Each summer, Don and Ruth Ann Bloom play hosts to Don's brothers, Mick and Arlen, and our wives, Sharon and Beth, along with a few surprise visitors for a traditional week of lake side water festivities. While the guys spend most of their time on the lake fishing, the women prefer to alternate between swimming and reading. Beth had to bow out on Tuesday to go to Minneapolis to help see her Mom through a hospital visit for heart problems. It changed her vacation plans, but she was glad she went. This year was Nathan's first visit to the cabin since he was 12 years old (1988). After Beth left, he and Arlen kept Ruth Ann awake chatting into the wee hours in the room over her bedroom. I guess Arlen's night-shift routine and Beth's absence coupled with Nate's youth gave them extra energy for conversation. I know Sharon and I were snoozing hard.
This year, the First Keeper Bass and Biggest Bass of the Week pools went to me, Mick, who showed his Florida-raised son, Nate, a thing or two about fishing in the northern waters. Don and Arlen consoled their loss of the fish prize by pocketing some winnings at the nearby casino. While it was the usual ratio of about 20 bass for every keeper again this year, they were biting on a variety of lures. We caught them on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwater lures, jigs, worms, and even did some live-bait fishing in hopes of hooking a walleye (to no avail).
Cabin projects this year included: fine tuning the brand new dock, replacing the toilet seat in the large bathroom and fixing the fluorescent light over the sink (again), replacing the trolling motor battery for the aluminum boat, installing a cool swivel seat, installing a new depthfinder on the Sylvan boat, filling the wood bins with kindling, installing a rod holder in the storage shed, and fixing the knobs on the stove. Arlen did a superb engineering job on creating a solution for the stove knobs that kept breaking off. It certainly looks like a permanent fix, this time.
Meals were fabulous all week. Ruth Ann found a legal supplier of rhubarb, so we were treated to a couple fine rhubarb desserts (my favorites). She spoils me. Of course, lots of grilling, and a couple nights out. Best meal was voted the Bass Fish Fry on Wednesday. Mick caught most of the fish, Don cleaned the catch, and everyone helped to coordinate the dinner. on Thursday, we went to Bavarian Village in Lena for some good German cuisine. Then we waddled over to the Hunter's and Fishermen's Bar to have a couple beers and pay hommage to the dead zoo. The rest of the night was a pub crawl through the country bars on the way back to the cabin.
When we put the boat away on Sunday, the lake was hopping with wind and waves. The sun was shining and it was a cool 75F. It was gonna be a rude shock when we landed in Fort Lauderdale a few hours later and at 11 pm it was still 88F.
This year found us doing the usual stuff. Enjoy the pics.
