Summer BBQ time !!!!!

Got skunked fishing on the lake Saturday but managed to make a day of it anyway. Jason spent mad cash at the grocery store and had some friends over for a BBQ. Summer has officially begun. Had a great time visiting with He and Melissa and of course goofing off with their son Gavin… That kid absolutely loves the water. Even Capone (their dog) went for a swim a couple of times. The food was out of control. Cheryl, Jason's neighbor did the deviled egg boogie and of course the guests laid waste to them pretty quickly. The grilled Mexican green onions were crazy good too. Everyone was sated to say the least. Here's some pics of the goings on… Lots of pool action for sure...


Laura and Mary enjoying the water and a beverage...



Laura, Mary and Melissa keeping cool...


Stan, Cheryl and Rosemary chillin'...


Melissa and the water baby Gavin!


Mary played with Gavin a little too...


A bashful blonde lady and pool noodle warrior princess...


Relaxing at poolside...

Many thanks and mad props to Jason and Melissa for hosting this shindig. It was a great way to spend a summer Saturday...

-Scott

Catch of the Day...

Decided to throw a line in the water after work and had Pat come over to partake. Our little lake is overrun with algae and weeds as I mentioned in a previous post but we fought through it. Cleaning your worm after every cast is a royal PITA! Too hot earlier in the day but when the sun started to set the fish got a little more active. I caught a little tiny one and then it kinda slowed down. Pat saw a very large bass swim past the dock so he started using a little drop line technique with his pole. Snagged the fish about 2 feet from the dock... Good sized dude too...

I took a liking to that style as you didn't have to cast too far and it lessened the chances of your worm coming back covered in ick... I saw a decent fish swim away from the dock to my right so I opened the spool and just pitched my line in the approximate direction I saw him swimming. Tossed it right behind a party boat's pontoon and got hit immediately!!! Nice.. Turned out to be a decent size fish as well. We got in 2.5 to 3 hours.. Lesson learned? Wait until dusk otherwise you're pretty much wasting your time. True at this lake anyway...

Here's the action.. These were taken with the cams in our cell phones so the quality isn't that wonderful. Click on a pic to see the original sizing...

















Pretty nice afternoon on the whole...

-Scott

Pop's back ...

The Dad just returned from his annual sabbatical to the “Old Country” and land of my birth. This would of course be Springfield, Vermont. And or Perkinsville if you want to get technical. He brought back some pics of the native woodland creatures that roam the area. These were taken at my Aunt’s place… Beautiful no?





Bear passing through...




Moose on the loose!!!




Pretty crazy huh? Any wonder why it's called The Green Mountain State?

-Scott

Sweet....

Man, this is turning into a fishing blog... Wanted to kill an hour or so the other day and decided to throw a line off the dock for giggles. The lake has a preponderance of weeks and algae build up lately due to the warm weather. You end up spending a lot of time cleaning off your lure or worm and less time actually casting. Got lucky on this outing though… Pitched the line out by a moored boat and as soon as I took the slack out of the line I got hit! Not exactly a giant but it put up a good fight. barely hooked him/her and there was no internal damage to the vital areas so it was pretty easy to dislodge the hook and let 'em swim off… Very relaxing… Click on the pic to SuperSize...

-Scott

Nice ...

Wow, another season has come and gone. It seems like it was just a few short months back that I posted a pic of a Carolina player hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. Congrats to the Ducks and especially Teemu for his persistence… I'm still a Kings fan, (since the 70's) but I love that the Disney era is history. This team actually showed signs of being a genuine NHL franchise at the beginning of the season and look what they pulled off… Love it..


Teemu!!!!


Best picture ever. Rob and Scott flanking Mom...

Still the coolest game on earth...

-Scott

Restful Holiday ...

Hi all. Had a really nice Memorial Day. Somehow managed to shake off the cobwebs enduced by rampant socializing Sunday night and rolled out of bed at 7am. Got a little breakfast and such and received a textie from Jason who had a fishing jones. We had discussed the possibility of hitting the lake the previous evening but neither of us were sure how we'd feel about it in the morning. Decided it was a go so I gathered up my trout pole and tackle box and set out for his place.

We goofed around for a little bit and ran into a logistics problem. We could have taken his truck and towed the boat over to the lake but that would have left Melissa without a vehicle for a number of hours so that wasn't going to work. I backed my truck up to the hitch only to discover that my tow ball was slightly too large for his hitch. Answer? $8.99 at Kragen Auto Parts for a new ball that fit. Dashed over to Kragen and back in about 20 min. Now mind you Jason has a pretty decent set of tools in the garage so I grabbed the required socket and a monster torque wrench and had the existing ball off the bumper almost instantly. Slapped the new one on we were ready to roll. Heck even the trailer lighting set up worked perfectly. Jason picked up this aluminium fishing boat and trailer for the amazing low price of um, let's see... Zero.. from his brother who wasn't using it at all.. Gotta love that deal. Just need to make a few repairs to the seats and maybe beef up the trolling motor situation and it'll be perfect... Maybe get another battery and run dual motors fore and aft and source an aftermarket prop or 2... Those little twin blade props that come stock on the trolling motors just don't cut it...

Motored out around the bend after launching and started dropping poles in the water. Got hit about every other cast all the time we were out there. I would estimate solid fishing from roughly 10 'til 2. and though we got some little ones there were plenty of big bass in between. I've attached a phone cam picture of the largest one which Jason snagged. And of course there was a monster that jumped off of the line at one point. Nothing better than setting the hook, playing with the catch for a little bit and then having them run on you.. My pole was bent below the water level on several occasions. One of the larger ones actually got up to the boat and then took off with a bunch of line. My drag was set relatively lightly and I had a blast watching him take the line... Jason was getting hit pretty regularly and we estimated 20 some odd fish were caught during the course of the day. We made it back to the house around 2:30ish and then just kicked it by the pool for another hour or so and had a couple of beers. Also got to spend a couple of hours with the lovely Miss Lolli Laura in the afternoon. She's always a gracious host and just plain fun to be around. A nice relaxing holiday to be sure...



The largest one to make it to the boat. Nice !!!

Can't wait to do it again...

-Scott

This is sick! ...

Bugatti Veyron at Top Speed... I'd poop my suit...



That's pretty quick eh?

-Scott

Got one! ...

Hit the dock in the backyard before dinner last night. Thought I’d get in some casts before the sun went down. Gave my self a 5pm deadline as I had to be somewhere shortly thereafter. Stood out there for 30 minutes or so getting nothing but weeds off of the bottom. This isn’t a real big lake and I’m actually surprised there’s any but carp and catfish in it… So anyway, I decide to get one more cast in before leaving… Look what happened at 4:59 !!!





Nice little Bass...
Gut hooked her, and unfortunately I don’t think she’s going to make it. I’m sourcing a D-Barb tool so I don’t injure the fish if my hookset is off or a little late. These little guys have no problem wolfing down a 4.5" worm in an instant when they're really hungry. That and discerning a strike or nibble from weed snags on the bottom can be a little tricky. I need a kayak and a trolling motor.


-Scott

Easter Sunday ...

Had a great Easter Sunday...

Started off oddly enough throwin league with Chase Pearson down at the bowl. Had to call ahead and make sure the schedule hadn't changed due to the Holiday. Made it down there in time no problem. Took 3 of 4 from the "2 Witches".. which used to be quite a feat with their handicap but they're getting better all the time! Sometimes we get lucky...

Was heading for home to do my laundry when Mike Mikkelsen called and said they were having Sunday brunch at his place. Told him I was going home to do some chores and he said to bring the laundry over to his place and do it while we ate. Paddy was kind enough to let me squeeze in a couple of loads inbetween her stuff so I got that knocked out. Erik (youngest son) was busy concocting one of his culinary delights. He loves to experiment in the kitchen. Sunday's creation was Chicken Saltimbocca. I'd list all the ingredients (you've probably figured out the chicken part)but I'm way too lazy.. That's what Google and the Food Network are for... I will say it was mighty tasty and the lemon sauce was killer. Almost as good as sqeezing a lemon over King Crab legs or Lobster... Yum Yum... I've posted a picture of the finished product. Sucked down a few Mimosas as well and he whipped up some deep fried bananas and ice cream for desert.




Chicken Saltimbocca!!!

Once the laundry was dry I dashed over to Laura's where she was patiently waiting with Jason and Melissa Woody. She had a hankerin' for some company that afternoon and invited us all over for a boat ride and some fishing. I got to meet her puppies Schlitz and Guinness,(Dacschunds of course) and play a little tug 'o war with 'em.

They groove on the lake. Especially Schlitzy.. He loves to chill at waters edge and look for fish. Pretty cool little dude. Jason had rigged a couple of poles so I grabbed the spinner and started casting. Laura was skippering the boat and would position us just so and then we'd cast in between moored boats. Jason got hit right away and pulled up a pretty good size fish. They were all bass and they were hitting pretty regularly. That lake is full of the things. We stayed out well after sunset and took the scenic cruise. One house in particular looked like someone had bought at least two lots, bulldozed everything and built a waterfront corner mansion on the property. Gorgeous!!! No flash on my cell camera or I'd have posted a night shot of it. I'll take care of that next time out... I've included a shot of one of the little ones I pulled from the lake. I'm pretty sure I got 4 bass from the 15 or so casts. Plastic worm worked like a charm. The photo inset in this section is our most gracious host and skipper. Capt. Laura Stern... she's the sweetest thing and can drive a boat. Who could ask for more?




Jason with Moby Dick....

Back to the dock and in for dinner. I didn't know we were gonna eat but Laura had whipped up some pasta and salad for us. It was delicious and went down pretty quickly. Got to meet her Mom too. Really nice gal. Very upbeat and jovial. Except when I tried to do the dishes! She wasn't having any of that! Hope to visit with her again sometime. Laura and Mom whipped up some coffee and Bailey's for us too. That really hit the spot. All in all a wonderful Sunday. Great food, great people...
Who could ask for more?

-Scott

Heck, the place is almost finished...

Remember way back when I posted the pics of the Mikkelsen demolition? After numersous expenditures and quite a bit of elbow grease by way of Lon, the remodel is coming together quite nicely. The hardwood floors are killer and the kitchen is nuts cool. Huge island area that could probably sleep two comfortably. Super sweet cabinets with drawer sliders that prohibit slamming. You can shove 'em really hard and they stop at about 2" and then just slide shut ever so gently. Here's some before and after shots...
We'll start with a shot from Thanksgiving that gives you an idea of what the kitchen looked like prior to demolition.


November, 2005

Lon started tearing the place apart right around Xmas.. What a mess!





Looks like the Incredible Hulk was visiting huh?



Tooks these shots just the other day.. 3/7/2007... What a difference eh?



The kitchen in all it's glory...



The sitting room and/or family area...



And lastly the reworked hardwood staircase...

Quite the upgrade wouldn't you say??? All that's really left is to fasten a fixture or two here and there.. Doorknobs etc. Sweet...

-Scott

Oh Yeah . . .

And the reason I'm sitting is because Mike and Paddy are roughing it out on Kauai... Life's a bitch eh? Here's a typical sunrise taken from the beach. Just outside their room...




Sheesh again!

-Scott

Elvis's disdain ...

Sitting over at the Mikkelsen residence again. Lots of laundry, TV and sandwiches...
Had to bring the camera this time around much to the chagrin of Elvis who's soooo over getting his picture taken... click the pic for full size...


Sheesh!!!

-Scott

Sunny and Warm Sierra Vista, Arizona...

Remember one of my first entries on this blog way back when? That's right, it was all about the road trip Mike, Erik and I took out to his sisters place in Sierra Vista, Arizona. We visited Tombstone and Bisbee and we picked what we thought was just the right time of year as the temperatures were mild and the sunsets just beautiful. Here's a couple of shots that Mona took earlier this month... Not exactly how you would picture the old west eh?

Hope the horses and hounds are coping with it okay..

So much for the rattlesnake threat...


The front of the house from the driveway


The Birdbath...er skating rink..

Phil, does this look all too familiar?

-Scott

Sunday...

God I hate doing laundry. Well, at least there's plenty of football on the tube to get me through it. Sorry about Dallas Lisa! Little sore this morning as I spent the afternoon with Jason on the roof over at the Bowl. We ran some pipe to feed gas to the HVAC unit that feeds one of the rooms. Don't know if I'll ever get my hands clean again. Got a late start so as I was waiting I broke out the tools and installed the Delta truckbox I purchased and the retracting bed hooks. It'll be nice not to have to run over to the storage unit everytime I need a pair of pliers or something. Going to try to find some carpet tiles or the like to pad some of the surface area. Figure it might cut down on vibration and keep the tools from sliding around in the box whilst I'm driving. Pretty happy with the installation so far.

Check it out...






Sweeeet !!!


-Scott

Flashback...

Here's a little pic from 1955.. 3 years before I was even here on the earth..

It's the assembled Crew MA-8 from the U.S. Navy..


Can you pick out my Dad?



If you need a little help, here's a solo shot of him in his whites...



Gee, we don't look TOO much alike, eh?

Christmas has come and gone now we're getting ready for the new year.. Have some great shots of Sharen and Toni's place under 2 feet of snow just don't have access to them while I'm dog/house sitting... Hopefully I'll have them up by weeks end..

-Scott

Doyle in Dana Point Tonight ...

The fingerstyle master returns... Woot!

First'timers Winnie Sille, Lisa Kindsfather and Pat Johnson all get to finally see him live...

I can't wait!!!


Fingerstyle Virtuoso Doyle Dykes

-Scott

Post Show Follow Up...

What can you say but, Wow! He was awesome as was expected. Haley was in fine form as well. Changed it up a bit this time and we actually witnessed "Knebworth Dream" live. Have no idea how one goes about writing stuff like that. Just beautiful. First timers Winnie, Lisa and Pat were blown away by Doyle's skills and Haley's voice. Picked up some swag too and got autographs. Check it...



Click on pic for larger image


I could brag and tell everyone that Haley asked me for my phone #... but then I'd have to confess that it was required on the credit card form ...

Definitely go see this guy play if he's ever in your area.

-Scott

Road Trip ...

Got up bright and early Saturday morning and hit the road out of town. I had planned earlier in the week to visit my friend Denny Self who has recently relocated to the getaway destination of Salton City, California. For those unfamiliar with the area it’s a little south of Indio. Great big lake with a recreation area and miles of undeveloped desert lands. Pretty desolate but with little communities surrounding it. Sounded like a good opportunity to get out of the city for a day. That and the fact that Denny and his hound Junior are somewhat new to the area and are still getting acclimated. I figured he could stand a familiar face around the place for a day. Being the handy guy that he is he hooked up with a friend of one of his son’s who had a place out there that needed some work. Well, “some” is a relative term and being as the property is more of getaway residence than permanent. It’s in a stage of disrepair and neglect. Additionally since there are only a few permanent residents in the park and it butts up to the desert area, some folks have a tendency to borrow things from the site. The side door entrance to the mobile home for instance. He’s been there a couple of weeks now and has managed to clear almost all of the dead brush from the lot (3/4 acre or so) and has the home in livable condition. Once he gets his tools down there he can get crackin’ on the outside of the home and maybe even do a little landscaping. The lot is prime for a modular home. Salton Sea Beach has quite a few properties closer to the shore that are run down and even some that are burned out. I’m sure there’s a story surrounding that section of the park but I’ll let Denny figure it out through the local network and I’m sure he’ll tell me about another time. May have something to do with the “weekenders” that go out there to ride their bikes, quads and sandrails around the desert. Saw some really nice buggies out there Saturday. Quite a few parasail rigs further down by the boat launching area as well. I saw as many as 6 all up at one time. If that keeps up they’ll be needing and air traffic control center before long.

Truck ran great all the way to and from with no issues whatsoever. Part of the reason for my excursion was to deliver some supplies that had been gathered for Denny by Phyllis and Anton. They’re friends of ours from Lake Forest Lanes. Denny is going to be the live in handyman as it were for the next year or two while he’s whipping the place into shape and until all the utilities and such are up to snuff it’s going to be a somewhat bohemian existence. So Phyllis and Anton were kind enough the throw together a few staples and I ran them out there. Can’t thank them enough for this kind gesture. I’m pretty sure I arrived at about 8:30 or 9am and started unloading the truck. Denny greeted me and lugged the boxes inside. Just sat and chatted for a bit until I could coax him to start opening the boxes. I was probably more excited than him. Felt like Christmas morning to me and couldn’t wait to see his reaction(s) even though I had no clue at all what the contents were. I won’t go into detail as to the contents but will say that he was flabbergasted by Phyllis and Anton’s generosity. He should be set up for months to come.
I think I’m going to get him a wristwatch and maybe some waffle knit shirts or something for the upcoming cold season. I hear it can get pretty nasty out there. He should be okay though as Phyllis and Anton (hereafter referred to as P&A) hooked him up with a nice 20 degree rated sleeping bag. Heck, I use one here in the city when it’s gets colder. I love sleeping in that thing.


"Hey, I know that van!"

We spent the morning at the Lion’s Den in the park. A little Bar & Grill that the locals run. Great burger and I polished one off along with a beer or two. Met the staff, Darren the day manager and Lindsay our server and just kinda took in the place. Interesting décor. From there we headed south on highway 86 and just cruised some of the more populated areas. Spotted another little pub down the way and decided to check it out as I spied a satellite dish on the roof. Good call as the USC game was on the big screen. I was afraid Denny was going to get shut out on seeing his Trojans. We stayed there for the second half and met some of the staff there as well. Most everyone in the area are pretty nice folks and very hospitable.


"Flying Deskfan"


"Sandrail parked at Capt. Jim's"


"Wide open spaces off of the 86 South?

Denny appears to be networking and getting to know people in the neighborhood just fine. Once his tools are in place I’m sure he will be able to pick up side jobs in and around the park and he’ll always have the current digs to work on. Given his talents in cabinet making and general skills as a craftsman, and given the time and funding I’m sure he can transform the lot into a little oasis. I’ll keep writing him and checking up on him from time to time and I’m sure I’ll get a phone call if anything really exciting happens out there. God help us if they erect a bowling center out there!


"Nice side project for Denny"

In closing I’d like to state that Mr. Self was and is deeply moved by the support from the Lake Forest contingency and in particular his special benefactors P&A. ( I knew I’d get that abbreviation in there!)

That’s it for now all. Back to the grind tomorrow. I have a hankering to live on a ranch now.

-Scott