Lake views

 The leaves are changing fast now.   It has cooled off significantly.  The high yesterday was 51F  or 11C.

This was the view from my spot over the weekend at my Baby brothers home.  The other side of the lake is beautiful.   I took the photo through the window that had a screen...kinda gives the photo texture.

Here is another view.

Only two medical appointments this week...practically a week off. 

Far Side

Booster reactions

Both of our arms were really sore! 

After the covid booster Far Guy felt like he had been hit by a truck, he had the chills, headache and body aches.

As per my normal reaction...a fever and fatigue.  I slept all night Friday and most of Saturday.  I was somewhat achy...but again that is normal for me.  

Between the two of us we managed a trip to the transfer station to get rid of our garbage and together we managed supper...which was pretty easy we just warmed up leftovers from the fridge. 

Far Guy woodcarved outside for awhile.  I managed to paint a few Christmas ornaments.  

Our old place on the lake....we lived there nine years (1986-1995).  That is the boathouse that is directly on the lake. 

Far Side

Baxter and Smudge

 Baxter turned four the end of August.   He still likes me...possibly because I have treats (Cheerios). 

Here is Baxter enjoying the pontoon ride one night this week.  My baby brother and his bride have a pontoon. 

Smudge can run faster than Baxter now.  Far Guy and I were at the end of the dock waiting...and they came running! 

It was a nice night to be out on the lake. 

It was getting close to sunset before we came off the lake.  When we docked Smudge took off ninety miles an hour...happy to be off the pontoon. 

Far Side

The Bobber Tree

 The leaning tree has a new mane.  The Bobber Tree.

It almost looks like a decoration.

We had a quiet Sunday.  We worked together on Christmas Ornaments.  My other baby brother and she who sees robins first came by in the afternoon for a visit.  It was another chilly day with a high temperature of  38 F or 4 C eh!  Of course next March that will be a heatwave!

Nephew Josh had an emergency appendectomy last Friday morning. 

Far Side

The past week

 I enjoyed the last pontoon ride of the year with my baby brother, his bride and Baxter one afternoon last week.  The Fall color on the lake is very pretty. 

It is always fun to see our old resort from the lake.  All the cabins have been removed only the boat house remains next to the lake.  The fellow who lives there has a home further away from the lake.

Yesterday I had lunch with my best friend Susie.   We met at a local in the boonies eating establishment that is about half way in between our homes.  We had a great visit!  She sent home Walleye for us...she and her husband are fishermen.  We had some for supper and it was really really good. 

Our weather has turned cold...we had a hard frost early Friday morning.  29 F or -1 C  eh!  If we had pumpkins there would be frost on them.

Baxter says Hi!  He loves a pontoon ride.

Here he is outstanding on his dock. 

Oh and how about Apple Pie?   It was great one afternoon...neighbors Steve and Jo shared their apple pie with us...apples from our old resort! 

I had a really bad tooth ache...an abscess.  Luckily our Dentist believes me and ordered antibiotics right away on Monday morning.  Then in a procedure on Thursday he opened up the tooth and put some medication down inside and sealed it up...if this doesn't work I have to go see the Oral Surgeon.  ( At least they have laughing gas!)

Far Side

Pontoon Ride

 My baby brother and his wife invited us for a pontoon ride.  Neighbors Jo and Steve came too.  It was a warm afternoon...a really nice end of September day...high was 84 F or 29 C eh!

Not yet peak but it may rain the next few days and who knows what will be left after that.

A juvenile Loon that has not left yet. 

Baxter...getting his nose in the breeze to get all the lake news. 

I had a very busy day.  I did some house cleaning, laundry and some lawn mowing/ leaf mulching.  

Far Guy did some woodcarving. 

Far Side

Loony

We were invited to go fishing.  Far Guy fishes...I do not...I took my camera. 

 

Loons on the lake, there are two pair; one pair has one baby and the other pair has two babies. 

We were trolling along and all of a sudden a Loon surfaced right by the pontoon.  Exciting...It was diving and swimming under water...I have not seen that before!  Wow!  

It has a fish! 

Later we saw it trying to feed two babies...

There was some Loon talking going on....the fuzzy youngsters didn't seem real interested in the fish...Sunfish again?  Perhaps they are at the teenage stage...they should be about 8 weeks old. 

It was a fun evening (Monday) out on the water.   My brothers each caught fish...Crappies...my other baby brother filleted them out and sent them home with us...we had them for supper last night!  They were very good.... coated with flour first, then dipped in egg, finally in Ritz Cracker crumbs and fried in a bit of bacon grease.  That is how I fry fish.

Far Side

Neighborhood

 I took a ride on New Years Day. There are still signs of Christmas in the neighborhood down by the lake.  

A view of the lake through the trees.

I wore a heavy long parka and really warm gloves...it was a nice ride...I stayed off the side trails through the woods. Not many New Year's Days that you can go out without getting real cold. Usually this is the coldest part of the year...hope the nice weather stays!  Anything above zero is a nice day!! 

Far Side

Still Puzzling

 We are making slow progress on the puzzle.  

It snowed more than an inch maybe two...I shoveled. 

I found an old WIP (Work In Progress) and hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks. I have a number of unfinished projects that I should finish up.  If I feel really adventurous someday I will actually make a list.

We needed something besides the same old, same old for supper so I made Parmesan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes...raspberries for dessert.  This time for the coating for the chicken I did Parmesan, beaten egg and then cracker crumbs and then I sprinkled on more Parmesan.  Pretty good for the menu that said Chicken something.  I am still planning menus two weeks ahead of time. 

Photo of the Public Access at Straight Lake.  Looks like the lake flooded at bit.  I took this photo on Saturday. 

Far Side

No time for a nap

 I was very busy all day...good thing I can multi task,  Laundry, cleaning the bathroom, waiting on "hold" with horrid music twice...someone else was not doing their job...so I got that straightened out over the phone.  I ran some papers up to she who sees robins first and she faxed them for me....so that saved me a trip to town.  I mixed up more yummy peanut butter and black sunflower seeds for the birds. Took care of a number of things that were just loose ends...I got them all wrapped up.  Late in the afternoon I went for a ride on the trails and down to the lake.  The temperature was in the 30's...a nice day!  I came back to packages stacked by the door.  Cooked a beef roast and baked carrots for supper...Far Guy did the mashed potatoes and I made the gravy.

This photo is now a puzzle! 

Jinx had a nap on the empty dining room table...the sunflower table runner is gone as are all the odds and ends that collect there from time to time.  I also took down the sunflower valance in the kitchen...time for a flannel valance with loons. 

I have a Christmas table runner that my Mom made for me.  I do have a Christmas basket someplace or maybe I packed it up for a garage sale...anyways I found that the mesh tray shows off the table runner just perfectly!  Jinx is keeping my woodcarved Santa company...that Santa is the largest piece I have ever carved. 

I heard there was an armed robbery in town...another good reason to stay out of the stores. 

Far Side

Last November Day

 We had a quiet day yesterday, I worked on sympathy cards and Far Guy worked on a woodcarving.  Church online was fine...the Pastor read Christmas Hymns. 

On Saturday we went down to the lake to check out the ice...there is some but the lake is not froze over.  It was a pretty day on Saturday and 40 F....Sunday it turned cold, windy and it spit snow all day.

Jen sent a photo of Cee Cee. 

What a doll.

Down at the lake the Cattails are fluffed out.  In these strange times you could collect it and use it for insulation in your shoes if the soles need a little help...you could also use it as diaper material...and if you need a natural cotton ball you could collect a few.

 

Far Side

A New View and Possibilities

My baby brother has a drone... he was over here playing with it.  He got a great photo of the lake.

Ah the possibilities...

We had a busy Thursday.  Far Guy had to wait quite a while at the Infusion Center.  I ran the usual errands ...curbside pick up at the grocery store, then Drive Thru at the bank and a stop by the mail drop off box. To the gas station to buy our monthly gasoline.   I went to a different grocery store and picked up what has not been available at the other grocery store.  I wore my mask, disinfected as I went and stayed six feet away from everyone. What fun it was to pick out some more fruit!

It was too warm to disinfect everything before putting it in the car so I did that at home.  By the time I washed all the fruit it was time to put my feet up and rest crochet a bit.

I am working on a new crochet pattern...my own design.  I think it will be a keeper...not sure yet.  I know what I want it to look like...

 It is not freeform crochet but that is an art form I am thinking of trying...think using a yarn and a crochet hook like paint and paintbrush.  I saw some beautiful works of wearable art...and I have yarn...and more squishy mail will come next week....possibilities are endless when you have a real good yarn stash.

We are having quite a heat/humidity wave.  It was 87 F or 31 C eh and the humidity was about 80%.

Far Side

Red Winged Blackbird

This Red Winged Blackbird is real bossy.  He lives near my baby brothers dock on the lake.  HIS DOCK.

His job must not be done.

What do you suppose he is telling the fledgling?  Hurry up grow and fly?  Watch how I dive bomb the idiots on my dock!

The lake was quiet the night we went down to sit on the dock. ...the Red Winged Blackbird not so much

 The days have been quite warm and the humidity high.  It is summer after all.
Far Side

Dust and the lake

The dusty open shelves have been cleaned up...everything is sparkling again.

I have a love hate relationship with the open shelves...I love that dishes are in reach to use and to put away. I hate them when they get dusty...and that top shelf is a real dust collector.  Far Guy did the ladder work for me and took the plate rack apart...it all helped!

I am done in the kitchen for now, the fridge and the oven await my attention some other day.

After our kitchen accomplishment we took a ride down to the lake.

There is still ice...I figured as much as the wind has been real cold.  Where the water isn't rippled is the ice.

Something large plopped into the water near the dock...a beaver, muskrat or maybe a turtle.
The Pussy Willows are out.

Spring might be coming soon. The light in the evenings is pretty much a waste as it has been too cold to enjoy an evening outside.

We are both feeling just fine.  No new cases of Covid-19 in our County the count remains at 2.
Far Side

Blooms at the lake

The Jewelweed is in full bloom at the lake.  The bees are enjoying this late bloomer.  It is a native plant. The sister plant of this one is yellow.   This one is called Spotted Touch me Not or Impatiens capensis.

This patch found something in the woods to help it grow really tall!   I told Far Guy it was really impressive so we went down together to see it before it freezes.

It is called touch me not because if you touch the seedpods they explode.   The stems of this plant are filled with a juice that will sooth the itch of Poison Ivy or the sting from Nettles.  We have a bunch in the fridge all the time. 
Hummingbirds also like this plant.

Well what is a trip down to the lake without a photo of the lake.

The lake was quiet with only one boat in sight.
Far Side

Quiet Time

I needed a bit of quiet time one evening.  I headed down to the lake to sit on the dock for awhile.

There is a very bossy Red Winged Blackbird there, he squawked and had a real fuss cause I was on his dock.

The air was heavy with smoke from the Canadian forest fires.  Not many people out on the lake...the big weekend is over....many are just weekend people.

There were still a few Blue Flag Iris in bloom.  

There is also a good amount of Jewelweed next to the dock, it will bloom with either an orange flower of a yellow flower...the stalk of the plant has a gooey sap that is a natural remedy for Poison Ivy rash.  We have a continual supply on hand in the fridge and Jewelweed soap.

Yesterday I mowed until my gas supply dwindled...I will mow some more soon.  The stupid freaking squirrels ate my old gas can and hopefully drowned in the gas that was trapped in the wheelbarrow...maybe they had a gas party.  Bought a new gas can and they proceeded to chew through that one too...so I bought two new gas cans from a garage sale.  I might need a metal gas can. Blasted squirrels anyways.

We woodcarved in the afternoon and visited with my parents.
Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: The girls

In 1977 our girls were little.  Trica was 5 and Jennifer was almost 2.

Both were tow-heads, their hair was very blonde and lightened even more during the summer.  The puppy was a Boston Terrier named Annie that belonged to my parents. The photo was taken at Bass Bay Resort on the North end of Straight Lake. A fishing/family resort owned by my parents.  They bought it in 1975 after spending the years 1952-1975 on the farm in Carsonville Township.

Report on the 4th

We went for a pontoon ride around the lake.  It was a beautiful afternoon with no rain!  Jen and Andy joined us.

Ava was waving flags for us as we went by.  Her sisters were showing us how they jump into the lake!

There was a pontoon parade on the lake earlier in the day.

We had a nice ride came home relaxed a bit and then had supper.  Played cards in the evening and consoled Chance, Miney and Little Elvis as the fireworks commenced down on the lake.