their canoes to the water they were to tired to move their cars to the parking area. I backed the Puddle Humper around them and made it to the water without hitting anything.

With the boat floating I parked the Tahoe in the parking area and waved at the pesky black flies that were following me back to the lake. Dropped the trolling motor and got away from shore so I could get the rods out. As I was arranging the boat for an evening of fishing one of the canoes came around the point, just one guy casting to the shoreline and occasionally dipping his paddle in the water to move him along. When he got close I gave him a HIYA and he said hi in return. The normal stranger fishing chatter was then exchanged.

"Just get on the water" him

"Yup" me

"Fish this lake often?" him

"I try and hit it a few times a year" me

"Did ya slay them today?" me

"Nope, hardly a bite" him.

He then turned away and launched a cast towards shore. I reached for a spinnerbait and put a five inch green plastic trailer on it. Instead of casting toward shore I winged one out into the reed bed and turned the handle twice before I had a fish on. Hard not to keep it a secret as the northern came to the surface and made a big deal out of catching my spinnerbait. I lifted the fish over the side and saw the guy in the canoe was watching. I could not resist and I held the fish up and said loud enough for him to hear that the lake is full of these and then tossed the fish back into the water. Two casts later and I repeated the process, northern held up to admire then released with a splash back into the drink.

In ten minutes I caught four Northerns and of course lost a bigger one at the boat. The guy in the canoe watched me without really coming any closer. I figured I could catch all the northerns I wanted in the reeds so I started the big motor and moved on. As I went around the point I saw him paddling to where I had just been. Calm water and blue bird sky, not my favorite kind of day to go fishing but it was a Monday. I spent the rest of the day looking for bass and trying to keep the Northerns off my line. The Northerns trashed a few of my spinnerbaits and by evening I switched over to a buzz bait and managed to get a few bass to eat it.

No dock pattern on this evening, no one was interested in my plastic worms and the only bite I had was a decent fish that I didn't set the hook on well enough or it was just clamped down on the tail of the worm. I went back into the pads and tossed the buzz bait some more and the northerns were still there chasing anything that moved. Mayfly hatch was in progress and the little guys were everywhere, might be why the bass were not to interested in my offerings. The best part of the evening was the wind came up just as I was getting off the lake. I was actually skeeter free at the landing, wish I could say the same for them black flies, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,155,086}

[Bobby Bass]

Winter does not have a chance if you ask me, of course this was the topic of discussion at the Club House here at the Resort on Lake Iwanttobethere. We were having lunch and Vic and Marv had out done themselves with the afternoon feast. Featured was a Kaiser roll stuffed with fresh pan fried bluegill that Vic had caught that morning. Golden crispy hash browns and sweet onion, onion rings. Hammering Hank had brought sweet corn from the highway stand and for dessert we had ice cold slabs of seedless watermelon. Napkins, actually sheets of paper towel hung from the necks of our tee shirts and the table held nothing but crumbs and watermelon rinds.

Leaning back in our chairs we talked of how just about anything tastes better in the summer time. Men were meant to eat outdoors around smoking camp fires and drink grog. Of course as soon as someone mentioned grog Vic drew a pitcher of beer and now the lunch was complete. We were all inside but we did have all the windows open and the screens in place. No sense in giving the biting black flies a chance to share in our feast. Matter of fact we are pretty sure that if the caveman had screen he would have used it.

Yesterday some rain fell so that got me out of having to do any watering here this morning. The big garden has started taking off and maybe just maybe I might get something out of it. Cherry tomato plants have little ones on them and the rest of the tomato plants are flowering. Spuds are ready to get hilled for the first time but it is to wet to walk in there right now. This afternoon we are going to hang a new front door in cabin #5 and it should not be much of a deal for Hammering Hank and myself to do it. I won't say anything more about it as I don't want to jinx us. Tomorrow we are going to have our first annual mid summer mowing day, we have been mowing every week or so but tomorrow we are going to bring our own garden tractors in and we are going to mow everything way back and cut it tight. Even going to mow the ditches all out and with luck we will only have to do it just this once.

With everyone mowing we are planning an evening fishing contest and the Fellows have offered to do the weed whacking if they can get in on the contest. This might just turn into a good idea, I'll have to see if we can find something to give away to the winner or winners. We have a few deer who are hanging around and two fawns. The does are a rich caramel colored and are looking pretty good, they have been checking out the flower beds but so far they are just looking. No sooner did the ground hog stand go up then the ground hog disappeared. Yesterday we were treated to an air show as the local eagle had a disagreement with the local osprey. They buzzed each other out in the middle of the bay with the eagle looking like a bomber and the osprey a fighter jet. No winner and no loser as they just kept rolling at each other but interesting to watch from the deck here. I tried to shoot some video but they were just specks on the view finder.

I must say that I am enjoying have the wood shop out here at the resort. I made a frame and now have a screen across the entire garage door entrance. I also installed two big eye bolts in the beams holding up the walls and it just so happens that a hammock that I have fits exactly between the spaces between the eye bolts. With the speakers that I found hooked up to the old tube am radio the baseball games come in just fine. I hung the speakers up high out of the way and the game sounds like you are at the ball park. Not much better way then to lie back in the hammock with the game on and a breeze flowing through the garage. Best part is I don't have to take the hammock down when I am done, It can stay hanging right where it is as there is no wife to say that it is in the way of my work, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1.156,660}

[Bobby Bass]

Today finds me swinging in my hammock trying to figure a way to convert an old truck a/c unit to cool the wood shop. I have an idea but it may or may not work. Yesterday we actually got all the work planned completed. With six riding lawn mowers the place looks like a golf course before a golf tournament. We all met in the main room of the Club House and Vic doing his best General Patton impression had a drawing of the Resort on the Great Table. Using a stalk of celery he pointed out our assignments for mowing. With pats on our back he sent us out to mount our mowers and "Attack the green" as he refereed to the mowing battle plan.

The Fellows also wanted to get in on the assault and brought with them an assortment of gas powered weed wackers. Some of them may have not been used in awhile and I think their wives would have been surprised to see that they still even ran. Ear plugs were a plus as the Fellows had also brought Gary's lawn tractor with since he didn't have a weed wacker. The muffler on the tractor had long ago rusted off and with just a straight pipe we had no problem knowing where Gary and his mower were. The "Green plan" called for us to first mow ditches and trails and then form up as a group and mow the center section where the tent camper's pitch. The idea being that we would mow like the county snow plows, one following the one in front but just a little off to the side.

The mowing plan was a sound one and with six riding mowers we made quick work of the ditches and trails. The Fellows to their credit worked as a team and Tiny even brought waders so he could cut right down the center of the ditches. They stayed together till they ran into a couple of garden snakes and then they scattered out of the ditch running like little girls. Of course little girls with gas powered modified weed wackers with cutting line that voided the warranty can be a little scary if they are coming at you.

With ditches done the Green Plan called for us to mow around the cabins and then form up and mow the center section. After the first pass we had to go single file around the cabins to come back to the center section. Boys will be boys and as we came through the cabins there was some jockeying for mowing positions. The graceful symmetrical mowing of the grass field turned into a Calvary charge of mowers racing to get to the other side and back to the cabins. I don't know who did it first but when we came out of the cabin area we did not head back out to the field but returned to the cabins and mowing the grass was forgotten as we now had our own Le Man's course weaving in and out and around the cabins, clothes poles and Marv's Airstream. Mower decks were raised and guys started to hang off the side of the mowers to better lean into the turns.

Vic sitting on the deck of the Club House saw his plan falling apart and setting his lemonade down grabbed the garden hose and tried to get our attention by spraying us with water as we came around cabin #5 all he did was make the grass slick so we could drift around the turn. The Fellows waved Gary into their camping area and quickly dropped his deck off his tractor, topped off his gas tank and gave him a helmet to wear. Seeing this I pulled into the shop and popped the hood on my Cub, I made a few adjustments to the governor and was back to racing. This went on for awhile till one by one we ran out of gas and had to pull off to the side. I joined Chuck, Marv, Elmer and Hammering Hank on the deck and drank lemonade as we watched Gary drive in circles by himself, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,158,396}

[Bobby Bass]

The weekend here at Lake Iwanttobethere is or was the kind of weekend you would expect in mid July It was hot and muggy and we had some rain and the skeeters are so bad we erected a sign for the locals at the edge of town. The sign has a drawing of a skeeter and then a number below it. This weekend the sign had the number 127 on it. We call it the Skeeter Index and if the tourist knew what the index is about they would know that at 127 they should keep on driving. 127 means at dusk there are 127 skeeter's per square foot of window screen! That is a lot of skeeters no matter how you measure them. Sunshine Ray helped put up the sign as he is also a bug guy in his spare time. I learned that in our part of the county we have over fifty different kinds of skeeters and that we have so many this season is because of the late spring. Seems that these fifty different kinds of skeeters don't all hatch at the same time but this summer a lot of them have overlapped so to speak and for a bug guy it is a great time. Not such a great time for everyone else.

A good thing though is the biting black flies have kind of disappeared for now, might be because of all the skeeters, but that is just my idea. Mayflies are in abundance so eating outside can be a challenge and you better keep an eye on your food. Weather has been just sticky, the saying about the air so thick you can cut it with a knife comes to mind. Last few days here you could cut it with a 2 x 4 ... We have open up the Ice House at the Lodge with 4th of July having come and gone most of the ice that was in storage has been used. What is left sure does make the Ice House into a very nice cool place to sip a Hamm's or three. No tables or chairs in there but if you don't mind getting a little sawdust on you then sitting on a block of ice is a refreshing feeling in all this heat and muggy air.

Grass is growing good and the mowing day we had at the Resort might not have been such a good idea. Seems we might have just woken the grass up with the trim we gave it and now the stuff is really growing, except around the cabins. That area looks like a putting green it was mowed so many times during the race. As a reward the Fellows were allowed to fish in our little fishing contest we had that night, We just fished in the bay right here and no motors were allowed, just paddles or oars. I went out with Vic and he quickly directed me to his bluegill spot. I did the rowing and he did the directing. When we got there he checked to see if anyone was close and then we went around a little point and he took the push pole and leaned it against the bank that started to move. I watched and was going to say something when I saw it was a piece of floating marsh grass and it opened up to an even smaller little bay. We poled in and the floating grass closed in behind us and we were out of sight.

Vic then handed me a set of ear plugs and told me to put them on, I didn't question him and did what I was told. Some bobbers and pieces of worm and we were fishing like little kids a few minutes later. Nice bluegills were tugging at our bobbers and pulling them under the surface and running them away from us. Some of the hits made the pencil bobbers look like the periscope on a sub when they would do a crash dive. Vic pulled out an ear plug and pointed at me, I pulled my plug out and heard Vic say " You want to win the contest or keep this a secret?" I smiled and said "What contest" and I put the plug back in. There was a little lull in fishing and that is when I noticed all the red wing black birds hanging from the cattails and occasionally buzzing the rowboat. I pulled the ear plug and pointed at Vic who did the same, "What's with all the birds?" I asked. As I waited for him to reel in a fish I was hearing all the racket the birds were making, They were making sounds like bottle rocket's going off and a lot's of them. Vic with a hand size gill in his hand was taking the hook out and just said that this is a nesting site for this end of the lake and we will be fine, But when the birds fly down to the floating door and open it then it's time for us to leave. He then put his ear plug back in and grinned at me. I smiled back and wondered if he was pulling on my bobber, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,161,345}

[Bobby Bass]

Here is a surprise, it is hot! here at Lake Iwanttobethere today. Stormy Clearweather was right on the money calling for a day time high of ninety and with the humidity it was going to feel like ninety-five in the shade. I just got back in from watering the big garden here at the Resort and I don't even think the first beer that I drank even made it to my stomach. I tipped the mug up and the beer just kind of made a sizzling sound like water on a hot skillet when it hit my mouth. The new water hauling system works great and on a day like today it is a life saver. I made some refinements but the idea was all Vic's.

I know in passing I have mentioned that we have some row boats here at the Resort that need some restoration work. One was all fixed up for Vic to get the mail and daily newspaper and a few more were fixed up to be rentals or for guests to use. A twelve footer was put on a trailer and shoved up under the eves of the shop to be worked on later, it needed new bench seats. Well, I kind of forgot all about it till we did the serious mowing day and we had to move the boat and trailer to cut the grass around it. The boat was pretty much full of water and instead of draining it Vic suggested we just haul it to the big garden and pull the plug. I'm thinking a good idea but every idea can be improved so I installed a bilge pump and added a battery to the boat. Now we haul the boat up to the garden and turn on the bilge pump connected to a garden hose and there you have it, our new irrigation system!

The boat is back under the eve empty as are all the rain barrels, rain in the forecast so I am hoping everything fills up here in the next few days. Skinny had just left the Club House he was heading out to the road to update the Skeeter Index sign. We are down to 121 today as a few must have died overnight, I know when I was on the deck last night that I took out a few. I have the lap top out and I am jotting some thoughts down as I cool off under the big ceiling fan that is pushing the a/c air around. Windows are closed and shades are down it is in the mid seventies in the room but that feels a lot colder then what it feels like outside. Vic comes into the main room from the kitchen looking like one of them plantation owners. He has on white pants, a white shirt and vest and to top it off he is wearing a wide brim white hat. He has a cigar in one had and a tall glass in the other. I can hear the ice cubes clinking in the glass as he strolls over to the booth I am sitting in.

Vic slides across the leather of the booth till he is up against the window sill, he stops there and puts his short legs up on the seat and sips from his glass and takes a puff of his cigar. The smoke rises and the wind from the fan catches it and sends it across the room to fade away. He takes another sip from his glass before he sets it down on the table and smiles at me. "And just who are you supposed to be?" I ask. Vic smiles and takes another puff of his cigar and says "You can just call me Big Daddy" I crack up and grab his glass, I am going to see what the heck he is drinking. "Sweet Tea, are you kidding me" I manage to get out before washing the taste from my mouth with the cold Hamms that I had refilled the mug with. "Nothing better on a hot day like today" Vic I mean Big Daddy said. I shook my head and went back to the laptop, not even one in the afternoon and he is on the Sweet Tea already, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,162,605}

[Bobby Bass]

Waiting, still waiting here at the cabin on the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere, waiting for rain. Rain barrels are all empty and the plants tug at your sleeves as you walk by, like pan handlers you can almost hear them say "Hey buddy, got any spare water?" Rain has been in the forecast for the past few days but every drop that has fallen has been north of here. We have been getting the heat and the humidity but none of the thunderstorms have found their way down my way. Grand kids walk around with squirt guns tucked into the waist bans of their shorts. At the drop of a hat they draw and spray each other, no one complains about getting wet there is more complaining about getting dry.

I have been spending my time in two places, either in front of the a/c with Bud, Barney and Duncan at my feet or on the deck in the shade reading. When it is this hot my excuse for not doing anything is that I am reading a book and in the past few days I am averaging a book a day. Too dang hot to even go fishing but Elmer and Marv have been down on Elmer's dock under the blue tarp with bobbers drifting. The two of them have been fishing at the cabin in the morning then going to the Resort for afternoon fishing, Of course at the Resort they are in the main room watching their bobbers through the windows over the top of cold frosted mugs of Hamms.

Skeeter count is still high but the fly count is dropping, I think we saw the reason yesterday as dragon flies have appeared at the lake. I noticed them when I was sitting on the deck reading with my feet in the kiddy pool. The dragon flies came in with a British attitude, they take their time and announce that they are here for the pesky black flies that us yanks have and can you be a good bloke and point them in the right direction. Duncan sits on the edge of the deck and watches them slowly fly by, just out of reach. Speaking of Duncan he is busy, even more busy then usual as he has a new friend. I have a stack of lumber on the deck under a tarp for a project that I need to get to when it cools down. A chipmunk or maybe two have decided to move into the lumber pile and use it as a condo. Duncan now spends at least an hour a day circling the tarped wood pile trying to meet the chipmunk.

Old dogs Bud and Barney have this retirement thing down. They lay on the deck staying in the shade and from time to time will get up and walk over to the kiddy pool to stand in the water. They don't walk down to the lake as that means they will have to make the walk back up the hill to the deck. Grand kids take turns bringing them dog biscuits and feeding them ice cubes that they mostly lick no longer having the teeth like young Duncan to crush them with. They take turns coming over to the swing and I rub them with my bare feet. Grand kids have chores to do on the few days a week when they are at the cabin. Flowers to water and picking up the yard of branches and finding what ever Duncan has hauled out of the cabin. When chores are done the process of looking for bait to go fishing is next.

Frogs are high on the list but they get sidetracked when they find a garden snake. Thing there is the girls chase the boys with the snakes not the other way around. Kids are looking for rain to, and not so much to make it cool but they are running low on night crawlers to sell at the Resort. The money from the crawler sales have kept them in ice cream cones from Jeanies and Stan's Ice Cream and Tackle truck. Time for lunch here and I think me and the kids are just going to make some sandwiches and drink lemonade from shot glasses. Kids get a kick out of slamming the cold lemonade and standing with their water guns at the ready. Not something grandma really approves of but grandma is not here today, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,165,301}

[Bobby Bass]

One AM eighty-four degrees out, lightning all around and not a drop of rain does not make one a happy camper. Early this morning I sat on the deck waiting to feel the predicted rain on my face but not a drop fell. Three days in a row of ninety-two plus heat is not something we normally have here at Lake Iwanttobethere. The tourists that are going home today are leaving sun burned and maybe thinking twice about coming back. Today it is not suppose to hit eighty and the incoming tourists are thinking that this is pleasant weather with day time highs to be in the seventies the next week and just a few days with any chance of rain.

The only good thing that I got done was putting a good dent into the books that I received for my 720th birthday. Last night looking for an excuse to drive in the Tahoe with the windows up and the a/c on I drove over to the Resort. All the rowboats were out in the little bay as everyone had waited for the sun to get low in the trees before going fishing. It was hot, a little breeze but nothing that was going to cool you off just make you feel like a baked potato chip instead of a fried one. Hammering Hank and Skinny might have had the best idea as they had just waded out into the water and had an inter tube floating between them. They had their tackle box resting on top of the tube and a small cooler tied to the side. It looked like a pretty good idea but I saw Vic waving at me through one of the Club House windows to come in.

I left the comfort of the Tahoe's a/c and made the short walk to the Club House door. As I got to the door I saw that Vic had put up a closed sign and as I went in that was the first thing I asked Vic about. I pointed my thumb back over my shoulder and looked at Vic. Vic said the sign is up because people keep coming in and letting the cold air out" made sense to me and I headed behind the bar where I pulled a frosty mug from the freezer and filled it with cold water. I took the mug over to the booth where Vic was sitting and slid across the leather till I was close enough to rest an elbow on the window sill. Vic looked at me and asked if I wanted him to pour me a beer and I just shook my head no and said "This is good enough" Vic reached his hand across the table and with a look of fake concern put the back of his hand on my forehead.

I gave him a little HaHa and pulled back from his hand, I replaced it with the cold mug and pressing the dripping mug against my forehead I let out a little sigh of contentment. Vic settling back into the leather of the booth took a sip from his beer and said "Hot enough for ya?" Since neither one of us is a tourist or a customer I told him what I really thought about the heat wave and we both chuckled. We made some chit chat and I was watching Hank and Skinny fishing through the window. It took me a moment to notice but they only had one rod between them. One would fish while the other sipped on a beer and after a while they would trade off. Sometimes them guys do come up with good ideas.

Getting up to get a water refill I just decide to grab another cold mug and I saw out of the corner of my eye some movement. I looked around the end of the bar just in time to see a big back cat walk over to Vic and start rubbing against his leg. I made my way back to the booth and asked Vic "What is with the cat?" Vic kind of gave me a "I didn't tell you story" about how he thought the Resort should have a mouser and he had a friend that was moving into the retirement home and before you know it, Vic had offered to take the cat. I don't have anything against cats as a matter of fact I work for three of them back at the cabin. I asked Vic if the cat has a name and he told me "Why Yes, yes it does, the cat's name is "Theory" "You named the cat Theory, why?" I asked. Vic held Theory in his arms and I could hear the cat purr from the other side of the booth. Vic said, "Well I always wanted a Pet Theory of my own".... From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,166,712}

[Bobby Bass]

My neighbor Chuck made a major purchase this past week, he went out and bought himself a boat. Not a new boat mind you but an old boat, even has a few more years on it then my Puddle Humper does but it was stored in a garage and hardly ever used. Some guys travel the countryside looking for just the right old car to restore where others set out in search of the just right old boat. Most of the time they are never found but it gives one something to do. Chuck found his new old boat in the garage of a relative, who would have thunk that. Chuck has not been boat less he does own the S.S. Mistake and he has a Jon boat that he hits the local ponds with in search of the elusive Sungills.

Of course once the word got out that Chuck had gotten a new boat all the guys came over to do an inspection, drink a beer and tell Chuck what he should do to the boat. Basically he was told to buy and add on everything to his boat that they would want to have on their boat, if they had the money that is. Chuck told me over a beer that if he added everything to his boat he would have to start of first by adding another four feet to it. First thing on the to do list is a good cleaning of the hull. All Chuck has to do is pull out the wheel cleaner paste and hold up a rag and the inspectors find a reason to move on. He does not do that with me as I am in the process of cleaning the hull of the Puddle Humper and gave him the idea to clean his with the aluminum wheel cleaner.

A pleasant day today, much better than the plus ninety degree heat of the past week. Would have been nice for some rain but that never happened here on this end of the lake. Fishing is slow so Chuck and I took some time and went fishing yesterday. We took the Puddle Humper out in search of the elusive Sungills. A small local lake back in the woods is where we went and there always has been a rumor that Sungills can be found there. Now right away here I will admit that I have never caught a Sungill but I have heard stories about them. They are not a sunfish or a bluegill or even one of them over sized pumpkinseeds. Not a special cross or an accident at the hatchery but a special gold panfish that are rare in these parts but are rich in stories about them.

The old guys would tell of schools of the Sungills and battling them with musky tackle and old black braid line. Ear plugs were worn because a good Sungill could rip the line from a bait caster off so fast that the spool would scream and the plugs were needed to save your hearing. The fish were said only to be caught in the dead of summer, heat and long days were needed. Chuck and I figured that after several days of ninety degree weather we had the heat part taken care of. Chuck has been rasing some special night crawlers that he has been measuring with a foot long ruler. We had a dozen that were long enough and as thick as your thumb to fish with. The stories say the Sungills are bigger than turkey platters and even the northerns turn and swim the other way when the Sungills are on the move.

Catching Sungills is a team adventure, Elmer told me the best way is to take a big hook and thread your foot long worm on it, attach a old window sash weight to the line and then tie the line to a tether ball. Pretty heavy duty I thought till Vic gave us the rest of the presentation. You then have to have two fishermen tie their lines to the tether ball, one from the front of the boat and the other at the rear. Having two lines is the only way you will have a chance at a Sungill if he takes the bait. If it is a female then you might just as well cut the lines because you don't have a chance. Yesterday we spent some time just trying to figure out how to cast the worm, weight and tether ball. When we told Vic about the practice he just shook his head and told us we need to just put the setup into the water and back away slow and quiet like. The Sungills don't get caught or big by being dumb. They also are attracted by the sound of opening beer cans, so we spent some time working on that, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,169,324}

[Bobby Bass]

Nice relaxing Silent Sunday yesterday, got a lot done with out even breaking a sweat. Got to sleep in late as I was not bothered with the sound of a fan or a/c running during the night. With temperatures in the mid sixties most of the day and some wind the windows were left standing open and the cabin finally cooled off. I spent time directing grand kids in the fine art of weeding in the vegetable garden. I think the oldest one was catching on to the fact that they were doing all the work and I was doing all the directing. Secret to kids and gardening is to give them each a couple of plants to take care of. I could hear the youngest grand son and grand daughter boasting to each other how their tomato plant was better then the others.

Cut up some cedar 2x4's to make clothes line holders for the wife, somehow the ones she had disappeared. I think they might have been used to start a fire but I am not admitting to that. The fresh cut 2x4's do smell good and the cutoffs were placed in the fire pit as number one grandson was given the green light to build a fire. Lunch was hot dogs on pointed sticks roasted on the small fire that was tended to by the grandson. With the breeze we had no skeeters to bother us and the flies have disappeared for now. I might have to put down yesterday on the calendar as a pretty decent summer day.

The number one daughter came to the cabin to pick up her daughter, she is a few days past due for what will be either my number three grandson or granddaughter, no one knows yet. Either way it will be grand kid number five and it will be a tie breaker. Hopefully here in the next day we will find out if we have three boys or three girl grand babies. Can't be around the wife or daughter right now, they are watching the daughter like little hens. No one cares around here about the British baby we are waiting on our own.

Today it is supposed to rain but as I write this it is blue sky and just a few white clouds drifting by. Since it is a Monday I should go fishing but we are planning a little fishing contest tomorrow so I am going to wait till then to get out. Yesterday I saw Chuck hauling the new old boat out and heading for the access. Girlfriend had invited all her friend's kids to come to the lake where Uncle Chuck was going to give free boat rides. Chuck returned later in the afternoon with a boat filled with crushed potato chips on his carpet. He was not looking too happy when he backed the boat into the garage. By late afternoon all my grand kids were gone and peace and some quiet settled in here at the cabin. I decided to drive over to the Resort and see how things were going there.

On my way over I drove by Hammering Hank's wood lot and I saw Skinny out there just sitting on a pile of logs reading a book. I gave him a passing wave and he gave me one back. When I arrived at the Resort I saw Hammering Hank talking with Elmer and Marv, the way Hank was holding up his arms I knew it had to be a fish story. I parked up by the shop and was checking to see if any rain water had found it's way into the watering boat, it had not, it was bone dry. I came around the corner and found Hammering Hank standing there, he started to tell me about the huge fish he lost last evening and even though it broke his line and he never saw it Elmer and Marv told him they were pretty sure it had to be a Sungill. I nodded as I listen to Hank tell his story and watched over Hank's shoulder at Elmer and Marv as they walked to the Club House slapping each other on the back. I'm thinking there might be something to these Sungills after all. Hank was done with his story and I managed to ask him about Skinny at the wood lot reading. Hank told me that is just something new they are trying. It seems they get more money for a loggers cord of seasoned wood and they heard that the tourist will pay even more for "Educated" wood, so Skinny is now reading to the wood so they can charge more, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,171,470}

[Bobby Bass]

Went for a boat ride yesterday, was a nice afternoon with temperatures in the low seventies, a slight breeze and just enough clouds in the sky to give you some shade from the sun from time to time. I was caught up on chores, at least that is what I hope to have the wife thinking so a boat ride was in the afternoon plans. My oldest son was up for a ride so he came over to the cabin and the wife was convinced that she should spend some time with her grand kids and she fell for it. Not pressing our luck we quickly made up some samwiches and added a few goodies to a small cooler and were off down the road. As we pulled out of the drive we had to decide just where we should go have our boat ride and we exchanged a few lakes that we have heard people talking about.

Just so happen that we both a brought a few rods along so we thought we should pick a lake that maybe if we got bored with our boat ride we could do a little casting. The son had been out fishing the day before and had not done well so we decided against that lake and I had heard Chuck was out and he didn't fair much better on another local lake so we eliminated that one. We found ourselves just kind of driving down the road with the windows open and a couple of cigars with red tips in our fingers. The wife does not approve of me smoking cigars and if she found out her son was she really would have let him have it. But sometimes moms don't have to know what their sons and husbands are doing.

We decided to fish, I mean take a boat ride on a lake that neither one of us has been on, I have driven by it many a time but just a few years ago did I turn down the gravel road to check out the access for the first time. The water was low and it looked like it would be work to get the Puddle Humper into the lake so I just made a mental note and moved on. With all the rain that has fallen in the past ten days I was thinking that maybe the water would be up and the son could do the pushing and it might be a lake to take a boat ride in. The son is always looking to find a new "Honey Hole" so it was decided to head to the small lake and an hour later we were driving down the gravel road leading to the access.

First off it was a decent gravel access with a good size area to turn around. I watched as the son backed the trailer into the water and got out to push the Puddle Humper off. No problem there as all I had to do was stand and swat at skeeters that came out of the cedars in waves like one of them alien space movies. The son parked the Tahoe and almost didn't make it back to the Puddle Humper as I was busy trying to get away from shore. The skeeters were scarce once we got out on the water and out of the protection of the cedars, the little breeze was enough to keep them back on shore. Dropping the trolling motor in we were soon gliding down the shoreline looking at a lot of down tree's hanging in and over the water and as long as we had fishing rods well it would be kind of dumb not to toss a few cats out.

Our first clue should have been the old couple who to were just out having a boat ride on their pontoon. They went by us and we waved at each other and exchanged HIYA's. I shouted out "Leave any fish for us?" And the lady in the front just waved her fly swatter at us and said " We are not fishing, just taking a boat ride" and they continued on down the shore and I did notice they need not have a line out. Four hours later we were back at the landing. The son had lost two small northerns at the boat, I had lost one and had another hit at the boat only to go under the boat and get caught by the son who had his rod on that side. The son hosted the twenty inch northern up and held it over his head like he had just won at the Masters. "What's the big deal there kiddo" I asked. His reply was "I do believe you have been skunked there Dadio" He eased the fish back into the water and as he turned to me I just simply said " I was just taking a boat ride" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,174,193}

[Bobby Bass]

Yesterday was a lovely day, to work that is. Off and on rain showers made their way across the lake and it was cool enough that a/c units were turned off and given a break. Windows were closed and for the first time in weeks the rain barrels are full of water again. No need to water gardens or flower pots and the hose could finally be rolled up, it was not going to be needed. The indoor to do list has not been looked at for awhile but on top of the list was the water heater here at the cabin. I have been accused that I say "One of these days" too much when I am referring to work that needs to be done, and yesterday was the day I figured to replace the heater.

I had the water heater, bought it a month ago on sale and have just been looking for the right day to install it. Sure didn't want to be putting in a water heater on a good day to be fishing or some other outside project. Am replacing the oil fired heater with one of them efficient electric ones so it was not going to be a simple switch tanks kind of job. Had already made a few trips down to see Big Earl for a breaker and wire and Chuck told me he had everything else we would need in his plumber's bag, but we ended up being short a few things. As you might have already guessed Chuck was going to help me with the heater, actually I was going to help Chuck. Learned along time ago that if someone does something enough you get good at it, well Chuck is our heater man and yesterday I was going to be the helper.

I am a pretty good helper, just a tad slow which was a good match for Chuck as we were both feeling kind of old and slow yesterday. We eyeballed the job and made a mental list of what we would need for fittings and headed to the General Store where we chatted with Barb and got a little bag of copper fittings and then complained to Earl about how much copper fitting have gone up since the last time we had to buy any. Back at the cabin we turned off the water and drained the pipes and the water heater, of course I had to go outside and get a length of the garden hose for the heater that I had just rolled up that morning, should have just left it out. With the water drained we undid the heater but forgot to get a cap for the fuel oil line. Back to the General Store for a cap and a little more conversation. Got back to the cabin and decided that a cup of coffee would be good but we had forgotten to fill the coffee pot before we turned off the water. So are you beginning to see a pattern here in how the day was going to go?

Getting water from Elmer and explaining why we needed the water took a little time as Elmer wanted to know what we were going to do with the old oil fired water heater. We got out of there when he started hinting that the old heater might just be something he would be interested in. Truth be known I had already promised it to the Fellows who were going to use it in their portable car wash they were working on. With oil dry on the floor to catch the spill the fuel line was capped and the old heater was dragged out of the way, thing was a lot heavier then I remember. New heater was a lot lighter but that might be because Chuck was the one who moved it into place. I was busy holding the installation instructions till Chuck snatched them from my hand and shook his pointed finger at me and said "You know the rule, never look at the instructions till the job is done"

Three more trips to the General Store for forgotten fittings, a length of pipe and more solder, toss in a stop for Coney's and more water for coffee pot and late last night the heater was up and running. I told the wife that I was going to be the first one to use the shower and I was going to stay in it till it ran out of hot water, instead I was to tired and went to bed. This morning finds me looking at the inside to do list as it is cool and wet out but I do have a nice big check mark in front of Replace Water Heater, should be good enough for a couple of fishing trips! From Lake Iwanttobethere {1,178,646}

[Bobby Bass]

If this was a two months from now I would say the day is kind of blustery out. I was out weeding the garden and I had to put on a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie. The Bass thermometer hanging on the wall of the cabin says it is just above fifty out and there is enough wind to make the big old blue spruce sway some. Almost made me come back inside the cabin to check the calendar to see if we are still in the month of July. I have to walk by the garden when I come and go to the parking area and I have gotten into the habit of grabbing the hoe and take a few whacks at the weeds that always seem to grow from no where over night. It is working pretty good as it is keeping the weeds in check and I don't have to out there and spent an afternoon doing it.

Yesterday was another cool damp day but I am not complaining at all, I was not planning on doing any fishing and actually I hope the weather cools the water off some and fishing improves. At the very least it should give the flies the hint to head to a warmer climate. The day was not wasted though, since the heater has past its tests, no leaks and it is still running I spent the afternoon cleaning up my mess as the wife refers to it. Old water heater is up and out of the basement and that is a story in itself that I don't want to write about. Tools were put away and extra pipe stuck in the rafters. Copper that can be recycled was carried out to the garage and tossed in the five gallon bucket. One of these days I will have to go down to the scrap yard and get rid of it. If scrap is as high as the price of copper fittings I just may start referring to the scrap metal bucket as another 401 K plan.

The chipmunk is still running around, none of the dogs have caught him or her yet. The grand kids have given him or her a name, they call it Speedy. When I go into the garden as soon as I open the gate Duncan is in there ahead of me looking for Speedy. A few times the Chipmunk has been there and the chase starts, usually it is over before it starts as Speedy makes a dash through the fence and Duncan is left at the fence whining. I tell Duncan to use the gate and he looks at me and I can almost hear him thinking "O the gate" and then he takes off through the garden out the gate and around the fence to where Speedy has been long gone from. Bud just lays on the deck and licks his paws and watches. Either he knows that he can't catch Speedy or he just does not care.

No sooner did I check off the water heater from the to do list then the wife asked me when I was going to start on the shed expansion. I told her I thought I might get in a few days of fishing first as installing a water heater is a pretty big deal. She just shook her head at me and said something about Chuck doing all the work and I was just the gopher. That and the fact that it took us all day and she found the Coney wrappers and the Lake Iwanttobethere root beer bottles in the garbage can. Then she went on to say something about getting that pile of wood off her deck and if the wood was gone maybe Speedy would be gone and then Duncan would stop running round looking for that poor thing. She was putting up a pretty good chain of events that would happen if I put the expansion on the shed and I just nodded and pointed to the overcast sky and mumbled something about rain in the forecast.

The pregnant daughter is now a week over due and I think the wife wants to greet her latest grand baby. I too am hoping for the daughter to deliver as I figure that will give the wife something to fuss about and she will forget about the shed and I can get some fishing in. Of course I too want to greet my grand son or grand daughter, I got a lot of garden to weed and I am not getting any younger, can always use the help down the road, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,180,397}