Quiet Opener

Plenty of sunshine in these parts today.  The wind came up out of the west, so there is a bit of chop on the lake.  We have some fishermen and women out on the waters, but are waiting to hear reports on how it might be.  The lake seems to be on the quiet side this year, so that means there isn’t much competition for the good spots. 

 

The guys are out and about working on a project.  I think it involves the skidsteer and lumber.  That seems to be their modus operandi for many spring projects.  Both of the docks have new ramps leading to them.  Fresh lumber lines them, and they are much easier to install when rolling the docks into the water.  New boards are in place on the steps of the sauna and one of the cabins.  The Menard’s truck pulled in yesterday with more wood, this batch destined for the dock at Tamarack.  It’s a good time in the season to get these jobs done.  Soon the neighborhood will be much busier, with demand for use of the docks higher. 

Instead of fishing, I spent the morning working on a new program for children who visit us this summer.  With the very limited staff on hand, we don’t have a naturalist.  It’s one of my secret hopes that someday I can fill that role!  Might not happen until we have children and grandchildren around the place, but in the meantime, we are happy to share our knowledge of the woods and the lake.  We often bill ourselves as a do-it-yourself type of experience here at Heston’s, so my plan includes knapsacks of resources and information to explore, learn and discover many things about our area.  When the “nuts and bolts” are in place, I will be posting a page devoted to it on our website.  Stay tuned to learn more.

 

The leaves are in the early stages of green-up.  I love that chartreuse shade of green that stands out so vividly right now.  Each day, I can see a bit more popping through.  The two birch trees in front of the lodge bud out a few days apart, and that is a good measuring stick to watch.  The west tree has little leaves, and the east tree still has buds and catkins.  I’ve found that they lose their leaves in the fall on a staggered schedule, too. So interesting to follow these little oddities in my own front yard.