Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Land of Sky Blue Waters II


Saturday was beautiful, today it is raining..finally!!  We needed rain so badly.  This is our first moisture in any form in about six weeks..April showers will bring May flowers!!  Now the grass will green up. Sadly the forecast is not for much rain..only a tenth of an inch.

Has anyone else noticed that it doesn't rain like it used to?  I remember when we would get at least two weeks of rain in the spring, long rainy weeks with good steady soaking rains.  Now I can spit more than it rains.

Far Guy saw the first Loon of the season, he was down at the public landing filling tanker trucks with water yesterday.  The new Fire Hall that opened last Saturday had it's first official structure fire yesterday. The wind rekindled it twice.  I asked him if anyone stopped to talk with him.. he said "no" ..being at the water hole can be pretty boring.  Osage does not have any fire hydrants..so water must be sucked out of the lake with a portable pump to fill the tanker trucks. Fighting rural fires is a whole different ball game, you need to know where to find a good source of water so that other fireman can put the wet stuff on the red stuff. 

When I look at this photo..I see a lake and so much more.  I see a home for fish, turtles, ducks and loons..and even those mean old eagles. I see a  beaver swimming with Aspen branches in his mouth.  A mama deer bringing her fawns for a drink in the first rays of dawn.  I see a place of recreation, little kids fishing off a dock or out of a boat. Water skiing or tubing..a canoe gliding along effortlessly in the early morning on a sheet of glass. An elderly couple in a paddleboat at sunset. Kids laughing and splashing on a warm summer day, doing cannonballs off the platform at the beach.  A dog getting his belly wet, chasing minnows in the water.    A fisherman on a bucket, bracing himself from the winter wind, keeping watch with his line, ready for the "big one".  Fish houses strung along the lake like colorful beads on a wintry necklace.  Snowmobiles making paths every which way.  And a lone fireman filling trucks with water. Water, frozen and ice covered, water, warm and refreshing.  Minnesota lakes are more than just sky blue water:)
 ** The ice went out completely on April 01, 2010

12 comments:

Lanny said...

Glad you got your rain hope you get more, we are catching up nicely from our unusual winter. What you see in your picture is a wealth of wonder eh? Is that a state motto? Land of sky blue waters?

West Side of Straight said...

I wouldn't trade our lakes for any other. In all our travels, our lakes beat them all!!!!!!!!

Carol............. said...

What a gorgeous lake...but sure looks cold!
You're right about all that lives in and around and above the lake. Sometimes we don't take the time to see what more there is to something.
Thank you for the good reminder.

We have winter friends here in Arizona that live in Minnesota (Bemidgi, spelling?). We've been keeping up with the temperatures there.

We'll be heading back to our Washington State min-ranch in about a week....YES!

Far Side of Fifty said...

Carol, Bemidji..yes it is near by..our oldest daughter lives there. You were real close on that spelling!! I had a photo of Lake Bemidji and the ice a few weeks ago! Thanks for commenting!
Lanny, No not exactly a motto..but a long time ago the Hamms beer commercial had a singing bear.."From the land of sky blue waters!!" One of my favorite commercials as a child:)

DJan said...

I think the rain you were supposed to get this spring went to the East Coast. They were deluged with rain. And the meteorologists tell us that this is caused by climate change (weird weather). But we will never really know for sure. It won't be until the next century that we will learn what is going on and I for one won't be around...

DayPhoto said...

Your title made me remember HAMM Beer from the Land of Sky Blue Waters. Love your photos! The water is very blue. The lakes around us are green, all shades of green. I think I love the blue color better.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

The Retired One said...

yes, so much happens on the lake...that is why I love living on ours so much!!

Leah said...

Nice post --- one of the reasons why I love living in the country!

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

A most beautiful picture of the gorgeous blue waters. We are surrounded by lakes about an hour away in all directions. I too see all the life they hold and the activities around them. We are blessed that way!

Have a beautiful day sweet Connie!!!

LadyFi said...

Wow - water! Our lake is still half covered in ice. The other half is water... Soon the water will win.. I hope! ;-)

Maery Rose said...

I'm with you on the desire for more rain. It does seem to dwindle every year. And I get pretty cranky with the people I work with that only want sunny, dry weather all summer. Are they nuts! Some people just don't get it. They've lost their connection to the land and what sustains it.

Stepping off my soapbox now...

Pamela said...

I thought of Hamms beer, too. And... a little place that had one of those Hamms Beer pictures on the wall (back in the 60s 70s) that the lights made it look like it was moving. Long b4 computers and digital stuff.

I wouldn't mind canoeing along with you (if someone else paddles)