Life at The Lake July 99 - Dec 99 !
The intention of this page is to allow friends and family scatttered over the country a method of following the activities, changing seasons, weather and phenology of our little bit of "paradise". I will update this page every other week or so.
Bill 11/21/98
Dec 20- Dec 30 1999
We returned from "Christmas in California" late last night. The trip went well and we had a great time with Dave and Tracy. They looked great and we even had a chance to see our grandchild via ultrasound. Tracy had her regular appointment on Thursday and we were invited along. "Cool!" The little-one was estimated at 4.75lbs by ultrasound measurements and continues to grow like crazy. Things sure have changed since our children were born! It was hard to leave the perfect weather and even more perfect hosts to return to cold Minnesota. We hope that each of you had as wonderful a Christmas as we did. Happy New Year 2000!
Week of Dec 13- Dec 19 1999
The weather turned colder mid week, with -8 degrees here on Wed morning. The forecast was for -26 on Thur morning, but the low was only about zero. Fine with me, that is for sure. The lake had a 200ft shelf of ice along the west shore Wed morning and then by Thursday morning this entire arm of the lake was covered. So Dec 16th this year for the real start of winter for us. Our little stray cat "Tommy", is now warm at the vet, where he is getting "fixed" prior to finding a new home. We got the call Wed that we should take him in. With the weather turning bitter at the same time it was the perfect time. The weather for Christmas week looks more winter-like yet with snow forecasted for the next 4 days (Sun - Wed). I changed oil in both the car and truck today, replaced the battery in the car and verified that the snowblower would start. The blower ran so little last year I didn't need to do much, fill it with gas and greased several bearings. So I hope we are ready for the winter. May you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!!
Week of Dec 6- Dec 12 1999
What a deal. We had an inch of snow today! It was nice at least to have enough snow where an attempt could be made at taking a "Christmas Picture". The weather remained in the upper teen's to the 30's all week, so not much more ice has developed. I spent some of last weekend and a couple of nights this week getting the Christmas letter written and printed as well as the labels printed. Now Pat is in a position to finish the letters up and get them mailed out. We have had a number of Christmas letters arrive this week and they are so enjoyable to read as well as see. So many people with so many good ideas. Now it's down to the final push to get packages mailed. The bird feeders are busy with squirrels, purple finches, chickadees and pine grosbeaks. The activity has increased greatly since the snow arrived.
Week of Nov 29- Dec 5 1999
Winter continues to be held at a bay. Each day this week the high temps were in the 30's or above, making this seem more like fall or spring than winter. The lake froze on the 8th of December last year, very late compared to normal, but it will be even later this year. A pleasant winter for sure, but concerning for it's great departure from the norm. Our "guest cat", Tommy is still here living in the garage at night and hanging around the rest of the time. For two winters in a row we have had an additional feline mouth to feed. Tommy is a young orange "tiger" male and enjoys setting at the back door waiting for one or the other, of girls to arrive on the other side of the storm door glass. Pat has been busy trying to domesticate him, so when the pound has a spot we can transport him. The pound is full with their maximum of 65 cats, and has been for weeks! How the staff of volunteers manage to deal with all the heartbreak of the abandoned and mistreated animals I don't know.
Week of Nov 22- Nov 28 1999
This week we had a nice trip over to see Laura and Dean. We drove over Thanksgiving day, arriving there about 2pm. We sure enjoyed our visit with them and for the most part had good travel conditions. The roads were frost covered for the first 120 miles on the way over, but watching our speed was all that was necessary. The gas stations were sure out to get the travelers with gas at times going for over $1.45 a gallon. We saw price swings as much as 15 cents within a couple of miles. Laura and Dean are doing well and it was nice to get a chance to see them and their construction project. We really look forward to our next vist, when their addition should be complete.
Week of Nov 15- Nov 21 1999
Still no real winter weather, but it is cool. The nights are in the 20's or low 30's with the days being mostly in the 40's. Lots of sun all fall. I finished the furnace Sunday at about 3pm so we now have heat again. I then installed a new electronic programable thermostat yesterday. The advantage should be to hold the temp a bit more steady than the old mechanical thermostat, run the furnace more often but for shorter periods of time. I worry now about enonomy, but we will see. Pat had a 3 day week this week and I had a long 4 day week with parent conferences. I then got yesterday off, which was a nice break from the routine. The small lake at the intersection of 17 and 169 was ice covered this morning. We wish you all a Very Happy Thanksgiving!
Week of Nov 8- Nov 14 1999
Very nice weather this week. It was in the 60's several days and set records everywhere. Today was wonderful sunny and 62 degrees. But I spent 13 hrs working in the basement! The furnace man came for the furnaces annual once over on Tuesday, and we had furnace problems. The 28 yr old heat exchanger had developed cracks, and we were putting some of our valuable heat right up the chimney. BUMMER, so on the way home last night we picked up a new furnace, we got it into the basement last night and then today was the time to get the old furnace disconnected, removed and the new one installed. Everything is different on the new one, return air duct, warm air duct, electrical, flue, you name it. I thought we would have heat by the time I quit today, but I need a different fitting for the oil return line than the one I have, something else that was different. Oh well..... the HIGH tomorrow will be in the 30's, so the house will be cool before we have heat, or we will have to fire up the wood stove!
Week of Nov 1- Nov 7 1999
It was a cool week this week, with several nights into the 20's and several windy cold days. Mid week we were having winds close to 40mph, again. The poor ducks and geese were hanging out behind the causeway waiting for the wind to die down for two days, before returning to their flights south. On the other hand, the weekend weather is wonderful, sunny and up to 44 today, maybe as warm as the upper 50's by Monday! Thursday night on the way home there was a thin skin of ice in the harbor by the causeway. On Wed morning we had to stop for four large deer (does) wanting to cross Hiway 17. Very pretty deer and they were all exactly the same size. I hope they are well tonight, because the deer season started today :>(
Week of Oct 25- Oct 31 1999
A wonderful weather week, with clear sunny days and temps often into the 50's. Today they say it might even reach the 60's! (Not a good time to be inside watching the Viking game!)It is getting very dry now, after all the rain earlier in the fall. We did have a very light shower Friday night, but the dry earth assorted what fell instantly. The dam gates on the Mississippi still have the Mississippi out of its banks in places trying to get rid of the excess water in the lakes prior to the spring melt. The Corp is worried that they may not be able to get rid of enough water to avoid flooding next spring. The nights this week were incredible with the bright moon. This time of the year, the moon is so much farther north and with all the leaves gone it appears so bright that it almost seems like day. Yesterday (Saturday) we went flying for a bit over an hour, for a break from grading Alg/Trig and Geometry exams. We had a gusty, shifty crosswind for landings so it was good landing practice. It was hazy, with a well defined haze layer at about 3000ft. This coming week marks the end of the first quarter, so more exams and grade calculations will be the activities of importance.
Week of Oct 18- Oct 24 1999
This week was a short workweek for Pat and I. We both took a vacation day and went to St Paul on Tuesday for a pre-retirement conference. Then Thursday and Friday were our fall holiday/ teacher meeting days. Thursday I, removed a 40ft balsam tree from the back yard, pulled out the dock, replaced the burners in the gas grill and then burned the balsam brush. Pat raked leaves, dug potatoes and carrots and "chased" Gizmo around the yard. A long day, but beautiful weather (temp in the upper 50s) except for the wind that prevented any leaves from being burned. Pat and perhaps I, have a trip to Duluth planned for tomorrow, Saturday. We had snow showers on Monday night and also Tuesday.
Week of Oct 11- Oct 17 1999
Pat and I have slowly returned to "Life as Normal" after the wedding. That had been a BIG event that so many of us had looked forward to for some time. I guess the next event will be Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. Plans are for a California Christmas again and no Thanksgiving plans have been made at this point. The week at work for both of us was hectic with so much being undone when we are absent. The school week this coming week is all goofed up also with teacher meetings on Thursday and Friday. We will be storing the fishing boat and pulling the dock out this weekend or during the week as the weather continues to be cool (30s, 40s) and cloudy. Pat has started raking leaves (with Gizmo's help) and that too needs to get finished. It is hard to think about, but the lake will be frozen and ground covered with snow in a month! Snow flurries have been forecasted for this weekend, but we have not observed any yet. One chipmunk was seen again this morning, under the truck. I sure hope he isn't filling the aircleaner with sunflower seeds AGAIN! One red squirrel is buzy trying to fill a planter with seeds this morning. S/he is a bit disadvantaged however, moving one seed at a time. The chipmunk on the other hand, will move 30 or 50 seeds in a trip!
Week of Oct 4- Oct 10 1999
What a week! Pat and I headed out to San Jose, Ca on Wednesday. It was not just Pat and I! This was a MAJOR event. My niece, Kristan (Sister Carolyn's daughter) was getting married. Grandpa and Grandma Davis, my niece Tammy (Brother Chuck's daughter), David and Tracy as well as Laura, descended upon San Jose for the BIG event. Kristan was to "tie the knot" with Gary Chan and what a wedding it was! Kristan and Gary were married on Saturday at a Vineyard south of San Jose near the village of Saratoga, Ca. A absolutely spectacular ceremony and spectacular location high in the redwood covered hills. It was so wonderful to see so many family members and to have the chance to share this moment in Gary and Kristan's lives. This was the first time that several of us had had to meet the man that captured Kristan's heart. What a great person and family! All of us returned home on Sunday without incident and blessed by our mutual experience.
Week of Sept 27- Oct 3 1999
The cold weather has arrived, all of the bird baths froze last night and the forecast is for about 20 degrees tonight, a possible record low! What a cruel end to our summer. It has been cool and windy most of the week, but last night was the coldest. When I looked out of the bedroom window this morning, I was greeted with the top broken out of the apple tree! How horrid, the top 6 feet or so broken off! I had picked the remaining apples Thursday after work and had noticed that BIRDS of some kind had dined on several apples. We had grouse last year in that tree, but of course have no idea who it might have been. We saw a nice buck crossing highway 17 either 2 or 3 times this week and two raccoons crossing Tuesday morning. The chipmunks are now asleep and have not been seen for several days. Monday and Tuesday night we had a young raccoon in the feeder on the front deck again. This little guy looked quite a bit darker than the family that visited this summer. We wonder if it is a winter coat and one of that group, or another little fellow entirely.
Week of Sept 20- Sept 26 1999
A wonderful week of weather with warm and sunny days, but we did have frost all around us two mornings. The ferns along the roadside are the first real frost casualties, as they are now a golden brown. Being so close the lake helps us this time of the year, and we have not yet had any plant losses . Wonderful weather yes, however not today. We awoke this morning to the sound of rain on the roof and claps of thunder. It is now midmorning and the rain continues, heavy at times with more in the forecast for tomorrow. This week Pat and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. I was in the dentist chair in town and Pat was at home entertaining the "furry" ones. Upon my arrival, Pat, wearing her corsage, prepared a wonderful lobster dinner! Lobster and a glass of red Missouri wine on the shore of Lake Pokegama was not a bad way to celebrate! :>). We did have a very nice dinner at "The Saw Mill Inn" on Thursday night and Pat got to wear her corsage again (as well as to school). How could it be 38 years since those years in "Eagle Village" at Central Methodist College? The leaves are now really showing color with many falling to the earth forming many colorful carpets. The rain, too will take its toll on the leaves, accelerating this annual show of color even more. I had so hoped to get out and get some fall photos this morning, but dark and rainy was not what I had in mind.
Sunday update: 1 1/2 inches of rain in the last day and a half. It has been cloudy all day today but so far no more rain. With the break in the weather, we pulled the ski boat out and put it away for the winter. On the way back up to the house, a flock of junkos landed below the deck feeder. So it will not be long now before the cold weather arrives as well.
Week of Sept 12- Sept 19 1999
We had three nice weather days in a row, but neither of us have had a chance to enjoy them. Pat did go flying on Thursday for her biannual flight review. I had done mine the last week of August. Our check-ride pilot complimented each of us on our smooth flight control which made us feel good. I had exams in all of the math classes yesterday, so I ended up grading tests until 12:15am this morning. Almost all of the apples have dropped off the apple tree. Pat hates to mess with them because many of them are so small, but she did freeze a few, made apple sauce, 3 pies and we have had fried apples a couple of times. We have not yet gotten a frost, but the forecast is for cooler temps to return later today and more rain. We have not seen any humming birds since Thursday and are starting to see more color in isolated trees as the sun angle gets lower and lower. The upcoming week is the fall equinox :<(
Weeks of Aug 30 - Sept 12 1999
School has started and there is little time for either of us to get anything else done except for the weekends. Labor Day weekend we made a mad dash over to Grand Forks and then to Winnipeg. We had nice visits with "long time radio friends" and looked GF over after the flood. It looks much better downtown East Grand than on the ND side. There are so many homes razed and gone in the flooded area. The dikes are still coming, but we saw very little dike construction.
It was a very fast trip, but it was sure great to see old friends. We had not seen Barry Malowanchuk and his family for over 20 years!
Labor Day, Pat and I removed a 48ft television tower down the road a bit, I plan on using it here at home for the radio antennas. Last weekend Pat was busy at household chores, while I operated in a two day radio contest.
During the last 14 days only one day has been without rain. We are now about 10 inches over the annual average for rainfall and we have 3 months to go. (Down in Missouri the folks have not had rain for over 60 days!) The weather dudes are saying that freezing temps are possible this week, so fall is here. So far, few of our leaves have changed color but quite a few have fallen. We still have almost all of our bird friends, even a few humming birds!
Week of Aug 23 - Aug 29 1999
This has been a real summer week weatherwise. Several days we were into the middle 80's. Wow, now that is what August should be like. Today, on the otherhand it is in the 50's, drizzle and a 15 to 20mph wind. Pat and I "played" golf at the "Courage Center Open" yesterday. Neither of us were playing well at all, but since it was "Best Ball" the foursom did ok. After Rod B. broke has arm we needed to find another couple to play with. Earl and Barb Miller aggreed to fill out the group and we had a very enjoyable day. Even though Pat and I struggled, almost every time we needed a shot someone came through. We ended up 3 over par and were in the middle of our flight. The weather was fantastic, the dinner was great and over 100 golfers helped a great cause. Don Walter (our neigbor) and his volunteers keep making "The Open" better each year.
I flew a 1.5 hour "round robin" flight mid week, visiting 4 strips and then did my Biannual Flight review Thursday. Pat flew us down to Brainerd and back Saturday to eat lunch at the airport with our friends Marv and Karen. They are enjoying retirement, very busy and looking great. It was nice to see them and get out and do some flying again. Pat's biannual review is next.
Our students arrive back to school this week and we are back at it again. I won't know about student numbers until Tuesday but I expect six classes instead of the normal five.
Week's of Aug 9 - Aug 22 1999
It's an empty nest now. All the kids are gone and it is just Pat and I. School starts for me this coming Friday, so the summer is almost gone. Laura and Dean returned home on the 12th and Dave and Tracy on the 16th. We had a great visit with them all. Pat and I split out right after Dave and Tracy left Monday and drove up to visit our friends Doc and Geri Mix. They have a cabin, really a compound, up in southern Ontario (325 miles by road). We arrived Monday night about 7pm and were back home Wed night about 9:30pm. Over 700 miles but it was a great trip and it was so good to see the area that has ment so much to them for so long. They have a FANTASTIC spot and it was a visit not to be forgotten. See the "Picture of The Week" for more. We flew down to Brainard Friday for lunch and then flew over to the Brainard Raceway where "The Nationals" are being held. The Cessna at 105kts was NO MATCH for the Dragsters doing 250 - 300+ mph. The weather continues to be wonderful and we had a nice 2hr boatride this afternoon. We currently have 6 known eagles on the lake, 4 adults and two that were born this spring. All have been seen several times this week.
Week of Aug 2 - Aug 8 1999
We have had a great week of weather, mostly in the 70's and some 80's as well. David has enjoyed the "beach time" and has caught up on most of his reading. The three of us have gotten out for golf twice and that is always fun, even though the scores may not look that way. The four of us had a nice dinner and visit with Tracy's folks Friday night at the local Chinese Restaurant. Laura and Dean arrived about 2am Sat morning, so ALL of the gang were here over the weekend. Dean and I got in 9 holes of golf Sunday mid-day which was the first time we have played for some time down at Quadna. It was a perfect golf day and I played as good as I have all year. Dave and Tracy will be here for yet another week before they return to LA. Laura and Dean are on vacation on "The North Shore" for a couple of days before they return home.
Jan 99 - July 99 Archive
1998 Archive
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