Summer Waters

As the picture shows, Bruce got out fishing for a day. He and Guide Jon Schei went up to Northern Light Lake. They each caught two walleyes over 25” long. The one Bruce is holding was the largest at 32”. I think he is pretty happy with it. Both he and Jon were fishing with 4 lb. test line which makes things a little more interesting. They had broken lines from northern strikes (no leaders) but did not have any walleyes break off from trying to muscle them in. Needless to say, their big walleyes are still swimming around in the lake. Even so Bruce brought home enough smaller walleyes for several nice meals. The smaller walleyes eat a lot better than the bigger ones do.


I am watching my garden coming up nicely. It should! Bruce built me some brand new beds and filled them with manure from the stables. I have already brought over chives and parsley to the lodge. Next week I will have broccoli to bring over. I get the broccoli in plants and will have fresh until September. The parsley also comes in plants and will supply us well into September then I will cut every leaf off and dry it for dried flakes all winter.

Every year I have one failure. My most consistent failure is basil and this year was no exception. On the coldest night we made a tent over the basil with a sleeping bag and a plastic sheet. I must have missed one night because eventually I was down to two scrawny plants. After babying them for about 10 days, some critter came and ate them. So I broke down and bought a dozen plants in town. I don’t think they will freeze but who knows what the animals will do.

Since today is officially summer, I was thinking about my favorite things that happen during the summer around the lodge. High on my list is the front patio overlooking the lake. We had a porch for many years but Lee was the one who got us to build a real patio. Every day that is halfway decent, will find that meals on patio are always popular. On Tuesdays we make pizza in the wood-fired oven. The managers are out there with everyone else eating pizza and letting the sun warm our backs. The evenings on the porch are just heaven. Food always tastes better when you can watch the lake while eating.

Another favorite activity is just to take a boat ride. I do it much less that you would expect but it is still wonderful. Last Friday we took a ride down the lake to the Canadian side to look for remains from the old town of LeBlaine. We didn’t find much but the ride down and back was worth it.

Last fall when we were in Venice, we ate our breakfasts (tea and a roll) along the Grand Canal. Just to watch the variety of traffic on the canal was great entertainment. It was everything from picking up garbage to tourist gondolas to water taxis. There is always something interesting to see.

What is it that draws us all to the water?