Back Yard Visitor...........

Sitting on the back lanai yesterday (Wednesday), when Rich spotted this little visitor ............Just a small gator; only about 4 ft. long.   Checking out the territory, then resting peacefully..........

The final Fish Count........And then we were home.

Week 10 continued with most every day bringing warmer weather, but lots and lots of wind and rain.   We both got out to fish on Monday later in the day, but the fish count was low........Tuesday was very very warm and the water was like glass.  Rich went out alone that evening and only caught two small fish; a crappie and a perch.  We had planned on getting out early on Thursday morning, but the weather kept us in all day. We were out just after 6:00 am on Friday morning and the breeze was perfect for drifting, allowing us to catch about 20 fish before we called it a day.   The rest of the day would be packing up the car so we could get an early start for home on Saturday morning.

Final Fish Count!!  741,  Rich - 358,  Donna - 311, and Denny and the kids - 72

With the exception of Bill and Linda - everyone else would be pulling out in the morning, so we decided that a campfire was in order for our last night.   We met so many wonderful people during our stay this year, many that we hope to stay in touch with.  Below are a few pictures at the campfire, before it got too dark.....

Scott headed out fishing, but Linda and the boys started packing - getting the kayaks tied to the roof.  They joined the campfire later....... Group family photos... That is Jerry and Diane (upper left) with their daughter Trisha, son - in - law and two grand-kids.  They have been coming to Rogers Camps for 29 years!!!  Family  photo center bottom is our good friends Bill and Linda with daughter Stacy, son-in-law Abi and grandson Heshem.  Stacy and Trisha have been coming here with family since they were 3 years old!  Nice group of people - we will miss them - but hope to see them again next year.

Saturday would be day one of the trip back to Florida.  We were up early.  It was 58 degrees outside.  Finished packing and we pulled out at 6:57 AM.   We would be on I-81 South all day long, travelling through NY, PA, Maryland, West Virginia and finally Virginia, arriving at our hotel - The Econo Lodge in Harrisonburg, VA.  We drove 542 miles that day arriving at 4:22 PM.  Dinner was a quick drive up the road to Golden Corral and then to bed early. 

Not a lot of pictures on the way home, just a few of the beautiful hills and lakes, especially Lake Norman in N. Carolina.  That looks like a place we might check out for a visit one day.   Gas prices were not too bad, but waited until we were out of NY State, paying $2.39/gal in PA. and for the cigarette smokers $30.89/carton in Virginia!  

Day 2 - we were on the road at 6:45 AM and made our way through VA, NC, SC and into GA.   Gassed up again before we left VA @ 2.19/gal, but saw it a little later as low as $2.11.  It wasn't until we hit SC when at 1:00 PM the temperature outside was 91 degrees.  The first time we saw temps over 90 since we left Florida in June!!   Day 2 with the exception of some rain showers was uneventful.  We drove 606 miles and spent the night at the Comfort Inn in Brunswick, GA.    We dined at Cracker Barrel and the Roast Beef and Chicken Fried Chicken were excellent.

Day 3 we were on the road at 6:35 AM and headed for home. We hit the GA/FL line at 7:04, Jacksonville at 7:25, Orlando at 8:45, I-27 in Haines City at 10.21 and Lake Placid at 11:44.........got our first glimpse of Lake June as we turned off 27 and then again at our canal to the lake.  Garage door went up at 11:53 AM.  We drove 311 miles..........and our Black Lake Adventure was now officially over. 

And today - Tuesday.....as the humidity hits 97% and the temperature too is in the mid 90's, we both agree that we left NY way too early!!

The Final Chapter

And so on Saturday, week 10 began, and already it's Monday!  Before we know it, Saturday will be here and we'll be back on the road, heading south.

The best thing about this past Saturday, was that the crew with all the kids left the camp.   And we've told Dean, that our stay next year will be shortened, as our intention is to leave the week they arrive. ( They come every year too!)  And, they had no sooner left the camp when the cars and trucks and boats poured in and a whole new crew arrived.  We've briefly met most of them.....and hope to get to know them better one night around the campfire.

A couple of "canine" campers too.  That's Mr. Stevens, with Linda (top left) and Rocco, and Italian Mastiff ( the rarest dog breed in the world), who is so very friendly.  About the only dog Rich has been able to pet without bending over.  He is very big!
 We did spend a little time with Jim and Flo (bottom right), and Rich meets and chats with a bunch of the high school kids that came in with Linda's family.

We did go out fishing; twice on Saturday and then again Sunday evening.   We caught a total of 24 fish.   Rich did real well, hooking onto his biggest Catfish so far.  It was 29 inches long and weighed in at 10 and 1/4 lbs.   Also got a nice small mouth bass, but only 14 inches - so not big enough to keep.  The group of high school kids took the catfish for the family.   

We should get back out, as long as the weather permits, probably every day this week. But while Rich is on the market, I'll be cleaning the cabin, doing laundry, filling the gas tank, closing the PO Box, and hopefully checking out the farmers market one more time!    If you remember, my clothes dryer died a few days before we left home - so I bought one today, that should be delivered by the end of the month. 

Fish Count  721, Rich - 346, Donna - 303, Family -72 

Our last week begins.........

It's been more than a week since I've been able to update our fishing adventures here at the lake.  So this will be a short review of weeks 8 and 9.

Week 8 began with a Verizon Wireless Surprise.....   About Wednesday of week 8 I was doing my routine check of our data usage, making sure that our time on the PC does not exceed our 5GB/month.   I had checked a few days prior around the 4th or 5th of the month and we were doing great at 2.3 GB used and about 9 days to go.   The next day it was well over 4GB.  I had Verizon increase my usage to 5GB.  Next day I was over 7GB.  One the phone with the Verizon technician and while talking to him I went over 8GB and by the time we made changes and everything else updated we were heading for 10GB.   Long story short - Verizon feels that our devise was either hacked or someone got our password.  That means someone in close proximity to this cabin in order to pick up the signal!!!  Scary!

Anyway I'm back.......... and but must say that weeks 8 and 9 even without the Verizon fiasco were not our best.  A family from PA, who visits here every year arrived and were in  4 or 5 of the cabins and the family included about 12 kids, who while good kids, meaning not destructive or nasty - drove us absolutely crazy well into the evening, running through the park, playing basketball in our back yard, and playing outside our door or front windows.  We will definitely stay into the first week of August next year!!!

And the fishing was not much better although week 8 started out pretty good.  Rich hooked onto another 28 inch catfish, over 8 lbs. and our biggest crappie catch - 10 1/1 inches!  That week we tried a few different places to fish, including the Pimple and in the area of Crab and Limestone Islands.

And like all fishermen - we have our excuses for not catching fish!  But indeed the weather stormy and the winds were wicked and the wind direction changed so we could not drift the shallows and....... well you get it.

But there were some "different" boats out one Saturday arriving at the Annual Black Lake Beach/Boat Party.  Music was great!  Wonder if that had any impact on the low fish count that day???  Actually it was a perfect day for fishing and enjoying the view and entertainment.

This past week we took a short day trip into Alexandria Bay, just to wander around in some of the stores/shops, to stop to eat, and to make a quick stop at the grocery store.   Snapped a few of my favorite sites....... the farmland, one of the stone houses that I read about at the museum, and the top photo is of one of the Amish farms, just up the road from where we stay. 

Below are a few pictures of our trip, including a stop at Chippewa Bay along the St. Lawrence River, a few of our favorite shopping places and the North Star Restaurant where we enjoyed a great BREAKFAST at about 1:00 in the afternoon.  Great service, good prices........and check out those dinner specials.  Don't see that in Florida!!

Can't close without sharing a little bit of our weather again.  This was by far our worst storm since we've been here.  You can see the haze settling in over the water. And as the wind changed direction quickly you could see the mud churning and the color changing from blue to gray.   But when it was over there was the most beautiful rainbow ever!   I think that was the first time I ever actually saw the END of the rainbow! 

And so we begin week 10 today...........

Total fish count to date:  707  And I'm catching up!  Rich 330,  Family -72 and Donna 295

Celebrating 25 Years!

We send our very best wishes to our son Dennis and daughter-in law, Crystal.

Today they celebrate their Silver Anniversary!   We love you Mr. and Mrs. Donald

Another Week is Gone

Hard to believe that we've been here for seven whole weeks, and as I sit an update this, week 8 has already begun.  It's only a little after 9:00 am and most of the campers who are heading out today are already gone.   We understand that for the next two weeks 5 of the 12 cabins will be taken by the same family.  Guess they come here every year for two weeks, and have been doing it for several years.

From Tuesday through Friday the weather made the fishing a little bit difficult because of the strong winds.  But the 90 degree days were not to bad.  Even with what they called high humidity - it was nothing like Florida 90's!

On Tuesday evening Rich went out alone to fish.  Just didn't seem to be enough of a breeze for me.......As it turned out the weather was perfect for drifting and Rich caught 10 fish and brought back 7 on the stringer!  Weather kept us both in on Thursday and despite the heavy winds we found a couple of time during the day on Friday.

It was very very choppy on Friday evening as we drifted behind Raspberry Island.  We knew that the owners of the Island often stayed there but today was the first we saw them with their two boats at the dock and chopping wood for a campfire.   We made it back to dock just as it was starting to sprinkle.  Dean and Sherry and Bill stopped by and chatted for a while....until the rain sent everyone inside.  But the Moon was absolutely beautiful over the water.

Depending on the weather this weekend we hope to get in one good day of fishing, and make a trip into Clayton to the Antique Boat Museum and the Antique Boat Show.