Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

Bobby Bass · November 20, 2014

NO DEER IF you are wondering have been harvested here at the HOTEL, we are now writing on the scoreboard blackboard when we see a deer. The board is supposed to be used to document when we take a deer. It could be worse, that might be hard to believe but this morning I was in town getting supplies for the upcoming and last weekend of hunting and I ran into a buddy of mine who lives on the other side of Lake Iwanttobethere. We got about eleven inches of snow this deer season out at the shack. He told me they got over sixty inches of snow for there short deer season in just a couple of days. Hunting was a couple of levels below bad because they could not even get to their stands let alone to their shacks.

He told me the snow was so deep that even if you got into the woods there was no tracks as the deer had already made tunnels and were walking under the snow out of sight and safe from hunters. He knows this because he fell through into a tunnel and starting walking around. Granted he is a short guy so he did not have to bend over much but he said it was like a super highway under there. I listen to him talk and nodded my head from time but I found it hard to believe his story. I mean really, if we can't get money for a highway here where did the deer get funding?

So anyway I was in town making the rounds and checking up on the guys. Being retired does have its advantages, one of which is not having to work or spend vacation time on deer season. First stop was down at the General Store and I was kind of surprised not to see Big Earl standing outside the front door welcoming customers. I went inside to ask Barb where he was at and she said he was back at the loading dock with Junior. I made my way past the Christmas displays and blinking lights to the Employee Only door and made my way through. Chilly back there as the big door was wide open and Hammering Hank's work truck was backed up to the dock with a load of Christmas trees. HIYA's were exchanged and I was told I was welcomed to help off load the trees but I mentioned my bad back and I had things to do and...

In one stop I had confirmed that Big Earl, Junior, Hammering Hank and Skinny would all be up for the last weekend of hunting. Smoke and Magazine Shop was the next stop and I walked into the aroma of tobacco and ink. Well maybe you can't really smell the ink but I always think I can. Elmer and Marv were standing or I should say leaning over the glass counter inspecting a shipment of cigars that had arrived. They turned when they saw me and two small clouds of smoke drifted upwards over their heads like them balloons in cartoons where the writer puts in their conversation.

HIYA's were exchanged and small talk was made over the upcoming weekend of deer hunting and how Sunshine Ray is calling for temperatures to rise into the thirties, like they should have been for opener. I left with a cigar burning between my lips and two more of the guys for sure will be up at the HOTEL. I walked over to Reed the Realtors Shop and had both my hands deep in my pockets. It may warm up this weekend but with the wind today it was cold and I should have grabbed my hat that I left on the front seat of the Tahoe.

I came up on the Shop which serves as a office for all of Reeds ventures which includes real estate, a travel agency, tax preparations and a used car business. I saw Reed sitting at his desk, feet up and hands together forming a church with a steeple. I walked in and we exchanged HIYA's then Reed told me you know you can't smoke in here, I pulled a cigar out of my pocket and said "Well I guess you don't want this then" Reed got up from behind the desk took the cigar from my hand and reaching around me he flipped the sign on the door to "At Lunch" We both sat back down and Reed lit up his cigar and we both leaned back and chit chatted some. The heat was on high and the ceiling fan was slowly ticking over. A gentle warm breeze washed over me and I was almost caught up in one of Reed's sales tricks as the green leaves of the potted palm plant seemed to dance under the breeze from the fan and right in front of me was a big poster of a white sand beach and deep blue water. A colorful umbrella and the tan legs of some young thing lounging with the rest of her just off the edge of the picture. Printed in bold letters across the top it said " You Could Be Here." Reed looking at me looking at the poster said "Nice Eh" I nodded and said "I wonder how the fishing is there" from Lake Iwanttobethere {2,391,813}

Bobby Bass · November 24, 2014

ANOTHER DEER SEASON is in the log book and it was as bad as they get here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Not a single deer was harvested and as a matter of fact to add insult to injury no one even got to take a shot at a deer. Today I am back at the cabin and my hunting gear is scattered about on the chair and floor of the den. Duncan is sleeping on my sleeping bag after bunching it up into a pile that is the right fit for him. The 30/30 is cleaned and has been oiled but I have not yet put it away in the gun cabinet. Yesterday, the last day in deer camp was a wet one as it drizzled most of the day but the red needle on the outside thermometer did hit forty-seven in the shade. You might say the deer season ended how we expected it to start. We got snow and cold right up to the last weekend and the wind was a constant, yesterday was no different as the strong wind drove the rain and got everything and everyone wet.

This morning I was up by five, I am still on deer hunting time. Made my way down to the kitchen and Duncan followed me. He was walking slow and I am sure he was trying to figure out what I was doing up. I made my way to the fridge after getting a glass from the cupboard and poured myself some OJ. Duncan was already sitting in the corner trying to keep his eyes open. I walked over to the kitchen window and looked out at the yard. Rain drops chased each other down the glass and a glance at the thermometer told me it was thirty-seven out. With the juice gone I put the glass in the sink and headed back to bed, I did not have any reason to up at this hour. Found Barney sprawled across my bed taking up as much room as a fourteen year old lab can. I had to slip my arms underneath him and push him out of the center of the bed. I then laid down in his warm spot, tossed the cover over the two of us and patted him thanking him for keeping the bed warm. Duncan jumped up onto the bed and made a big deal about getting comfortable and as close to the back of my knees as he could.

Ten o'clock came and I knew that with out looking at the clock. Duncan was in the bed rolling on his back, feet in the air pestering me. The dog refuses to let me sleep in past ten and I am pretty sure the wife sends him to wake me up. I reached out for Barney but he to was already up and out of bed. I got dressed and made my way down to the kitchen. Wife had already washed out my juice glass so I grabbed another and looking out the window I saw the rain had tuned to snow and everything was white. Put my boots on and took the dogs outside with me. Not much snow, just enough to make it white and hide the ice. I walked down and got the mail and morning paper. Back at the cabin the mail joined the pile on the desk and I walked around the hunting clothes that are all dry and needed to be put away.

Spent the rest of the morning reading e-mail and fielding a few telephone calls. Need to head down to the Lodge this afternoon, with deer season done Gus and I will trade positions for the winter as I will be the manager and Gus will take his kitchen back. Between telephone calls I start to put stuff back in its place. The wife comes in and I am on the phone so she just grabs stuff and heads to the laundry room with it. She makes an attempt to get the sleeping bag but Duncan won't give up his hot spot and I tell her I'll take care of it. I sit back in my chair and watch the wind shake the apple tree outside my window. The leaves are still hanging on although they are not green anymore. I count only four apples on the branches, when I went to deer camp there were eight. Five and a half months till open water fishing season, I could figure out how many days that is but I figure I have plenty of time to do that later. Now I am just watching Duncan napping on my sleeping bag here in the den on the shores of Lake Iwanttobethere {2,402,758}

Bobby Bass · November 26, 2014

IT IS LIKE I never left here at the Lodge. Today finds me busy working at the Lodge running a few errands and back to filling out orders and talking with delivery drivers. This morning I was at Ma and Pa' Grocery picking up their donation of turkeys for our annual Thanksgiving dinner here at the Lodge. The birds are defrosting nicely and Gus and his staff are busy working at this hour getting ready for tomorrow's meal. Both of Gus's sons are helping him out as both Hopps and Barley have taken time off from running their Brewery to help out dad. Of course they also brought in a donation of their Needabeer and Whynotale for tomorrow dinner. Honey Sauce is baking cookies and I am expecting the Woman's Auxiliary to arrive here shortly to decorate the place up.

Barney stayed back at the cabin but Duncan is here and he is making the rounds inspecting the place before settling in for a nap on the couch in my office. A fire is burning in the fireplace and the drapes have been pulled open on the deck widows facing Lake Iwanttobethere and guess what we have ice. Warning signs are up at the access to remind people it is not safe yet but nevertheless there are a few people out on it. Between delivery drivers I have been going through a stack of mail here that already has me making a couple of trips to the fire. Most messages are way out of date but I have found a few things to hold on to. Matter of fact today Mark the mailman brought me my first seed catalog. I was scratching my head at that till I saw it was from a tobacco seed company.

Ice House Fling is on the calendar here for December 13th a Saturday and if the weather stays the same we should be all set. We have growing ice and as of right now we have some snow on the hill but no where close to it being deep enough to hinder launching. Matter of fact I think I over heard Skinny talking to Hammering Hank about going to the Lodge garage and getting the test log out and doing some touch up painting on it. I have on my do list to print out the sign up sheet for the Fling and also the fishing contest sheets.

Yesterday I did swing by the RESORT and the place is all buttoned up for winter. No one staying out there except for Marv in his airstream trailer and of course Vic and Dock says he is going to try and be there to keep Vic company. From what I hear Vic does not need much company as I heard from the wife that Vic has been spending time with Elsie from down the road. The Lodge stays open on Thanksgiving as we have a lot of Lodge members who come here for dinner and we have a lot of guys who just want to get away from their own family's and spend time with their Lodge family. Of course that and we have the football game on and it is a free meal and free Needabeer and Whynotale till it is gone.

As Gus puts it my six month vacation is over and it is about time I was seen around the Lodge. I was here yesterday afternoon and I am back today and I will be here tomorrow, after all it is a free meal and the football game is on. Not to mention that Amy will be donating apple pies again this year like she always does. I have noticed that the blondes are out in town. Maybe it is just me but it seems that around Thanksgiving time no matter were you go in town you see ladies with long blond hair wearing tight black pants and the puffy ski jackets in an assortment of colors. Of course it could just be that here at Lake Iwanttobethere we have a lot of blondes and it is cold out so the ski jackets are out of the closets or it may just be me. I do know that we have seen the last of any skin below the neck for the next five months or so as all the gals are bundled up.

Black Friday will not effect us here at the Lake, I along with many other business will not be opening early in the morning. With all the stores in the big city opening on Thanksgiving evening the stores here in town are remaining closed. Matter of fact most if not all are going to have regular business hours on Friday. Big Earl told me that they might loose a few dollars in sales but it has just gotten to much out of hand. Even my wife says she is not going to go out on Thanksgiving to shop but will head into the big city early Friday morning but not as early as she has in the past.

I hear a couple of beer mugs hit the table loudly and look up to see a couple of the guys pulling on their coats and heading for the back door. I was about to say something when the front door is pushed open and the Ladies Auxiliary enters. Carrying boxes of decorations and some corn stalks they marched in to the Lodge and fan out. Funny thing is they are all wearing puffy ski coats and they are all blond except for Doris who has jet black hair with a couple of streaks of white. I give the ladies my best smile because Doris always puts a smile on my face, she reminds me a lot of Frankenstein's bride here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,409,716}

Bobby Bass · November 28, 2014

THANKSGIVING IS IN the books and next up is Christmas. Between now and then winter will officially start but at the Resort the other night Vic told me it hit minus twenty, for us winter is here. Gus forgot his keys this morning and called to see if I could run down and open the Lodge, no problem I told him I would be down in a few, I lied. Went to start the Tahoe and it would not turn over, battery dead. Tried to jump it with the wife's Jeep but I had to double up on the jumper cables and didn't get a good connection so I ended up having to take the Jeep to town. Been a couple of years since I drove the wife's Jeep I am not real fond of it. First off I am a pretty good size guy and in order for me to get in the Jeep I have fold myself up and slide across the seat. When I am inside I have about an inch of head room so I have to take my hat off when I drive. In the past when I have tried wearing my hat I have hit a bump in the road, hit my head on the ceiling and pushed my hat down over my eyes, makes for an interesting drive. For me getting in and out of the Jeep is like an astronaut getting into Mercury space capsule except I don't have the support crew.

I pulled into the parking lot and did not have to get out of the Jeep. Gus was waiting in his pick up truck and he walked over and we exchanged HIYA's and he got the keys. I pulled out of the parking lot and I was thinking about going to the car wash but I saw a couple of soccer mom's vans already in line so I drove by and instead went to the Gas-N-Go. Tank was almost on empty so I figured I would fill it up for the wife. I was trying to get out of the Jeep when the young store clerk who was stocking the paper towels on the island asked me if I needed help. I mumbled something and finally popped out and stood up right. Nozzle in the fill pipe I went and washed the windows and lights all the way around the Jeep. Popped the hood and filled the window washer from the jug in back and checked the oil only to find it down a quart. None in the back so I went inside to pay for the gas and almost bought a quart of oil till I saw the price.

Got back in the Jeep and it was a little easier this time. I had the seat moved all the way back and the steering wheel tilted all the way up. Figured I needed to get some oil so I headed over to the General Store. There is one thing you should never do and that is go shopping for an everyday item on a Black Friday morning. I drove around the block once looking for a place to park but found nothing. Even the two metered parking spaces in front of Reed the Realtor shop had cars in them. Finally I just drove around out back and parked behind the dumpster by the loading dock. I had forgotten how small the Jeep was and the little places I could park it in. I went in through the loading dock and stepped into the store and chaos.

I would not say the place was packed but it was surely full. Big Earl had everyone on the payroll working and I even saw his father in law wearing a bright red apron helping another older gent and they were taking turns yelling in to each others hearing aids. I walked past and reaching around them I picked up a apple peeler and handed it to the customer. He said thanks I think and Big Earl's father in law gave me a thumbs up. A few members of the Woman's Auxiliary were there, I could tell by the tight black pants and the puffy ski coats. I made my way over too automotive and picked up two quarts of oil and thought about heading towards the front when I saw Big Earl waving at me. I tucked the oil under my arm and headed in his direction. Big Earl bent down to shout in my ear "I have a deal for you"

I followed him though the swinging employee doors to shipping and away from the crowd. Around a stack of snow throwers all of them with a dangling yellow tag that declared it was the last one in stock. Big Earl went into the shipping office and I followed and there sitting in the office chair was one big stuffed teddy bear. Big Earl turned and said "I got to make this quick, you can have the bear at cost, it was a special order and when the lady saw how big it really was she didn't want it, she paid for shipping and if you buy it for cost it is yours." I put my hand out and we shook, Big Earl said we will settle up on it next time you come in.

You see I have been buying stuff animals for my number two granddaughter since her first birthday. Her mother my daughter told me that I have to stop unless I buy her something bigger then the last one. Last Christmas I searched and found the biggest bear but this one is even bigger. I picked him up out of the chair and carried him out to the Jeep, I had to push him through the passenger door to get him in and had a hard time buckling the seat belt. I went around and got in and backed out. I drove down Main Street and didn't even get a second look. After all who would think twice about a bear in a Jeep here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,415,879}

Bobby Bass · December 1, 2014

A CLEAN MISS I thought as I watched the grouse dip around a pine and not reappear on the other side. On Saturday afternoon it got warm enough for snow to melt on the roof of the cabin and the water dripped off to splatter on the wood deck. I had things I could be doing outside but Duncan looked at me and I looked at him and we shared the same idea at the same time, a walk in the woods. I open the gun cabinet up and had to make a choice between the double or the single, I pulled out the single and a box of number six's. Twenty minutes later and I pulled the Tahoe off to the side of the road and Duncan was out the door right behind me. I open the back door and took the shotgun out of the case and slipped on my vest over my coat. The bright red collar with the bell went on around Duncan's neck and no sooner did I slam the truck door close and Duncan was heading for the trail that went down to the old Christmas tree farm.

When I left the cabin the red needle on the bass thermometer was resting at thirty-six and there was hardly any wind. Sun was high in the sky but I am guessing at that. There was a glow where I figured it should be as I followed Duncan down the trail. I told the wife I was going out to look for a Christmas tree and she just waved at me and said OK. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her notebook out and lists of gifts and a pencil busy making check marks and small notations behind names. Just a few inches of snow and walking was easy, much better then the deep snow of last season when my neighbor Chuck and I had harvested trees. Of course on this day I was just looking, I will come back in a few weeks more then likely with Chuck and his pickup truck.

Just about when I was comfortable with my hat on just right and shotgun shells spread in my pockets so they would not rattle the first bird thundered out from the bottom of a scrub pine tree. The bird stayed low and I shot high. My excuse was I was not ready and even Duncan was caught by surprise as he jumped up trying to see where the bird flew off to. I spoke a few words of encouragement to Duncan and broke the shotgun open and caught the ejected shell as it flew up in the air. Old shell went into my pocket and a new number six was dropped in its place. Duncan patiently watched and waited for me to get my act together and finally I told him to "Hunt em up" Head down Duncan headed down the trail and this time I noticed he was giving the little trees a little more attention. This time of bird season we were all alone. Don't see to many bird hunters out in the woods after deer season.

Thirty-seven degrees on this day felt warm and soon we were off the trail and weaving our way through pines that were bare of snow but full of scent. Duncan was a few trees ahead of me when I heard a bird get up but never saw it. Duncan came back to me with his tail wagging looking back over his shoulder. I asked him if it was a bird and he barked once and turned back in the direction that I think the bird flew off to. I told him again to "Hunt em up" and we walked in the direction of the bird, I think. A few minutes later we came to the edge of the tree farm and in front of us towered blue spruce and a couple of naked maples. We turned and walked along the end of the tree farm as in the past I have found birds along the edge sunning themselves but not today.

We made our way back through the tree farm and I spotted a few trees that might be candidates for this year's tree. We did cross the path of one more bird and he is still flying today. Bird blew out of a pine tree right above my head and he had me corkscrewed into the snow before I could get a shot off that didn't have a chance. I did hit the top of a tree and had to duck my head as a shower of needles fell around me. Duncan looked at me and where the top of the tree was and where the bird flew and just kind of gave me a snort/bark shake of his head and flapped his ears at me. I think he learned it from Bud, it passes as a dog laugh here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,423,489}

Bobby Bass · December 5, 2014

BEEN A BUSY week here at the Lodge on the shores of Lake Iwanttobethere in Fish County. I am back working as the manager of the Lodge and suddenly my days seem to not have enough hours in them. My office is cleaned out as Gus was using it as an extra store room and no longer does the couch hold boxes of pasta and big cans of vegetables. There were a few things left on one end but Duncan knocked them on the floor as it is his preferred end of the couch to sleep on. Already December fifth and the Ice House Fling is next weekend. Have been working with others on the Fling committee to get the last minute things all in place. Sunshine Ray was here this afternoon trying to eat his grilled cheese sandwich and eat his grouse noodle soup while being grilled about the warm spell he is forecasting for the next two weeks. As I write this it is sunny and thirty-seven degrees out in the shade.

We have good ice on Lake Iwanttobethere and guys in the know have been hitting the crappie and a few walleyes are also finding there way into white buckets. From the deck here at the Lodge you can look out over the lake and see a few shanties are already out but none in the projected path of the Fling. Vicki down at the MasterBaiters Shop has been doing a brisk business as minnows are hot right now and she is getting a lot of Christmas shoppers to. I am waiting on a call from Mike over at the ski hill about borrowing one of his snow making machines. We hardly have any snow on the ground here and we are going to have to make some or truck some snow in from the other side of the lake for the hill.

Hammering Hank and Skinny hauled the Fling test log out of storage and launched it the other day. Didn't really have to as guys were out fishing on the ice but it is kind of a ceremonial thing to check the ice that way. I am not the only one busy as Hammering Hank and Skinny have the skating rink flooded and today they are going to color the lines in. Picnic tables have been set in place as there is no snow to worry about moving. Even the fire rings are all clear and for the first time in a long time we should be able to drag the bleachers from the softball field over to the launch hill, some lucky people will get a great view from them.

This morning I took advantage of the warm weather and went to the car wash. I had to wait my turn but it was time well spent as I cleaned out the inside of the Tahoe. With the Tahoe white again I decided I would get my last haircut of the year and drove over to Burt and Bart's Barbershop. I made my way in and hung my coat on the tree and exchanged HIYA's with the guys sitting along the wall on the old chrome four legged chairs with the tattered leather seats. I found a chair right next to the battered oak table which held the reading material to kill time with. I was just getting into an article about city living in the Indoor Life magazine when Bart called out my name and looking up I saw him patting the back of the barber chair. Sitting in the barber chair is somewhat like sitting in the witness chair at a trial. No sooner was the cape swirled around my neck then the questions started coming from the guys sitting in the chairs, and of course you have to answer, all of them

I made my way to the Tahoe leaving the Barbershop behind me and I felt like I did when I was a kid after going to confession. I had to adjust the hat on my head as Bart took a lot of hair off and the hat felt loose. Bart had offered to trim my beard and I asked him if the wife had called ahead, Bart quickly changed the subject to hockey. I drove back to the Lodge with the window down and my gloves off, it was actually nice being able to drive that way in the first week of December. A few more things to do at the Lodge and I think I am going to take the rest of the afternoon off and maybe Duncan and I will do a little bird hunting, er I mean Christmas tree hunting here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,434,203}

Bobby Bass · December 8, 2014

THE DRIVE INTO town this morning was pretty quiet as over night three inches of the heavy, sticky heart attack kind of snow fell. I shoveled my way out to the Tahoe as Duncan ran around making tracks in the new snow. I thought about shoveling out the parking area with the big metal push shovel but I left the shovel in its resting place. I am counting on Sunshine Ray's forecast of warming temperatures to melt the snow and save me some work. The cotton candy sticky snow clinged to everything that it fell on and with no wind it was not going anywhere. I had the window down on the truck and I could hear the crushing sound the tires make as they rolled over the snow when I backed up.

Ride into town was quiet even with the window down on my side and partly down on the passenger side. Duncan had just enough room to stick his head out the window and when he turned his head just right his ears flapped some. Most of my ride into town was on fresh snow and I made a double ribbon behind me in the snow. I came up on Frank the plow driver and the old grader was heading in the direction I just came from. Behind him was black pavement and the shoulder of the road now had a bank of white snow that will be dirty by mid afternoon.

I came to town passing the closed golf course and the soon to be open ski hill. I was thinking about turning in and talking to Mike about one of his snow making machines but now with some snow over night I will wait and inspect the hill at the Lodge first. Gas-N-Go had a few pickups idling away, there snow plows up and their headlights on. I noticed that gas went down another nickel overnight and I can only hope that it will stay down in time to be of some benefit next summer. Don't travel much in the winter so cheap gas don't mean much but summer fishing and cheap gas would have me putting in some fishing trips to lakes I have not been on in years.

Matter of fact since gas has gone down so much I am now putting a dollar away in my fishing jar for every gallon I buy this winter. Kind of my way of saving some gas money for this next season. I was hoping that fuel oil was going to take a nice dip and was planning on adding that to the fishing jar but when I got oil it had actually gone up from the last time I bought some, go figure. Good thing I am in pretty good shape with the wood pile but I must admit I have been a little lazy and it is a lot easier to turn the thermostat up then to go out and haul wood.

Drove by the General Store and Junior is working in the Christmas tree lot that they have erected next to the building. Big Earl used a mess of kennel panels and closed in part of the parking lot and then they hauled all the trees out there. This way the trees don't get dragged through the store leaving needles all over. With the purchase of a tree Junior will give the bottom of the tree a fresh cut and tuck the tree in one of them mesh bags that protects the tree from breaking its branches and makes it easier to move. Junior is standing by the gate leaning on his big Swede saw wearing his Santa cap while he sucks on a red and white candy cane.

A couple of weeks out from Christmas and the snow could not have come at a much better time. Just does not seem like Christmas unless you are wearing boots and clomping along sidewalks with fresh snow on them. Christmas trees look much better tied to the roofs of SUV's with a little snow on top of them. Store fronts have blinking lights and hand painted winter scenes on the windows and now we have small snow piles and soft Christmas music from outside speakers to pull it all together. Now if only the snow will stay around till Saturday and the Ice House Fling here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,442,763}

Bobby Bass · December 10, 2014

WELL HALF RIGHT is better then half wrong I guess. Sunshine Ray has been calling for warmer weather and sunshine. The warm weather is here but no sunshine. You have pros and cons about the missing sunshine as it would be nice to have some free solar heating in the cabin and sitting out on the deck would be much more comfortable. On the other hand no sunshine means what little snow we have is not going to melt. We have just enough snow on the hill that we are good to go for the Ice House Fling on Saturday. The snow that was in the Lodge parking lot was scooped up and dumped on the hill and Mike from over at the ski hill said we could use one of his snow guns for the night if we don't get any more snow by today. Right now I think Hammering Hank and Skinny are going to get together with Mike and make some snow on Thursday night.

The couple of inches of snow we got the other night was put to good use as the bleachers from the softball field were moved. The FELLOWS offered to do the moving and with some fabrication they put ski's on the bleachers and used a couple of four wheelers to drag the bleachers over to the hill. The bleachers were put to rest sideways to the hill and I thought some anchors would be a wise addition but for now they are just resting there on the hill. Tiny said they would be fine after they wet the hill down to make ice. The idea being they will just freeze the bleachers in place.

We did borrow the sweeper from the street crew and used it to sweep all the snow up from the softball field and moved it to the track that the shanties should follow down the hill and out on to the Lake Iwanttobethere ice. With our lack of snow this season the Luge run will not be built till we get more snow so that is something we will miss. Orange barrels from the pile that the county leaves here for the winter have already been put in place and Old McDonnell has brought us two wagon loads of hay bales. There is wood in the fire rings and if we can keep the teenagers from sneaking in at night and lighting them we should have a lot of places for people to stay warm and watch the event.

Today the big tent is going up and Gus here at the Lodge is firing up the big BBQ for a test cook. The long range forecast is calling for a high in the middle forties for Saturday which would make it a great day to be out on the ice as long as the sun is not out so we don't get any surface melting. Here at the Lodge I didn't even have time to post the sign-up sheet for the Fling as I had ten guys waiting when I came out of the office. A couple of new faces and some interesting new shanties will be launched. Since we have not done this for a couple of seasons there is a lot of anticipation for this weekend. Still working on the prize package for the far est flung ice shanty but as usual Hammering Hank is offering to plow and maintain the ice road right up to the front door of the far est flung shanty. I should have a prize list later in the week so you can see what these guys are going to get.

Woman's Auxiliary is coming in Friday night to do decorations, I expect business in the Lodge to be slow while they are here. More then likely I will be down in the big tent as there is always some last minute things that need to be attended to. Does not look like any snow so no parade this year and all the shanties will have to be hauled right to the hill for inspection on Friday night. I am sure I am forgetting a lot of stuff to tell you about the Fling but I will fill you in or you can go back and look at past fling records. Time to go as I smell steak on the BBQ as we all know the best way to check any BBQ out is a good steak here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,448,506}

Bobby Bass · December 12, 2014

WE ARE IN an inversion I have been told by Sunshine Ray. Here at Lake Iwanttobethere we had another night of ice fog and this morning the trees and buildings look like we have been frocked. Sunshine Ray on KCUM radio was talking about how we have a warm air mass over our heads but it is being blocked by a cold air mass close to the ground. Mix in the low cloud cover and it is warmer then average for this time of the year but not as warm as it could be if the sun could get through. The FELLOWS have offered to fire up their home made built laser and cut through to the heat but the Founding Fathers said they would rather just wait it out. So from a distance the town of Lake Iwanttobethere looks like a snow globe or as seen on the evening news we look like the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz.

This time of the year it is just so busy here, yesterday afternoon I attended the grand kids Christmas Program. Not a lot to report there as it went off with out a hitch, of course this year the FELLOWS were not involved in any special effects. A lot of parking as there is no snow to speak of so no snow banks to eat up parking spaces. This morning I started my day off my walking into the living room and seeing Duncan wearing his reindeer's antlers and sitting in the corner where the Christmas tree should be standing. The wife was standing in the middle of the living room checking Duncan out. I knew right away what she was hinting about and I told her I will get the tree this weekend. She looked at me and then told Duncan "OK, you can go" and Duncan shook the antlers off and trotted over to me.

I was late getting home last night as it was the first night of league at the Lodge. The FELLOWS have the new and improved Air Hockey table set up in the basement. This year they have added some length to the old table giving us a little more elbow room. The new table is a full eight feet long and four feet wide. It has a lot more holes drilled in the table and with the new industrial size blower it is a multipurpose table. The dasher boards are a couple of inches higher and we now have them topped with plexi- glass. This year with the bigger size table we can play three on three. We have a goalie, a d-man and a forward. Gloves are a requirement along with a face shield. I am playing in the Quarter league which is for us older, slower guys. We lost the plastic pucks a long time ago but now with the new air blower we can use quarters, nickels or even dimes as pucks. Same rules as regular air hockey except we play to a dollar, the nickel puck games can take a while but the dime games get a little out of hand as they tend to leave the ice as slap shots and hoisting of the puck is allowed.

Rest of today is going to be spent working on the Ice House Fling as this morning the bungee cords will be installed on the two big pines and we are going to flood the hill hoping it will get cool enough tonight to freeze. We have snow and it is slick but it could be better. Later this afternoon shanties will arrive and go through there inspection to make sure they will be safe to launch and then covered in tarps to keep prying eyes away from seeing them. Prizes are coming in and I have started the list which is pretty much the same each year. There is a raffle that goes on at the same time so you can also win some of these prizes if your number comes up. Here is part of the list.

From the Barber Shop a trim a week till ice out!

From Amy's Bakery a six pack of fresh donuts once a week till ice out!

From the Gulp-N-Go a fifty dollar gas card and free window wash refills till ice out!

From the Lodge a free Wild Turkey shot and a Hamms tap every Saturday night till ice out!

From handyman Hammering Hank a free ice road to the shanty ice depth permitting!

From Ma and Pa's Grocery a free pound of hand sliced bologna a week till ice out!

From Dug's Garage free ice auger tune-up and blade sharpening.

From the Sunshine Cafe free thermos of coffee twice a week till ice out!

From the Dew Drop Inn a 10% discount on any breakfast platter till ice out!

From the General Store one free propane fill a week till ice out

More to come… From here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,453,093}

Bobby Bass · December 13, 2014

AT THE LODGE here catching my breath, going to be a busy day and I figured I would just leave the laptop in the office and jot down things as they happen or when I can get away and sit down for a spell. Not the best weather for an Ice House Fling as it is in the low forties this morning and the hill is not in the best shape for shooting shanties down it. This will be the first Fling in four years as the last two years we have had just way to much snow by this time of the year and three years ago it was a lot like today but it was dry and no snow at all was on the ground. This morning we do have some snow and the ground and grass is wet and Hammering Hank and Mike from the ski hill did make some snow overnight on Thursday but you can't really tell this morning.

In the past there have been several stories written about the Ice House Fling but some of you may have not read them so I will give a brief background of the Fling. Just past the deck of the Lodge overlooking the ice of Lake Iwanttobethere rests several large Pine trees. A lot of people who fish the lake use the big pines as a landmark. The two biggest trees are in just the right position that we can secure a huge bungee cord that was rescued from the state fair many many years ago from a ride that didn't work out to well. By accident we found out that a shanty properly reinforced could be placed into a padded sleeve and with the help of a bulldozer the bungee could be pulled back and released sending the shanty down the hill and out onto the ice. Over the years it has become a contest to see who can get flung the farthest and win the prize package. Ten shanties are selected and launched down the hill and of course they never all go in the same place but spread out like a fan. The rest of the shanties are then dragged out onto the ice and the Lake Iwanttobethere ice town is formed.

An ice road is plowed and maintained to the winner's shanty and other shanty's naturally set up along the road. Already this morning there has been some jockeying of positions as the ten shanty owners are trying to figure out a game plan. We used to just randomly draw positions but this year we are going to let the shanty guys figure it out. It is coming up on eleven here and I need to get out and take my position, I am not going to be launched this year but I will be a judge so some last minute inspections need to be done along with finding out who is going to be launching in what order, I'll be back.......

Just a little before noon and I am hiding out in my office, some trouble on the hill as the Woman's Auxiliary has taken over the bleachers that were hauled out on the fling hill. The ladies are all sitting on the bottom two rows and some of the local teenagers are sitting on the top two rows. Neither one wants the other group there, as a Judge I was called on to make a ruling but I am hiding out here making myself unavailable. From my walk around the shanties it would appear that the shanties with wooded runners may have an advantage this year. Several houses were jacked up off the ground and guys were underneath them waxing the runners. Somehow Big Earl has his monster log cabin/store shanty going off the launch in the number four position. He never looks to win the prize, he is just looking to get his store shanty onto the ice with out having to haul it. Number three position is going to be Reed the Realtor and to him it is all about location, location, location. There goes the warning horn, five minutes to launch time so I have to get out there, I can hear the bulldozer starting up so that is a good sign, I think....

Well the second ambulance just left and the Fling is over. No one was hurt, we just like to have at least two ambulances around, just in case. Sun is starting to go down at least I think it is. Has been an overcast afternoon and there might even have been a little drizzle. I am in the office and my boots are off, my feet are a little damp not from the snow but from what has become a muddy Fling track. A surprise winner and I will say as a judge it was a hard decision to make. Right on the button at noon the Johnson Brothers Barley and Hopps were launched down the hill in their converted VW beetle. They had requested just a ¼ pull and they barely made it to the bottom of the hill only to slide a few paces out on to the water covered ice before coming to a stop. A loud roar from the crowd became a moan of disappointment. The brothers climbed out of the ice beetle and popped their white flare signaling that they were OK and the number two shanty was fitted into the bungee sling.

Nytelyter and his ice shanty/schooner were ready to be launched and the crowd was ready. The shanty has been waiting on the beach for three years as Nytelyer has been making improvements and she looked pretty in the sling. All sleek and shinny with polished chrome struts and a mast for rigging an ice sail so the rumors said. Nytelyter was not fooling around and he had called for a ¾ pull and black smoke blew into the air from the pipe as the dozer started backing up the hill. The hand was dropped and the shanty riding the bungee was released. She came off the bungee like one of then dock jumping dogs. Caught some air and rushed down the hill, dragging a rope behind her. As bad luck would have it the rope curled to the left and snagged the first bench of the bleachers, it snapped with a loud pop and some people ducked thinking it was a gunshot. It started a change of events that no one had planned for in the planing committee.

I had a birds eye view of the whole thing and like being in a car accident it all played out before me in slow motion. I saw the coil of rope fall off the stern of the ice shanty and trail behind like a fallen ski rope. As I raised my arm to point at the rope it swung around and wrapped around the bottom bleacher seat. Flashing through my head was the thought I had about the bleacher being anchored to the hill. The loop on the rope closed and tighten before the rope snapped like a gunshot that echoed on the hill. The ice schooner was pulled off course and the chrome runner on the right side dug in as the one on the left side went skyward. Too late for Nytelyter to change her course she heeled over hard and slid down the hill on her side. She crumbled when she hit the ice and spun twice all the way around before coming to a rest, her bow just a few feet past the bumper of the Johnson brothers VW beetle.

All eyes were on the schooner but mine, I saw the bleacher break lose from the hill and start sliding down the track. The teenagers on the top starting yelling and holding their hands over their heads like they were riding a roller coaster and I guess they were. The Ladies Auxiliary dressed in their goofy ski coats with their matching scarfs were also yelling, well maybe more like screaming as they rode the bleacher down the hill gaining speed. Some how the metal bleacher with the makeshift skis had the perfect balance of kids at the top and bottom heavy women on the bottom. The bleacher hit the ice and grabbed some air before landing and skipping across the water covered ice like a perfect skipping stone being tossed at sunset on a glass calm mid summer lake.

The bleacher came to a rest and the women of the Ladies Auxiliary put their feet back down and stood up. The crowd hooted and hollered and clapped in approval and everything after that was just anticlimactic. No one wanted to try and go pass the ladies on the ice so nothing but ¼ pulls were drawn which left everyone's shacks short. The last shanty on the hill was Burt and Bart's Barbershop and Bart being Doris brother in law and Doris being the head of the Ladies Auxiliary with drew his shanty and I being of sound mind declared the Woman's Auxiliary the winner of the 2014 Ice House Fling. The teenagers also being of sound mine or having received texts from their parents declined to share or contest the Ladies victory here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

With the Fling done kids rode tubes down the track out on to the ice. Fires were started in the fire rings and the Min-donut and Pretzels carts were open for business. Was actually so warm that beer sales did better then hot apple cider and chocolate combined. Mindy and Mandy were selling their Lake Iwanttobethere Rootbeer and Gus had the Lodge's BBQ going pushing out burgers and dogs as quick as he could burn them. Nytelyter schooner was righted and it was just a broken bolt which Hammering Hank just happen to have in his truck, well actually several bolts. I am back up here in the Lodge just posting about the day before calling it a day here at Lake Iwanttobethere 2,456,186}

Bobby Bass · December 15, 2014

I WAS TRYING to sleep in this morning after a very busy weekend here at Lake Iwanttobethere. A rumbling woke me up and it took me a while to figure out what was making the noise. I finally gave up trying to go back to sleep and got up and looked out the window to see rain pounding off the boat house roof. Now in June that would not be unusual but for the middle of December it is. I sat back down on the bed and was just about ready to lay back down when one very wet lab bounced into the room and jumped into to my bed to roll. Duncan had already been outside and made it past the wife who was standing in the bedroom doorway with a towel and was giving Duncan a dirty look. "Your dog is all wet" she said and I patted Duncan on his side which made him roll even harder on top of the blankets. With the wife walking away Duncan jumped off the bed to follow, I yelled out "Your dog is right behind you" funny how dogs, at least in my household are never yours when they get into trouble.

An unusual winter so far this season. After a couple of years of way to much snow and last year a winter of way to much snow and way to much cold we now are complaining about way to much rain. The Ice House Fling did happen on Saturday and on Sunday we were busy pulling houses back off the ice and on to shore. Just to much standing water from the warm weather and drizzle that has been falling. This morning with rain I am guessing a lot of people are happy their houses are back off the ice. Snow, what snow. I got up and got dressed and took Barney outside. I tend to spend time keeping an eye on him in weather like this. He is getting too old to be walking around by himself when the ground is covered in ice. The snow is all gone but in its place are wide patches of ice covering the grass, easy for Barney to lose his footing, fall and have a hard time getting back up. So the two of us took a walk around the cabin taking baby steps and trying to stay out of the rain,

I made sure the tarps were secure on the wood piles and checked the doors on the Jeep and Tahoe. Sooner or later all of this is going to freeze as it is not going to stay this warm. I bought a fifty pound sack of ice melt at the General Store the other day so I took advantage of the wet but not frozen sidewalk to carry the ice melt in to the cabin. I still have to go back out and bring in the big bags of dog food and cat food but that can wait till it stops raining out. Phone rang and I talked to Vic up at the Resort. He told me that the FELLOWS fired up the crane and lifted the ice houses in the bay up and put them back on shore. Might be a little problem with one of the rental shanties as when they picked it up water was coming out the door.

Ten days out from Christmas and I still have some shopping to do. At the Lodge names were drawn or I should say numbers as what we do is Lodge members put names in a hat in exchange for a number and then a present is bought and wrapped and placed under the tree. Last Friday the Woman's Auxiliary came in to the Lodge and decorated the place. Of course the guys have made a few additions to their decorations adding a man's touch so to speak. This is only done at the Lodge as none of the guys would dare try hanging swizzle sticks and beer coasters on their own trees at home. Forty-one degrees out, some wind but not much, and light rain falling here at lake Iwanttobethere {2,458,415}

Bobby Bass · December 17, 2014

TODAY WAS TREE day, it should have been yesterday or if you listen to the wife it should have been last week when it was forty out and she may have been right. The warm weather came to an end when the rain turned to snow but not till the temperature fell about twenty-five degrees freezing everything that was wet, which meant everything was frozen. Yesterday morning I needed to go down to the Lodge but first I had to brush a layer of snow off the Tahoe and then scrape off a layer off ice and then work on all five frozen doors of the Tahoe till I found one that I could finally get open. In the past I have broken car handles trying to force open frozen doors and being older and wiser now I don't do that. I went inside the cabin to warm up my fingers and to get a heavier pair of gloves when the wife looking over the top of the morning paper and I am sure trying to be helpful told me there was some of that window ice melting spray in her Jeep. I nodded and didn't say anything although in my mind I did have a lot to say. I thought better of pointing out to the wife that the Jeep doors were every bit as frozen shut as the Tahoe and how was I going to get the ice melt out of her Jeep. Instead the phone rang and Chuck was on the other end. I told him of the wife's comment and I could just hear him on the other end of the phone nodding sharing my same thoughts without talking out loud so his wife could hear him.

After awhile I got the back driver passenger door open and crawled into the Tahoe. I stuck my key in the ignition and started the truck and turned the heater on high. I then closed the door and let the Tahoe thaw out as I shoveled snow and moved garbage cans. It took a few minutes and I finally tugged on the driver's door and it slowly gave up and opened for me. I put Duncan back in the cabin and headed to the Lodge. Winter has returned here at Lake Iwanttobethere, the rain soaked everything and after the freeze the snow that fell is now clinging to everything. A winter wonderland it looked good even if there was only a couple of inches of snow on the ground.

This morning I was up and outside by nine, not quite twenty out but there was some sunshine, no clouds in the sky and what was more important, no wind to speak of. I went back into the cabin after starting the Tahoe and Duncan was already sitting by the side of the gun cabinet. I patted him on the head and told him yes we are going out. He jumped up a couple of times and then ran over to where Barney was resting on the couch and told him he was going hunting. I gathered gear and a few minutes later we were driving down the road to the old Christmas tree farm and Duncan had his head out the window and I just left the heater on high.

I was breaking a sweat dragging the Christmas tree with one hand by a lower branch and my other hand holding the single shot shotgun. Twenty degrees out with sunshine and no wind was actually feeling kind of warm out. I had already taken my hat off and stuffed it in the game pouch of my vest and I stopped and took my gloves off and stuffed them alongside the hat. The only noise along the trail was my breathing and Duncan was standing up the trail looking back at me with his, are you coming look. I was just trading hands with the shotgun when a grouse took to the air just to the side of Duncan. The bird must have thought that Duncan had spotted him and got nervous and flew. I calmly pulled the shotgun up on my shoulder and while tracking the bird I slowly squeezed the trigger. The boom was loud in the quiet and looking down my barrel I saw a puff of feathers and lowered the shotgun. The bird tumbled out of the sky to land out of sight behind a small mound of brown grass and Duncan was in full pursuit. He disappeared behind the grass only to pop up the other side with a bird firmly in his mouth and pranced his way back to me.

I waited for Duncan to come to a stop and told him to sit, he dropped down and his tail wagged in the snow making a funny looking snow angel. I popped the shotgun open and caught the spent shell in the air but didn't bother to reload. I turned and grabbed the branch at the bottom of the tree and started dragging. Duncan looked at me and I just told him "What, you can't carry your own bird?" And with that he got up and led the way back to the Tahoe here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,461,616}

leechlake · December 17, 2014

may be the best Christmas tree/grouse harvest double story I've ever read.

I will be trying the same thing next Tuesday at the cabin. Usually a Charlie Brown looking tree we find out there but the girls always make it look good.

Bobby Bass · December 19, 2014

I SIT ON a backless stool behind the bar here at the Lodge at Lake Iwanttobethere and I can't think of to many other places I would rather like to be. Lights are low and the sun has long since set and the only bright spots in the bar area are the pin points of light from the Christmas tree lights. Some Leonard Cohen music plays in the background from the old music box in the corner and someone must have gotten lucky playing cards. I say that because I didn't see who loaded the coin box but several quarters were fed into the player, I could hear them when they hit the metal bottom of the box. I just sat back down on my stool and I had a clean fluffy white bar towel in my hands and I was making like an old time bartender killing time. I was wiping down the square bottomed beer mugs and holding them up to the light looking for smudges and lip stick marks.

The yellow glow of the buttered covered glass from the popcorn machine cast a soft blanket of light on the wall near the bar. The crackle of maple burning in the fireplace and the occasional spark rising upwards from the flame went nicely with the popcorn glow. A couple of Lodge members sprawled in chairs in an arc around the fire. Heels on the floor with toes pointed at the flame they didn't talk much, they just sat with drinks cradled in their fingers and watched the fire dance and lick at the logs. Several of the FELLOWS sat around the big round table, they to were lost in their own thoughts. No one was talking right now, they were letting the wisdom of Johnny Walker take over.

The TV was off in the corner and no one was sitting on the wicker couch with the pillows on it. Nothing but reruns on TV or Christmas cartoons and there was no hockey to watch on this night. It was a slow so I was working it by myself. I had sent Honey Sauce home early and no need for Vinny to stick around because the kitchen was closed. The guys all know that if I was behind the bar I was not coming out from behind it and if you wanted a drink you better make the walk. Of course I always gave them a little extra in their glass for their trouble.

In the past few days we went from rain to an ice storm to some light snow and now we are back in mid winter form. The drapes are pulled open and if there was a moon out tonight you would be able to look out on the ice and see the entire winter ice town of Lake Iwanttobethere. It is out there and if you stand at the window you can see occasionally a slit of light from a shanty with its curtains not closed tight. All the shanties that were pulled off the ice are now back out on the ice and several more have joined them. Streets and avenues have been plowed and burn barrels sit at the intersections. Christmas lights twinkle from a few houses, not so much for decorations but to keep people from running into them. The bleachers are out there to, they froze in before we could get them off so we left them where they were. An old blue tarp has been wrapped around them to make them into a poor mans ice shelter and surprisingly some guys have been catching crappies while sitting on the benches.

A couple of the guys are playing cribbage under the light from a single flickering candle, I don't know how they can even see the holes on the board to peg and I think they are guessing at their scores. I offered to turn on some lights but they waved me off, its better this way they declared. As for me I am comfortable on my stool, I have a cigar burning in the ash tray with in easy reach. A nice white ash ring at its tip and I give it a little kiss from time to time and let a smoke ring rise towards the wood ceiling. Duncan is asleep in the office doorway, right where he can keep an eye on me and an eye on the door. What can I say, not to many guys get to sit down on their job, have a cigar and a beer if they want and their dog close at hand and it is still hours away from closing time here at the Lodge at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,464,640}

Bobby Bass · December 20, 2014

IN THE MIDDLE of the night last night I was woken from what was becoming a memorable dream. I was in the Puddle Humper and I had just launched the perfect cast under the big tree that hangs out over the water and protects the haunt of Mister Big. It was fine summer evening and the lake was calm, no skeeters in my dream and no biting black flies either. I was tossing a finely tuned prop bait and with a flick of my wrist the props sputtered on the surface and tossed a few droplets of water up in the air before splashing back down. A small ring appeared and spread out from the lure and it was like ringing the perfect dinner bell for Mister Big and I knew he could not resist my offering. That is when I heard the sound of Jingle Bells, not the song but the actual bells jingling.

I kept my eyes closed trying to stay asleep because I think I could see a bulge in the water heading towards my lure. But once again I heard the sound of bells and now I was awake and the dream was fading, the rings on the water were disappearing and so was my chance for finally catching Mister Big. I open an eye and laying on my side I was facing the window where I could see a few flakes of snow falling outside. Not a lot of snow, as a matter of fact they were so few and far between I could probably give each flake a name. I didn't move but I laid still, listening for the sound of the bell and I was not alone, Duncan was sleeping on the bed at my feet and I looked down his way and he too was awake. His head was up and tilted to one side, he was listening like I was. I watched Duncan because I know his hearing is better then mine but a few seconds went by and Duncan dropped his head back down and snuggled a little closer to the back of my knees and was back asleep, just like that.

Awake now I laid in bed still listening for the bells that woke me but I heard nothing. I moved around in the bed rearranging the quilt and trying to find a comfortable right spot to go back to sleep and back to my dream of Mister Big, but I was awake now. The dream was fading fast as dreams tend do so I watched snow flakes fall and tried to name them but that is like counting sheep and it does not really work at all. I didn't hear anything but Duncan's head went up and I listened hard trying to hear what he was hearing. This was easy as I heard the click click of Barney's nails on the hardwood hall floor heading in my direction. He had fallen asleep on the living room couch like he always does and something woke him up and now he was heading for bed. Didn't matter whose bed he would just head to a bedroom with a door open. Nothing like a sleep walking eighty plus pound fourteen year old dog climbing up in your bed and not caring where or who he lays down on. Good thing I had already rearranged myself because Barney took up the other side of the bed and was snoring as soon as his head hit the extra pillow.

I wish I could sleep like a dog, I know the saying is sleep like a baby but dogs, at least my dogs can drop their head on their paws and be asleep before their ears stop moving. After awhile I went back to sleep or at least I dozed. Morning came and I woke up to a few flakes of snow still falling outside my window. Dogs were gone and I could hear the wife banging pans in the kitchen. I put toes inside my slippers and walked down to the kitchen. Poured a small glass of orange juice and looked out the window at the new snow on the deck, hardly deep enough to track a mouse in. I was going to say something to the wife when I heard jingle bells, I paused to make sure and there it was, bells. I followed my ears towards the dinning room just in time to see Buff one of our tom cats with a Christmas ornament in his mouth. It had a bell hanging from it and Buff was heading towards the daughter's bedroom with it, no doubt it was a peace offering. I was going to turn when I saw Smoky the other tom cat with an ornament in his mouth following his brother. I didn't say anything to the wife, I just sipped on my juice and watched the two toms disappear out of sight with the wife's decorations from the Christmas tree here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,467,898}

Bobby Bass · December 22, 2014

STEPPING ON TO the ice in winter is almost as good as pushing the Puddle Humper away from shore in the summer. In summer I make that walk in my knee high boots slapping at my calfs from the parking spot where the trailer and Tahoe drip water to where the Puddle Humper floats in the warm water of summer. With each step I get closer to the Puddle Humper and farther away from the daily grind. When I push the boat off the sandy beach and step over the side I enter the world of a fishermen and no thoughts but fishing are in my head.

Stepping from the shoreline of snow to the ice of the little bay is the same, just a lot colder. Would be interesting if I could walk on water in the summer like I do in the winter. There are a few spots that I would like to be able to walk on the water and be able to jig a bait behind some trees or along a dock or a stump that I just never can get the perfect cast to. The football game was over and the home team was on the road and figured out a way to go ahead in the game and then find a way to lose it in the last minute. Rather then moan and groan about it I grabbed my coat and put my boots on and went out the bait room door of the Resort and followed the trail that Vic has worn down to the little bay and out to the ice shack.

Sunshine Rays forecast is calling for as much as three inches of snow every day till Christmas. Does not sound like much but it could add up to over a foot. Vic hearing the forecast said he will have to make a few trips out to the shanty every day to keep the snow packed down. At half-time Vic had gone out to the shanty with Dock and I told him I would follow. The shanty is not to far from shore making the walk quick and I didn't even need to zip up my coat. The shanty sits over an underwater point that just happens to have a few brush piles on it. Every evening there is a window of opportunity where if one has his jig at the correct depth one can catch enough crappie for a couple of fish sandwiches. Now this is not a given because sometimes a rogue northern will come cruising in the bay and scatter the crappie and then you have to stay a little longer and see if you can catch a couple of eating size walleye, it does make things interesting though.

A few snow flakes are falling but it is above freezing. I make the walk with my hands in my pockets taking my time and keeping my head up. A little bit of smoke is coming up out of the metal smoke stack as it looks like the guys decided to start a fire instead of using the little gas heater. I knock the snow off my boots at the door and let myself in. Dock and Vic are playing cribbage sitting at the little table that hangs off the wall while watching each others bobber resting in the ice holes. Since I am the third guy in the shack I check the holes and skim a little bit of ice shavings out of them. I open the little stove and toss in a couple of small pieces of wood and jab at the coals a little with an old metal hot dog fork. I then hang up my coat and check the pegs on the cribbage board and declare I will play the winner.

I take the five gallon white pail that holds the chunks of wood for the fire off a old wood stool. I put the pail on the floor and I sit down on the stool. Not many places I can sit so I am sitting on the stool between the two ice holes being used and watch the holes and Dock and Vic and then back to watching the holes. I reach over and jig one of the rods a little but nothing happens. I hear Vic counting out loud " Fifteen two, fifteen four and a run of three for seven" there is a pause and Dock answers with "Fifteen two and there aint' no more" I watch as they both try to move their pegs at the same time, hands getting in each other's way. Dock picks up the cards and starts to shuffle them and Vic looks over at me and says "So they lost eh?" Before I can answer Dock stops in mid shuffle and taps the radio on the table with the deck of cards. I just nod my head and reach over and jig Vic's rod, this time there is some weight and I snap my wrist up and cards and football are all forgotten about here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,471,111}

Bobby Bass · December 23, 2014

SUNSHINE RAY IS right and he is wrong, we are getting precipitation but it is not the forecasted snow he was calling for, it is instead rain. I have had to salt the parking area at the cabin three times already to try and keep the ice buildup under control. Carrying bags of groceries can be an adventure when you start sliding and since I am an old guy that kind of adventure is not something I am looking for. My neighbor Chuck's uncle is heading out on an adventure. He has been retired for awhile and this winter he had plans to spend the coldest part of it in Florida. Matter of fact he is taking his big RV out and camping on Lake Obechokie for three months. He leaves next week and he is o so happy that the price of diesel has fallen in time for his trip. Now the bad part, he was putting up Christmas lights on his cabin last week and fell off the ladder. He broke his shoulder and his arm, his casting arm. I was feeling sorry for us that he was going to Lake Obechokie now I feel sorry for him that he is going to Lake Obechokie.

This morning I took the wife down to Ma and Pa's Grocery Store, she had an arm long list of things she needed to pick up. We have dinner here on Christmas Eve for our family then go to the mother in law's house on Christmas Day for dinner for the entire family. Tonight is the Lodge Christmas party and the wife bakes for all three dinners. At first she handed the list to me but I took one look and told her that I would drive her down and help shop but I was not going to get blamed if something was forgotten. After seeing how much ice was on the driveway she agreed and with Christmas music playing on the Tahoe's stereo we were in four wheel drive heading in to town.

I was not the only guy who was out shopping. We had to park down from the store and walk past filled parking spaces to get to Ma and Pa's. No sooner did we get to the door then my wife grabbed a grocery cart outside the door that was wet and told me to push it. I told her I would rather hold on to a dry one but when we went inside and I heard the jingle of the bell over head there were no empty carts to be seen. What I did see was a lot of guys trailing behind wife's and girlfriends with grocery carts at different levels of fullness. Soon I was in the mix following behind the wife as her faithful servant. I nodded to guys I knew and even to some I didn't. We all had the same looks on our face and were thinking the same thoughts. I was telling myself I only do this a couple of times a year, Christmas and Thanksgiving. On several occasions I had to stand behind the wife and wait as she made small talk with other wives about stuff that I didn't care about or didn't want to let them think I did. I tried to talk to some other guys but before I could get too deep into a fishing conversation either my wife or theirs would motion for one or both of us to move along.

At the cash register Ma rang us up and we exchanged HIYA's and Christmas greetings. When the total came up the wife just turned to me with a smile and said "Pay the lady" and I dug into my wallet and into my Lodge Christmas party stash. It should be noted that I did try and slip a bag of Kit Kat's through but the wife spotted then and took them out of the cart and just said that she was making fudge. Bags of groceries were unloaded back at the cabin and I was told she will be ready by seven for the Lodge party. I figured I had the rest of the afternoon off till I heard her call my name and found the last of the apples on the table and a couple of bowls. "I think you should be able to peel enough apples for at least eight pies" she said to me.

So Lodge part tonight, dinner here at the cabin tomorrow night, gift opening here tomorrow night then to the in laws for Christmas Day along with more gift opening and tall story telling with the uncles and brother in laws. Some ice fishing on Christmas evening and if this rain turns to snow perhaps a sleigh ride as is our tradition. From all of us here at Lake Iwanttobethere I hope you have a fine holiday and we will see you down the road here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,475,190}

Bobby Bass · December 26, 2014

CHRISTMAS IS IN the books and now we settle down for the long winter and hard water till Spring officially shows up on the calendar. A Christmas wish that I heard several times over the past couple of days was for some sunshine. It has been a long stretch since I have see the sun let alone had some sunshine warm up the greenhouse. A couple of times the sky got bright and you would catch yourself stopping what you were doing. You would look skyward and wait and get disappointed as the sun would stay behind the clouds. The brightest light I have seen was last night when we had our Christmas bonfire. The light and the flames were both bright and hot and a shot of Wild Turkey made one feel warm for a few hours.

No snow fell and there was much more ground that was brown then white. I am not complaining to hard because I still have not replace the snow blower that died last winter. I am taking a gamble that I will not need one this winter and so far so good. The Lodge Christmas party was a typical party. Good food and lots of it. Presents were exchanged and I got a couple of things that I can use. Matter of fact I did very well present wise this year as I received several big bulky sweaters that I can use for Spring fishing or working in the garden. The big gift was a digital photo frame and a thousand pictures were already loaded into it. I have it sitting on the desk and am looking at it now as I type. Have a mess of pictures of Bud that just cycled through and they brought a smile to my face.

Granddaughter number two was very happy when she discovered the very large teddy bear under the covers of my bed. Her parents not so much. When they left the cabin the teddy bear sat in the back of their van with my mother in law. She directed my son in law to drive through town so she could be seen with the big bear. I figure a week at best and the bear will be back here at the cabin. I heard that the bear fills the granddaughters twin bed and she slept on top of it, the bear. Dinner at the mother in laws is the madhouse that it always is. She was hoping one more person would be coming to dinner so she would have an even fifty. A couple of turkey's and a big ham were sliced and placed on platters and the gravy bowl had to be filled several times. The brother in law snuck some wine in having transferring it from the wine bottle to a big grape soda bottle. Almost got a way with it till the mother in law noticed a lot of the adults were drinking grape pop instead of her coffee.

Way to many little girls running around, almost like a school of sunfish they weave all together from one side of the house to the other then back again. They far out number the boys as not many boys have been born into the family in this generation. The little boys hang out with their uncles talking fishing and slingshots and hide out from the school of girls. With dinner done we all packed up and headed over to McDonnell's farm for a sleigh ride. Not enough snow on the ground so a hay ride was in order instead. I found a couple of hay bales to sit on and watched as the hay wagon drove off for a trip around the farm, You could tell exactly where it was by the screaming of all the little girls. With hay rides done we packed up again and went to my cabin, well actually next door to Chuck's place. For Christmas this year he had a big bonfire and this one was bigger than most years. Over the summer several big white pines had to be cut down and they were hauled to the center of the horse pasture and with a fire permit secured the pile was set a blaze.

Hot chocolate was poured for the kids and some Wild Turkey was splashed into cups for the adults and we watched the flames reach up into the night sky. After a while kids started yawning and holding hands with their parents they found cars and vans and headed back home. I pulled up a lawn chair and sat alongside my buddy Chuck as we enjoyed what might be the biggest camp fire we ever sat around here at Lake Iwanttobethere. {2,482,138}

Bobby Bass · December 29, 2014

I WAS NOT going to write anything till I was sure but there it was this morning, the sun! Two days in a row we have had sunshine which is more then what we have had for the past five weeks. Solar collector was pumping in some warm air into the cabin and I even went out in the greenhouse and sat a spell. I figure that I am way way down in my vitamin D level. Christmas lights and decorations are still up but scheduled to come down later in the week when the number two granddaughter comes to stay for a few days. Here at Lake Iwanttobethere we do have an ordinance requiring home owners to take down outside Christmas lights but most people get away with leaving them up. They simply just use clear lights instead of colored ones and say the lights are for their decks. Actually I have a couple of sets of solar lights on the play house and they do serve a purpose.

Of course having the sunshine does come with a price. Cold has returned as last night it was below zero and it is to get even colder tonight. The Tahoe took a little longer to start this morning but I let it run before I got in to do errands. It looks like the snow less winter is going to continue here for a while. Nothing in Sunshine Rays forecast and with no snow banks we have an empty parking lot at the Lodge which means plenty of parking for the gala New Years Eve Lodge party. Now for some the news of cold means ice making time and no more standing water on the ice of Lake Iwanttobethere. I think everyone who has a shanty has them out on the ice and some snow would be nice to bunker them in. The twelve inches of snow we were supposed to get before Christmas never fell, at least not as snow.

Just a few days before the end of bird hunting season in these parts and I am thinking about taking Duncan out for one last walk. Maybe tomorrow I will try if it warms up a little but the high is only going to be in single numbers and that is a little to cold for me. Gas down at the Gas-N-Go went under two dollars for the first time in five years. I bought twenty bucks worth and was digging in my wallet for my discount card when the young clerk told me they were no longer accepting gas coupons. Still I figured I saved ten bucks and when I got back to the cabin I put the ten bucks in the fishing jar along with a couple of other bills. I figure even if gas goes up this summer I am taking advantage of the savings now.

Would be a pretty good end of the year except I have a cold like just about everyone else here at Lake Iwanttobethere. One of them colds that is a little different for everyone, I have the cough and occasional headache version while the daughter has the running nose and too weak to get out of bed version. Chuck has the deep chest congestion and Elmer has the head cold that no matter how many hot brandy's he and Vic drink he can't shake. Vic does not have any cold at all he is just drinking to keep Elmer company. Should not be a surprise as it is the end of December. Tonight we have a Town Hall Meeting, tomorrow a Lodge Meeting and then of course on Wednesday the New Year's Eve Party. Should not need to have much of a fire on any of the nights as there should be enough hot air being blown around here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,488,463}

Bobby Bass · December 31, 2014

NEWS YEARS EVE here at Lake Iwanttobethere, well actually it is New Years Eve everywhere. Party at the Lodge tonight and it is going to be cold but not as cold as the past couple of days. Would not have been that bad out if the wind was not such a factor. Does not matter how many layers of clothes you have on when a forty mile gust of wind catches you and it is below zero. Yesterday morning it was pretty cold out and I didn't even have to look at the jumping bass thermometer on the side of the cabin. I could tell it was cold by the sound the deck makes when I walked across it. The boards cracked like gunshots in the quiet of the morning as I walked across them to see where the dogs had disappeared to. Today is going to be warmer with highs in the teens and you can tell as there is no sun, just clouds in the sky, not really a fair tradeoff.

Monday night there was a heated debated at the Town Hall meeting as the topic of sand came up. Seems that Frank the plow driver had mentioned in passing while having lunch at the Middle of the Block Cafe that we were down too just two buckets of sand for the year. Well after general business was discussed the two buckets of sand were brought up and some people wanted to know how our sand supplies could be so low. It was brought up that there is a mountain of sand at the tool house so there must be a mistake. Town board then had to have Joe explain that the mountain of sand was next year's sand and this year's sand was indeed down too just two buckets. People forget about all the snow we had last spring and the ice we had to deal with this fall. Then it was brought up where the two buckets of sand should be used to serve the largest number of town's people. Joe said the sand was earmarked for the sidewalk at City Hall. Question was asked why would you put two buckets of sand on the sidewalk at City Hall, that is when it got interesting as Joe told the crowd we had two FIVE gallon buckets of sand.

I was not paying to much interest in the discussion as I myself had three pails of sand at home and I know the Lodge has several tucked away inside the garage. Does not look like we are going to need the sand anyway as no snow in the forecast and tomorrow is another year. You would think Joe would get a slap on the back for ordering just enough to get us through the year. But that of course would be looking at it in a half full half empty attitude. Lodge meeting last night was not nearly as heated. We had half the place filled with guys as some wife's were telling their husbands that they were not going to allow them to be in the Lodge three nights in a row. Christmas gifts were exchanged between members and this year the gift that was given the most was a beer and a shot.

Here at the Lodge out in the parking lot the pile of Christmas trees is growing. The Lodge will accept Christmas trees through the end of next week then the FELLOWS will bring over the big chipper and reduce the trees to wood chips. Of course a load or two of the trees will make it back to the Resort where Elmer and Vic have a few places they want to sink them in the bay. Parking lot will smell good for a couple of days with the fresh chipped tree mulch there for the taking. Lodge decorations will all come down and be packed away in their boxes and moved to the basement. Lodge will return to it more normal layout with tables moved back out on to the dance floor and the wicker couch back in front of the TV. We will sit around the fire and wait for the ice to melt and fishing season to open. Of course a lot of guys will be ice fishing but they won't be hanging their hat in the Lodge they will be down on the ice here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,494,935}

Bobby Bass · January 3, 2015

SOME SNOW FLAKES falling here at the Resort on the shore of a small bay here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Right now it is nothing that is going to amount to much. The deer jumping the log on the wall thermometer red needle is hovering around the thirty degree mark which is warmer then forecasted. The CB radio has been crackling away and if I am hearing it right just about everyone in town is out on the lake fishing. I am the only one here in the main room at the Resort as someone has to tend the store so to speak. FELLOWS are all out on the ice as is Dock Burriem, Elmer and Vic. They are in the shanty at the end of the foot path that starts at the Bait room door and follows the bank down to the ice and out to the shanty. Chuck is up in the pole barn banging away on his Maple Syrup still.

Duncan is keeping me company as Barney did not make the trip up. Barney has some issues to deal with as he has a tumor on his hind lake that split open. Right now we are keeping him comfortable and tending to the open wound. The trouble is Duncan wants to play nurse and keeps licking it keeping it open. So Duncan is here at the Resort with me and the wife is taking care of Barney. Yesterday we had Barney up on the table as we were cleaning the wound and changing the dressing. Number two granddaughter was over and she was assisting. Her job was to distract Barney and so she was holding his head and sweet talking him, just like them big city nurses do. The cute part is when we were all done with Barney the Granddaughter told him he was a good boy and asked if he wanted a sticker!

I didn't get that last walk/hunt in with Duncan. The weather turned cold and my old enemy the wind was blowing strong. Of course on the ride into the Resort this morning I saw two grouse along the side of the road and I swore they both raise their wings at me and waved. Smart birds, they know that season is done and now they can come out and walk along the road and not have any worries. Hammering Hank and Skinny using the work truck brought two loads of Christmas trees out to the Resort. Later this winter the guys will tie the trees up with some old cable and cider blocks and put them on the ice to sink when the thaw comes. They make pretty good structure for the crappies to rest at and for Dock and Vic to fish over come summer. There may be a problem though as the brush pile is attracting some rabbits and Elmer does like a good rabbit stew from time to time and is trying to persuade the guys to just leave the brush where it sits.

The Lodge will be pretty quiet for the next few months, most of the action is down on the ice. This year after the little warm spell the ice fishing season was in doubt but we have snapped back with some cold weather and the ice is thick and strong. Lack of snow is a problem as now people are complaining that we don't have enough of it. Thing is they are the same ones who complained the last two winters that we have way too much. Along with the talk of the lack of snow and weather in general the big topic is the price of gas. A lot of people myself included thought we would never see gas below two dollars a gallon and today it is 1.97 at the Gas-N-Go. I am just hoping it stays that way for awhile as there are some lakes I would love to go to this summer that are a ways away. Some cheap gas would sure make it a lot easier to visit them lakes and make some trips to ones I have on my bucket list. Being retired now I have the time, I just need the cheap gas to hang around so I can get there. Of course it does mean there will be more fishing done here at Lake Iwanttobethere, it is a big lake and there are still a few bays I have not wet a line on yet. So I am here in the Main Room of the Resort, sipping on a cool beverage of my choice. I have a cigar resting in the ash tray and the door is open to the Bait Room. I can hear the bubbling of the minnow tank and if the door opens I will hear the bell jingle here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,500,609}

Bobby Bass · January 4, 2015

PAY NO ATTENTION to that snow storm beyond the hill, that was what I was telling myself last night as I slipped out the back door of the Resort. Duncan needed a last trip out before bedtime and I went out with him. I had been listening to the wind that came up late in the afternoon and stayed with us well after dark. What had started out at as a decent day with temperatures of over thirty was now rapidly falling to single numbers. I stood with the protection of the Clubhouse at my back and watched Duncan as he searched for the perfect spot to take care of business. The wind was blowing hard and steady and no snow was falling but I had heard reports on the CB that is was falling heavy just over the hill. In the summer the trees would be filled with leaves and the rushing wind would sway the trees and make that rustling sound, but not last night..

Last night the trees were bare of leaves and the wind was coming through them like an unblocked blizer looking for his salary bonus. The tree tops howled and were bent over, the steady strong wind not giving them a chance to straighten up. I pulled up my collar and stuck my hands a little deeper into my coat pockets. I should have put on a hat I was thinking as Duncan finally did his thing and then ran over to stand next to me leaning hard against my knee. I reached down to pat his side when I saw he was looking off into the darkness and had his head cocked to one side. I was thinking what is he hearing then I heard it too and I knew right away what had his attention. The lone howl of a wolf reached my ears, it danced on top of the wind strong and clear but faded quickly. I strained to pick it up again, turning my head from side to side but it was gone, Duncan and I stood and listen for a few more minutes but nothing. Duncan was still leaning into my knee, telling me he was here for me or maybe it was he was glad I was here for him.

This morning I was the last one out of bed, been nursing a cold for the past several days and have been waiting on it to really catch. I figured that a late morning in bed was called for and since I had nothing to do being at the Resort I was going to sleep in. Ten o'clock came and that was the end of my sleeping in as Duncan jumped into my bed and slammed into my back doing that rolling thing he does and poking me with his cold paws. He had already been outside and I am sure Vic let him out as Vic gets up at six every morning no matter what. I sat on the edge of the bed and petted Duncan, cough a few times and figured the cold was not going to show up today, got dressed and went down to the main room for a late breakfast.

Found the Great Table covered in yellow legal pads, dishes and various members of the FELLOWS gathered around the table. IT being a Silent Sunday I got a few good mornings but no one really tried to engage me in conversation. From what I gathered it was too cold to go fish this morning and I looked at the Deer thermometer and it was 10 or 12 below, I didn't have my glasses on so I am guessing a little there. Vic wearing a almost white apron and his sorrel boots asked if I wanted some breakfast and I nodded yes and he returned to the kitchen. I took a seat at the Great Table and listen in to the ongoing conversation.

The FELLOWS having seen the TV show SHARK TANK were working on some ideas to get them on the show and get some big money for one of their many ideas. The one they were talking about now was about a Green Book. Since there is a blue book for car and truck and boat values they were thinking there should be a book about the value of lawn mowers and weed whips. They want to call it the Green Book… They looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders. "OK then" Gary said "We have another idea right up your alley, it would be great for your dog Barney"

Steve looked at me and gave me the pitch with the FELLOWS sitting behind him and holding up legal pads with drawings and notations. Steve started off with you know how you lose your keys you can get a thingie that you attach to your keys and then you can point another thingie and it, press it and it will tell you where the keys are? I nodded my head yes and forked some egg on to a slice of toast. Vic had brought me breakfast during the Green Book pitch. Well what we want to do is make it easy for you to find your deaf dog Barney! With our new idea, we call it DEAF DOG you put a thingie on his collar and with another thingie that you press it will make the thingie on Barneys collar bark! You just follow the bark and you find your dog…

I chewed on some bacon not saying anything, Gary jumped in with we can also make it in three different sizes with three different barks, Poodle size, mid size and big dog size. We are also thinking of a Deaf Kitty Caller, big market in deaf cats you know and we think a real money maker would be Deaf Grand Paw, that one would make farting noises. I looked at the guys over the top of my orange juice glass and said nothing, I was just thankful it was Silent Sunday here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,502,679}

Bobby Bass · January 8, 2015

BEEN DANCIN WITH a cold just like everyone else in town it seems the past few days. Not doing much of any thing just hunkering down deep in the couch cushions catching up on some TV but mostly just napping. Napping is good and you won't get any arguments from dog's cats and babies on the subject. Cold has not really arrived for me, got some sniffles and some body aches but I find that the couch seems to take care of the symptoms. Of course it is also a good place to hideout from the wife and the winter to do list.

Have had to run to town a few times as life goes on. The other morning when it was really cold out, I think minus 16 driving on Main Street was like being in a ghost town. As I drove town the street I didn't see anyone walking and only a few cars parked in front of stores. A tumbling tumbleweed would have fit right in as long as it was white and made out of snow. The only place that was busy was the D&D Drugstore. I had to stop in as I was running low on some gauze and tape for Barney's leg. I parked in an open spot out front and just left the Tahoe running, with gas cheap again I can afford to keep the truck warm. Inside both of the brothers who own D&D Drugstore were working. Dave gave me a wave as I headed to the bandage aisle and his brother Dave gave me a wave from the counter at the back of the store.

I didn't bring Duncan into town he has learned how to step up on the window controls of the Tahoe and lower his window. That may be fine for the summer but in the middle of winter he lets out the warm air out of the Tahoe. I knew I was going to be in and out of the truck so I left him at the cabin. The Lodge is quiet not even any of the roofers come in for lunch. They have all taken vacation and are down in Mexico. School was closed for one day, they did it because of the wind chill. I talked to the granddaughter who could not understand why they could not go to school, they are inside she told me. Times are a little different, back in my youth I don't remember ever not going to school because it was too cold. Of course I don't ever remember not going to school because it was too hot either.

Ten above here at the cabin as I write this, some snow has been trying to fall since ten this morning. I don't mind it is the nice light snow that they use in truck commercials. You know where they show the new 4x4 what ever pushing piles of snow with a fancy new plow or running through two feet of it. Normally virgin snow where no other 4x4 would dare to go. Looking out the window here we might have two inches of the stuff on the railing. Just enough to make everything look clean and white. Not good snow for banking up around the ice shanty's as it is so light that not much more then a breath of wind on the ice would blow it away. Speaking of ice, no problem having ice here on Lake Iwanttobethere. A week of sub zero weather is a good ice maker.

Of course with it snowing out there is no sunshine. I don't keep track of the days we don't have sunshine but this winter seems to be setting a record for sunless days. Thing there is if it cloudy all the time you think we would be getting some snow but that is not the case. I was thinking about that when I drove by the golf course on my way back home today and you can see the blue tarps protecting the greens and the orange snow fence is not holding any snow back. This winter is starting to look like one of them bad winters for the fishermen. Cabin Fever I think is going to arrive early and stay long. No snow on the ground and no sun in the sky and seed catalogs already arriving in the mail can test ones patience here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,509,777}

Bobby Bass · January 10, 2015

THERE IS NO such thing as a bad hat when it gets down to zero and the wind is blowing. Today I had to run to the Al-Mart store and I was waiting outside in the running Tahoe with the heater on high and parked in the sunshine. The wife was inside buying some stuff that she needed for baking. The wife had made a deal with Ma from Ma and Pa Grocery for a case of old bananas. The bananas are used for making banana bread and the older and riper they are the better they are, so I have been told. The wife told me that if she is going to be baking bread she was going to be baking a lot of it so I sat in the Tahoe while she shopped.

I had the heater on high and my seat on high to. The onboard thermometer said it was seven outside the glass but that does not take in the wind that was shaking the five thousand pound truck from time to time. Since I was sitting I was people watching and dividing people into categories. Dividing men and women was a challenge today as everyone was bundled up tight. You could not tell someone by the hat they were wearing as when it gets cold anything goes. I think I sat waiting for a good fifteen minutes and I don't think I saw the same hat twice. Scarfs were a give away for the women as they wore them tied around their head covering their ears. Collars were pulled up high and the hats ranged from fur to baseball. Every color was present and some combinations that must only make sense to the owners.

The one common thing that I noticed was that there was not very much skin to be seen. Maybe the flash of a cheekbone or a hand before it was tucked deep into a coat pocket. No bare legs to be seen and toes were all buried deep in mukluks or sorrel boots. The occasional guy dressed in a dirty snowmobile suit walking like a sasquatch in some home video. Railroad guys wearing bright orange coats and them canvas gloves. Highway crew in the brighter chartreuse safety vests pulled tight over brown carhart coats. A few older ladies with no hats on at all, their permed gray hair fashioned just right and sprayed down with so much hairspray that nothing could get through the helmet of hair anyway. I did see a couple of older ladies wearing them green down coats that button all the way down past their knees. They have the high collars that cover their face and from behind they look like up right caterpillars as they slowly shuffle along.

With the Tahoe warming back up after the wife open the door and let all the heat out we drove out the parking lot weaving our way through abandoned shopping carts stuck in the snow. Shopping cart wrangler in the dead of winter is another job you can add to my list of jobs I am glad I never have had as I drove past a few carts in a snow bank a couple of blocks from the store. Made me think of that part time job I had working at the brewery loading beer trucks. But then it reminded me of the free beer at lunch and now I don't remember that job being so cold anymore. Parked the Tahoe and helped the wife with her bags and the box of bananas, the back of the Tahoe smells like Bananas now. Took the shovel and pushed some of the light snow around and Duncan and Barney came out to greet me. Sun is setting and you can almost feel the temperature falling with the sun here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,513,080}

Bobby Bass · January 12, 2015

WRITING STORIES ABOUT Lake Iwanttobethere can be hit and miss sometimes. There are days when I could write pages on the stuff that is going on here. Then of course there are days where nothing happens at all. Very seldom do I sit down to just write a story because it is time to. I must admit that a lot of times most stories just write themselves. Of course being able to just ramble is in writing a good quality to have. I proof read my stories mostly to Duncan who is always at my feet and wags his tail when I read out loud. I am pretty sure he thinks I am talking to him. My wife and daughter tend to avoid the den when I am writing as they don't need to hear me read them stories of the Lake as they are living on it.

This weekend the house is full of dogs and it feels good. My daughter and her husband and the number two and three granddaughters went to the big city to have a get away. This means a hotel with a pool and a breakfast that is mostly cream filled donuts. While they are away I get to dog sit their two dogs, add in Barney and Duncan and I have four dogs and three cats in the cabin and there is no such thing as peace and quiet, just the way I like it. The young female Austrian shepherd and Duncan play wrestle and fight with each other from one room to the next and only stop when they are yelled at by the wife. The two of then pause and look at each other and you can almost hear one say to the other "Lets get ice cream" then they are off to another room to start all over again. The two old dogs just get on the couch and each takes an end and they are content to just nap in the sunshine coming in through the window.

The sun was out again so I spent time outside with all the dogs. With a broom in hand I made an inspection of the yard and swept snow off railings and steps and tarps covering the Puddle Humper and the son's boat, AKA "The Barge". The snow that fell the other day was "Sweeper Snow" as my ma use to say. Don't need a shovel, all you need to clear it away is a good stiff corn broom and that is probably why I still have one around. I checked the bass thermometer hanging on the wall of the cabin and the red needle was parked on fourteen above. Didn't feel that cold at all with no wind and sun shinning. Of course we have had a couple of weeks of cold weather now and I might be acclimated again to a Lake Iwanttobethere winter.

Making foot prints in the yard following the four dogs around is a good thing. I was just talking with the daughter about Barney and how in just a few months he is going to be having his fifteenth birthday. Talk of what we are going to do when we lose him and Duncan finds himself alone. Good thing the wife does not read my tales as the daughter and I are starting to do a little scheming. The daughter is leaning towards bring a yellow lab home as it would be her dog not mine. I have promised the wife I would bring no more dogs home but the daughter never made that promise. Of course I am hinting at another chocolate lab would be nice but a yellow lab would fit in here at the cabin at Lake Iwanttobethere

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IT ARRIVED SOMETIME after dark. It made its way past the outer most sentries, breached the wall and under the cover of darkness secured a foothold. In the quiet of the night it sent out runners to the far corners of the kingdom. They under the blanket of silence that is the night secured positions and dug in. When morning arrived it was too late, the cold and its partner the flu had arrived! I awoke this morning to stiff joints and a runny nose, I should have noticed the increased coughing during the night but I was thinking I was safe having made it this far with out being overwhelmed by the brutal cold/flu that was making its way through neighboring kingdoms. This morning as I type this it pains my one finger and I know I am sick as something the FELLOWS said almost makes sense. They told me I should not write so I don't infect others. I will keep this short then just in case there may be truth in their words. I go to do battle with the cold/flu but Dock Burriem says that the battle may be long and drawn out here on the shores of Lake Iwanttobethere {2,515,584}

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Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

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Del Sauter

Bobby Bass

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