Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

[Bobby Bass]

THE HOTEL IS at full capacity for the second weekend of deer season. Last night the last bunk had a knapsack dropped on it as the guys all gathered to give it another go. With no one scoring a deer all week there were no tags filled so we are all back together. Last week was not a typical opening week at camp as no one even saw a deer and we did have Chuck's wedding in the middle of it. The honeymoon is over so to speak as Chuck is here at the Hotel and has been getting ribbed by the other guys constantly. Nearly a full moon last night and temperatures stayed above forty so we took advantage of the nice evening and sat around the fire pit. Had a hockey game on the radio and I had to run a new antenna wire from the Hotel to a pine out back, Old one had somehow gotten broken yet again.

My turn to cook and I did a simple meal on the fire, cubed up a mess of home grown potatoes and added sliced up polish sausage and onions and fried it in the big oversized cast iron pan on the fire. Made two big batches and everyone got a belly full. After that guys sat in chairs gathered around the fire and pushed boot covered feet towards the heat of the fire. The cush of beer cans being open joined into the crackle and snap of pine being burned. Elmer took out his guitar and strummed some on it..... Actually Elmer can't play a lick but I just wanted to see if you thought we really had Beach Boy moments around the campfire.

Mostly we talked strategy about Saturdays deer hunt. With no deer moving we figured we were going to have to do something other then just sit in our stands and wait. Reed suggested maybe we should do a circle drive and a few more of the guys were warm to the idea. Our camp is a pretty old camp, not only is it the camp old but the guys hunting out of it are to. A circle drive for us means that we all head out to our stands and at the top of each hour we still hunt to the next stand over. Usually we do this when it is really cold so it gets you out of your stand and gets the blood pumping again. After some conversation it was decided it was worth a try for at least the morning hunt and stands were picked. Rest of the evening was spent trading stories and giving Chuck a hard time about getting married.

Friday morning I had spent time in the woods still hunting, I to had thought that just sitting in the stands was not working this year and had started the day off walking back towards the Swamp stand but changing my mind. The weather was warm and I was traveling light, not even packing a lunch. I was on my way back to the swamp stand when I had a feeling that I was being watched. After a while the feeling was just to much for me and I retraced my steps and skirted the swamp. I went through the stand of Maples trying to be quiet in the dry leaves and took the trail that goes back through a stand of pines. From time to time the stand of pines will hold grouse and I once shot a decent buck back there. I came across a trail where I could make out three sets of tracks one a lot bigger than the others. I took my gloves out of my pocket and found a stump to sit on for awhile and watched the trail but saw nothing.

I went back to the trail that meanders through the pines and walked slow and stopped often to look and listen. I ended up spending a lot more time out there then I thought I would and was beginning to wish I had packed a sandwich or something. I then remembered the wedding ginger cookie that I had put back in my pocket but when I dug for it I came up empty. Must have dropped it when I took my gloves out. I heard an atv running off to the North, figured it must be that group that hunts that way, wonder if they were having any more luck then we were. I got back to the Hotel just as Big Earl and Junior were arriving. We leaned against the side of the pickup and I talked about my walk here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,413,429}

[Bobby Bass]

IT STARTED WITH just a few drops on the hood of the Tahoe, the rain that is. Guys were inside the Hotel just putting on coats and getting ready to hit the woods after the morning success. Elmer and Marv the two old coots had both scored does in the morning circle drive. I was the last one to hear about the deer as I was the farthest stand out when we came in from the woods at noon. We had reached our stands at seven and by eight everyone was ready to make a move. I peeked under my glove and when it got to eight on what I am told is an old fashion watch because it has hands on it I climbed down from my stand and slow hunted to the next stand which was about two hundred yards away. Reed was ahead of me and he was moving to his next stand which is almost three hundred yards on down the trail.

I took my time and crept along the trail looking for sign and movement. Back towards the Hotel I heard the single shot of a 30-30 and I waited for a follow up shot but none came. The 30-30 I knew was Elmer's as we both shoot the same kind of gun. I was just coming up to the stand when I heard two quick shots and a faint holler. I stood in place but didn't hear anything more. When the big hand on my watch hit nine I moved to the stand that Reed had just left, took me a little longer as it was a longer walk. When I got there I found a piece of a napkin and it just said DEER? I left it tucked away in the crook of the tree where the stand was nailed to. Chuck was behind me so I'll let him figure out what it was meant to mean.

When noon came I eased my way down from the Birch Point stand and still hunted my way down the trail that intersected with the trail back to the Hotel. It was nice and warm out and I was comfortable so I took my time and enjoyed myself. I had a good feeling about Elmer's single shot earlier. I was not so sure about the double shot a few minutes later. By twelve-forty five I was close enough to the Hotel that I could hear talking so I picked up the pace to find the guys standing outside around the fire pit. I exchanged HIYA's with the guys and was told that Elmer and Marv both had shot does. I looked around for the does and the old coots and Big Earl told me they had already loaded up the deer and Elmer and Marv were taking them down to Pa's to get them in the cooler. I think the guys were relieved that the camp had not been skunked and everyone would have at least a taste of venison for Thanksgiving.

Junior was there and he told the story since he helped drag the deer back to camp. Elmer was getting ready to climb down out of his stand when he spotted a doe sneaking across the trail about fifty yards down from his stand. As he told Junior he raised the old Winchester and put a round behind the ear and the doe went down. Elmer sat back down on his stand and waited for things to settle down. Well Marv showed up just a few minutes later as his idea of still hunting is just walking a tad slower then usual. He came up to the stand and asked Elmer what he was still doing in it. Elmer told he just shot a doe down the trail and was waiting on it. Marv asked where exactly and Elmer pointed down the trail. Marv followed where his finger was pointing and saw a doe looking back at him. Marv then said "Well your doe is standing back up" Before Elmer could raise his gun Marv shot his 308 twice and the doe was back down again. The two of them then had a discussion over who's doe it was and that is where Junior found the two of them when he moved to the stand expecting it to be empty a half hour later.

With the two old coots arguing about first shot last shot or who ever gets the tag on first Junior walked down the trail to find not one but two does laying almost side by side in the leaves. When he shouted his find out to Marv and Elmer Marv was the first to shout out that the big one had to be his. Then the two old guys acting like little kids slapped each other on the backs and went to tag their deer. Marv and Elmer teamed up to drag one doe back to camp and Junior dragged the second one. The deer were loaded in Elmer's truck and he and Marv headed to town. Junior stayed behind to tell the story of what had happen. Of course the thought of a picture did not enter Juniors train of thought but he agreed it would have been nice addition to the Hotel's bulletin board.

With the warm weather holding and now with two deer the group was not as serious as they were that morning. Lunch was made and we were already preparing ourselves for what will be the "True story" that the two guys will be telling us when they get back from town. I was looking forward to it as I figure the guys would have at least five or six hours to polish up a good yarn. When the first rain drop hit the Tahoe I was on the porch looking upwards. Several more fell and they were big enough to make splats on the steps of the porch that I could hear. Big Earl was the first out and he saw me looking skyward and as he looked up a big drop hit him on his forehead and he just said "Rain" He turned and walked back into the Hotel and I could hear his booming voice, "Raining out boys, who wants to play a little cards?" from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,415,658}

[Bobby Bass]

Sunday

A few of the guys were stirring this morning when I got up, could not sleep anymore and I had a sore neck. Comes from sleeping on the hard bunk of the Hotel, that and I am not as young as I once was and I like my comforts. Having the little e-reader with me is giving me lots of time to jot down stories and I am getting behind on getting them posted. Normally I don't write anything on Silent Sundays but today I was at deer camp and I spent most of the day out in my swamp stand. Elmer and Marv returned to camp late last night, well at least for them. It was after dark when the lights of Elmer's truck were seen bouncing up and down through the trees. They both could have stayed in town and slept in their own beds but nope they had to come back to camp and share the story of their not one but two harvested deer. They also brought along a surprise, Vic came along for the ride, actually I think they had him along for doing the sound effects of their hunting story. It was still dripping outside and the card game had been going on for several hours. Guys were feeling pretty good about having a few deer harvested and it was a good excuse to finally break out the Wild Turkey. Elmer and Marv were welcomed back to deer camp and Vic was giving a big welcome to camp as he produced a couple of bottles of Wild Turkey and a bag of ice from the back of Elmer's truck. The old guys had no intention of hunting in the morning so they stayed up as one by one the rest of us went to bed.

There was a full moon but we didn't see it as the night sky was overcast. I was hoping to head to the stand in the light of the moon but instead I was greeted with fog. I was dressed warm and so I moved slowly down the trail to the swamp stand. I know I sometimes complain about the stand but I seem to find myself spending the most time in it. I settled in and made myself comfortable, I have spent so much time in the stand that the tree that serves as a backrest almost feels like it was carved out for me. Dawn came like someone was using a giant dimmer switch. Slowly but surely it was getting lighter out but with the fog it had that kind of blurred look. When I left the Hotel the thermometer was resting at forty and I think it might be a tad warmer here at the edge of the swamp. But it was damp and that has a way of working into you after awhile. I didn't think I was going to need them but I got out a couple of the little hand warmers and took them out of their bags. Hiding them so nothing could see the movement I shook them and they started to heat up. One in each coat pocket and another I tucked in the small of my back. I leaned back and felt the heat and the cool of the dampness went away.

I kept watch on the swamp trail and let my eyes wander around me, of course my mind wanders some as I feel the heat from the little disposable heat pads. I think back to the days of sitting in the stands with the old Jon-e-Handwarmers or when it was really cold having a coffee can with charcoal burning at your feet. Made me think about how deer hunting has changed. Some of the younger guys in camp come with their smart phones with apps for everything. I can't say to much about them as I am sitting in my stand with my electronic book reader. Of course back in the day I would sit here with a paperback and every time I would turn a page I would first stop and look around. Now I just hit a small button and a new page quietly flashes on the screen.

A gang of blue jays suddenly appears harassing a crow. The crow is making a lot of noise no doubt calling for help but none of his buddies appear and he has to stay on the move as the blue jays chase him from branch to branch. I have always said that the blue jays are just thugs at my bird feeders, looks like it is the same here in the swamp. They move on and the swamp goes quiet again but not like it has been on previous times in the stand this past week. The place seems alive or maybe I have found my niche in it. I am now seeing a bird from time to time and a mouse on the ground kept my attention for a little while. I am planning on sitting till around two or so then I will head back to the hotel for lunch and to watch the football game. Some of the guys will be heading home after the game, their week of vacation is up. Right now I think I will put the e-reader away and lean back in my stand and just watch, I have a feeling about today. From Lake Iwanttobethere

This story is not yet done. I turned off the e-reader and set it down in my knapsack. I moved around some on my seat and made sure the 30-30 was in reach and I took the two heat packs from out of my pockets and put them in my gloves. I found a comfortable position to rest my head against the tree as my neck was still sore. I pressed back against the tree and I watched and I listened. I could hear the distant ten o'clock freight and I counted the times the loud horn was blown as it came up on crossings. Sometime after that I dozed off, like I said I didn't get to sleep very well last night.

I awoke with a noise in my ear and I knew what it was instantly, I was snoring. I hate when that happens. At the same time I also knew that I was sitting on the deer stand and I had fallen asleep. I was about to stretch and move some when I open my eyes and in mid yawn not ten yards away from me a small buck was looking straight at me. Light brown with a black nose with a white ring around it. Some darker hair above his eyes making it look like he had brows and they were pointed in my direction. The old guys say you should never look a deer in his eyes but I found myself locked with his. Neither one of us moved and I think I might have even been holding my breath. The longer I looked the more I started to see the deer. He was just a small four pointer, I could clearly make out his short horns between his ears and I was guessing that he didn't weigh more then hundred and thirty maybe a hundred and forty pounds tops.

Like being in a car accident the moment seem to stretch out, maybe just a few seconds but it felt longer. I finally took a breath and I thought the deer would leap away but it stood and starred at me and its tail flicked a few times. My mind re-engaged and I am thinking that the deer might be just as surprised at seeing me as I was at seeing him. My fingers were interlaced with each other in my gloves, I must have done that to keep them warm. I started thinking about how I was going to be able to unlace my fingers and grab the rifle. I was interrupted in my thoughts when I heard a loud snort and both the little buck and I turned our eyes to look. Coming out of the brush a much bigger buck appeared and now things sped up way to fast. The little buck shook his head once and turned on a dime and bounced away. I turn my head to look at the big buck straight on and I was counting points as I was reaching for my rifle.

No doubt was in the big buck's mind as he saw me and ran. All I saw was his white tail as he turned and charged back into the brush and just like that he was gone. I got my rifle up and pointed it in the direction of the big buck hoping he would show himself to me but all I heard was the sound of some branches snapping, the big buck was gone. I took a deep breath and lowered the rifle. I looked to where the little four pointer had been but he was long gone to. I stood up and smiled some and just looked around and shook my head and I said out loudly to no one "Now that was fun." I sat back down and let my heart slow down some, still happy that a couple of deer can get it beating fast. I then noticed that the wind was picking up and decided to end the day a little early. I grabbed the knapsack and climbed down out of the stand and walked over to where I had seen the little buck. Laying on the ground was a torn napkin and I picked it up and saw it was one of the napkins from Chucks wedding, I don't know why but I put it up to my nose and I swear I could smell ginger cookies, now how did that get here, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,418,198}

[Bobby Bass]

CHANGE OF LOCATION the past few days as I came back home to the cabin on Monday. Neck is still bothering me some so I thought a few nights in my own bed might help. Monday was cool and sitting at home doing bills and reading e-mail's felt a lot better then sitting in the cold swamp stand. Bud and Barney greeted me like I had not been missed where Duncan just about knocked me over when I came in the door. All three of them spent time sniffing my clothes and hunting boots. A week's worth of e-mail's took me awhile to get through and then this morning I went down to the Lodge to catch up on mail there.

Deer hunting has been slow, the Fellows were sitting at the big round table and they had only one small doe to their name. Gary shot it and the others are still giving him grief about it. I asked how big and Steve said "How big, you should ask how small? Poor thing needed a divers weight belt to reach a hundred pounds!" I chuckled along with them and when asked how I did I told them about the buck and BIG buck and everyone just nodded their head around the table. When Gary started off with "I remember that year when....." I eased away from the table and headed back to my office. Gus was still at the Hotel and Vinnie and Honey had things under control at the Lodge. I signed a few orders and checked on the beer stock and I was out the door a little while later.

Next stop was the Resort and I parked close to the Club House door. I came in through the double doors and was greeted with some Chuck Berry banging out of the speakers in the main room. I found Vic in the kitchen cutting garden grown potatoes into French fries and he didn't have to ask me twice if I wanted any. It was close enough to lunch time that I took out a couple of half pound patties from the fridge and slapped them down on the grill, I sliced off two big circles of sweet onion and they were set off to the side. I just looked at Vic and he nodded his head and I sliced two of Marv's fresh Kaiser rolls and set them on the edge of the grill. Back to the fridge for some home made sweet pickles and some cheese. I sliced a couple of generous portions of cheese and went back to the grill to flip the patties. I turned when I heard Vic at the deep fryer dumping the fresh cut fries into the oil.

With the patties almost done I added the cheese and then found a lid. I took a glass that has water in it and dribbled some of it alongside each patty and then quickly covered it with the lid for a few seconds. The water turns to steam and with the lid on it quickly melts the cheese. I did the same to the second patty, with the lid removed I put the tops of the Kaiser roll on the burgers and let them finish cooking. Bottom of the buns were taken off the grill and put on plates, catsup, mustard and pickles are added and the onion is put on the grill for a few seconds. Vic pulls the fries out of the deep fryer and shakes them some before letting them rest in the basket. I drop the slightly fried onions on the buns and then top it off with the patty and Kaiser top. I carry the two plates with burgers to the first booth and Vic is right behind me having dumped the whole basket of fries on to a paper covered platter.

As Vic slides into the booth I draw a couple of Hamms from the bar and put one in front of Vic and the other one in front of me. I slid in the other side of the booth and decide to start with a French fry. The first one I pull from the pile is about seven inches long and as I hold it up it golden brown and stiff. No sag from an old fry, got to love making fries from your own home grown tatters. Vic and I much on the fries and I have to go back to the kitchen and get a knife to cut my burger in half. Vic eats and keeps looking out the window back where the empty garden sits. Sipping on my beer I asked what is he looking for and Vic tells me usually the big buck shows up about this time every day, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,421,032}

[Bobby Bass]

If you have been reading Lake Iwanttobethere for any length of time you know that a lot of the stories are based on real events and real people. Yesterday I received word that a reader who has been here from the start and who is a part of Lake Iwanttobethere had his dog Grace pass away.

Dan has had stories written about him as the manager of our local auto parts store and his dog Grace has had several stories written about her. She was a big lovable Saint Bernard that had a love of ice and a unattended drink with cubes in it would soon be missing the cubes if she was around. Grace was Dan's fishing partner and from the first time she was pulled out on the ice in a wood box covered in a blanket till she got big enough to pull the box on the ice she was always at Dan's side. She died from an aliment that big dogs sometimes get and she was gone before she could be helped.

As readers you all know I have a big soft spot for little kids and dogs and today I have a hole that Grace filled. Dan has sent me pictures of Grace as she has grown over the years and writing about her made her a small part mine. I am sharing some of Dan's pain today and I really am sorry for his loss and his family's loss.

Grace is gone but she will not be forgotten, here at Lake Iwanttobethere she will live on and she will continue to get in trouble with Mr. Wilson. You will still have to step over her when you go to the parts store and she will still be seen around town. When the ice covers the water of Lake Iwanttobethere Grace will be there ice fishing with Dan and looking for chucks of ice to chew on and kid's faces to lick. Dan said it best, she was not a dog, she was family.

[Bobby Bass]

SUNSHINE POURS THROUGH the open drapes here at the cabin and the living room floor is covered in dogs while cats lay sprawled across the top of the couch. Has been a few days since the sun has had a chance to warm things up around here. Yesterday I spent some time digging carrots out of the garden. The ground is still soft under the layer of straw and I took them over to the outdoor facet to rinse off. Guess I should have turned the water off as it was froze along with the length of hose that I had forgotten to put away. In my defense if the hose was laying on the ground like I left it the water would have ran out and it would not be frozen. I carried the carrots into the cabin and blamed the wife for being tidy and hanging the hose up.

Cold and windy out yesterday not the type of weather that one wants to be outside working in. I still had a few things that needed to be put away so I tried to keep my gloves on but once you get your hands cold they just never seem to warm back up. Later this afternoon I will head back to the Hotel for the last weekend of deer camp. No more deer to be reported harvested and I have been getting some grief as I saw not one but two bucks last weekend and didn't get a shot off. Good news for me, just as I thought, a few nights in my own bed got rid of the stiff neck I had and so I am ready to hit the hard bunk at the Hotel for the last weekend. On my way to the Hotel I have to stop by the Resort and pick up some rolls and some eggs. Also need to check on Vic, he has not decided if he is going to come up for the last weekend of deer camp as we do have one open bunk.

I did learn a little more about this big buck who has been coming to lunch at the Resort. Seems everyone knows about Becky but me. Marv is the one who named the big buck Becky told me she reminded him of a girl he once dated back in New York. When I asked how did a buck here at Lake Iwanttobethere remind you of an old girlfriend he just said "She had a big rack to "Marv and Vic both gave each other a fist bump and started laughing. I was thinking it must be an old guy thing. I still have not seen this big buck and Vic said he has not been around the past few days, he was actually worried some for the big buck. Yesterday I was heading back to the cabin from the Resort and as I drove down the road I counted twenty-three orange coats coming out of the woods to waiting pickup trucks. I had some second thoughts about Becky running a gauntlet to get to lunch.

I did finally put the garden tractor and the push mower away for the winter. The last of the leaves have fallen and I made a few passes around the yard to mulch them up and to burn the gas out of the tractor. I had plans to run the tiller in the garden but I think I am just going to put that away in the garage and get the snow blower moved up to the front near the doors. I still need to buy some snow shovels and Big Earl keeps telling me they are going on sale but not just yet. Me and Duncan have to haul some wood down to the cabin and make sure the rack is full for the wife. Calling for it to be cold this weekend and I am thinking I will be spending more time in the Hotel then on the swamp stand. But for now the sun is shinning bright and the thermometer says it is thirty-two out, I should go see if the water in the hose is melting, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,424,488}

[Bobby Bass]

BACK AT THE Hotel early this morning, just to cold for me to be sitting in the swamp stand. There are times when it is not a good idea to know what the temperature is outside and as I set off in the darkness I looked at the wall thermometer on the Hotel and saw the red needle just resting above zero. A couple of taps from my gloved finger just made the red needle go down another notch. A dusting of snow fell late last night and it was just enough to tell the difference between new rabbit tracks and old ones. I made my way to the swamp stand and moved slow, didn't want to over heat before I got there. No fresh deer sign along the trail, at least none that I could see. I made it to the stand and gave the area a good looksee and then brushed the snow off the seat I sat down and made myself comfortable.

A heat pad at the small of my back and one in each glove, hat snuggled down covering my ears and my sweater pulled up around my neck. It took about an hour for the first shiver that sent doubt into my brain. Sun was climbing in the sky and no clouds to block it but this morning it didn't feel warm, a bad sign. Some wind came up, not much but just enough to make the branches move some and knock the little bit of snow off. No crows, no rabbits, no squirrels no sound of gunfire, pretty quiet. I tried to make my neck shorter so I could get my chin down into my sweater and I got to thinking that at that moment there are probably deer watching me. Sitting right back in the swamp, out of the wind in a sunny bed of thick swamp grass. Getting ready for a nap after spending the night grazing. They were probably sitting there making small talk about the guy sitting in an exposed tree stand out in the wind.

Shortly after nine I decide to call it a morning and made the walk back to the Hotel. No tracks crossing mine and the only sound was of me breathing. I spotted the curl of white smoke rising over the tree tops coming from the Hotel's stove pipe, somebody was tending the fire. I crossed the little clearing and made my way to the Tahoe parked alongside Chuck's pickup. I put my rifle in the back and slide into the front seat. Started the truck and turned the heated seat too high and waited for it to warm up. As I sat I turn the wipers on to clear the little bit of snow from the windshield and saw Chuck coming out of the woods. He saw me and walked past the entrance to the Hotel and a moment later the passenger door open and he slides in alongside of me. "Heated seats, good idea."

Took a few minutes but heat started to blow out of the vents and I could feel the heated seat on my backside. I think I might have been a little colder than I thought as feeling started to come back to my cheeks. Temperature readout on the Tahoe mirror said it was eleven out but it was a pretty cold eleven. Chuck and I made small talk and he said he overheard that this was going to be the high for the day, eleven, nothing to really look forward to. Tomorrow being Sunday and the last day of deer camp is usually spent making repairs and getting the shack ready for winter. I think we might make today the work day as there is a football game tomorrow at noon that we all have a few wagers on. Junior comes out of the woods and sees us sitting in the Tahoe, he comes over and I roll the window down a crack. "What ya all doing in the truck" he asks. Chuck leans over and says "Heated seats" Junior pulls open the back door and slides into the back seat. Takes off his hat and gloves and I send some heat to the back vents of the Tahoe. More small talk, no one has seen anything in the woods this morning. Junior asks how long does it take for the seat to heat up? Chuck and I look at each other and saying nothing we decide not to tell him that only the front seats are heated. "O it takes a little while" Chuck says and winks at me, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,426,199}

[Bobby Bass]

THE LAST MORNING of deer hunting season was not any warmer then the next to the last day of deer hunting season. When I walked past the thermometer hanging on the wall of the Hotel I tried not to look. I figured what I didn't know could not make me any colder. I made my way out to the stand but this time the sun was already coming up, I had yet to see anything at first light so I figured I would come out a little later. I settled in to the stand and put heat packs in my boots, behind by back and couple on the seat and one in each glove. No sense in saving them and I was a lot warmer then the day before.

Overcast day and no sunshine till late in the afternoon, by then I was off the stand having seen nothing and back at the Hotel. I stayed out till almost one then made my way back along the well travel trail that had far more boot marks then deer hoofs on it. Saturday afternoon we worked on the Hotel, cleaning and fixing things that somehow seem to get broke but no one remembers how. Wood pile was rearranged and some new stuff added to it for next year. A couple of radios were on tuned too different sporting events. Big state rival football game was on as the same time when a local college team was playing in its playoff game. Toss in a pro hockey game and everyone had an ear out for scores as we worked.

Sunday morning I was hoping to see something but it was quiet, matter of fact it was so quiet there for awhile I could hear my watch tick on my hand in the stand. Nothing moved all morning which is never a good sign so when noon came and went I climbed down from the stand for the last time this season. I made it to camp following my nose as the old BBQ had been fired up and Marv and Elmer were turning steaks on it for our last lunch at the Hotel. With all the work being done on Saturday we didn't have much left to do so we decided to have our own version of a tailgate party. Steaks were cooked up and tatters wrapped in tinfoil did double duty keeping hands warm and then eaten when they started to cool some. Border battle football game was being shown on the twelve inch black and white TV that was resting on the porch floor and it was almost as good as being there watching the game.

We might have gotten a few looks sitting outside back at home dressed in our warmest clothes sipping beers and yelling at players who in our opinion didn't know what they were doing. But here in the middle of the woods it was just a thing guys do when they can't be seen or heard by their wives or girlfriends. As the afternoon went on guys started to shed some coats and hats and gloves were all but forgotten. I was thinking it might have been the beer or the Wild Turkey was taking effect but on by way into the Hotel to get some chips I saw that the red needle on the thermometer was rising. The game went into overtime and when it was finally done the sun was setting and it was thirty degrees out. A couple of the guys said we should be in the deer stands but then from out of no where the wind picked up and guys started looking for their coats.

By six the fire was long out, bedrolls were in trucks and most of the guys were already on their way back home. Only Chuck, Marv, Elmer and myself were left looking at the Hotel and thinking if there was anything we had forgotten to turn off put away or lock up. With Elmer leading the way we put the Hotel in our rear view mirrors and drove out the now well travel grassy trail to the gravel road. The plan is to make a stop at a small out of the way diner and have supper. We have been doing this for years, kind of a way for us to decompress from the Hotel to being back at home. Not really hungry but I think I could eat some onion rings and maybe sip on a beer. Not a bad deer season here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,430,516}

[Bobby Bass]

TRUSTY 30-30 is back in the gun cabinet, cleaned and oiled till next deer season. Normally the week after deer season finds me and Bud and now Duncan back at the Hotel looking to find a few grouse. I saw only two during deer season and the rest of the party didn't report any so I think I will leave those two alone in hopes they will make some more. Yesterday for a few hours it was forty out and you would think I would be outside in a tee shirt and shorts but forty in November is a lot different then forty in March. I had the garden hose that thawed out to put away and patio furniture to throw a tarp over. Chain saw came out and I cut down a big limb off the maple that I noticed was stealing sunlight from my garden. I waited till the leaves were all off, less to clean up. Grand kids will be here on Friday, no school so I will let them have fun dragging the branches to the fire pit, work for me, play for them.

Another dusting of snow on the deck, not enough to even take a broom to but sooner or later I will need to go to the General Store and buy some shovels. Not having been in town for the past few week's things have changed some. I was down there yesterday afternoon and I noticed a lot of signs in the store fronts declaring they will not be open for Thanksgiving. This was a topic of conversation at the Hotel as several of the guys are business owners. The open early for Christmas shopping has gotten way out of hand. Started off as a six am opening then open at four then open at midnight and now in the big city they are talking about opening at six on Thanksgiving night and some stores are not even going to close. Next Town Hall meeting the topic is going to be on the list of things to change, making it official that stores will not be open on Thanksgiving. The town has already decided to just go ahead and stay closed on their own. Only two places will be open, Gas-N-Go and the Dew Drop Inn who will once again be giving away free turkey dinners.

Of course this is not going to stop people from going into the big city to shop but at least it will be quiet in town here and people will be able to stay at home and enjoy themselves. Sound of the framing nailer coming from Chuck's Ranch. Last time I took a peek he had three walls framed up on the wedding shack. He has some young help as being married now he now has three more sons and a couple of girlfriend's boyfriends to help out. Old guy like me will just be in the way so I will wait till the walls are up and the roof on then maybe I will go over and do some work when the place has heat in it. The idea of working outside in the cold when I don't have to goes against everything that retirement is supposed to mean, at least that is the excuse I am giving the wife. Only thing worse than working outside this time of year is working outside in the snow this time of year.

I did manage to sit a spell at the Lodge last evening. When I drove up I spotted Hammering Hank and Skinny's work truck in the lot and it was piled high in fresh cut Christmas trees. They will be taking them out to the highway stand and since they are not in town they will be open to sell the trees on Thanksgiving. I went inside and exchanged HIYA's with both of them as they were just heading out. The Fellows were sitting at the big round table and the yellow legal writting pad was out and they were all hard at work at no doubt was another money making idea. I nodded at Gus and he drew a Hamms and slid it down the cherry bar top to me. I caught it with a well-practiced left hand and walked over to sit at the Fellows table.

The conversation was about selling Christmas trees and how hard it is to find well-shaped perfect trees on the ground. It can be done if you own your own Christmas tree farm but you have to raise them things for years before you can start selling them. After all they don't have all that kind of time on their hands like Hank and Skinny do. With that they all paused and took long sips from their beers. I could see they had been thinking about this for awhile and feinting just a mild interest I asked what they had come up with for a solution. "TOPS" is what Gary said. If you go out in the woods there are perfect tops on trees almost everywhere you look, the trouble is getting the tops. This is where Steve pitched in with the answer, "Hot Air Balloon." They were working on a business venture of using a hot air balloon to float over the forest and just cutting the tops off trees to sell.

I sat back in my chair and sipped on my beer and thought it over some, the tops part is true, there are some pretty ones out there and I have shot the tops off a few trees in my younger days. The same trees are still growing to this day, just missing their tops. In a roundabout way I asked how they were going to get the tops back to the ground and to the truck and how many do they think they could cut and haul. Of course they had not talked yet about where they were going to find or borrow a hot air balloon. Tiny said he could go talk to his cousin at the mine, maybe they could get some of them big dump truck inner tubes and make their own hot air balloon? I needed a refill on my beer so I got up and went to the bar, Never dull here at the Lodge at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,432,985}

[Bobby Bass]

DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING and if you have not ordered your fresh turkey from Ma and Pa's Grocery I think you will have to find a frozen one elsewhere now. This year we are all headed to the mother-in-laws for Thanksgiving. The wife doing some haggling has agreed to go there for turkey day as long as she can have everyone here at the cabin for Christmas. Wife is busy here today as she is baking pies to bring to her mothers. I came home yesterday to find two big bags of apples sitting on the kitchen table. The wife won't tell me where they came from but I am thinking she has been holding out on me. This morning I got the apple peeler out and made quick work of one bag and that should be enough for about eight pies. The other bag I told the wife I am saving for pies for us, actually me.

With apples peeled I was ordered out of the kitchen and I took the dogs outside. It was a sunny day out when I woke up but by the time I made it outside the clouds had moved in and the sun was long gone. Still it was twenty-five degrees out which was not too bad with it being calm out. I thought about moving the newly made brush pile out of the garden but instead grabbed the pitch fork and moved the straw off the carrot patch. Surprising the ground was soft enough to work and I started digging up carrots to bring over to the mother-in-laws. It was hinted that maybe I could bring over a bag of my home grown potatoes but I am thinking I am going to be forgetting them. The home grown potatoes are much better eaten here with steak then shared with my in-laws but I will bring carrots and apple pies.

Two of my nephews have donated a couple of Wild Turkeys that they shot this fall for the dinner. I am going to donate a bottle of Wild Turkey for dinner, I thought it would be fitting that a few chosen adults should have Wild Turkey with Wild Turkey. Last I heard it seems that everyone on the wife's side of the family will be at the gathering. At last count I have over thirty nephews and nieces on the wife's side and add to that my five grand kids and my kids and all the spouses of the nephews and nieces and it is going to be a pretty full house. The eight apple pies will hardly be enough but there will also be pumpkin pie and cheese cake. The Thanksgivings get togethesr have gotten so big that I once said we should all wear name tags. I received several stern looks from the mothers who knew all of the babies and everyone's birthdays and what grade all the kids are in. In my defense I was just saying that maybe the boyfriends and girlfriends of the nieces and nephews should have to wear the name tags and escaped by asking loudly "Who wants more pie"

I had a bucket full of carrots and I was pulling the straw back over the carrot patch when it started to snow. I went to yell for the dogs but all three of them were already sitting at the back door, their backs white from the falling snow. I had to wash the carrots off in the sink and the wife was sitting at the table sipping on a glass of wine. I asked if she wanted me to sample one of the pies and got "The Look" which I took as a no. Before I could try a different approach to one of the cooling pies she asked me if I was going to work on string up some Christmas tree lights outside. I just nodded and mumble something and left the kitchen like Duncan needed me for something.

I went to the den and sat down in my chair and spotted the three boxes of Christmas lights on the floor, the wife had already been busy while I was outside. I was pondering an excuse when she came in with an extension cord and told me I should probably test them first. Duncan sat in the corner and looked at me and at the boxes and back at me. I looked out the window and saw that the snow was falling a little heavier and the deck was now white. I put on my coat and grabbed the Tahoe keys and Duncan followed me to the kitchen. The wife made an effort to hide a note book under her arm, which I know is her Christmas list and looked back at me. "Snowing pretty good out there, I think me and Duncan are going to go to town and get a shovel and maybe see Earl about some new lights" the wife picked up her wine glass and nodded her approval and I went out the door before she could add stuff to my very small list. As I walked to the Tahoe I thought maybe I should get some more Wild Turkey, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,435,920}

[Bobby Bass]

THANKSGIVING AT THE Mother-in-laws was a pretty smooth event this year. Smooth as in dinner was an hour later then planned but that seems to be something that as each year goes by the announced dinner time is a guess. The crowd gets bigger and more prep time is needed to prepare food and set tables and of course the mother in law is not getting any younger and insists on still doing everything herself. Dinner was to be at five and I got a call at four from my mother in law who was at the mall. No, she was not shopping she was calling because she could not find her car. OK maybe there is a little more to this story. The Mother in law could not find the cranberries that she had bought for dinner and you can't have thanksgiving dinner without cranberries. I totally understand this as a few years back I went to my daughters for dinner and she burnt the rolls. You can't have dinner without rolls. Being in the big city I went down to the local bakery to buy replacement rolls only to find the store closed. There was however a guy standing outside the store scalping rolls, and I had to pay twice what they were worth but we did have rolls with our dinner.

OK back to the car. Sometimes you might have a hard time finding your car if you are in a hurry and you don't pay attention to where you park. I have on a few occasions done that, I have never lost my truck but I have misplaced it a time or two. On the phone the mother in law told me she had just ran down to the local mall to get some cranberries, there is a little shop there she likes to buy from and she needed the berries to make the meal just right. The trouble started when she went out to get into her car at home and she was blocked in by one of her grandsons. Rather then moving his car he just gave the keys to his grandmother and told her to just drive his. The mother in law drove to the mall, bought the cranberries and when she went back out to the parking lot she had forgotten where she had parked. She then called me after driving around the lot several times with the mall cop looking for her car, that is when she remembered she didn't drive her car to the mall and didn't remember what her grandson's car even looked like.

Did I mention that it was snowing the whole time? I was almost to the big city when I got the cell phone call so I went to the mall instead of to the mother in law's house. I called the nephew to find out what he was driving and then met with the mall cop in the parking lot. My thought was to look for a parked car with a lot of snow on it since it had been sitting there for awhile. About ten minutes later we found the nephew's car and the key fit. Back at the house with the mother in law having gone MIA the daughters took over the rest of the prep work. When the wife and the mother in law and myself walked in the door carrying the apple pies and bag of garden carrots and of course the cranberries the meal was ready to be served. Like I said the dinner went smooth. The mother in law was a little upset so I didn't bring the bottle of Wild Turkey into the house. I did however stick it in a small snow bank in the back yard and told a few of my liked relatives it's location at the dinner table.

In the old days after dinner the men would play cribbage, drink and smoke cigars but those days are gone. With so many little kids and babies around now any smoking is done outside. I don't think my mother in law caught on at all that people who were going outside who didn't smoke. A quick trip to the snow bank for a nip of the Wild Turkey and they were back in the house. I found out my brother in law had the same idea and a bottle of gin appeared next to the Wild Turkey in the snow bank. Somehow a twelve pack of beer and some wine coolers were found hidden in the big bird bath. It didn't take long for all the adults to duck outside and as the Wild Turkey kicked in coats were no longer needed.

The thanksgiving dinner was reminding me a lot of like my old high school dances used to be. Only now we were hiding out from my mother in law who still was acting like our chaperone. After awhile the Mother in law did catch on. She followed my wife outside and told her she might as well bring in her box of wine. Several of us stood outside near the birdbath holding beer cans and were busted with snow falling down around us. The flood lights were on and we watched as my mother in law walked to an undisturbed part of the lawn and sat down on the snow covered ground. I thought she had fallen and went to help her up only to watch her lay back and start making a snow angel in the fresh snow. The old lady continues to surprise me and we will remember next year over the dinner table the story of the lost car and the mother in laws cooking sherry induced snow angel, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,440,498}

[Bobby Bass]

SMALL BUSINESS DAY here at Lake Iwanttobethere and that pretty much covers every store in town. I was at the big city mall yesterday but that was only to find the Mother in law and I did no shopping. I have been shopping today as finally Big Earl at the General store has shovels on sale. Of course the one that I needed were sold out by the time I got to the store. We have been getting dustings of snow the past week, so I am not the only one who thought it was time to buy a shovel. I guess Big Earl has been telling everyone to wait for the big sale. Sun shine is pouring through the windows here at the Lodge as we are of course open for business. An announcement of sorts to make as Gus and I spent some time at the Hotel together and have decided that I am going to return to the Lodge as a manager.

I know some of you didn't even know I left and some others may not have even noticed anything other then I was not around too much. Our new arrangement is or will be that I will return to manage the Lodge during the winter and Gus will do the cooking and then Gus will manage during the summer but I am not going to cook, I will be at the Resort. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for me and you would be right. Gus likes to do a lot of ice fishing so this will let him get away more during the winter and do that. Also means he won't have to carry a cell phone around with him all the time. I on the other hand have no problem carrying the Lodge cell phone as I just turn it off.

Truth be I kind of miss the place and it lets me keep an eye on the Fellows. The thought of them in a hot air balloon cutting tree tops over at the Resort made me realize that someone has to keep an eye on them when their wife's aren't. Speaking of the Hot Air tree harvesting scheme, that has been put on the back burner so to speak as it is kind of late to get that up in the air and running this season. So now that I am back at the Lodge I can look into getting our small meeting room back on Saturdays that the Ladies Auxiliary have been renting. They are in there now and the double doors are closed and I think they are having a seance. I can hear chanting through the wall and I thought I saw a flickering of candles through the crack of the door. When the meeting breaks up I will tell them that Gus said we need the room back.

The Resort is quiet and Vic has things under control. Since we made him the caretaker he is doing just that. He has a pretty good system down and Marv is spending more time in the Club House then he is in his Airstreamer. Between Marv, Vic and Elmer they have become the three Musketeers and the Resort has become their castle. This winter we might look into extending a trail to the Resort to see if we can get some snowmobiles. I already know that the three of them are talking about putting an ice shack out on the little bay with in walking distance of the Resort. They were talking to Hammering Hank and Skinny who thought building a new shack would be right in their wheel house and maybe a couple of more could be built to rent out.

So I just stopped in here at the Lodge to get my secret shopping list that I have taped to the bottom of my desk drawer. I have several more stops to make around town getting some things that I need o and of course things for people on my list. There is snow on the ground but all the sidewalks are clear, Christmas lights twinkle in store shop windows and the bell over Ma and Pa's Grocery is jingling every time the door opens. No ice yet on the skating rink but a couple of kids are shooting pucks off the dirt into the boards. The thumping sound echoes across the lake that has some ice on it but not safe enough to walk on just yet. Ice House Fling is set for December 15th but I am thinking it might not be till the 22nd. Hope to see you out shopping today or better yet stop by the Lodge here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,442,821}

[Bobby Bass]

I WAS JUST getting ready to leave the Lodge yesterday armed with my Christmas shopping list when the Ladies Auxiliary meeting came to an end. The ladies filed out and made a beeline to the main door and some gave me a curt nod of their heads but most didn't even give me a glance. Dorris who I know is the president came up to the bar and before I could mention to her that we would be needing the meeting room back she handed me a white envelope and a pie. I said thank you and she turned and marched to the front door that her sister Dotty was holding open. The door closed behind them and the room felt warmer, maybe because they were gone and the draft was gone or maybe just because they were gone. I set the envelope down along with the pie on the back bar.

I walked out from behind the bar to go check the small meeting room. The double doors stood open and the first thing I noticed it was clean. Not Lodge clean but I mean clean, everything was in its place and tables and chairs almost looked like they had been polished. The only thing out of place was a new wood cabinet that hung from the back wall that had a brass hasp on it. No lock on it just a knitting needle where a lock should be. In calligraphy was a small sign that simply said Ladies Auxiliary members only. I took the bar towel that I had in my hands and tossed it over my shoulder and I was just about to pull the knitting needle out when I heard Gus behind me "I would not do that if I were you" I turned and replied to Gus "Why do you know what is in there?" Gus just shrugged his shoulders and said "Can't be any thing good"

I followed Gus back to the bar and I picked up the white envelope. "What's this" I asked. Gus sitting down on a stool said that it is for the Christmas fund. "We have a Christmas fund?" I asked "We do now" replied Gus with kind of a half smile on his face. Gus changing the topic of the white envelope asked if they left pie. I reached behind the bar and picked up the pie and placed it on the bar top. Gus rubbed his hands briskly together like they were cold and said "Ahh, a quarter pie" I looked at the pie, I had heard of these pies but had never seen one, matter of fact I thought they were just a story made up as a promise to husbands that is never paid. "Behold a quarter pie, gather forks and plates so we can partake" Gus said trying to sound like a knight from a round table.

I went into the kitchen to grab a couple of plates, forks and a knife. A Quarter pie, they do exist? I guess I should explain there are stories of the Quarter pies that are made of Cherries, Strawberries, Raspberries and Apple but the four are not mixed together but each make a separate quarter of the pie but all share the same crust and lid. A well-kept secret of baking and often spoken of but seldom eaten. I heard Elmer say he once was given one but he never talks about it. I returned to the bar and Gus took the knife and made a few small cuts into the pie. A moment later and my fork rattles on the empty plate and I smacked my lips after eating a Apple/Strawberry slice of pie. "Do the Ladies leave these pies here every Saturday" I asked Gus. Gus eating the last forkful of Raspberry/Cherry just nodded yes. I am now having second thoughts over whether we really need the small meeting room back or not, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,444,385}

[Bobby Bass]

MAKING GOOD PROGRESS in trying to locate my gas can with gas in it for the snow blower. Overnight twelve inches of wet heart attack snow has fallen here at Lake Iwanttobethere with more to come. Sunshine Ray was on the local radio station, KCUM with a forecast that called for a lull in the snow fall and then we will be picking up some wind and maybe as much as another foot tonight into tomorrow. Normally I would just wait till the storm was done and blow it all at once but it is going to get below zero making any snow banks rock hard. I am pretty sure I left the gas can behind the shop but sometime this morning all the snow let loose from the roof and I now have a chest high pile of snow where I think my gas can is.

I hear the kids in the big city have a day off, schools are closed. Not so here at the lake, I have already seen the school bus go by at its regular time. Of course the buses here at Lake Iwanttobethere are outfitted with snow plows so not having a plowed road is not an excuse for the kids here. I have been out shoveling twice already this morning, Am making a dent on the snow piled on the big deck. Chuck has been out with the tractor cleaning off his drive and I expect he will be over here sooner or later to do mine. Elmer is not home, he is at the Resort so we will clean his drive off last. My call to the Resort was answered by Vic who said they were just fine, Had pie and beer and lots of eggs and they will get to digging out when they get around to it. With no hurry to get to the Resort I am just warming my toes in front of the fire here. I to have beer and pie but I could use a few eggs, might have to check Chuck's coop later.

I have cleared a path off the deck to the shop and moved the snow away from the roll up door. I moved the snow blower to the shop the other day to do an oil change and it didn't get it put back in the garage. I was going to fill it with gas but forgot but I did buy gas for it just misplaced the can. I guess I could just find another can and run down to the Gas-N-Go but I would waste some time driving down and back that could be better spent warming my toes here at the fire. It is still snowing here, big flakes that are tumbling down. As long as they are not them small wet ones I am in no hurry.

Of course this is not news to you, I am sure where every you are it is snowing to or soon will be. We will not have to worry about not having a white Christmas this year. Of course it now makes the ice on the lake a little questionable. Having the heavy wet snow on the ice is going to make some slush and with it acting as insulation the colder temps that are coming are not going to be the best mix for making good fishing ice. Buying them shovels when I did down at the General Store was a good idea. Thing is I just don't want to use them all up on the first snow storm. Today is garbage and recycling day and I was lucky enough that the rolling cans were brought down yesterday to the road. Would have been a real pain to drag them through the snow this morning. Other then miss placing the gas can I have had a pretty good string of good luck so far today, must mean something bad is going to happen, at least that is the story I am going with as I eat pie in front of the fire and my excuse for not being outside shoveling here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,448,376}

[Bobby Bass]

SOMETIMES LAKE IWANTTOBETHERE is not the place you want to be. We are getting there today as we are in day three of our first real snowstorm of the season. Our trained weather spotters who have been going out around the lake with a Big Earl General Store wood yardstick are reporting snow totals of up to twenty-eight inches so far. In some places another ten to twelve inches are forecasted to fall still today. I knew there was a reason I made sure to pick up everything in the yard this fall. I did find the gas can for the snow blower, I used the last gas in the weed wacker and leaf blower to get the snow blower running for a few minutes which was enough for me to move the snow that slid off the roof. Finding the gas can I filled the blower and made a dent in the snow during a lull yesterday afternoon.

No school today, the school bus driver could not get to his bus and plow. Tomorrow might be iffy for school as I have heard stories that kids were barricading their driveways with large snowballs they had rolled up. The snow has been wet, perfect for making snowballs and castles. When the cold comes in tomorrow the balls will freeze as hard as ice and the castles may be here to spring. About twenty inches of snow here at the cabin and I had to move the Tahoe down to the bottom of the drive. The wife's Jeep along with the Dodge are buried in a snow drift and we will need Chuck's tractor to dig them out when the snow stops falling. I was in town this morning, with no school three of the grand kids were picked up to spend the day here.

Duncan is now the leader when the dogs are let outside to do their thing. With snow chest deep Barney and Bud have to forced there way through the snow while Duncan just breaks trail leaping and hopping through the snow. I try to keep the big deck open and the old dogs don't seem to have to much of a reason to leave it. Elmer is still at the Resort and his cabin is pretty much buried in snow. We talked with him early this morning and told him not to even try to come home, I will keep an eye on it for him. After I picked up kids from their house I made a stop at the General store to pick up some shear pins, just in case. Funny now how Big Earl has racks of snow shovels for sale but not on sale. Junior was back at the loading dock, said there was no reason to leave as they were selling snow blowers about as fast as they could get them to the dock. His dad kept reminding him on his ear piece that he knew they were going to have a good winter.

Looks like the whole county is getting lots of snow but here next to Lake Iwanttobethere we are getting some lake effect snow. The storm is parked right over us and the lake is feeding it plenty of moisture to make snow. Winds have started to come up and now we are getting some drifting. I am hoping the wind clears the snow off the roofs otherwise we are going to have a lot of snow to get down. I hate that kind of snow the most as when it comes off the roof it is heavy and seems to pack so hard you can't shovel it. Might have to see if I can get one of the sons to shovel off the shop and boat house. Going to take a few days to clean up after this one. I have not heard a snowmobile yet just the sound of snow blowers and of course the ten o'clock freight came through. It was led by the railroads big snow blower and I could hear it but not see it through the falling snow. With all of this snow there should be no problem building the luge run at the Lodge, we should have a pretty good starting hill. Grand kids want to go outside and play, I need to tag along so I can find some shovels for them to play with, here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,450,661}

[Bobby Bass]

TOWARDS THE END of the third day of the snowstorm it stopped being any fun any more and became work. Being retired work is now a bad four letter word to me. Just north of the lake a final snow total was recorded, forty-three inches. We are no longer counted the snowfall in inches but in feet. Here at my end of the lake we are just shy of two and half feet which no matter where you live is a lot of snow. I wish it was all powder but it is that heavy stuff that now that takes real work to move. Over night temperatures were around ten below and a few degrees above zero is all we are going to have for a high today. But the sun is out and that is more bad news. The roofs are buried in snow and that means the sun will do some melting and ice dams will continue to build.

Yesterday I made a dent in the snow, at least enough so I could move around some and the dogs could get off the deck and not have to wade through the snow. Cleaning a 400 square foot deck is not fun especially when it is several feet deep in snow and today maybe I will try and get snow off the roof. Of course that means it will bury the deck once again and all that snow will have to be moved off. With any luck we will get Chuck's tractor in close enough to move that snow out away from the cabin as the best part of this is that this is just the beginning of winter. There will be more snow to come so this all needs to be moved back and away so we will have room for the next snowfall. Of course I am sure that a lot of you are having the same problems as I am. Some might even have more snow and more cold. Just letting you know that we are all in this together and when I get cleaned out I will be heading to Elmers house to do it all over again.

Down at the Lodge Gus was snowed in as he stayed just a little too late and got himself trapped. Was not till yesterday that they got some heavy equipment down there and move the snow in the parking lot and away from the garage doors so the snow blower could be taken out. Vinnie volunteer to go up on the roof and clear the snow away from the siren. Story I heard is that he was doing a good job using a coal shovel that he had sprayed down with shortening. The shortening keeps the snow from sticking to the shovel. He did have a little problem as at one point he lost his balance and fell backwards onto the roof, lucky for him he landed in his shovel. Unlucky for him is that he was facing backwards and the shovel being coated in the shorting slid down the valley on the roof and went over the edge. Lucky again for him that he had shoveled all that snow off the roof as it broke his fall but unlucky for him that it did not stop him. Still sitting on the shovel with the handle pointed skywards he headed down the hill to the lake. In the storm no one could hear his scream well he said he was yelling but I figured he was screaming as he went down the hill. Lucky again for him that Hammering Hank had that stack of orange barrels to slow him down before he got to the lake ice.

Mark the mailman did deliver the mail yesterday but my garbage has still not been picked up from Tuesday. Something about the truck being buried in town in an alley. There is one way of knowing this snowstorm is work and that is I have yet to hear a snowmobile go by. Guess everyone is still to busy shoveling out to have fun just yet, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,457,947}

[Bobby Bass]

ICE HOUSE FLING might not be happening this winter. I was in town last night for awhile and things are starting to return too normal at the Lodge. Normal being that guys are trying to get out of work by hiding out at the Lodge warming their feet in front of the fire. A lot of chatter going on as bragging was being done about of how much snow fell at their cabins. Guys exchanged stories about how much snow they had to dig out just to get out. Right now Frank the plow driver is not the favorite guy in town as he seems to have a knack of coming by and filling up driveways just minutes after they have been cleared. Happen to me yesterday as I was just done blowing snow away from the deck after clearing snow off the North roof that I had used a snow rake to get down. The snow blower was just starting to sputter as I made it to the garage before it gave a last pop that sounded a lot to my ears like "IM Done"

The gas can was empty and I needed to head to town to refill it. I ducked my head in the cabin and told the wife I was headed to town and as I walked toward the Tahoe I saw Frank and the yellow grader coming up the road. As I watched the wing of the grader dumped a load of snow neatly across the mouth of my driveway and the snow looked like a frozen surfer's wave caught in a picture hanging on some travel agency wall. As I stood and watched the grader chugging along I could hear the sleigh bells that Frank hangs from the exhaust pipe. More snow builds up along the wing till Frank reaches Chuck's driveway and there it slides off leaving Chuck his own wave of snow. Having spent several hours in the great outdoors already and my beard frozen and tangled in ice and with the snow blower out of gas I did what most guys would do. I started the Tahoe, put it in four wheel drive and proceed to smash through the snow wave at the end of the drive several times. Not as clean as using a snow blower but still very satisfying especially as I had the Flight of the Bumblebee playing loudly on the Tahoe's stereo. I like to listen too classical music when I am wrecking stuff.

Frank was doing a good job on the county road, as I drove to town I could see he was widening the road and there is not much he can do about the snow the wing blade was dropping along the way. When I got into town the roads changed, they got bad. The black topped roads should be clear but instead are covered in hard packed snow and ice. The slush that people were warned about during day two of the storm had frozen solid and it did not look like it was going anywhere soon. There was a long line of idling trucks at the Gas-N-Go so I drove on by. I pulled into my parking spot by the back door of the Lodge. I made my way into the Lodge and exchanged a few HIYA to patrons close to the door. I went to my office and started shedding my coat and sweater and mittens, a scarf a hat and my hoodie. Feeling pounds lighter I made my way to the bar and poured a full mug of hot apple cider. I found an empty chair near the fire and started to thaw out leaving a little puddle of water at my feet.

So the ice house fling, as I thawed out then warmed up I listen to conversation about the poor ice conditions on the lake. We had about ten inches of ice but two and half feet of snow was not good. A few guys somehow had managed to convince their wife's that they should wait till the end of the storm before cleaning up and went fishing instead. No sooner would they cut a hole in the ice then they were backing up trying to get away from the water pouring up out of the hole. Slush is going to be a problem here at the lake for awhile, the snow we can move but we are going to need some help with the slush. Gus's brother in law works over at the ski hill and he has made a little deal with him to get him to come over with his groomer and do the hill going down to the lake. At least we will have the snow on the hillside managed for sliding. Should be easy for the groomer, all he has to do is follow the trail that Vinnie left riding the shovel from the Lodges roof.

As for today I am not doing much of anything. I woke up to it being -17 and the wind is blowing some. The wife thought it would be a good day for me to go cut a tree down with the grand kids. I nixed that idea, She asked why and all I did was let the dogs out onto the deck. They walked out did a 180 and came right back to the door. I let them back in and they headed to couches to climb up and snuggle with grand kids under quilts, the wife just said "Maybe to cold out?" From here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,461,435}

[Bobby Bass]

TODAY IS TO be much warmer than yesterday, that is what the forecast calls for us here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Yesterday the high was four below so I am guessing that "Much Warmer" means it is going to get above zero. I can live with the cold, it is just a matter of dressing for it, The time I take getting dressed and undressed is what bothers me. I woke up this morning to the smell of coffee and bacon and followed my nose to the kitchen were a stack of flapjacks were listing on my plate waiting for me. Kitchen was already nice and warm and the butter on the table was soft, a sure sign the wife had been up for awhile. Dogs were all in the living room and a good fire was going in the fire place. I sat down at the table and even the Sunday paper was warm to the touch and the sports section was resting on top. I knew something was up.

I had just put a few pats of butter on the top flapjack and was pouring some Lake Iwanttobethere Maple Syrup on top and watching the forty weight syrup slowly drip down in a river to the next edge of flapjack when the wife said. "I need to take the Tahoe to my mothers and the wood box needs to be filled" With my mouth full of flapjack I just nodded my head that I heard her. I was thinking no big deal, I was not going anyplace. There is a football game to watch and I would just use one of the kids sleds to bring wood down from the pile. Smacking my lips I was busy cutting out another forkful of flapjack with one hand while reaching for some bacon with my other when the wife said. "I almost forgot, the grand kids took all the sleds to go sliding yesterday" I might have been chewing on a mouthful of bacon with another forkful of flapjacks waiting and missed that comment.

As I continue to eat the wife was putting on her coat and she patted the dogs and gave me a wave which I nodded my head in return. "O maybe you could dig my jeep out today? I hear it is going to be warmer" and with that she was out the door. I was about to ask for some OJ but I was too late. I made my way over to the cabinet got a big glass and then open the fridge for juice. I was standing at the window sipping on the juice and watching the wife inside the Tahoe. She was adjusting the seat, moving mirrors and finally she put it in gear and drove down the drive. I sat back down at the table and finished breakfast, looked over the sports page and slipped Duncan a small taste of bacon. He had gotten off the couch to come and lay at my feet, no doubt hoping for a piece of bacon to be dropped.

With breakfast done I picked up the paper and made my way to the living room. The fire was getting lower and I went to toss a few sticks in from the wood box but it was empty. Just a few pieces of bark laying at the bottom of the box. I took the poker to the fire and made a few jabs trying to get some heat out of it and I was rewarded with a flare up that quickly flared down. I tied my rope around my robe and traded slippers for a pair of boots and stepped out onto the deck. It didn't feel any warmer outside to me, and the wood rack was empty. I called for Duncan and I made a quick speed walk up the little hill to the wood pile and took down a few pieces of wood. One I gave to Duncan and he headed back to the cabin dragging it behind him. I had enough in my arm to get me till half time I was thinking as I shuffled down the path to the cabin. By now the warm air in my rope was long gone and I was thinking it is not really any warmer then yesterday here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,464,49}

[Bobby Bass]

A NEW DUSTING of snow fell overnight, nothing to really talk about and it is not even worthy of taking a broom to it. Except it is resting on the two plus feet of snow that is on the ground. Yesterday I had to haul wood down to the cabin and it was not what I would call warm out but then again there is not much doubt that winter is here and it is going to be here for a long time. With no sleds around I was not looking forward to hauling wood down to the cabin by the arm load. Still to much snow on the path to use the wheel barrow so I rigged up the zip line instead. Have not used the zip line this year so I had to dig in the shop to find it. Very simply the zip line hangs from a maple tree back by the wood pile down to the cabin. A half a dozen pulleys rest on the line and they are connected to old tongs that I found at a rummage sale years ago. I simply close the tongs around a chunk of wood and give it a push to start it on down to the cabin.

When the last pulley is sent on its way I grab a couple of chunks and make my way back down to the cabin. I toss the wood chunks in the rack and release the ones from the tongs and it saves me a couple of trips every time I do it. Half way through filling the wood rack the wife came home and the job was made even easier as I sent the wood down to her and she releases it from the tongs and just made a pile. I clipped on a length of clothes line to the first pulley and the wife gives the end of it to Duncan and I just call him, he then brings all the pulleys back to me, no walking at all for me. As soon as there was a big enough pile to fill the outdoor rack on the deck and fill the wood box inside along with a roaring fire I tied the tongs up to the Maple tree, I have to do this otherwise the grand kids will ride the zip line down to the cabin, you know when they are doing this from the bang they make when they hit the side of the cabin.

With the wood rack stocked I took a little breather and just stood on the deck and looked around. I have way to much snow to still move and if it was warmer I would have been done by now. But I am not getting any younger and I am in no real hurry so I was not planning on starting the snow blower. As the sun was setting behind clouds it was pretty quiet out and still, I was actually looking for some birds or maybe even Ed or Eddie the squirrels, but nothing was moving. The snow storm has been over for several days but yet the trees are still heavy in snow. Pines have their branches touching the ground or maybe it is just that the snow is so deep the ground has come up to the branches. Maple trees have crotches filled several feet in snow and of course you already know that all the roofs on the out buildings are covered.

I never did get the last of the carrots out of the garden and I am not about to dig through a couple of feet of snow to get to the hay and I am sure the frozen ground below. I will just till them up next spring and leave them as a treat for the deer to eat. Today finds the sun shinning from time to time and I should get the snow blower going but I was out already for a little while chipping ice on the deck. Some wind blowing and it feels even colder than the past few days. I might go clean the snow of the Dodge and the Jeep, maybe let the sunshine warm them up some or I just might sit in front of the fire and read. No rush, the snow is not going to go away anytime soon here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,466,510}

[Bobby Bass]

JUST KILLING SOME time here, got a phone call that Frank the plow driver is working his way down my way. I figure I got an hour or so before he leaves me a mess at the bottom of my drive. I was going to take the snow blower out anyway as I am still cleaning up around here and trying to reclaim ground from the snow storm. Sunshine Ray is forecasting a high of one today but on my bass jumping thermometer hanging on the siding of the cabin it is nudging eight. Of course it is sunny out and although the sun is low in the sky it at least looks good. I was already down to get the mail, a few bills a few flyers and an outdoor magazine, a Christmas gift subscription from one of my daughters last year.

I was sitting at the kitchen table sipping on some juice and looking through the magazine. I think it was page forty-eight when I came across the first fishing story. The first forty-seven pages had nothing but advertisement and most of them had nothing to do with the outdoors. A lot of drug company's I notice now are advertising in the sporting magazines. Must be because as we grow older us guys seem to spend more time talking about drugs at the hunting camp or sitting in the boat. I guess that is fair as we get older we become the target market of the drug companies. Of course there are still ads for motor oil and outdoor clothing but as you flip the pages we get in to the first of many male enhancement drugs ads. Still can't figure out why a couple would be sitting in two bathtubs on the beach, that one has me scratching my head.

I finally get to the bass fishing trip article and as I read it no doubt the writers "Bucket Trip Fishing Trip" no doubt paid for by the little blue pill company. Good for him I am thinking as I read of catching big bass in some other country where it is warm and no snow. I put the magazine down for now I will read the other story in it later. I took my juice and went to the window and looked out at the piles of snow and wished it was March. If it was March I would just leave it and let it melt but were are December and this is just the beginning of winter, by the calendar we still have eleven more days till it is officially winter.

I wonder what it would be like to have grass storm, you know instead of snow the grass would suddenly grow non stop for three days and when it was done we would have thirty inches of grass everywhere. What would one have to do if you had to cut thirty inches of grass on your driveways, porches and decks. How would you get it off your roof or the fenders of your truck. More importantly what would you do with it all? It was just a thought mind you, of course fishing on the lake would be interesting trying to get the Puddle Humper through all that grass. I have a feeling it is going to be a long winter, it has not even started yet and here I am rambling on about drugs and grass from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,468,267}

[Bobby Bass]

TAKING A BREAK here from sending out Christmas cards. The wife already has hers all done and stacked neatly in a pile. She takes care of all the relatives and I just do my fishing buddies and a few guys in town that I like to keep getting store discounts from. Every year I make a calendar and I send them out to friends and I try and get photos of them in the calendar, The guys at deer camp are good for a group photo but it never makes it to the calendar as it is x rated. The other day I was down at the bottom of the drive waiting for Frank and his grader to come by. Snow blower was idling away and I was already done pushing my own banks back some. Frank gave me a wave and dropped a load of snow in the drive and before he could make the curve in the road I was busy tossing snow. Well right up to when I wrapped a metal coat hanger around my shaft and broke the snow blower. At first I thought it was a shear pin and then as I dug the snow out I saw I was free spinning. Think I broke a belt and I took it back to the garage and parked it. Have not open it up and looked at it yet, was too cold to be playing with metal. How a metal coat hanger found its way to my snow bank I haven't a clue.

So yesterday was the grade school Christmas program and the snow blower sat. The program is a little early this year as it was rescheduled because of the couple of snow days the kids had. You would think it would be later rather then earlier but I don't know who decides these things. I think they figured the kids weren't going to get any better so they might as well have it now rather then wait and hit another stretch of snow days. Of course we had to get to town early so we would be able to get a good seat. We had to stop and pick up the mother in law as no way was she going to miss watching some of her great grand babies perform. Arrived at school to find all the parking spaces in front of school taken, seems that a lot of grand parents didn't want to miss anything. I was just about ready to give up on finding a spot and head for the parking lot when a SUV pulled out. The wife punched me in the shoulder and pointed the spot out and I just beat out a soccer mom in her van to it. The gal driving the van was a looker and I was thinking of being polite and letting her have the spot till I saw the look the wife was giving me.

We made it inside the school and walked down to the auditorium doors. A couple of students guarded by a teacher held coffee cans with hand printed labels asking for donations. The wife slipped a couple of bills into the can on the right and as I trailed behind them I had the can on the left thrust at me. I said "I am with them" pointing at the backs of my wife and mother in law, but the little girl just held out her coffee can and waited for me to drop my donation. I had some quarters for parking in my coat pocket and I pulled them out and dropped them in the can, She looked at the can and at me and gave me a shrug. As I followed the wife into the auditorium I thought the little girl might have a future in county tax collection.

The wife and mother in law headed to the front of the auditorium where my daughter was standing guarding two seats. With a little imagination you could picture my daughter with her blond hair in pig tails holding a broad sword daring anyone to try and take the seats. I blinked a few times and saw she was really only holding her scarf and was waving it at her mother and grand mother. I found a place against the back wall and took a lean. Can't sit in the narrow wood seats of the auditorium. My legs fall asleep and I get stuck in the small seats, at least that is my story that I have been using for years. Seems it is a good excuse as I am soon joined by Big Earl and Gus and Walt. A low hum of conversation fills the auditorium in back ground noise and there must be a hundred conversations going on at once.

Program was to start at one o'clock but DOC Burriem was not there yet, finally about five minutes late DOC Burriem comes in the door and shuffles his way down to the front of the auditorium. He shakes hands and waves as he heads to his reserved front row seat. DOC Burriem has delivered just about every kid who will perform and most of the parents in the auditorium and now that he is seated the program can begin. I put my glasses on and watch my granddaughter as she walks on stage carrying a sword, gee just like her mom, from Lake Iwanttobethere {1,472,693}

[Bobby Bass]

FINISHED UP THE Christmas cards yesterday and was surprised to find that it had gotten warm outside. The bass thermometer was reading seventeen and that may not be warm where you live but here at Lake Iwanttobethere the wind-chill has been in the minus thirties for several days and the overnight temperatures have been on the other side of fifteen below. Seventeen degrees above zero with no wind had me thinking of putting on a pair of shorts. Instead the dogs and I spent time outside and it was a very good afternoon for getting things done. I didn't work on the snow thrower at all but instead did snow removal the old fashion way, I used a shovel. A few minutes on the pile that was up against the Jeep was enough to finish moving what the snow thrower had left. I started the Jeep and let it run and by the time I got around to it the windows had cleared and it was ready to get inside.

Now I normally only drive the wife's Jeep but maybe two times a year. I am a good size guy and I often refer to me getting in the Jeep as like climbing into a space capsule, a small space capsule. I have to put my knees up to chest put my chin down to my knees and then slide in across the seat. That is after I have already put the seat all the way back and the steering wheel all the way up. The seat fits me like a glove and the Jeep and I are now bonded together. My left arm and leg press against the door and my head is about an inch from the roof. Any good bump has me hit the roof with my head and bang my knee off the door handle. However the Jeep is the perfect ride for the wife and she would not part with it. Being only fair and since the wife has been driving my Tahoe the first thing I did was adjust all the mirrors and change the radio station.

With the Jeep in four wheel drive I had to rock it a few times to break loose of the frozen ground and with a little of this and a little of that and some body English I broke out of the snow bank and backed the Jeep out of its resting place for the past ten days. I knew I was clear and it was time to stop when I hit the recycling bin and scattered the contents across the drive. I know this because I am so one with the Jeep I could feel the difference between snow bank and recycling bin. Of course seeing milk and oj jugs scattered in my mirrors on the snow behind me also might have been a good indicator. With the Jeep out of the snow bank I parked in a cleared section of the parking area and marched into the cabin with a job well done.

The wife was putting on her coat as I was coming in, "I see my Jeep is out" she said. I just nodded my head and went to the fridge, seeing the empty oj jugs scattered had made me thirsty for some juice. The wife then said. "I am going to run into town and do some errands I'll take the Jeep and O by the way you need to put gas in the Tahoe" Pouring juice in my glass I nodded my head and said " Before you take off you need to pick up the recycling, something must have knocked it over, just a few jugs, should not take you long." I stood at the window and watched as she picked up two weeks worth of recycling and moved the recycling bin off to the side. She then got in the Jeep but was right back out again as she had to adjust the seat and clean snow off the back window. Got me thinking that if I had cleaned the snow off the back window I might have seen the recycling bin. Back in the Jeep I could see her adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors and I could hear music, Dang I forgot to change the disk in the CD player. Juice done and the wife gone I went back outside and eyed the snow on the boathouse roof. Got the snow rake out and went to work here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,474,789}

[Bobby Bass]

JUST SOME SHORT notes here about happenings around Lake Iwanttobethere.

This morning finds some light snow falling and I noticed that you can sure tell the old dogs Bud and Barney are not as quick as Duncan is. When I let the dogs back in the old dogs had more snow resting on their backs then Duncan did.

Ten days out from Christmas and other then telling you about the kids Christmas program I have not mentioned at all that the town is decorated and the lights are turned on at sunset every night. Hockey rink has been cleared of snow and there is ice making going on every evening as the Fellows are in charge of doing the flooding. Saturday afternoon senior hockey league starts this afternoon and I was asked to play goalie but declined. The only ice I want to see on a Saturday afternoon is in a glass.

Ice House Fling has been rescheduled to next Saturday due to snow, we just have to much of it on the lake. However the Luge run is open and the kids are saying it is the best ever! Big Earl did have his log cabin shanty hauled to the public access and his store is open out of it. At the Lodge we are renting out plastic sleds that you can use if you don't have your own. There is no charge to use the Luge run but it is also a use at your own risk venture.

Winter has settled in here at the lake and you can tell the locals by how much snow is still on the roof of their cars. The first twelve inches of snow we received in the storm was the wet stuff so it just kind of froze on the roofs. Depending on how tall you are or the car is reflects how much of the snow you were able to clear off the roofs. Some locals are driving around town sporting a white snow mohawk down the roofs of their SUV's. It is going to take some sunshine and warmer temps to melt the snow away.

Speaking of snow mohawks I just learned that the Lake Iwanttobethere High School cheerleaders are going to be holding a fund raiser this afternoon. Not a car wash but they will for a small donation clear snow off your car or truck, scrape windows and check the air in your tires. Event to be held at Dug's Garage, hot chocolate and coffee will also be available for another small donation.

Main Street along with the side streets in town remain snow packed. Big Earl at the General Store has installed short skis on some of his shopping carts making it easier for customers to get stuff to their trucks.

This afternoon I am going to clean the chimney here at the cabin. I figure with all the snow on the roof I will just be able to walk right up, no ladder needed. If I fall the worse that I can do is clear a path down the roof with me.

Monday and Tuesday Stormy Clearweather is forecasting the temperatures will rise into the twenties, above zero! Will look into fixing the snow blower and cleaning roofs of snow and knocking down ice dams.

Fishermen are on the ice of Lake Iwanttobethere and the Lodge is holding an ice fishing contest. Mostly guys pulling portables out on to the ice and the going is tuff unless you are a skinny guy. If you have any weight to ya you go right through the crust and sink into the deep snow. Fellows have announced that sometime next week they will have their surplus military half track up and running and for a small donation they will run fishermen out onto the ice. I would urge caution if you hire them.

Grand kids are waking up, they were all over last night and stayed up late watching a movie. Way past their normal bedtime but that is why they like coming here on Friday nights. Their parents get a date night and I get to have all the kids here. Best part is after I spoil them they get to go back to their parents. Time to log off and get the wife to start making pancakes here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,477,118}

[Bobby Bass]

GLAD THERE WAS football to watch today because I could not think of any reason to be outside in the cold and wind. I rewarded myself with a cigar and put my feet up and spent the afternoon watching football ( a win by the way ) and a beverage of my choice. Yesterday was a pretty good work day again as it got warmer then forecasted and I made quick work of cleaning the chimney. I had but one small problem and that was Duncan climbing up the ladder to follow me up on the roof. As long as he was up there I had him hold the brush for me. Getting off the roof was a breeze, I merely sat down on my rump and slid down the roof over the edge onto the snow drift. Duncan wanted to come back down the ladder so I had to go back up the ladder and carry him down.

With the chimney cleaned I started a fire and for once things looked good. Every once in awhile I get a day when things are all lined up and nothing bad happens. Pushing my luck I decided to take a look at the snow blower or snow thrower, I always find the words blower or throwers interchangeable. Anyway I used a heat gun to melt the snow and ice away from around the inspection plate and a few minutes later I had the cover off to find that I merely had thrown a drive auger belt. Also discovered that I only had one belt where there are suppose to be two running side by side on companion pulleys. I put the belt back on, greased the fittings and started it up. Auger works just fine and I put on my shopping list that I need two replacement belts, In the back of my mind I am thinking I will replace the old belt and put on a new second belt on sometime when it gets warm, like July.

With the sun still up in the sky Duncan and I drove into town, the thought was to look for an auger belt and that is what I told the wife where I was going. I drove by the hockey rink and saw several of the guys out on the ice and more of them leaning up against the boards. I then remembered it was the start of the Men's Senior Hockey League. I parked the Tahoe and left it running with instructions to Duncan not to go any where. I made my way over to the boards and I see the rules of the league have been relaxed some. Big Earl was in the goal and I do mean in the goal, he was sitting on a three legged stool with his stick resting across his knees. Hammering Hank and Skinny were doing lazy circles out at the blue line but most of the guys were just leaning up against the boards sipping on beer. I exchanged HIYA's with the guys and started up some polite give and take.

It was during this time I noticed a few things, one there were a lot of home made hockey sticks in the hands of the guys and just about all of the sticks had cup holders taped to them. The other big thing is that I didn't see any pucks, not a one. I mentioned the lack of pucks and Wilbur told me they had sent Junior back to the store to get a couple, seems no one remembered to bring one with. Mike asked if I was interested in playing and I told him no but I could hold on to Juniors stick and a beer till he got back. I was just getting ready to climb over the boards when Duncan stood on the horn and I remembered about him. "Sorry guys, I got to go do some shopping" and I went back to the Tahoe and Duncan. Today as I sat on the couch petting Duncan between the ears I think how sore I could have been if I played hockey yesterday, for sure I would have been pushing my luck here at Lake Iwanttobethere {1,481,242}

[Bobby Bass]

BEEN BUSY PAST few days here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Got a break in the weather so have been outside most of the time just catching up. Put the now working snow thrower to work clearing the parking area up and taking back some of what Mother Nature was trying to claim. The dogs now have more room to do their thing outside and almost on cue it snowed overnight and I woke up to a few more inches of the white stuff on the ground. Took the shovel out and went to work, didn't want to use the snow blower. I still have tons of snow to move but I am sick of talking about it let alone writing about it and here we are still four days away from winter officially arriving.

I have been dragging my heels on getting a Christmas tree but I did get that done today. The Dodge is dug out but the box is still full of snow and when Chuck volunteer to use his truck to go get trees I was onboard. The idea of a late tree was so that I would not have to go cut trees down for all the relatives. Seems every year as soon as I mention I am going to cut a tree down the wife announces it and then meets me at the truck with a list of trees. Of course it is not just any Christmas tree will do I have orders for seven foot Norway pines, six foot Spruce and they all have to be full limbed and no trees from the swamp, they smell funny. This year I got away with just getting a few trees as I told the relatives the snow was just too deep to get into the woods and no I was not going to cut down any trees on my property to give away for free.

Chuck and I got in his truck, tossed some snowshoes in the back and I brought along the single shot 20 ga, just in case I saw a grouse or two, The hardest part was getting the shotgun out of the cabin without Duncan or Bud seeing me with it. We drove to Chuck's uncles old tree farm and we were not too picky this year as the snow was deep and we knew the wife's were going to find something wrong with no matter what we brought back. No birds seen so we walked back a few yards and dropped a few big trees, cleaned them up and dragged them to the truck. An hour later I was back at home and the wife was eyeballing the Norway and gave it to my surprise her stamp of approval.

I have a feeling something was up and right after I put the tree in the stand and stood it up in the corner she told me she had a little job for me to do. That is when I found out about the big garbage can of Christmas lights she bought at a rummage sale this fall and now wanted me to find some place for them outside. In a flash I had an idea and without a word I took the garbage can to the back door, I told her I had just the place and she countered by waving her finger at me and telling me that the garbage is not what she had in mind. But I was one up on her, I took the garbage can of lights out onto the deck and dumped them inside the wheel barrow that I use to haul fire wood with. I tipped the wheel barrow over at the edge of the deck and plugged them in. A little fluffing and it looks like I had dumped a pile of lights from the wheel barrow, which is exactly what I had done. To my surprise it met her approval and I was two for two.

I then told her I had to run into town for a few things and I was good to go as she was decorating the tree and probably didn't even hear me. I was headed for the Lodge for a beverage of my choice and as I drove by the hockey rink I saw the Fellows were out flooding. I slowed down to give a wave and that is when I saw the paint job and had to pull over. After exchanging HYIA's with the guys I brought up the paint job. "I thought there was to be two blue lines and one red line" I asked Gary. Gary with his hands in his pockets looked at me and just said "We ran out of blue so we just used green" I nodded, interesting choice. Now we have a blue line, a red line and a green line. I decided not to ask about the purple face-off circles. "Say Gary, I can't help but notice that the lines are not all that straight" I said. Gary looking down the wavy green line said "We had some trouble getting the masking tape to stick" I headed back to the truck thinking it does not really matter, most of the guys in the Senior Hockey League are color blind anyway, here at Lake Iwanttobethere [1,486,014}