Happy Birthday Crystal - 27 big ONES !!!

End of another great day in SD

All day Friday it rained and rained, then all of a sudden the sun appeared!! (I'm thinking we need to get on the WATER--- NOW!)

This is Crystal with her early Bday cake. Liz the cake baker. Coleen and Curt Ehresmann (Karls great family). We were at Jenkins visiting Coleen to find out why she likes to break things, her bones for instance...

Got the boat on the lift and ready...

Had a campfire tonight. Not enough wind to sail so we sat around the camfiire and talked about whatever!!! It was a great time and prelude to Memorial Day. That is Rocco snozzing, and oh ya Karl and Crystal.

I wonder if she can actually tell them apart or does she just do a HEAD count every now and then???

Hen mallard and looks like 11 ducklings

The black floatation cubes on the bottom will come off once we get it in place.

Now that we have so much water, I need to get this bridge DONE!! If you click on this pic, you can see it is built "over" a 16' section of aluminum dock. Over all it will span 24' and we HOPE it is strong enough to support the mower and also stay in place when we get spring run off.

This is literally this young Black Birds first look at the world from its birthplace. It doesn't know (or care) that it was hatched in a Wood Duck house or that the guy with the camera is who its mother was warning about.

You have to make a decision, now go for it... (digital 'tricks' brought to you by Crystal)

I need your input... We are trying to rename this sailboat. Please comment for this one or the one above. Thank you

5 fuzz balls following the dad

At first glance "Mother Goose" appears to 'duck' (NPI) so as to show off her gosslings... The truth is she is very upset that I am getting so close and this is her ATTACK posture!!!

Liz did you notice the weeping willow...

Crystal, Liz, Vivian together for Mothers Day

Things are starting to come alive in the yard

Finally had a chance to try the Columbia 26 and YES on Lake Pelican. The water is up almost a foot so the time was right. Been waiting since last September. Liz knew I was determined to try it out last Saturday since I had been working on it for a few days. The conditions got perfect about 4PM and we hauled it over to the State Park landing. After putting up the mast, we backed down the ramp and I put the Tundra in the water farther than it is supposed to go. (I'm sure!!!) The boat had to be pushed off, but we were determined to sail it-- RIGHT!!! Since the wind had began to come up again (higher than I like) we motored over to a sheltered area, dropped anchor, and put up the sails. NOW I AM PUMPED!!! We sailed and sailed for almost 3 hours on Pelican, one end of the lake to the other. If I only get one chance to sail that boat, I will be totally happy.

We had one of our best times EVER sailing... right here at HOME. Trying to get off the lake was a different story. Although the wind went down, trying to get it back on the trailer was a real struggle. I had to (again) back way deep into the lake to get the trailer under the boat. We worked it out, but we will probably try Kampeska next time.

Great Egret doing some fishing in the inlet.

First goslings we have seen in the yard this year. These are probably 7 to 10 days old. I will try to keep track of them... they grow really fast ( if they aren't sleeping they are EATING)

She just can't pass up a chance to plant another TREE !!!!

Bloodroot just waking up in the AM

Bloodroot bloom in the afternoon

First boat to get untarped this spring was the "puddle jumper". Used it this afternoon to pull a load of carp (winter kill) up the inlet to their new HOME .... OHHHHH they were getting ripe!!

Cousins... Dave Hurlbut, Bob and Alan Hurlbut. Had a rare chance to be together and talk about the good times PAST. We lived just across the street from each other for awhile growing up and kept the neighbors entertained I'm sure. I hope to do this more often with these two, we really had a good time.

Mother Nature is much like "ANOTHER" woman I know.

Is what they are going to do ever really PREDICTABLE????

Always a great time when this group gets together.

Easter Dinner with Ehresmann's, Ehresmann's, and Larson's

Crystal & Karl came here early to make this arrange-ment happen.....

when the guests arrive, I will "post" them in their chairs

Last hurrah..... we hope

These two think it's spring---

now how about MOTHER NATURE!!!

Pheasant eyes CRABAPPLES

WHAT?!?!?!? Opossum's don't like pheasant??

Opossum eyes PHEASANT

Made a pretty WIDE mouth out of the channel

Won't have to mow here for awhile

Out of its banks

Here comes the water...

Interesting story at this link about a sailboat delivery that went BAD!!
http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=28269

THIS IS JOSIE (and friends)

SHE ALWAYS CLOSES HER EYES WHEN SHE THINKS OF THE NUMBER "6''

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY JOSIE

Happy Birthday Jan

"ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM"???

NOT YET! BUT WHAT IS THAT JUST OUTSIDE THE WINDOW APPARENTLY EATING SOME OF LIZ's PLANTS...

GLAD I TOOK THE FISH SHACK OFF THE LAKE A FEW DAYS EARLY...

THIS WILL BE NICE FOR THE LAKE LEVEL, HOPEFULLY IT IS NOT A FAST MELT LIKE IN '97 WHEN THE WATER GOT WITHIN 8' OF THE HOUSE .

SURE ENOUGH--- AS SOON AS WE GOT THIS PATH CUT, LIZ HEADS TO TOWN FOR MORE "PROVISIONS"...

We got snow!!!!

Almost 27"