| April Fools' Day |
What a neat time.........we spent the whole day touring the lovely English city of Bath, which included both the city along with its architecture (click HERE) as well as a couple hours in the ancient Roman baths (click HERE). Note: My computer is on the blink and it appears that it'll be dead until I return. So, everything from now until April 8th was added later. |
| April 2nd |
We're leaving Bath this morning and heading for Scotland by car. We spent the last two nights in this lovely guest house. Click HERE.
In my absence Randy has officially declared that, as of today, there is no ice on Little Bass Lake. That's the second earliest date since I've been here.......the statistics will be updated about the middle of the month. |
| April 3rd | We spent last night in a guest house in the lovely small Scotish town of Langholm, about 80 miles from Edinburgh (click HERE) and now we're back at Teri's place in Edinburgh to "hang out" for a few more days. |
| Easter Sunday | Today we strolled to the highest point in the Edinburgh which is known as Arthur's Seat. Click HERE. Oddly enough, there were many families with little kids on the lower parts of the hills rolling Easter eggs down the slopes. Interesting......... |
| April 5th | Still hanging out in Edinburgh. |
| April 6th | Today Teri gave us a tour of the University (or as we referred to it "Teri's new College"). Click HERE. |
| April 7th |
So long Scotland.......we enjoyed it immensely. We WILL be back someday. Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North The birth-place of valour, the country of worth; Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, The hills of the Highlands for ever I love. -- Rabbie Burns (circa 1780) |
| April 8th | This is in honor of the time we spent with Teri, in honor of the time we spent in Scotland, and in honor of the country of Scotland itself. It was a great time and it's a great country. Click HERE. |
| April 9th |
Here, in no particular order, are a few miscellaneous updates: The Spring raking was done on March 23rd while I was away. Though I haven't seen any loons yet, I have heard them so they are definitely back. There are several Wood Ducks in the creek at the north end of the lake. Some Fox Sparrows were at the feeder this afternoon. Randy's dock and boat lift are in the water already. There is only one boat and motor in the water so far, and it belongs to me. None of the normal lake measurements have been taken yet, but maybe it'll get started today. So far no chipmonks have been seen, but I have to believe they're out and about. Both halves of the duplex have been spring cleaned, and by the way, the matresses and box springs in the duplex and in cabin 2 will be replace with new ones this spring. The current plan is to put the pontoons in the water next weekend and possibly the docks even before that. |
| April_10th |
More miscellanea (again in no particular order): The first Redwing Blackbird, the first White-throated Sparrows, and the first Juncos appeared at the feeder this morning. (Note: A lot of these firsts may have occurred earlier but I wasn't here to see them.) The first pair of Goldeneyes were on the lake this morning. There are no eggs in the Falcon nest yet, but if last year is any indication there should be some by this time next week (click HERE). |
| April 11th |
Hey, look at this.......and it's only April 11th. Click HERE. As per North Carolina Laurie, the first egg is now in the Falcon nest. That's 5 days earlier than last year. Both Loons have been sighted so they are most definitely here. The first lake measurements have been taken but the graphs (etc) have not been updated yet. |
| April 12th | Two years ago yesterday we got our 3rd foot of snow within 5 days. That was quite a spring. For this year the Farmer's Almanac predicts snow for the 18th or 19th.......only six or seven days from now. I hope it wont be much (as if they're going to be right). By the way, do you remember the cold cold summer we had last year. The Almanac predicts June, July, August, and September of this year to be colder than normal also. |
| The Ides of April | !!!!! |
| April 14th | Cabin 4 is up and running and scheduled to be spring cleaned on Friday. Only one problem: for some reason the furnace refuses to start but that should be relatively easy to fix. |
| April 15th | The pontoons are ready to go into the water (two days ahead of time!). The first Purple Finches and House Finches were at the feeder today. Still not a single chipmonk. Quit often a few of them are out and about in late March, even when the weather isn't this good. Geez, this is weird. |
| April 16th |
Brian and Ann are here and we toasted (with a fine Polish Vodka) a major milestone in their move to the Northland which is now on the horizon. Though none have been seen at LBLR as yet, at least some hummers have reached Minnesota already. Click HERE. |
| April 17th | All of the pontoons are in the water (thanks to Brian and Larry). Click HERE. |
| April 18th | It was a nice relaxing wine cruise this evening......but in Randy's boat rather than the pontoon boat as is customary. |
| April 19th | 235 years ago today the battles of Lexington and Concord, (the opening vollies in the Revolutionary War) were fought. (Thanks Colleen, but notice that it was 235 years ago.) |
| National Weed Day | 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) refers to the consumption of cannabis and, by extension, a way to identify oneself with the cannabis subculture. The term was coined by a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in California in 1971, who would meet after school by a certain statue at 4:20 PM everyday to smoke marijuana. As a result, today is sometimes referred to as "National Weed Day". The term four-twenty has been around for almost 40 years now but I haven't been able to find out when "Weed Day" itself actually began. (Thanks again Colleen.) |
| April 21st | There was a Grackle at the bird feeder this morning. For what it's worth, I've usually noted their arrival about mid-May. There are also a few Redwing Blackbirds at the feeder but I still have no idea where they are nesting. No Merlin this year so far. |
| April 22nd | The first American Goldfinches were at the feeder this morning, and the first Yellow Rumped Warblers were in the trees and bushes along the lake this afternoon. |
| April 23rd |
Believe it or not, the Bluegills are in the shallows already so we should be seeing some spawning nests soon. At this time last year the ice wasn't even off the lake yet, and the Bluegills didn't come into shallow water until May 23rd........a month from now. What a difference a year can make, eh? Cabin # 1 is up and running and ready to be spring cleaned tomorrow. |
| April 24th |
We're in the middle of a draught, Jim, Josh, and Jakie come up to fish, and for the first time this Spring it rains. Oh well, we needed it (even though it's not much). Cabin # 1 has been Spring cleaned and is now ready to go (except for the bedding). Your cabin is next Jeff. There have been a pair of Mourning Doves hanging around here all spring. That's not what you'd really call "rare", but it's a tad unusual to see them this often. |
| April 25th | For those who have expressed surprise that the season for fishing Crappies and Bluegils is still open: Yes, the season for those is "continuous", ie, it never closes. |
| April 26th | There are new box springs and matresses in every cabin but number 3. (Sorry Hansons, but I'll put the best of the old ones in there.......which will, at least, be an improvement.) |
| April 27th | There are tons of Redwing Blackbirds at the feeder these days, but I still haven't figured out where they're nesting. It might take a considerable effort to find out. |
| April 28th | Still no hummers around here, but they've been seen in other areas this far north for the past several days. |
| April 29th | I have nothing to say. |
| April 30th | Hey Colleen and Kevin.......I'll see you in Apple Valley a week from today and I can't wait to see Jesse's play. (The play, by the way, is being put on by Apple Valley High School May 5th through 9th. It's Les Miserables, which is very ambitious for a high school. I'm really looking forward to it.) |
