Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..

Bobby Bass · July 25, 2015

July 25th

PEACOCK UPDATE HERE it seems I was right, there was a gang of Peacocks outside of the gates of the Zoo the other day and they were doing community time. My granddaughter talked to one of the Zoo keepers and she told her that the Peacocks from time to time spend time outside the gates of the Zoo. What they are doing is they go from car to car and peck out the dead bugs from the bumpers and grills and eat them, so it is community service in a way.

Another hot one today but I sure you already know that. Sunshine Ray is forecasting a heat wave for the next week and already the temperature here in the shade is over ninety. No rain till Tuesday maybe, but plenty of sunshine and no real cloud cover is expected. Yesterday we had a few showers that didn’t add up to much. I checked my dry rain barrel and it was still dry. Had to water the tobacco plants in the rain gutter system by hand. They drank the water up quicker then free beer at a union picnic. I swear when I carried water past the corn the plants all leaned in my direction. Cats are all sprawled across the bed in the room with the A/C and do not look like they plan on moving anytime soon. Duncan has been in and out of the lake so many times I have lost count. Looking out at the bay here I do not see a single boat, too hot to fish in the middle of the day is my guess.

I heard some banging of a hammer this morning over at my neighbor Chuck’s place but it is quiet now. I know the screen part of the new building is pretty much done so I am betting he is taking a nap. Thinking about going up to the RESORT for the next couple of days. With this heat I am not going to be doing anything on the To Do List. For now though I am sitting in the den with the fan on and a panting Duncan under the desk. Sipping on some cold Lake Iwanttobethere Root Beer and chewing on some beef jerky, too hot to be cooking lunch in the kitchen. Have the cabin to myself, daughter is working and the wife is at the other daughter's house. Birthday party tomorrow for number three granddaughter who will be turning two. Should be interesting with the hot weather and I am sure cranky babies. I plan on attending with a couple of super soakers, for sure there will be water involved in this outdoor birthday party.

Sat on the deck last night sipping a cool one and had the radio tuned into the baseball game. Every time I got up to go in the cabin to get something the home team hit a home run. Am hoping for the same kind of results tonight but I think I will be sitting at the RESORT so I will not miss anything. Was a warm night but I had the fan on outside pointed at me and the skeeters are just not good enough flyers to buck the wind. I had a beer, smoked a cigar and just smiled at the skeeters who were just waiting for a chance to get to me. Pretty clear night and the bright half moon shown above the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere For awhile there I thought I was going to get rained on as a big dark cloud moved in but it didn’t drop a drop at least not on this end of the lake. Well, I suppose I should water everything and then get in the Tahoe and turn the A/C on high. I am sure that Duncan would like to take a ride and maybe we will stop off for an ice cream cone, only one scoop because it is so hot the second scoop would melt before you can lick it here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · July 26, 2015

July 26th
WAS ON THE deck here at the RESORT this morning, my water shoes are still damp sitting on top of the wide rail of the deck. Duncan and I came up to the RESORT early yesterday afternoon and my neighbor Chuck had the same idea. I was pulling out of my driveway the same time he was pulling out of his. I followed him and a little while later we were parked side by side under one of the big maple trees. It seemed about ten degrees cooler there so I just sat for awhile and enjoyed the last of the cool air coming from the Tahoe’s A/C I don’t use the A/C much but it is sure nice to have when you need it, just like heated seats. Duncan wanted out so I got out and he jumped the seat and followed me. I don’t think it was ten degrees cooler, the shade just made it look that way.
　
Arlo was there and he looked pretty comfortable, told Chuck and I he had spent the morning back off the trail on the little crick and it was cool and just about bug free. Chuck and I exchanged looks and without saying a word we headed to our rooms and got out the little spinning rods for chasing trout along with our wet shoes. My wet shoes are an old favorite that have a few holes in them, almost no tread and the wife thinks she threw them away. I have them here at the RESORT with a few other things she does not know about but thinking about that she probably does but just does not care. I can hear her talking in my head "Just as long as it is not in the cabin anymore I don’t care" Next stop was the kitchen and Gus was way ahead of us, he was just stuffing a couple of sandwiches into a soft sided cooler and just said "I heard you might be going trout fishing, All I want is just one plump one for supper" I nodded my head and told him " I can’t promise, you know I am going fishing with Chuck".
　
Chuck came out of the BAIT ROOM with a couple of Styrofoam cups. I popped off the lid and saw a nice crawler wiggling on top and said "Good enough" We gathered the bait, cooler and our rods and went out the back door. We stood for a moment looking at the trail, the deer jumping thermometer on the wall and the Ranger parked by the rain barrel. "Ranger" we both said at the same time. We drove back to the crick taking a few shortcuts which actually do not make the trip any shorter. Come to think of it walking would have got us back there faster, but I can also see where we would have been trenched in sweat and would probably have to sit for a spell and catch our breath, we are after all getting to be older men, not old mind you, just older.
　
First off Arlo lied to us, the skeeters were just nasty! But having known Arlo for many years we had both brought along bug spray and hat nets. The first pool was a wash, Duncan had tagged along behind us and I guess he was hot as when we came up to the first pool Duncan jumped from the bank and hit the middle of the pool like a cannonball. Chuck yelled at him to "Get on out of there" and Duncan half swam half ran to the bank and with his tongue hanging out he proceeded to shake a shower of water on us. Chuck just shrugged his shoulders and waded in but I first open the cooler and grabbed two Hamms. I followed Chuck into the pool and when he turned around I handed him a cold one and he looked at me and the beer and just said "I thought we were going fishing?" I popped the top, took a sip and told Chuck "Gus told me what Arlo was doing, fish ain’t biting but the pool is a fine place to be on a summer afternoon here at Lake Iwanttobethere"

Bobby Bass · July 30, 2015

July 30th

NOW THAT THERE is no doubt that summer is really here I guess I should be enjoying it. I say that because even though it is almost August there is always some lingering doubt that it could still snow. No real rain has fallen for while and all my rain barrels are empty, have had to haul water to the gardens and no rain is in Sunshine Ray’s forecast. OK I guess summer is really here, now we will see if it will last more then a few weeks. Have been at the RESORT for the last few days, Went up last weekend came down to the grand daughter’s birthday party and went right back up. Party was hot and wet but only because it was ninety in the shade and everyone was armed with super soakers or small purse size water pistols. I was attacked as soon as I pulled up by two year olds holding a garden hose and being encouraged by their parents.
　
Before I could get to the back of the Tahoe two of my nephews had already open the doors and stole the super soakers I had put there. They had me all figured out already. I did enjoy myself, ate some finger food and listen to how the daughter had to go to the big city to get watermelon, it seems we have a watermelon shortage in town that I was unaware of. The General Store and even Ma and Pa’s were both sold out, another sign that summer is here I guess. There were sandwiches, small things rolled up that I could not identify what was inside of them, I think they were called wraps. I asked where the hot dogs and burgers were and I was told it was a two year olds party, they are more into wraps and grapes and berries. I started looking around to see where the bunny’s were sitting as I felt like I was stealing their food.
　
Made small talk with the relatives, watched kids play and then it was gift opening time. Of course my two year old granddaughter was way more impressed with the wrapping paper and boxes then what was inside. I bought a pink castle that is like a small pop tent, that went over well as when I went to leave they were trying to see how many kids they could get inside it all at one time. Looked like one of them telephone booth stuffing memories of my youth. I made my good-byes and headed to the Tahoe, I was pretty much ignored as I went to the far side of the Tahoe and open the back side door. Underneath a blanket I had a laundry basket that looked like a big pile of colorful jelly beans. Only they were not jelly beans but water balloons that I had filled up at the RESORT and hid for just that moment.
　
I started off with the ones the size of baseballs and tossed them high in the air, at least high for me. The first couple landed with a splat right next to my mother in law and wife. I ducked behind the Tahoe but no one had a clue so I fired off a few more into the kids by the pool. I got a reaction there as they started reaching for super soakers figuring the water battle was back on. A few parents waved fingers telling kids not to shoot as they had just gotten dry. I moved up to the larger balloons and started chucking them as fast and as far as I could. Someone spotted a balloon I am guessing and looked back to where it came from, I was busted! I had just a few water balloons left and I held them in the crook of my arm as I slammed the side door closed and made my way to the driver’s side. I toss the last of my ammo at some charging parents and the last balloon, a bright red one hit the mother in law square on the top of her straw hat, She did not look please as I saw her in the rear view mirror of the Tahoe standing in the driveway looking like the mother of the Terminator, one red eye glaring at me here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited July 30, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · July 31, 2015

July 31st

SPENT THE BETTER part of the last five days up at the RESORT, time well spent I might say. Did a little wading for creek trout one day, got wet some and somehow managed to stay on the good side of Gus who was up for the day. I brought him not one but two plumb rainbow trout that quickly found the butter in a frying pan and along with a fresh garden salad were admired by other patrons as they were eaten on the deck just outside the Main Room here at the RESORT. Gus dapped at his lips with a folded cloth napkin and drank the last of his Hamms from out of a tall glass. According to Gus trout should never be eaten off a paper plate or alongside warmed up beans. Gus patted his belly and said "I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a trout dinner but if I die tomorrow I will remember today" Vic then sat down in the booth alongside of me and slid over my plate of pork n beans and some polish sausage.

Read a couple of books out on the deck, good light for reading and the wind kept the bugs away. Matter of fact if I was facing the right way all I had to do was lift a finger and the wind would turn my pages for me. Mayfly hatch is done, at least the second minor one is. Did not take long for the birds and frogs and other creatures to clean up the fallen bodies. Have seen a few threatening clouds but no rain has fallen. Twice this week I have helped Vic out by hooking the old boat on the trailer and hauling it down to the lake. We use a sump pump to fill it up with lake water till the trailer tires start to go flat and then dragged the trailer and boat with the Ranger up to the garden. When we get there we just pull the plug on the boat and let the water flow out into our makeshift irrigation ditches.

Vic has been picking lettuce and cucumbers, strawberries seem to be all done but the raspberries are doing great. Tomatoes are starting to turn yellow and there are flowers on the potatoes. I have a few tobacco plants up here and I went and cleaned them up yesterday removing the suckers and cutting off the flower tops. I noticed the peas are about ready to be harvested but no sign of any beans. Fishing has been slow for the guys, some sunnies but I think the mayfly hatch has all the fish just kicked back like it is or was a turkey day for them. Days were warm but the nights cooled off enough that it has been good sleeping weather. I came back to the cabin last night refreshed and lazy till I found another page added to the To Do List.

Today finds me sitting on the deck here with some reading to finish. Have about a hundred pages left in the novel that I started at the RESORT and I am going to finish it before I go to the To Do List. I already know some of it. The wife backed up and hit a rock just right when she was at a rummage sale, bent the tail pipe so now it almost hits the ground. Won’t bend back so I will have to cut it shorter or replace it, I think the shorting it will be the right choice. I was going to do that this morning but when I went to get my sawzall saw I could not find it, wife told me in a matter of fact way that she had already tried to cut the pipe off but stopped when the saw started smoking. I told her she just needed to let the blade cool off, she told me, NO the saw was smoking. I figure I will just finish reading the book as the wife said I was starting to smoke a little like the saw did, and by the way she said "My mother wants to talk to you about the birthday party, she has something for you and mentioned something about payback here at Lake Iwanttobethere"

Edited July 31, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 2, 2015

Aug 2nd

AFTER A BUSY Saturday working on the Honey Do List I called it a day as the sun was starting to dip low over the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. I closed up the roll up door on the wood shop and made sure the garden hose was put away. Sunshine Ray’s forecast is calling for rain early Sunday morning and I am hoping he is right for a change. I sat down on the deck after starting a fire in the fire ring. I had some brush that needed burning and I had a nice pile of fire size pieces broken up already and in the ring. All I had to do was toss a handful of wood mulch chips that I keep in a box on the deck. A couple of wood matches were struck and tossed on the pile of chips and I had a crackling fire going in no time.

I sat down in one of the wood chairs on the deck and with perfect timing the wife came out with a supper plate for me. A couple of pieces of fried chicken, some cottage cheese, a garden cucumber sliced up and a couple of buttered hard rolls. I picked up the small box of wood stick matches and lit a candle and also a couple of sections of mosquito coils. I put the coils in ash trays and placed then around the table so that no matter which way the wind blew, the smoke would keep the skeeters at bay. Duncan found himself a place under the table where he could lay down and rest a paw on my foot letting me know he was there if I wanted to slip him a piece of chicken or maybe drop a crumb of hard roll.

The little transistor radio was close to hand and I turned it on and tuned it into the baseball game. A weak signal tonight so I used an old trick that I had discovered by accident and rested the antenna up against the pole that holds the umbrella up over the deck table. Should not work but it does as it turns the metal in the umbrella into a bigger and better antenna and I was now listening to a crystal clear calling of the baseball game. I ate supper and took in the sound of the crowd and the crack of the bat and the cheering and booing coming out of the little speaker of the little radio. No sooner did I finish supper then the wife came out and cleared the plate away and the wife left a cigar on the table next to the little box of wood matches. "You have been so busy all day, I think it is OK that you can have a cigar and relax" she said.

I watched her go back in the cabin and then reached for the dark brown cigar, one of my hidden Cuban’s, where did she find it? I asked myself. I held the cigar up to the flickering lit coming off the candle and admired the tight wrapper on the cigar, put it under my nose and took in a deep smell of the tobacco. I was just going to get up when the wife came back out with a cold beer in a tall glass and my cigar cutter. She patted me on the shoulder and told me to "Enjoy" I sat back down suspicious as all heck.

I clipped off the end of the cigar and took a couple of wood matches out of the little box. I stuck the matches into the flame of the candle and they burst into flame. I rolled the tip of the cigar over the flame of the wood matches and then took a few puffs till the cigar lit and then waved the matches in the air till they went out and tossed them into the ashtray that I had moved with in easy reach. A kiss of the cigar produced a nice a puff of smoke that I took in then blew out. It drifted away from me in the shape of a perfect smoke ring. I then sat back in my chair and took in the baseball game and the night. The sun settled lower into the lake and the wind came up a little, I could hear it rustling the leaves of the maple trees. The fire crackled and I got up and added a few chunks of birch so I would have a real fire to enjoy. I turned to go back to the deck and heard noise in the maple trees and just caught Ed and Eddie the squirrels chasing each other through the upper branches in the last rays of daylight..

Home team was down by one in the bottom of the ninth but a wild pitch and a game winning single ended the game in a win and I turned off the little radio with a smile on my face. Dark now and the crickets took up and filled the air with sound now that the game was over. They might have been there the whole time I just could not hear them. Duncan shifted some under my feet and I could smell something besides the birch burning in the fire pit. My cigar was just about done and I was thinking of calling it a night when the wife came outside with a glass of milk and some freshly baked peanut butter cookies. She set them down in front of me and picked up the empty beer glass and once again patted me on the shoulder. Duncan got up and followed her back into the cabin, I can’t compete with cookies.

The fire was just about out, just a red glow of coals as I took the last sip of milk at the same time as I chewed the last bite of cookie. Off in the distance I could hear the sound of the ten o’clock freight working its way around the lake and I waited to it came and went before I got up and blew out the candle and made sure the mosquito coils were done burning. I dumped some water on the fire and it made that hissing sound and steam and smoke rose in a little cloud. I put the radio away so it can’t get wet by the rain that I hope is going to fall in the morning and made my way into the cabin. I closed the screen door behind me and heard the wife from the kitchen say "I added a few things to the Honey Do List for you" here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited August 2, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 5, 2015

Aug 5th
SUNNY WITH A few wisps of clouds greeting me this morning when I stepped out on the deck here at the cabin on a hidden bay at Lake Iwanttobethere. Some dew on the boards of the deck and I looked at the jumping bass thermometer that hangs on the wall of the cabin and the red needle was pointing at a spot just under sixty, my kind of weather! This week so far has been a welcome change to the high eighties and low nineties we have been having the last few weeks. Some people like that kind of weather but I am not one of them. If I want to see ninety degree days I’ll go on vacation too someplace that has them, something I have yet to do.
　
Monday night the granddaughter had her first soccer game of the season, I attended in tee shirt and shorts and found a place to sit along the sidelines. There was a breeze in the air and the sun was setting by the end of the game. Just after half-time I was thinking to myself I should have brought a sweatshirt as it was getting just a little chilly, my kind of weather. I am hoping Sunshine Ray is right on with his forecast calling for some rain this week and temperatures to stay in the seventies. I sure do get a lot more work done when the weather does not have me sticking to my chair when I want to get up.
　
Gardens are pretty much on auto pilot now, Not many weeds to worry about and if they want to keep growing I just tell them good luck. Duncan is busy, I have left the gate open to the big garden so he can come and go as he pleases. Nothing small enough in there anymore that he can step on and do damage to. Tall enough in there that now he just can’t sit at one end and survey the entire gardein, he now has to walk the rows and he does. He looks like a night security guard punching the clocks as he goes up one row of corn to come back down the next. He then weaves in and out of the staked tomato plants to high step over the pumpkin and squash. Potatoes he just about disappears in as the plants are thick and deep. I have been leaving the gate open because flocks of blackbirds have been making daylight raids on the raspberry bushes.
　
Duncan is pretty busy as he charges into the garden to scatter the blackbirds but then has to get out and race to the other end of the yard where Ed and Eddie the squirrels are busy in the big apple tree trying to steal the small apples that are growing. No sooner then he runs Ed and Eddie off then he has to return to the garden. When he does have time he sits on the deck looking from one end of the yard to the other keeping watch. This is his first season without the old dogs to help him. Barney would just take care of the apple tree and Bud had the deck covered. The wife made the comment that poor Duncan is really have to work and I mentioned in passing that maybe he could use some help, the wife didn’t say anything back.
　
With the cooler weather here I did go over to the Puddle Humper and pulled the tarp off. Dropped the charged batteries in and took out the cabin vacuum and cleaned the carpet off of stuff that made its way under the tarp. With the boat clean again I started collecting gear and putting it back in its place. A few tackle boxes were sitting in the Tahoe and now they are back in the boat. Today I will finish loading the boat with tackle boxes and fishing rods and I will just need a little excuse to get the Puddle Humper wet. To some of you this may seem pretty late in the season to be just start fishing but here on Lake Iwanttobethere the best fishing is in the fall. I have an agreement with the wife that once I start fishing the Honey Do List is not touched unless it is a rain day. Stories here should soon turn to tales of fishing and won’t be that long and we will be writing about Duncan and bird hunting. Best time of the year is just around the corner here, Daily walks into the gardens to harvest and then fishing in the afternoons. A few early morning rounds of golf are planned and the granddaughter's soccer games are twice a week. Meals of caught fish and home grown food and in not to long apple pie will be added to the mix as this year I have apples! For some summer may be winding down, for me it is just getting started here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · August 7, 2015

August 7th
WE HAD A Noah’s Ark kind of rainfall over night here at Lake Iwanttobethere. I checked the rain gage this morning and two inches had fallen. I was out in it last night as I had to close up the shop door that I had forgotten to do after mowing the lawn. I was wearing my rain coat and Duncan was at my side, him being a lab it does not make any difference if it is raining or not. The corn in the garden was doing a rope a dope, swaying in the little breeze and just egging mother nature to keep it coming. It may be me but the corn seems to be standing a little taller and straighter this morning. Fog and a light drizzle falling here this morning which is good, we want that overnight rain to take its time soaking in. A nice steady rain most of the night, I checked the drive and there is no ruts where if I had gotten a downpour they would have formed.
　
Of course I knew it was going to rain as I was at my desk yesterday morning and I heard a swoosing sound outside my window and just out of the corner of my eye saw a shingle fall off the roof. The wind of a couple of days ago had loosen a couple up and I was meaning to get up there and fix them but now with one on the ground I had to. Drove down to the General store, knew I was going to need a tube of black jack to reseal the shingles and I ran into Dotch. He explained to me his problem with wasps in his lawnmower. I thought my side of the lake was pretty dry but if ya got wasps in your lawnmower it is not getting used much. I have kind of the same problem only different, I have a couple of bees using my cabin as their cabin. Don’t want to kill them but they may be a problem when it comes time to stain, of course they may become the reason why I can’t stain, again this summer.
　
Back at home I caught my son visiting his ma, she had a plastic container of cookies for him to take and I told him there was a price. A few minutes later he was up on the roof putting in a couple of replacement shingles and I watched from the ground. On his way down he told me I had some more bees under the dormer, good to know I figure. With the ladder away I gave the wife the OK to give him his cookies and he was on his way. I sat down on the deck and asked the wife to bring me a glass of milk and some of them cookies she just baked. I got the milk but no cookies, she gave the son all of them for working on the roof.

Clouds were building out over the lake but I thought I could get most of the yard mowed. Took the weed wacker out and made quick work of the edges and then hopped on the riding mower and lowered the high spots. I had just finished when the first small drops started to fall. I went and sat on the covered swing and Duncan jumped on next to me. I was waiting to see if it was just going to be a little tease or if it was actually going to rain. I woke up awhile later, I had made my self pretty comfortable on the swing and Duncan was warm tucked up next to me. Water was coming off the roof and dripping into the rain barrel on the deck. My shoes were wet and I was not as warm as when I sat down. I went in the cabin and grabbed my rain coat and changed shoes. Back out under the cover swing I went and I turned on the little transistor radio and tuned in the ball game. Reached into my pocket and pulled out a cigar and sat back to enjoy a needed rain evening here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited August 7, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 9, 2015

August 8th

WOKE UP THIS morning to a knock on my door, well that and Duncan barking. Made my way to the back deck door and peaking out I spotted sheriff Tim, thumbs in his web belt looking around. I open the door and exchanged HIYA’s with Tim and asked if he wanted to step in, he did. Duncan seeing that I let him in the cabin then just sat down and wagged his tail and watched. My first question was "Official or a talk stop?" Tim looked back at me as he pulled out his black notebook from his pocket and said "Official Business" Well in a matter of a few seconds I think I went through about twenty reasons why Tim would be seeing me, none of them illegal of course but he did have me a little worried.

Sheriff Tim looking in his black note book flipped a few pages and then stopped. He looked at me and asked "Do you own the 223 pink flamingoes or does the Lodge?" I took in a deep breath of relief, I thought something had happen to my mother in law and told Tim that the Lodge owned the birds. Tim then told me that last night there was a drive by shooting over at Reed the Realtor’s place.

First off we live out in the county we don’t have drive by shootings so I of course asked Tim if he was sure? He looked up from his notebook and said we are sure, we have witness’s. I sat back in the kitchen chair and wondered to myself who would shoot up the pink flamingoes, they are for a good cause. If you don’t remember the Lodge will accept a donation then place the 223 pink flamingoes in a yard of your choosing, the only way to get the flamingoes out of your yard and into someone’s else’s is by making a donation. The donation money is used to fund summer fishing camps here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

"Do you know who did it I asked?" Sheriff Tim just told me that it is an on going investigation and they were still collection information. I then asked if I can go over to Reed’s and collect the damaged birds and Sheriff Tim writing in his back book told me there is none. I asked " You mean they are all shot up, destroyed?" Sheriff Tim just looked up and said "No they are all fine, it was a drive by using paint guns and the rain seems to have washed everything all off or the culprits were really bad shots. We think they are locals and were flock shooting" I took in the information and I had an idea who the culprits might just be. "Tim, were they driving a big black car" I asked and Tim looked at me and asked "Who have you been talking too?"

Sheriff Tim closed his little black book and by now the wife had come in the kitchen and made coffee. Tim had a cup and we did some talk ing before he left with a final comment about if I find out anything I should contact him. I called over to Reed’s place and he told me the birds were fine and he would be stopping by the Lodge to make a donation so Hammering Hank and Skinny can come out and relocate the birds. I had an idea so Duncan and I took a drive up to the RESORT where no sooner did we drive in then we saw a few of the FELLOWS washing the big black limo.

I rolled up and said good morning and from my vantage point I could see a lot of pink inside the old limo. I now knew who shot up the flamingoes and why there was no proof, they shot up the pink flamingoes with pink paint! Just then Tiny came out from behind the FELLOWS camper with a bad case of sunburn or as he got closer a bad case of pink paint all over him. BUSTED! The other FELLOWS stopped washing the limo as they saw me and saw Tiny and hung their heads. Tiny came over and I just said "Spill the beans" and he did. Well one of the guys had an idea which became a bad one quickly. They had gotten into the Limo that Gary had just cleaned inside and out and took it for a ride. They spotted the Pink Flamingoes and decide to just drive by and take a few shots but they had a small problem. Gary had cleaned the windows so well that Tiny thought his window was down when it was really rolled up. To show me what he meant he reached in and hit the button for the electric window and the glass came up completely covered in pink paint. Very few paint balls had made it out of the limo as the other guys thought the paint coming off the glass was Tiny shooting at them and they returned fire. It was all just a misunderstanding, buddies do that here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · August 10, 2015

August 10th

NOT REALLY A silent Sunday here at Lake Iwanttobethere today. I was standing on the dock this morning getting the Sunday paper out of the box, Jessie the paperboy was just going around the point in his boat and I was watching him and not paying attention to what I was doing. Well I snagged the plastic bag that the paper comes in on the post and before I could recover the paper fell out of the bag and into the lake. The single curse word echo pretty well in the quiet morning air and I looked around to see if anyone was out to see that it was me who was the one that had muttered it, a lot louder then I thought I had.

I fished the paper out of the lake and brought it up to the cabin and just tossed it on the deck table. The wife was having her morning coffee and was wearing her reading glasses and looked over the top of the glasses at me and then at the paper. I will jump over the conversation we had and just tell you I had to go down to the Gas N Go for another Sunday paper because there were ads in there for school supplies and the wife was planning on taking the girl's school supply shopping later in the week. Duncan was sleeping in late so I got in the Tahoe and headed down to town.

Overcast morning, some fog on the shore and I followed the access road that winds around the lake into town. Ditches had some water in them again and the grass was a dark green. The couple of inches of rain has really perked things up. Perk is not a word I use very often but in the case of describing the grass it seems like a perfect fit. I came up on my neighbor Judy who was walking her two German shepherds, Yogi and BooBo. I already had the window rolled down so I slowed and finally stopped and we exchange a HIYA’s. I normally don’t see Judy walking the dogs and I asked her what was up. She told me the two boys got into a fight this morning and she was out walking them so they can blow off some steam. As she talked I looked at the two dogs who were sitting on each side of her but passing looks at each other behind her back, just like a couple of five year olds. I wished her luck and the dogs too, you don’t want Judy to be mad at you.

I was in no hurry to get to town so I drove at a grouse hunter's pace. I did see a deer cross the road in front of me and I was thinking that was the first deer I have seen in quite awhile. I came around a bend in the road and spotted three grouse on the shoulder waking away from me. I slowed down even more matching their pace. Another truck came from the other direction and the birds spotted the truck and just slipped into the deep grass like it was no big deal. I exchanged a wave with Anyfish2 and picked up some speed. Anything on the road now was going to be back out of sight. I passed dragon flies and spotted red winged blackbirds hanging on to the tall grass growing in the ditches. Crows sitting on branches over the road and a soaring turkey vulture seemed to be following me.

I looked in my rear view mirror back at the road I had just been on and not a speck of dust hanging in the air. A couple of inches of rain sure does keep the dust down. I parked at the Gas N Go and changed hats. Taking off my Lake Iwanttobethere hat and exchanging it for a plain black baseball cap. I find if I wear my Lake Iwanttobethere hat in town then tourist stop me asking for directions, it is after all a silent Sunday here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited August 10, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 12, 2015

August 12th
IT APPEARS THAT summer is not nearly done yet. I am inside out of the sun sitting at the desk in the den with Duncan under my feet panting some. I am the one doing the panting not him. I just came back from town where I had a few errands to run and I filled up the Tahoe with gas and had to add some oil. That was enough work in the sun to make me come back to the cabin and seek out the den where it is usually cooler. Of course it is also cooler in here come winter too but that is another story. I have a bunch of running around to do in the next few days and I have been waiting for the gas to go down like everyone says it is going to but finally I just had to fill up and be done with it. I paid for my gas and bought my traditional Kit Kat but it was mostly already melted by the time I buckled up in the truck. I had to wait at the entrance for a pickup truck with a pontoon on a trailer that turned in. I noticed the pontoon because on its side it said "Vermillionfox" nice looking pontoon but I could not see the driver.
　
This morning I was out sitting on the deck by seven and I was even wearing a sweatshirt. My neighbor Chuck spotted me through the trees and came over and sat a spell with his coffee cup. We spent a few hours just talking as neither one of us could explain why we were out sitting on the deck so early, it might have to do with the fact that neither one of us really wanted to do any work this morning. Duncan came out as I had gotten up out of my bed this morning while not waking him. He came to me for a morning rub behind the ears then went to Chuck for a pat on the back before stretching and stepping off the deck into the wet grass of a new day. Chuck and I watched as he checked the yard before coming up and laying down on my feet where he went back to sleep.
　
Me and Chuck have been having these kind of conversation for over forty years now. Of course we are not talking about the same things we were talking about when we in our twenties but sometimes we do go back and play back some memories. The wife says it is good we do this as it keeps our mind sharp and stirs up the brain activity. I think it is just that she does not want to hear our old stories again, and again and again. She did come out to freshen up Chuck’s coffee cup and bring him not me some banana nut bread. Chuck put up his hands and said he would just try a piece but as soon as she went in the cabin I helped myself. By a little after eight the sweatshirt came off and I moved to a chair where the big table umbrella blocked out the morning sunshine. My glass of OJ was replaced with water and big ice cubes as we talked about the local watermelon shortage and how our gardens were doing.
We watched bees come and work blossoms on the cucumbers that are planted on the deck and noted several different kinds of dragon fly’s that were coming to land on the table before going where ever they are going. Some big bumble bees flew in and we could hear them coming as they buzz us low before moving on. A wood pecker appeared and ignored us but did bang his head on my cedar siding a few times. I tossed an ice cube in his direction and he flew off to bang his head on a garden fence post. By nine the bass thermometer on the wall said it was in the mid eighties and we both agreed it was going to be a hot one and Sunshine Ray had missed yet another forecast. Tomorrow it suppose to hit ninety so I figure it will be more like the mid nineties. By ten Chuck said he had enough coffee and had to get back to his place, he broke the tractor yesterday and he has to get the welder out and do some fabricating. I asked him why he didn’t do that at seven this morning and just told me he wanted to make sure he did it during the hottest part of the day. May not make sense to you but it makes perfect sense here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited August 12, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 13, 2015

BACK IN THE den this morning and the ceiling fan is on and I just had a nice slice of watermelon for a mid morning snack. Yes, the watermelon shortage appears to be over. Yesterday afternoon I drove into town, had some more errands to do and I was hot already but the Tahoe has a/c. First thing I noticed is that the young businessmen and women were out in full force. Seems like just about every corner on Main Street had someone out selling something. Kool-aid stands, Lemonade stands and of course my favorite the sliced watermelon stand. That one was right out in front of Ma and Pa’s grocery store and the two owner operators where a couple of Ma and Pa’s great grand kids.

There are other places to buy watermelon when it is in season but the go to place is Ma and Pa’s as Pa keeps the melons in his walk in cooler and I think he hoards them till we get these really hot days. He then has his Grand kids sell slices of the ice cold watermelon out on the sidewalk and just about everyone then goes in the shop and buys a whole one. Not much different then free donut holes at Amy’s Bakery, which by the way I did stop by and have a few. With a hot day like yesterday there was plenty of sidewalk business for everyone. Stan and Jean’s ice-cream truck was parked down at the town square and they had a line. I was going to stop for a cone but thought I should get my melon back to the cabin.

Red needle on the jumping Bass thermometer was just nudging ninety around five-thirty when I went to the granddaughter’s soccer game. Overcast and humid but there was some wind. The girls lost but they didn’t seem to care much, they were more interested in the water bottle fight that broke out at the end of the game. I was unarmed as I had drank the bottle of water that I had brought and being old and slow I was a quick target for the granddaughter and some of her friends. I actually had several parents make comments about how they wished someone would squirt them with water.

The ride back to the cabin was a little wet and I almost had a chill with the a/c running on high. I pulled into my parking spot and Duncan walked over to greet me. His tongue was hanging out but his tail was wagging. I closed the door of the Tahoe and looked down at him and we had a brief conversation. You must remember I speak Lab. I told him if he was so hot why don’t he just go jump in the lake and so he did. He turned like a little kid getting the OK to go on a carnival ride and tore off down the path to the lake. He hit the dock and covered it in a few bounds and launched himself out over the water of Lake Iwanttobethere. Not making one of his more graceful landings he hit hard and sent up a geyser of water. Two ducks that were swimming off the end of the dock never saw him coming and took off with a lot of quacking and I heard a loud "What’s going on" from over at Elmer’s dock. I came down the path and found Elmer standing on the end of his dock with a beer in his hand and his other hand was holding a cigar.

Duncan spotting Elmer and turned using his tail as a rudder and started swimming towards Elmer’s dock. I heard Elmer talking to Duncan that he needs to be a little more quiet as he was trying to relax. Elmer spotted me and we exchanged HIYA’s He was waving his beer bottle at me so I took that as an invitation and cut across to his yard and down to the dock. By now Duncan was up on Elmer dock dripping water and had some weeds hanging off his back. Elmer was petting him and said "Don’t this dog ever shake?" I looked at Elmer and then at Duncan and just said "You have to tell him" " Duncan, SHAKE" and he did, all over Elmer here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · August 14, 2015

August 14th
WAS ON MY way to the county fair that starts today but I decided to stop off at the Lodge for lunch. As I came up on the Lodge the first thing that I saw was a lot full of trucks and a few boats on trailers. I parked in my spot out back and as I walked in I thought that Gus must have a pretty good lunch special going on. I came in through the screen door and the place was packed, Our waitress Honey Sauce was heading over to the big round table where the FELLOWS were sitting with plates of Coney’s stacked up both her arms. I let her pass and she gave me a nod of her head as she tried to blow a wisp of hair off her face. The sound of spoons clicking on the sides of chili filled bowls was loud. Matter of fact it sounded a lot like a high school cafeteria back when they allowed the kids to use metal instead of plastic spoons.
　
Gus came out from the kitchen and spotted me, quick HIYA’s were exchanged then he asked if I was there to help out. I just shrugged my shoulders and slid in behind the bar and tied on an apron. After awhile Honey came over and we spoke and I asked her about the big lunch rush and she told me it has been this way the last couple of afternoons, the heat you know. I just poured some tap beers and took a few orders but it seemed everyone was already taken care of. I did notice the front door was not being used much and as I looked around it dawned on me. The place was filled with roofers and fishermen, it was just too hot out to work or fish.
　
The chairs over by the fireplace were all filled, there was no fire going but Gus had the Lodge a/c working. Not what you are thinking as the Lodge a/c is a big kids swimming pool filled with a couple of big chucks of lake ice cut from Lake Iwanttobethere last winter and stored in our ice house. A fan sits behind the ice blowing the air across the ice and out into the main room. Several county highway guys were sitting around the pool rubbing their hands together like they were trying to get them warm. Arlo was sitting over by the couch with MonsterMoose and Legalmusky trading stories, you could tell as they took turns holding their hands out in front of them each time the hands got farther and farther apart. The FELLOWS were at the big round table planning something but I didn’t want to stop and find out what they were up to. With everything under control behind the bar I made the rounds and spoke with a few of the guys. The county fair starts today and we chatted some about that and next Monday is the fifth Monday of the month so there will be a town hall meeting. Lot of guys were just sipping on lemonade and the clinking of ice was soon louder then the sound of spoons in now empty chili bowls.

I had to leave after awhile because if I didn’t I would be spending the afternoon sitting in the Lodge doing nothing, which by the way is not all that bad of an idea. I drove out of the parking lot and had to drive around a pickup with a pontoon on a trailer behind it. I saw Vermillion Fox on the side and remembered I had seen that same trailer just a few days ago. They must be in the Lodge but I did not notice them. I waited for Anyfish to pull into the parking lot before I pulled out. I drove down the road heading to the fair grounds and a slowing moving truck and trailer was up a head of me, I waited for the straight away and passed a trailer of sheep and I gave a wave to the driver as I passed, I think it was Dotch. Maybe I should get out a little more as I sure am running into a lot of people here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 18, 2015

August 17th
WHAT A DAY I got up this morning and sat on the deck and it was not hot or humid out. There was a little breeze and some light clouds and I think maybe the heat spell has passed. Normally I don’t complain to much about the heat because I know it is a sure bet come the dead of winter I will be complaining about the furnace running and snow falling and what I would give for a warm summer day. Some of you may know that I am growing tobacco and I have learned that I need to harvest my leaf so I can take advantage of the warm weather of August to dry it. This past week I have spent a few hours everyday picking and cleaning leaf and hanging in my greenhouse and shop depending on what kind of leaf I am hanging.
　
I have about 500 hundred leaf hanging and if I have learned anything it is that I could never work on a tobacco plantation. That is some hot sticky work and even though I had a few neighbors and my wife sit for a spell and watch me work no one offered to help. I still have some more to hang and tomorrow I hope to finish before the rain comes. It is getting to be harvest time here as between tending to the tobacco we picked cucumbers and the wife made up a big batch of pickles. Peas are all picked and the little cherry tomatoes are showing up in bunches. Onions are all picked and hanging up to dry, not as good as last year but still a decent crop that should last us well into winter. It has not been all work, I did spend the evening on Saturday watching the pre season football game down at the Lodge and today I spent the late afternoon at the county fair before attending my number two granddaughters soccer game.
　
As I was driving over to the county fair a couple of thoughts passed through my mind and one of them lingered for awhile. I was driving by one of my neighbor’s down the road a piece and we exchanged waves, me from the Tahoe and him from his riding lawn mower. I had the windows down and I took in the unmistakable smell of fresh cut grass. It always makes me wonder why I never smell the grass that I cut when I mow but when I drive by someone else who is mowing the smell hits me. Just like the smell of a hot dog, they always smell better, and taste better if someone else is making them.
　
Maybe I just had the smell or the thought of a hot dog in my mind when I drove up to the county fair gate and flashed my judges card so I didn’t have to pay for parking. I closed my windows up tight and got out thinking about hot dogs. Now of course we have hot dogs at the Lodge, that is what Coney’s are built on and around but I don’t smell them anymore, I think it is like the grass you just don’t smell something you are around all the time. You could not get me to eat a hot dog from Gas N Go and I am not talking about football hot dogs wrapped in tinfoil or what ever those things in the plastic bags you get at the baseball game are. Anytime you see a hot dog that has a "Eat by this date" I don’t eat.
　
I started walking down the Midway and I could smell hot dog, I followed my nose and found my self the third one back in a line at the hot dog stand. I watched as hot dogs were quickly assembed, money exchange hands and before you knew it I was next in line. No words were spoken I just held up one finger and the man nodded his head and flipped open the stainless steel lid to a deep pan of steamed buns. There were so many of them they looked a live well full of gills. He randomly reached in and pulled out a bun and held it in his hands at the base of his fingers. A slight turn of his body and he paused and looked at me as he pointed at the mustard and said "Everything?" I again nodded just once and before I was done he already had a stick of mustard dripping on the bottom of the bun and made a quick slice like a surgeon making a chest cut. Stick back in the mustard a quick wave of the bun under a white spout that shot out ketchup as he pushed down with his other hand. Finely diced onions were next as they went down one side of the bun and award winning county fair relish came up the other side. He then turned with his back to me and from the grill he grabbed tongs and rolled a few wieners till he found one to his liking. He rolled it a few times till he picked it up and laid it down on the bun and he turned and held it for my approval.
　
I nodded my head and he transferred the bun and wiener now a hot dog to a small sheet of wax paper and I exchanged a dollar for the hot dog. The cashier said "Come Again" and the hot dog maker nodded his head at me. I turned away hot dog in hand and made it past the line as others in line looked at my hot dogs and I think I saw a lady smack her lips together in anticipation of being next. Clear of the line I rolled the wax paper back and took my first of four bites. What can I say, hot juicy wiener and steamed bun, a taste of everything in my first mouthful. I don’t remember bite's two and three only that when number four was in my mouth all I had was an empty wrapper in my hand and the smell of hot dog still in the air. With out thinking I turned and was back in line, one hot dog was not gong to be enough here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · August 21, 2015

August 21st

YESTERDAY WAS ONE of those days. Today finds me fixing things that I found broke yesterday. Let me explain, after more then half of the summer gone I finally got the Puddle Humper wet yesterday. I had promised my granddaughter I was going to take her fishing no matter what and my daughter also wanted to come so we made a plan to go fishing. Started off the night before as the granddaughter and I armed ourselves with flashlight’s and a coffee can and waited till dark to go out and hunt for night crawlers. It was a little cool out but with all the rain we had the day before we caught our self three dozen nice plump ones which we figured would be enough for the next day.

　

Yesterday we got up early and had to run some errands, gas for the Tahoe and over to Ma and Pa’s for special boat lunch treats. Tackle boxes were put away in the boat and rods were tied up with bobbers and hooks and I backed up the Tahoe to the trailer and the first problem was discovered. Trailer lights were not working, trouble shoot the problem got a fix and we were on the road only a half hour off schedule. It was windy out so we had a change of plans and decided not to fish Lake Iwanttobethere but another lake not too far away. I usually go there at least once a summer for bluegills and that is where we were going to be fishing today. Second problem, we went to turn off the main road onto the lake road and guess what? they are paving the road and won’t let us through. Off to another lake I know of and problem number three.

　

We get to the second lake only to find the landing very shallow as the lake was low and a strong wind was blowing right into the landing. A quick conference and we decided we would go too yet another lake that I knew of and we made a U-turn and headed to the next lake. I was talking out loud to the girls telling them the way the wind was blowing this next lake might not be such a good idea and so before we got there we changed our plans again and headed to lake number four.

　

Lake number four is a small little thing surrounded by tall pine trees which keeps the waves small and the wind somewhat blocked. The girls checked the water and I loaded the boat up, life vests, lunch cooler and I plugged the graph in only to not have it turn on when I turned it on. Problem number four I was getting no power, told the girls to grab rods and go ahead and fish from the landing while I went to work trouble shooting. Found the problem, a broken connector and out came the tool bag and five minutes later I had a temporary fix and five more minuets after that we had the Puddle Humper in the water and we were finally fishing, about an hour and half behind schedule.

So I forget but problem number five or is it number six happen, we were not catching any fish, not even getting any bites. The plump crawlers dangled under red and white bobbers and went unnoticed. My granddaughter was making perfect casts setting her worm down on spots that I would have bet money a bluegill would have called home. Halfway around the lake and still nothing when my daughter decided to tie on a big yellow buzz bait and beat up the edges of the weed line Fifteen minutes later she caught this, a very nice twenty inch bass that weighed in at four pounds eight ounces and a smile and a giggle from her niece that was priceless. What could have been a bad day of fishing became a "Remember when auntie caught that big bass" at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited August 21, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 23, 2015

August 23rd

FATHER NATURE LOST an argument last night as Mother Nature sure put on a light show. I spent a good part of the afternoon working on trailer lights as my simple fix for fishing the other day needed a more permanent repair. Of course with trailer lights there is no such thing as a simple fix and looking back in my books it has been awhile since I really spent anytime working on the boat trailer. A new light was installed and I replaced the wire harness on both the Tahoe and the trailer and now I have bright and working lights all the way around. A new clip was soldering up for the boat battery and juice is flowing to everything in the Puddle Humper and the boat is ready for some fall fishing, now we just need Mother Nature to be nice.
　
I spent a few hours at the County Fair in the late afternoon, as a judge I have to walk around some looking all judge like. The night before I attended the stock car races and also the school bus demolition race. Mrs. Jameson an actual retired Lake Iwanttobethere school bus driver won it once again. Stormy Clearweather was interviewing her for KCUM radio and I heard her say that she just drives like she always did when she was a bus driver. It only took her three laps to take out the other nine buses in the race. With my appearance made at the fair I made a quick trip to the cabin and picked up Duncan. We then headed to the Lodge to watch the pre season football game on the big screen that we now have set up. The FELLOWS did some wheeling and dealing and came up with a projector that we can now watch sporting events on. We just hang up a big white sheet over the one wall and we get a pretty good picture.
　
Just about half-time last night Mother Nature must have had an argument with Father Nature and it was pretty one sided. We lost the picture a couple of times and just before half the game was suspended because of the weather. To keep the guys happy Gus open up a special half time/rain delay happy hour and the Hamm’s was flowing pretty good there. Some guys went out on the deck to enjoy the light show but came back in when it starting getting a little close. Several years ago a geologist from California was vacationing here and he said the Lodge is just one good Californian earthquake away from sliding down the hill into Lake Iwanttobethere. Last night we had a lightning strike so close to the Lodge that the old Log building shook and I saw several guys holding on to their beer with one hand while the other hand was holding on to their table.

The building shuddered some and guys had to blink because the light was pretty bright that came through the windows. A couple of the FELLOWS had their hands up in the air, I think because they had been in Sheriff Tim’s spotlight before. One more close one hit but the Lodge did not move and we were still safe on top of the hill looking out over Lake Iwanttobethere. Today the wind is still with us and just a few drops of rain are falling. No fishing today, too windy and Stormy Clearweather is calling for wind for the next couple of days and some rain showers. As soon as guys at the Lodge heard I had gone fishing and have the Puddle Humper ready to go for fall I was blamed for the weather. Big Earl was sipping on a Hamm’s and said he was going to paint his garage but now he can’t because of me. He then asked if he could buy me a Hamm’s here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited August 23, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 24, 2015

August 24th

I WAS THINKING it might be a little cool to be wearing shorts this morning when I made the walk to the Tahoe to give the daughter a ride to work. Overcast sky, windy and not raining but it was damp out. On the ride into work the daughter said a day like today calls for a nice hot bowl of chili tonight. She was hinting out loud to me and I picked up on it and told her that I agree, chili would hit the spot. She then turned to me and said "I am talking about home made chili not stopping off at the Lodge and getting some" I told her I was not even thinking of that and will of course be making my famous "No left over chili"

So I drove by the Lodge on the way back to the cabin and I did give a thought to stopping in and picking up a gallon of chili but I drove on by and parked at Ma and Pa’s front door. Off the top of my head I knew I needed some ground beef and beans everything else I had at home or it would come from the garden. I went inside the store and the little bell on the door jingled as I closed it. Perfect timing as Pa was just grinding up some beef and I was in and out in just a couple of minutes. I drove home taking the road that winds around Lake Iwanttobethere and the lake looked cool and not very inviting looking this morning. Stormy Clearweather says this will pass as tomorrow is going to be warmer and we may work our way back up into the eighties by the weekend.

I carried my bag of fixings into the cabin and Duncan met me at the door. He was doing that stretching thing that labs do before he went out the door that I was holding open for him. I put the bag down in the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and followed Duncan outside. Duncan made the rounds and I headed to the garden where I picked some cherry tomatoes, peppers and a couple of onions from the shop that were hanging up to dry. As long as I was there I checked on my drying tobacco and the leaf is looking good. Came back in the cabin and opened cans and dumped them into the crock pot, browned the hamburger and added that to the pot and then got the knife out and diced up the celery and onions. Good crop off onions I am thinking as I started to tear up some. Peppers were next and a couple of jars of last seasons canned tomatoes went in. Last of the canned tomatoes so the timing was just right for what the wife put up last season. The small cherry tomatoes go in whole, they absorb the spices and when you eat the chili they give a nice pop of flavor when you bite into them. Added the spices and put on the lid and headed down to the dock for the morning mail.

I just got to the dock just as Mark the mailman was coming up the shore. He was dressed up in his duck hunting clothes as it was cool on the water and we chatted about the weather before he went on his way. Duncan had followed me down and as I was talking he waded out into the water, he came back up on shore and dripped, the cooler weather does not seem to make any difference to him. I made Duncan shake before I let him in the cabin and I tossed the mail on the desk, I did hold on to the "Been there Done that" magazine. I went out in the kitchen and stirred the chili some and then sat down with some juice and paged through the magazine. Wife gets it, Mother Earth is on the cover but I just call it the been there done that as it seems everything that I see in the magazine I have pretty much been there and done that. Might be cuz I am still old school or getting old and have just done it or seen it or know someone who has tried it. That and the fact that I am friends with the FELLOWS who have done a lot of this and that. I am also old enough that I still take a shots at fixing stuff myself before I just go out and replace it or pay someone else to fiddle with it.

Nothing new in the magazine, same old ten ways to save gas and how the government is lying to us about seeds. I get up again and stir the chili and look at the stuff in there that is home grown. Got to love this time of the year when a big part of most of the suppers comes from the garden or is harvested with a rod or a shotgun. Was time to make some breakfast so I cooked up a couple of eggs that my neighbor Chuck’s hens lay back behind my garage that he does not know about and made toast from bread the wife baked. I smothered the toast in butter from Old McDonnell’s place and added some raspberry jelly from our garden. Being old and having been there and done that is OK here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

Bobby Bass · August 27, 2015

August 27
I AM LOOKING forward to the next ten days as Stormy Clearweather is forecasting daytime temps to climb into the low eighties and the overnights will fall into perfect sleeping weather. Yesterday I mowed the lawn and I should trim today but instead I will be out on Lake Iwanttobethere, fishing! I told the wife yesterday that it is time and she just looked at me over her glasses and said " Time for what?" I stood in front of her with the Honey Do List and set it down on the table, upside down and said "Fishing" she just nodded her head and went back to her Been There, Done That magazine. Last night would have been a good fishing night but my granddaughter had a soccer game and I was already committed to it. They have already played six games and only have four games left in their season. Right now they have a break as school has already started and the holiday coming up so my evenings will be free.
　
Will the grass mowed yesterday I did some gardening, cut back tomato plants and grabbed a few ears of sweet corn, not very big but I took them into the cabin and tossed them in the micro wave for a couple of minutes and then buttered them up and gave them a pinch of salt. Delicious is the only word I can use or need to use to describe the taste. I headed back out to the garden to grab another one but got sidetracked. I was back in the tomato patch and I had my trusty pocketknife with me. Just one of those things that you only see older guys with, a pocketknife. My sons don’t carry knifes with them, well they do if they are hunting but not every day little pocket knifes. For a while there they carried them all purpose handy fold out tools but found out that they used only about two of the twenty-two things that are on the tool. I seem to have a never ending need for my pocket knife.
　
The gate to the garden is left open now giving Duncan free access to the garden. Ed and Eddie the squirrels for some reason have discovered the garden and are trying to make it theirs. I don’t know if they think it is a new supermarket but Duncan now has an open gate and is free to chase them out of the garden. I tolerate the squirrels but if they start doing damage there may be some squirrel stew in my future. The wife was weeding and I pulled out my trusty pocketknife and cut open a couple of small bright red tomatoes, I shared one with her and the rest went in my mouth. A couple of cuc’s were harvested and I checked the beans. I was going to grab a ear of corn when the wife asked how they were. I told her they were still a few days away from being ripe and made plans on how I could sneak a couple more into the cabin without being seen.
My neighbor Chuck just called me, asked if I was going fishing. I told him I was and I could hear him yelling at his wife that I was going fishing and he had to go with. No sooner did we get off the phone then I heard Chuck next door hauling his boat out from along side the garage so he can work on it. I think his wife thinks he is going fishing in my boat but he is going fishing in his boat but will be fishing with me. I will be in my boat. This way we can cover twice the water but still be in yelling distance of each other to let each other know how well or bad we are doing. This works out well because we don’t have to rearrange our boats or move rods and tackle boxes back and forth. The wife’s think it is strange but other fishermen understand, we do it all the time here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · August 28, 2015

August 28th

A GOOD DECISION to go fishing yesterday as if going fishing could ever be a bad thing to do. Right on time I pulled out of my driveway with the Puddle Humper on the trailer and Chuck pulled out of his driveway with his boat that he still has not named. We made a couple of turns and soon we were rolling down the black ribbon of highway headed to a lake that I was predicting would be a good place to fish. The lake is three microwave towers away from the cabin. Up here we have a new measurement of travel as we count how many microwave towers we pass before we get to our destination

We made a turn and drove on gravel for awhile before turning on to a one way grouse road. This is where I turned the radio off and rolled the window down and drove with my arm hanging out the window and my eyes looking for grouse. The tires of the Tahoe made some crunching noise as I took my time driving through the dry pot holes till I arrived at a small landing just big enough for a couple of trailers. We were the only ones there and the parking area was dry. I turned around and backed into the landing and Chuck drove past me and parked. We both unhooked straps and made the boats ready. I went in first and Chuck was soon in the water behind me. As I drifted just off the landing I tossed a buzz bait into the reed bank and on the third cast a two and a half pound bass struck and hooked itself. I reeled the fish in and held it up high for Chuck still on land to see. He made a few comments that I can’t repeat but they were what good friends say to each other when one catches a fish before the other can get their boat wet.

With Chuck on the water we split up, I went one way letting the wind blow me down a section of docks and reeds while Chuck headed for some calm water and a big flat. An hour later and I turned to run up to the flats having landed two bass and four small northerns. I reached the small point which is the start of the flats and tossed a buzz bait a few times. A three pound bass struck and I brought her to the boat, took a picture and sent her back into the water. Seven fish and a couple of misses in just an hour I was patting myself on the back on my choice of lake and started the big motor and went across the flat to chat with Chuck. As I came up on him I yelled across the water "Tell me you are catching fish" his reply was "Not a single bite"

We talked tactics as we drifted close to each other, I was catching my fish all on big yellow buzz bait with a big five inch trailer and they were eating it. Chuck kept tossing his weed walker as we went down the shoreline, me about a hundred yards ahead of him. I kept catching fish and it was turning into a really good night for me. Just before sundown we had worked our way to a bay that I have always had real good luck in. I was still throwing a buzz bait when I had the water exploded and a big football of a bass cleared the water and landed with a splash like a fat guy in a county fair dunk tank. Completely missed my lure and I was bumped, that would have made my night. But ten minutes later I am fishing a reed point and I land a three and a half pound bass. I hold it up for Chuck to see and then take a picture and let her go back into the water.

I am busy retying my lure and changing the beat up trailer when I can hear Chuck about a hundred yards away from me yelling at a splash. I figure he had a hit and missed when I see another big splash and Chuck yelling he has a big one messing with him. I go back to fixing my lure and a few minutes later I hear Chuck call out my name and I look across the water to see him holding up a big northern. I hit the trolling motor on high and I glide up to him and a very very nice northern and a smile on Chuck’s face to match the size of the fish. We get out the four foot measuring stick and the northern stretches out to thirty-nine and half inches. I take some pictures and what was a very slow fishing night for Chuck has become a night to remember here at Lake Iwanttobethere

BTW he caught it on a big yellow buzz bait

Edited August 28, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · August 30, 2015

August 30th

I LIKE FISHING with my youngest daughter, she does all the work for me. Yesterday afternoon as I was working around the cabin I was keeping an eye on the weather. Lake Iwanttobethere was calm and there was just a slight breeze stirring the water. You had to stare at the old wood rowboat tied up alongside the dock to see if it was moving at all. The daughter had the day off from work and she came out on the deck and looked at the sky and at the water and said just loudly enough for me to hear "A good day to go fishing" Well I don’t need to be asked twice and I said "Should be a buzz bait bite" we looked at each other and she nodded her head and just like that we were going fishing.

　

She headed into the cabin to pack a lunch and I headed to the Puddle Humper. I rigged up a couple of her rods with her requested lures. A big yellow buzz bait, a spinner bait and Hula Popper. I added her life vest and fifteen minutes later we were leaving the cabin behind us in the rearview mirror of the Tahoe. We both had the same idea as we headed to a small landing on a bay here at the lake. We arrived to find a couple of fishermen just pulling out of the lake. We waited our turn and with the daughter doing all the work all I had to do was back the trailer into the water and the daughter got the boat off the trailer and I parked the Tahoe.

　

Not ten minutes later and the first fish the daughter catches is a four pound-nine once bass on her yellow buzz bait. One ounce bigger than the fish she caught last trip out. All I could do is shake my head at her and smile. She held the fish up for a picture and had that little grin on her face. Now I had to spend the rest of the evening listening to her tell me how I should fish. I don’t have a problem with that. I just told her I was the guide and my job is to LET her catch the big fish.

　

We called it right on the buzz bait bite. The northerns were hungry and we stayed busy catching fish. Some bass also found their way over the side into the boat to be admired and released back to grow bigger. My biggest fish was just under four pounds which the daughter pointed out a few times was not as big as hers. Not all the fish were caught on the Buzz baits as we tossed spinner baits into the reeds and caught fish that way to. With the sun getting low I headed to a small point where I have caught fish before and the buzz bait kicked up a big fish that I fought all the way to the boat only to look down and see the bass open her mouth and my lure pop out. A nice fish well over four pounds and the daughter laughed as she saw it all. I tossed right back to the same spot grumbling loudly and turned the handle once before I was slammed by a second bass just as big. I lost that one to.

We moved on heading in the direction of the landing now with light failing. The daughter switched over to her hula popper and I was having a hard time trying to fish listening to her Hula Popper chugging in the calm water of twilight. In ten minutes she had five hits and caught three more bass. Stocky two pounders that fought hard and splashed water on us at the boat. She quickly brought them in and released them back into the water and a smile never left here face. We made it back to the landing with just enough light to get the Puddle Humper back on the trailer. She did all the work and I stayed dry and in the truck. I watched her load the boat and now I was smiling, Only a father can know how much fun it is to watch your kid catch fish here at Lake Iwanttobethere

legalmusky · August 30, 2015

Beautiful Lake Igottagoagain!

Bobby Bass · August 31, 2015

August 31st
SO I AM sitting out on the deck here at the cabin on a hidden bay on Lake Iwanttobethere. The bass jumping thermometer on the wall says it is eighty-six out and by the tops of the trees I would say we have about a ten mile wind coming from out of the South. I have a large glass glass of lemonade within reach and as the big ice cubes melt they tumble down in the glass making clinking sounds. As I sip on the lemonade I reveal ice cubes as the level of the lemonade goes down. I take the ice cubes one at a time and give them to a waiting brown dog who is sitting at my side exactly for that reason. Duncan continues the clinking sound as he mouths the ice and they bang off his pearly white teeth and melt slowly in his mouth.
　
I have a cigar lit and normally they take about an hour to smoke, I am taking that much time to just sit back and do nothing. The wife is at the number one daughters baby-sitting the granddaughter’s and although I was invited I decided to stay home and let the wife chase after the three girls. Now I did get some things done, I watered and walked the gardens and picked some cherry tomatoes, and a couple of cucumbers and a few ears of corn were brought in and ate for lunch. The wife was in the garden yesterday and called me over. Laying on the ground were several corn husks and she told me it looked like a raccoon or something has gotten into the corn. Must be a small raccoon though as it is only taking a few ears at a time. I nodded my head in agreement and told her we better keep an eye out for the bandit. I then walked out of the garden and told Duncan who was at my side to stop bring the corn back to the garden when I throw it away.
　
Need to go into town, Post Office for stamps and the Gas N Go to fill up the Tahoe. I have it on my calendar to go fishing tomorrow and I prefer to have a full tank in case I get sidetracked to another lake or two. Puddle Humper is all clean and sitting in the boat house eager to get back out on the water. I did have to put in a call down to Vicki at the Masterbaiters bait shop to see if she had some yellow buzz baits in stock. She did and I asked her to put four aside and I will be down to pick them up. General Store is on the list of things to do to as I ordered a new trailer jack for the Puddle Humpers trailer. I have been putting it off since the original one is still on there and I have pretty much worn the wheel off. Getting hard to get the trailer off the Tahoe when I can’t get no height jacking the trailer up. Maybe tonight I will put it on but more likely that will be something I’ll get to tomorrow.
So with my cigar half smoked and me being on my second glass of lemonade I am just sitting back and enjoying summer. Granddaughter number two has a soccer game that I will be going to between my errands in town. I am guessing it will be dark by the time I get home. I figure I might as well make a stop at the Lodge and see how things are going. Maybe listen in on a few fishing conversations to see if it is just me who has discovered the buzz bait bite. My last two fishing trips resulted in sixty-six bass and northerns coming over the side of the Puddle Humper I am hoping to continue that tomorrow fishing here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · September 2, 2015

Sept 2nd
WOKE UP THIS morning to the sound of thunder, rain hitting the bedroom window and a loud groan. The loud groan I realized was coming from me. I sat up on the edge of the bed and listen to the rain fall, I think I remember hearing Sunshine Ray say we had a chance of rain so I should have known it was going to rain. I rolled my casting shoulder a little bit and felt some discomfort, that would explain the groan and now that I was moving around my hand was sore to. A fishermen ache which will go away the more I keep fishing.
　
So like most plans the plan did not go as planned. I went to the Lodge after the granddaughter's soccer game and I had completely forgotten all about the Town Hall meeting. I might point out here that pretty much the entire town had forgotten about the meeting. We are having a good summer here at Lake Iwanttobethere so there is not to much to complain about. I had already missed the reading of the last minutes and there was no real new business so the meeting was called and a few conversations broke out and that was that. By the time I got out the General Store was closed so I didn’t get my trailer jack so that did not get installed.
　
Yesterday it was iffy for awhile if I was going fishing, seems there was some work that needed to get done around the cabin and the wife pointed out it would be a nice day to do it. Not a breath of air moved the tree tops here and I made a command decision to go fishing. Now that I am fishing it does not take long to get ready to go fishing. I had already took the daughters fishing gear out of the boat along with the extra seat and life vest. I added a few more rods of my own and then went back inside the cabin to grab the ever present brown bag lunch from the fridge and added a couple of water bottles to the small cooler and put it in the Puddle Humper. I made one call as a courtesy to my neighbor Chuck and told him I was going fishing and asked if he wanted to come with. He told me he had worked to do and I gave him some ribbing about how it was going to be a great buzz bait day and told him where he could find me if he changed his mind.

A few minutes later I drove down the driveway and looked in the rearview mirror of the Tahoe to see the wife standing on the deck watching me and my dog Duncan sitting at her side, I don’t know which one had more of "The Look" on their face. Fishing was good, not outstanding but good. I don’t have any story to tell you about a big one caught or about a big one that got away. The biggest bass I caught was three pounds-six ounces and it came in the first hour that I was on the water. I took a selfie of myself and the fish and sent it to my neighbor Chuck who text me back a very short message, "&*^&%& You" it said and I took it as an approval. I spent five hours on the water and most of the time I was tossing a buzz bait trying to catch bass but the northerns kept getting in the way. By seven-thirty I was done, the light was failing and I had a lot of weeds to clean out of the boat before I could head home. Thursday I am thinking of going fishing, Going to see how the plastic worm fishing bite is, my arm needs a rest from the buzz bait rod here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited September 2, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · September 2, 2015

Just a picture of a Bass caught on a frog yesterday afternoon on a hot, calm day here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Bobby Bass · September 4, 2015

Sept 4th
NO FISHING YESTERDAY but I did spend time around the Puddle Humper. One of those jobs that should take about fifteen minutes ended up killing an afternoon. I gathered the tools I needed to take off the twenty-eight year old trailer jack that is on the Puddle Humper boat trailer. First problem the deep socket that I had was not deep enough and I could not find the right size. I was laying on the ground under the trailer scratching my head trying to figure out why they would put eight inch threaded bolts on the trailer jack. Duncan was laying along side of me and as I explained the problem he to looked a little surprised.
　
Simple fix, I would just get the saw and shorten the bolts so my smaller socket will fit, Hmm seems my metal blade was so dull you could not cut butter with it so I went to doing it old fashion way. I got out a wrench and prepared to loosen a twenty-eight year old nut and to my surprise it spun real easy. A good thing you say but I was not looking forward to spinning a nut all the way down four inches of thread four times so I made a command decision, I would go to town. Duncan called shotgun and we drove down to town with the windows down taking it yet another warm September afternoon. There was a little wind and it was muggy so I was telling myself that maybe it was a better work on the trailer day then a fishing day.
　
I was in no great hurry so I drove kind of slow and waved at neighbors who were out mowing. I saw Dotch out driving his Silver Hawk, moving kind of slow. I think he was trying not to raise any dust that would fall on the old car. I picked up two saw blades for the saw and while I was there I bought a 9/16th deep socket to replace the one that I could not find. I stopped by the Gas N Go and bought a soda and watched for awhile as a local wood carver was making eagles out of logs in the parking lot. He was standing ankle deep in shavings and he looked hot, I was thinking about buying him a soda but I learned a long time ago not to walk up behind a guy with a chain saw, but that is another story.
　
I took the access road around the park and saw that it is already full and several trailers are parked at the water access. Lodge looks busy but I decided not to stop in, I had to get that trailer jack put on. Right tools for the right job I always say and no sooner did I climb under the trailer and fire up the air impact wrench and I had them nuts spun off and the new trailer jack mounted. I took the old jack and dropped it in the garbage can and put tools away. I went back to look at the new trailer jack and found Duncan sitting and admiring it to. I gave him a pat on his back and then watched as he walked over to the new jack and lifted his leg.
　
Which brings me to now. I am in the den taking a break from weed wacking the property. Next up is getting out the lawn tractor and mowing but I needed a little break. The wife is in the kitchen canning, you can smell the spices here in the den and it is a little steamy in there. Some more pickles are being made and she just came in from the garden with a big bowl of cherry tomatoes that will get frozen and used for chili sometime this winter. The wife just came in the den and handed me a 9/16th deep socket that she took from her apron pocket, told me she picked it up yesterday and just forgot to give it to me..... Just another day here at Lake Iwanttobethere

Edited September 4, 2015 by Bobby Bass

Bobby Bass · September 6, 2015

Sept 6th
CHILLING ON THE deck here at the cabin this morning, well not really. It started to rain around four this morning and a thunderstorm took its sweet time passing. The rain gage says we got over and inch and a half of rain and I was thinking I am sure glad it was not snow. Already seventy-six out and very humid, I feel like I am in a slow cooker. I am sitting on a wet wood chair on the deck and feels good. I have some O J that I am sipping on and I am looking out over the slack waters of Lake Iwanttobethere. The number one daughter and her husband took the girls and went on a mini vacation this weekend. I have their two dogs here and Duncan has house guests. Yesterday they spent the afternoon running but today they are just laying around on the deck. I am thinking they are tired out as I thought I heard Duncan snoring last night.
　
Overcast sky and more rain is in Sunshine Ray’s forecast for today, matter of fact he is calling for some thunderstorms later this evening and heavy rain. Never seems to fail for the poor tent campers, this summer we have gotten heavy rain every time they have shown up. Yesterday I was in town running some errands and killing time so I would not have to work on the Honey Do List. I drove by the camp grounds and they were full. The tent sites were filled with every color in the rainbow as tents and rain fly’s were tied off between the trees. The RV side was also full but I don’t understand the appeal to parking inches away from your neighbor. There is room until they start cranking out there expansions and raise the roofs. By the time they are done there is no walking room between them and all you can hear is the sound of Jude Judy coming from their TV’s
　
Yesterday time was spent in the garden, more cucumbers were harvested and the never ending weeds were pulled. Sweet corn is looking good as this is the second batch that should be ripe for the picking here soon. My tobacco is also ready for another picking as with all of this nice weather and rain the small leaves that I did not pick a month ago have grown to harvest size. I am going to wait a while on them as I don’t really have any drying room in the shed for them. Every other day we have cherry tomatoes to pick and bag. They are froze in bags till they are needed again in to be put in chili this winter. Onions are drying and hanging, not as big as I would like but they are tasty. I got the yard all mowed and I am hoping the grass slows down growing but all of this rain is not helping.

So the reason I am sitting out on the deck on a wet chair is because I am watching a big red and white float that I have tossed out off the dock. Under the float is a lively sucker minnow that I borrowed from my neighbor Elmer’s minnow bucket. Normally I would have the old dog Barney watching my float but he is no longer here with me and I never did get around to teaching Duncan how to do that. As I sip on the juice I see Elmer come out of his place and take the path down to his dock. I move my chair over some so I am behind my planters with tomato plants and out of sight of Elmer. He makes it to his dock and pulls his rod out of the holder hanging off one of the pipes. He pulls up his minnow bucket and then I see him scratching his head. I know he knows he had two sucker minnows but now he should have seven. You see I stopped by the Masterbaiters yesterday and bought some sucker minnows to replace the few I have borrowed over the summer. I like to keep the old guy guessing here at Lake Iwanttobethere

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