Orange Sky in the Morn
My dad spent World War II at sea, convoying the North Atlantic. I spent a good portion of my childhood listening to his stories about this time in his life. Through these stories, Dad taught me a lot about geography, history, star constellations and weather. The weather wasn't merely a conversation-filler for him. I believe he genuinely had an interest in daily barometric pressure and humidity readings.
Now having spent so many years in Wisconsin, I've learned that the weather is THE number one topic of conversation among vacationers. I know for a fact the number one question I'm asked by resort guests is: "What's the weather forecast for the week?" Anyone who knows me knows I won't quote the forecast. Why? Come to Wisconsin for a week and you'll find out why. If you really want to know what the weather will be like, you should simply look to the sky in the west.
One saying every sailor (or child of a sailor) knows is: "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morn, sailors be warned." So my answer to the question about the weather forecast for today is: I think there's a storm on the way.
I woke up at 5am this morning and there was an eerie red glow filling my bedroom windows. I thought I was dreaming. Quickly I threw on a robe and grabbed my trusty red camera. The shot featured here is of the weather vane on the front of our house and the sky behind it. I swear, the color hasn't been altered. A soft rain began just as I zoomed in on the copper heron, and as I type this, I hear low, rumbling thunder. The sky has since gone as colorless as ash. The birds are quiet and the air still. Anything can happen. Don't like the weather in Wisconsin? Wait five minutes.
This heron weather vane, by the way, was a gift from my father-in-law, Warren, and his wife, Jean. They gave it to us nearly a dozen years ago when they learned we were expecting our second child. Their little joke was that they called it a "stork." As I stood in the soft rain shower this morning and marveled at the unusual color of the sky, I thought of Warren and Jean, who have passed, and missed them.
They may be gone, but their little stork joke lives on . . .
Trophy Fish: Oh! What a Show!
Check out the 40-inch prize muskie caught right out in front of our dock this morning (July 6, 2008). And we, Mike, Willow, a resort guest by the name of Sue and I, witnessed the entire catch.
Pictured is Matt from Belvidere, IL visiting Squaw Lake this weekend, staying with our new neighbors. He'd never caught a muskie prior to this visit and this was his third. It was by far, we're told, the biggest of the three. First we saw his line go taut and watched as he patiently reeled it in while his partner, Loren, readied the net. This monster put up a splashy fight before succumbing to the catch, and when they held it up for us to view, first we gasped and then we all broke into spontaneous applause.
They kept it long enough to snap a few photos and hold it against the measuring stick before releasing it back into Squaw Lake for the next lucky fisherman.
I've seen a lot of fish caught in this lake; however, never have I witnessed a better show at such close range. And this was right after the bald eagle circled above us for five minutes . . .
Northwoods cinema. Who needs TV?
New Public Wash House
We interrupt this Sandy Point icon tour with a NEW development. First there was the outhouse/earth closet, now there is the new public rest room. Our new wash house, which we've already given a variety of names (and have yet to settle on one), features a flushing toilet, a sink, and one of those World Hand Dryer Corporation blowers from Berkeley, Illinois that we've seen in public rest rooms all over the world for our entire lives! Yesterday we had a drinking fountain installed out front.
This is great news for disc golfers visiting Sandy Point Resort. The outhouse featured in a previous blog is now located on the course, between holes #17 and #18--just in case you miss the outhouse experience. And, of course, the old two-holer "Ye Olde Rumbletown Dump" is still located on the front part of the course between holes #3 and #9. Meanwhile, we're excited about our new outbuilding. Would you like to hear about how it was supposed to be completed by last Labor Day weekend for the Northwoods Open and how the budget for construction DOUBLED? I doubt it. So let me just give more good news. And this is for our resort guests.
On the other side of the toilet facility is a coin-operated washer and dryer. Since only one of our rental homes offers a washer/dryer (Lakeview Lodge), this is an amenity we've long wanted to offer our guests. When we first built cabin #3-1/2, "The Marq," it had a washer/dryer; however, due to overuse and, yes, abuse, it caused a flood in one of the bedrooms and we had to remove it. So now, with its own septic system and everything, guests no longer have to head to town to the laundromat to wash (or dry) those towels!
The Earth Closet
An outhouse, also known as a netty, privy, dunny, thunderbox, kybo, biffy, jakes or jacks, longdrop, Johnny-on-the-spot, one-holer, two-holer (for the more affluent and effluent), $hit house or earth-closet, usually refers to a type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building, which does not have a flush or sewer attached.
The term outhouse originally referred to an outbuilding, or any small structure away from a main building. for a variety of purposes, but mainly for activities not wanted in the main house.
The five original cabins at Sandy Point Resort didn’t have indoor plumbing. Instead, each had its own outhouse. Where our current garage and pro shop stand today, was a “wash house,” where guests went to shower. The outhouse featured here is not one of the originals, but rather, is one we built about five years ago to help “glamorize” the experience of using an outhouse. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve witnessed people’s refusal to use an outhouse. Even though it’s always clean, offers 2-ply toilet paper, hand sanitizer, a modern toilet seat, and even a quaint crescent moon window, some would rather walk around the disc golf course with full kidneys rather than subject themselves to an outhouse. I think you haven’t truly experienced the Northwoods if you haven’t used an “earth closet.”
Clean Your Fish Here
This is our vintage Fish Cleaning House, located on the Sandy Point shore of Squaw Lake and just next to the input creek known to us as "Cozzens' Creek." We can usually get a read on how the fish are biting each week by the amount of fish guts left behind in the disposal bins.
This brings up two issues. Recently we had more guts stored in this building than anyone of us (Mike, Michele or Stu, the guy who actually cleans it each week), has experienced in our tenure. Normally that would be good news. But the problem is, the guts came from fish NOT caught in this lake.
People! It's just bad form to bring fish caught in someone else's lake and leave the guts for us to clean up.
Secondly: We have a sign hung in each cabin asking guests to only use the fish cleaning house for cleaning fish. In other words, don't clean fish in our cabins. I don't think anyone wants to hear about the amount of fish scales I had to clean out of the drains, sink bins, cabinets and drawers this week, but trust me, it wasn't pretty. It led me to make additional fluorescent signs for each cabin reading "DO NOT CLEAN FISH IN CABIN." I didn't even type the word "please." The only scales I want to deal with are scales on the piano.
Meanwhile, here it sits on the shorline, waiting for you to enter with your catch. This cute, A-roofed cleaning house is screen-in, and has everything you need to filet your fresh fish--as long as you BYOK (Bring Your Own Knife.) And remember, if it ain't caught near, don't clean here.
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