Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY has arrived and I am busy working on the short honey do list here at the cabin. Tomorrow I head down to the big city for my first treatment and I have no idea how that is going to work out so I am working on the do list. Weather is cooperating as it is forty-one out and things are melting. Have spent time with the ice chisel cleaning off the deck and I really should go into town and wash the Tahoe. It is about as dirty as I have seen it in a long time. Duncan has been with me most of the time as the last few weeks he has really been hanging around me a lot. In all the busy that has been going around I failed to write anything about his 60 month birthday!

Duncan should be in his prime now and he is still playing the part of a puppy when he wants attention. He has gone from the hiding behind me stage when someone comes over to the bark and stands bravely next to me stage to the now stand in front of me and the "I got this boss stage" when someone comes to the door. After inspecting everyone he will give the OK and let them come into the cabin but no one gets to sit right next to me on the couch but him. He also has gone from sleeping at the end of the bed to trying to take my pillow from me now. Of course the old dogs did the same thing and it is nice waking up and having those eyes of his looking right back into mine. I still miss Buddy and Barney every day but he, Duncan is doing his best to fill the void. Matter of fact I just moved the doggie stairs away from the bed that the old dogs used because Duncan pretty much just steps right into bed with just a little hop.

I put together a seed order and that should be arriving here soon, will be time to start some in the trays. Going to expand my gutter garden system this year and I think do away with planting tatters in the ground. I am going to try growing some tatters in containers though. The space for tatters will now house a watermelon patch as I am going to erect a low ground greenhouse/hothouse and once again try and grow me some watermelon. Some tobacco will be planted but I think only the type used for cigar leaf. I am not going to plant many but just enough to give me another different age leaf for wrappers. My leaf that I am curing is still not ready to smoke but I keep rotating and airing it out every couple of weeks. I am hoping by mid summer I will start rolling cigars and will give them to my neighbor Elmer to try and see what color his face turns.

Summer fishing is in the air, don't know if I will be able to go out by myself or if I am going to have to plan my fishing days with a partner. I may have to start taking the wife fishing with me I kind of asked her and she didn't say yes but she didn't say no either. My fishing calendar has some days marked off but they are all in pencil so they can be changed. The daughter will go for sure but she only has so many days off in the summer and she does have things she wants to do. Depending on how I feel I may be making a lot of short trips or I just might be watching a bobber off the dock a lot. I don't think I am going to get the old rowboat that cleaning and coat of paint like I had planned. But then again I just might feel good enough to stick to my list. This is after all Lake Iwanttobethere and things happen here that don't happen anywhere else. Like maybe Denver winning the Super Bowl! Enjoy the game I will here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

[Bobby Bass]

BEING SICK CAN sure take up a lot of your time. Monday I had my first chemo treatment and the day was spent waiting in waiting rooms for doctors who were running late and lab reports. I got a rundown of side effects from the doctor then a more tailored one from my nurse. She was a better resource as she knew what the drugs I am taking were going to do. I got a mess of steroids which she told me may give me some insomnia, she was right! I finally fell asleep at 6 am Tuesday morning and only slept for five hours. Gives a guy a lot of time to think when you are laying in bed with your dog looking at the ceiling.

So if my Honey Do List is not long enough I thought up a bunch more things to add on to it. Yesterday afternoon I was feeling pretty good so I went down to see Big Earl at the General Store and I had my list with me. I filled the cart with light bulbs and dog food, dog bones a replacement handle for the toilet which I had noticed a crack in and I know will break anytime now. Shopping at Ma and Pa's Grocery where Pa said he can set my up with some baby steaks and promised they would not be scrap cuttings. He was going to cut me up some nice thick slices of bologna but I told him that is not on my list so instead he carved me up some turkey.

Went to see Burt and Bart at the barbershop and got a buzz cut, good chance I am going to be losing some hair so I would rather have it be small pieces then long. Didn't get my beard trim as for some reason that is not affected. Burt cut my hair and for the first time ever he said it "Was on the house" I still gave him a tip and made him take it. Walked outside and my head froze, must remember to bring a hat along now. This morning I had yet another test to go to and when I left the cabin and I had the hat pulled down low but it was cold enough I could feel my beard freeze on the walk to the Tahoe.

Sitting here now catching up on e-mail and answering the phone. Most of the calls are actually for me and not for the wife which is strange. Late this afternoon I am going to go do a house inspection for my daughter and her husband who are looking at a place closer to us here at the lake. Been awhile since I have done one and it will not be an official one but will be more of a walk through to see if I notice anything that will flag the house. I don't like doing them in the winter as you can't really check the roofs out and the grounds but It is on paper a pretty good deal and there ready to move out of the tiny house they are in now. I am also hoping they are going to get it as I will be able to dump a lot of stuff I have and will no longer be needing. Would rather keep stuff in the family then selling it to strangers or worse yet just giving it away.

A lot of other stuff going on but I have this do list in front of me that needs to be attended to while I am feeling good. Tomorrow is another session and I am planning on expecting some down time. DOC tells me I should stay as active as I can be and when I told him I write a blog he told me to make sure I stay on top of it. Good for me to keep my mind working and good to not drop any hobbies matter of fact he told me I should try and find even more ways to be active. I told him he needs to find out what is going on here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

SO I WAS running this morning I had the song Sprit in the Sky by Norman Greebaum stuck in my head. It was warm out and I was running into a slight breeze, I am sure it was a breeze because I don't think I can run that fast to make the air feel like it is moving past me. Other then the sound of a guitar in my ears it was quiet out, could not even hear the sound of my shoes slapping on the damp black asphalt. I was moving right along as the white painted strips on the road were going by quick under my feet. A puddle of water ahead and I just gave a little extra push and I sailed over the top dry to continue running on the other side. Shortcut ahead and I jumped the ditch and hit the grass avoiding a log and a couple of rocks and was back in rhythm again just running.

I felt good, no one else out and I was running, arms pumping as I came around the corner to the small hill that I know leads to a long path back home. Almost around the corner I get a stitch in my side but I run through it and then I am on cruise. Going down hill stretching it out feeling good, sucking in sweet tasting air and seeing the finish line just ahead. Not really a line just a short pine tree that I sprint to and as I pass I ease up and coast to a stop. Hands on knees I look back at where I came from and smile. Sure does feel good to have a good dream to wake up from.

I laid in bed and listen to the last few lines of Sprit in the Sky playing on the radio. Duncan was on his side laying next to my side and we looked at each other before I gave in first and patted him on the side. Put my feet on the floor and got out of bed slowly, these days it  is a common practice as I don't know how I am going to feel. A minute later and I declare this day to be a good day as I made my way to the bathroom and was not sore at all, put a smile on my face as I have a lot that needs to get done today.

Before I forget I open up the laptop and I wrote down a few lines about my dream, Been a long time since I have done any running especially running hard long and fast. Had to write it down before I forgot the feeling. So the day begins, I didn't want to look at the thermometer but I kind of had to when I let Duncan outside. Minus 10 so I stood by the door and waiting for him, he was done with his business quickly. No sooner did I close the door then the phone rang, the first of several calls already this morning. The word was out, I have Girl Scout cookies. The fishing granddaughter is also a girl scout and last night I picked up a mess of cookies to bring back to the cabin here. Later today she is going to come over and we are going to make the round delivering. Some cookies were delivered last night and the word got out that I have cookies here so now the phone is ringing with offers to come to me to get their cookies. I don't have a problem with that at all as I watch the sun get higher in the sky but the thermometer is taking its time going anywhere.

I am not in inventory control but my rough count shows we have about three hundred boxes of cookies in the hallway here. I will be keeping an eye on the thin mints and peanut butter ones to make sure I get mine. Of course several of the orders are not boxes but cases of the cookies. Coffee pot is on and I expect it will be refilled several times during the day as friends and relatives stop by to get cookies and chat. Later this afternoon my daughter told me she will come by with the cookies for the guys at the RESORT and the Lodge here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

BACK IN THE day before radio I was told by my late grandfather that they would sit around the camp fire and tell stories of their parents or friends or once in a while the crazy uncle. Now I was pretty young then and I think we did have a radio but grandpa would just say that we didn't. Grandpa was a story teller and he could spin a yarn or two, I wish I had listen to then better so I could retell them here. Most of them were about things I didn't not have a clue about. Grandma and grandpa lived in a walk up apartment that had several flights of stairs before you got to the hallway that went down the length of a magazine warehouse. It was a great place to be a little kid as on the same floor as my grandparent's apartment was also where they stored magazine and paperback book racks. The racks were kept in cardboard boxes and the warehouse was like a giant tetris game. Here is where my brother and I built forts with sliding cardboard walls and secret doors. Thinking back we were like rats in a maze.

I don't know why I am thinking about this now maybe because I am thinking that I should some how leave the story here for my own kids and grand kids to read about. Maybe grandpa had a pretty good idea there about turning the radio off and just telling stories. I remember he always seem to just wear a white tee shirt with suspenders and in his hand there would be a hand rolled cigarette that he would let the ash burn long before flicking it in a small glass ashtray. From time to time he would sip on a short beer in a short glass and he would cross his legs and he had on these huge leather work boots. I remember his clothes but not his face, just that he had stubble on it but I don't think shaving was a real priority with him. Grandma was a mound of white hair and a house dress always brings cookies or rolls to the table where me and my brother would sit and listen to stories not really trying to remember them being more interested in the cookies and rolls.

The apartment was huge and the dinning room was like a great room. On the wall hung a picture, well not a picture it was more like giant painting. It was bigger then I could spread my arms wide and even higher. It was a painting of huge trees in a woods and in the center was a mounted Mountie on horseback. I remember that because the rider was huge and many a story was told about the picture but I don't remember. I think my grandpa or his pa had something to do with the picture and I wish I could remember, I bet it would have made good story to tell here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

SPENT A GOOD portion of the day just dozing. Got to take advantage of when I can sleep as Mondays are not good days for me. Grand daughter was here and the last of her girl scout cookies were picked up and then she had to leave for her cross county ski lessons. As luck would have it no sooner did she leave then a light snow stared to fall. Just a few flakes here and there but as the afternoon went on they covered the cleared deck to a depth of perhaps an inch or so. When evening rolled around the son in law was over with the dogs. Tonight they are heading out on vacation to Missouri where we have some relatives. They will be spending a week down there and we checked the weather and they are going to go from the snow of here to temperatures maybe as high as sixty, I would have like to gone with.

The black lab and the Austrian shepherd said good-bye to their owners and made themselves comfortable here. The shepherd up on the couch and the lab tucked into the corner on his bed. Duncan just looked on and gave me the "House guest look" of his and climbed under my desk to lay at my feet. The wife was gone as the two young grandsons took her out to dinner which left me home to take another nap. Ever notice that it is hit or miss when you get on the Internet? There are days when I can spend the entire afternoon finding things to read or going on the boards and typing away and then like today it is just quiet, at least for me.

A little while ago the wife came home with a smile on her face and complements for the grandsons who were perfect gentlemen on their dinner date. I kind of poked around for some leftovers in a doggie bag but there were none. I got a call from the Lodge that Lenny was looking for his girl scout cookies and he asked if I was still delivering, I had nothing better to do so I told him to hang tight and I would run them over. They were the last ones I had here so it was all the excuse I needed to get out. I left the dogs home and told the wife I would be back shortly and she questioned me if I should be out driving, told her I needed the air and she told me if I felt that good I could just as easy go shovel. I declined.

Just enough snow had fallen and it was the light stuff, I started the Tahoe and backed out and turned the wipers on to take the snow off the windshield and deposit it on the drive not in my parking space. Slipped it into four wheel drive and headed down the drive. Made the turn on the road that takes me to the Lodge and took it out of four wheel drive and started drifting around the bends on the new snow. No other tracks and the woods were dark with just the light from my headlights reflecting off the new snow. Not driving reckless but driving with control I let the back end of the Tahoe break loose in the corners before giving a little gas and straightening out, Like a skier going down the hill I worked my way through the gates to town. Sometimes simple things like driving in snow can be so much fun. I dropped the cookies off and headed back to the cabin about half way there I came up on tail lights gliding around the turns and I followed at a distance behind. A little more snow was falling and the wipers were on but it was as much fun going back home as it was coming into town. I watched as the lights blinked out in front of me and as I turned to go up my drive I saw Elmer was walking away from his truck in his drive. We had both just gone out for a drive on a snowy night here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

For a change some good news! After the first week of treatment I improved some of my blood work tests and got approved for monetary help for the very expensive drug.treatment. In a few days I am going to go on a aggressive blood treatment where they are going to in four sessions withdraw all my blood and spin out the plasma, replace the plasma then put it back in. This should remove all the current floating loose chains in my blood and give me a quick shot of help for my kidneys. Will also during this time continue my Chemo but I should feel better. If I was a car it would be like getting an oil change and trannie flush. Steroids today so I will be up all night, doing a lot of reading and cruising the web..

[Bobby Bass]

THREE IN THE morning and the dogs are up, well so am I. Guess they decided that something must be going on if I am still up so they are in the den here scattered around at my feet. Got a heater on pointing at my desk but most of the heat is being blocked by the dogs. I am about done for now watching streaming TV so I thought I would write a little. With any luck I will bore myself and go to sleep. Usually when I write these kind of stories they just become random thoughts as I don't really have a story to tell but just end up writing abut things I have noticed in the past few days.

Having spent a lot of time in waiting rooms these past few weeks I am starting to notice the same people and I am striking up some conversations. There is an old guy today who was telling me some of his stories about living in Alaska, I had to go get my treatment but I will be looking forward to seeing him again and see if I can prod some stories from him. I also notice that the older ladies who come stake out their space. Most of the chairs are set in threes and the older ladies come in and sit in the center chair, rest their purse on the right chair and their coat on the left. And then just glare at you when you stand looking for a place to sit. Younger people sit anywhere and have their lap tops in their laps and ignore everyone around them.

This evening I did go into town and did a little shopping, was feeling a little off but I needed to pick up a few things so I went out. I stopped at the local Al-mart store and I pushed a cart around taking my time. I must admit I spent a little time in sporting goods not because I needed anything but I was just looking. It was there that I heard a lady calling out Marco and from around the store I heard the answer of Polo. Not doing anything I started looking for Polo but each time the lady called out Marco, the Pole answer was in a difference voice and it came from a different section. A few minutes in I finally asked the lady about it and she told me she really does have a son named Marco but people keep calling Polo back to her. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away with a smile on my face.

Back in the waiting room, I did have a chuckle the other day that I forgot to mention. I sat next to a guy who told me that he has a plan for when he dies. Not really knowing how to react I just nodded my head and he took that as a go ahead and he told me that his wife is planning on cremating him, his plan is to eat a lot of unpopped popcorn kernels so he will go out with a bang! I chuckled and took an instant liking to him, I see him on Thursdays. I told him my plan is to have a bunch of young guys carry my casket with instructions to run me out to the hearse when the ceremony is all done. You see I want to just run one last time! He approved and we toasted each other with our apple juice in our paper cups.


Boat Show this week and I was kind of planning to go but now my fishing granddaughter is on vacation and gone. I may or may not go now as I really don't have anything to buy and was just going to see the granddaughter fish the trout tank and watch the squirrel water ski. Who knows maybe I will get Elmer to go, we both walk at about the same speed now here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

SUN IS GOING down here at Hidden Bay here on Lake Iwanttobethere. I have some Johnny Cash playing softly in the background just loudly enough that I can barely hear it over the sound of the keys on the keyboard as I write this. I pause and listen some. I have my Pandora radio playing Neal Young’s station and Johnny Cash songs slide into the rotation from time to time. Duncan is under the desk his head resting on my foot and a paw on the other foot. I reach down and pet him behind the ears letting him know I know that he is there. Sometimes he will give me that little sigh of his as he blows air out and continues to sleep knowing I am close.

　

I miss the old dogs but I am o so happy that Duncan is here, I really do need a buddy and having him always close by is not a bother at all, even if he is a bed hog he is my bed hog. Soon we will I hope be taking more rides together as the weather gets warmer and I get to feel better. Seems I am always telling him he can not go with me when I go to the store or make the trips into the big city for all the doctor appointments. If I could I bet he would make a lot of new friends. He is busy this week as the city dogs are here while the daughter is on vacation. He has been a good boy not picking on the old lab and not terrorizing the young female Austrian shepherd too much. I wish I could say that for the shepherd as she has been chasing the tom cats every chance she gets. That is until the big tom had enough of her this morning and came down stairs sat in front of the shepherd and raised his right paw and flashed his claws and gave the dog a cat warning. City dog is smart enough to sit back and took the warning.

　

Going to cool down some but then it will warm up, pretty atypical for this time of the winter. Neighbor Chuck is looking forward to the warm up as he has to do brakes on his truck and replace the exhaust. I am looking for a warn day also has I have not gotten around to taking the door panel off the Tahoe passenger side and fixing what I think is a broken or lose linkage that controls the door handle. Lately when I have been driving with a passenger I either have to play chauffeur and come around and open the door for them or just have them sit in the back seat and play driving Miss Daisy. Funny thing there is the door handle broke when my mother in law was riding with me. Not the first time as she has a habit of slamming seat belts in the door jams and screwing them up.

 

Duncan took the city dogs with him down to greet Mark the mailman for the mail today, Mark had some second thoughts when all three dogs come down to greet him. Duncan brought the mail up and besides the bills he brought me a couple of fishing sale catalogs, some light reading for later. I did plant some onion seeds today inside, they won’t go into the garden till the middle of summer and I hope the ones I planted last summer will winter over and give me a head start on this year's crops of onions. Should be time here to start planting tobacco but I am debating what or if I will plant this season. Winter marches on, snow is not going down any in the yard and I have not seen a deer in several weeks. Crows are scarce to and not a single bunny track. A week of sunshine I am sure would sure change everything but March is coming and with it snow should fall to bury everything again. The wife has agreed to do some fishing with me so I do have some tackle shopping to do, she will need a reel as hers are long gone, either broken or lost by the kids as they used them or borrowed them out to their friends to go fishing. It will have to be a spincast as no way will I offer her the chance to destroy one of my bait caster and she can’t figure out a spinning reel. Never a dull moment here at Lake Iwanttobethere
105873   87<><

[Bobby Bass]

Unexpected  four day stay in hospital and no one missed the lake? 

[Bobby Bass]

THAT GUY, I am that guy! I went back to the hospital on Friday for my last plasma washing that went off without a hitch. Since my sessions were done they pulled out the chest tube, applied pressure and a bandage and I was allowed to leave. Ten minutes later I am at the emergency entrance waiting for my wife to bring the truck around and I reach down and find myself wet on my side. My pressure bandage had not held and I was bleeding, a lot of excitement there for a few minutes as I yelled for some help and several nurses came to bring me to the emergency room. I held my hand to my chest as blood poured out around my fingers and we got me to a room and some gloved up nurses. I ended up spending another day in the hospital as they had to give me a transfusion of two units of blood to get me good to go home again. This is the short version I don't think I am going to write a long version of this story, but it was finally nice to get rather then receive blood for a change... Just saying I am that guy when this kind of stuff seems to happen.

[Bobby Bass]

No longer an active member of this site, Lake Iwanttobethere stories are still being written but are no longer posted here.

[Bobby Bass]

After a month of no posting we are back, here are a couple of stories to help catch you up..

[Bobby Bass]

GOOD NEWS, BAD news It has been a couple of weeks since I have written but things have not been quiet here at Lake Iwanttobethere. I have spent most of my time in bed and for some reason my laptop will let me read what is going on but not let me post. I have in my mind written at least a dozen stories but they did not get posted. So here is some of the topics I did kind of write about and I will now show in a very very brief format.

　

About a month ago I started feeling a heaviness in my left leg and about two weeks later on a Friday night the entire leg blew up and I was off to the hospital. Long story short I had developed a deep blood clot in my left thigh which kept be in the hospital for three days till I could adjust to a blood thinner. I will now be on a blood thinner for at least the next 90 days. It took me another week to find a pain killer that will let me tolerate the constant 24/7 pain from the clot. The pain feels like someone hit my thigh with a sledge hammer and it does not go away. Stairs are almost impossible to do by myself so add that to something caused by a side effect.

　

Good news is my kidney function has returned to almost normal and with it my blood pressure has returned as well as my heart beat has risen. This means the lightheadedness and dizzy spells have gone away ! Matter of fact I may even have to go back on pressure med to keep them in the normal range. My favorite fishing daughter has joined me as she had an mri done on her ankle and is now sporting a cast. The two of us now spent Friday nights together with our crutches and me with my walker having the wife wait on us.

　

Smelt season has come and gone and I never did get to make it down to the fry tent in the parking lot, although Elmer did bring me a foam plate of them which went down pretty easy.

　

Fishing season has of course started and I will no longer have a need for the countdown unless I start one for me and when I will wet a line. A couple of yeas ago my neighbor Chuck and his wife got rid of their horses and even though there was talk of adding some beef to the fenced in pasture nothing happen till now. No beef but Chuck is about halfway done putting in a three hole par there golf course. The trail has been widen from my place to his as he uses his lawn mower to ride the course and mow the fairways as he goes. I can of course use my mower to do the same thing once I can stand up and swing a club.

Crazy weather the other ay as we hit 94 in the shade and then the thunderstorms came through dropping the temp 30 degrees in an hour. Today finds us in the fifties with a constant steady wind bending the trees. Not a good fishing day so I am not missing anything. Pain pills make me sleep a lot and I am OK with that, don’t hurt when I sleep and the next thing we are trying to cure is the tingle and numbness in my hands and feet. Makes it tuff to type and even holding a fork can be challenge. Holding on to the soap in the shower has been all but impossible. Told the wife to go to the General store and buy me some soap on the rope otherwise I am going to have to make my own! My to do list is usually about ten things long and if I get one thing done I am quite happy with myself. If I do three things I am doing to much and end up paying for it for a couple of days after. Today’s thing was to write a story to let you al know we are still here, still reading your stuff and hoping to read some good fish stories. This is the first time in forty years that I do not have rod sitting at the ready by the back door, feels really strange here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

YESTERDAY, ANOTHER RAIN day so it was not a fishing day so I have yet to lose a day. I should note here that I am referring to the far side of the lake where the season open last weekend. This side of the lake is still a few days away. I am moving around better and spending more time back in the den and surfing the web. I have noticed that when I leave the den chair and head to the living room that the old couch and chairs are not very comfortable. I broached the idea with the wife that perhaps it might be time to buy some new living room furniture and to my surprise the wife agreed it may be time. I started off with a nice overstuffed chair and perhaps a couch and she added a love seat to seal the deal and I surprised her by saying that was good with me as long as I got to pick the furniture. She agreed which surprised me! Got her back by in listing my oldest daughter who loves to shop and it didn't take much for the daughter to set a date to take me furniture shopping.

I got up this afternoon to the smell of baking cookies and I should have known something was up. Double batch of oatmeal raisin cookies were cooling on the racks and I had not even asked for them. Round three or so Elmer just happen to drop by and he had a plastic bag full of pie pans. I thought he had gone to the thrift shop only to find out he was cleaning house and all the pie pans were ours that he was returning. Around four or so there was a knock on the door and here standing in the rain was Burt from Burt and Barts Barbershop. Well I invited him in and he headed for the kitchen with a paper bag in hand. I was trying to renmber if we gave him pie in pans when instead he opened the bag to reveal his haircutting cape. He told me the wife said I needed a trim and didn't think I could get into his chair at the shop so he being a friend that just happens to be a barber came out to give me a trim at home. He then looked me over and said the wife was right, I needed a trim and then some.

Well, I sat down in the chair and did not protest too much, I could use a trim on the beard and I was not going to let the wife any where close. Another knock on the door and in comes DOC Buriem and Vic and right behind them was Chuck with a twelve pack of Hamms. Since I could not go to the barbershop it looks like the barbershop came to me. In no time the scissors were nipping away at my hair and small talk about the upcoming fishing season and small wagers over who was going to catch what were made. Hamms were cracked open and raisin oatmeal cookies eaten between sips of the beer. I did try a sip of beer and a cookie and I will tell you it is an acquired taste.

With cookies and beer gone the guys left and I was looking a little better. The wife cleaned up the hair from the floor and Duncan kind of gave me a second look to make sure I was who I was. It is still raining out so another day where fishing was not going to be happening on either side of Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

MYSTERY RIVER IS giving up fish to old guys and kids who ride their bikes to the shore and toss out into the water from shore. Not many boats working the river as with the season open everyone is fishing their favorite little lake. I spent the last week in the hospital once again and I am not going to spend the time writing about it as there are other things to write about. I am back at home and I am trying to get through another set back but it seems that is all I am doing. Before I went into the hospital I did go shopping with the two daughters and we did find a new couch and a new rocking recliner chair which I gave my stamp of approval on. The wife also gave me a thumbs up on my choice so last night I slept on the couch by choice, back felt better when I woke up on it then I went to sleep so I might have found my afternoon napping spot.

While I was in the hospital we did lose a pet. Smochie the Siamese cat got sick and died. More the wife's cat then mine but I did wake up this morning missing her chewing out her kids which she did on a regular basis every morning. I will have to add her name to the sign that rest at the edge of the pet cemetery we have here. Grass needs to get cut and I have a list of things that need to be done today. The three ten and eleven year old grand kids will be here this afternoon and they are willing to work so I am working on there own do list. Sunshine Ray is calling for thunderstorms tomorrow so the rain barrels need to be moved and lids screwed on. The three new raised beds I hope will be put in the garden and filled with dirt today and then the paths mulched. If this gets done then the butterfly garden will get planted out in front.

I am looking forward to sitting on the covered swing on the deck tomorrow and if it is a warm rain I might just stay out there all afternoon. Has to be better then sitting in a hospital room with no air movement. Of course I will be thinking of more jobs for the grand kids to do. Tobacco in the cabin was not watered so they died while I was away so no plants to plant this season. I really don't have the time to watch them so I will just plant more vegetables in the gutter gardens this season. The two daughters are going to buy me a cement mixer as my fathers day/756 birthday present, for those of you who keep track in years that is number 63. Today is my 755th birthday which is the one that I keep track of. The cement mixer will be used for remixing all the potting soil I made last season. About a 1000 pounds which is not something I want to do in a wheelbarrow. The grandkids should have fun doing it till it becomes work.

Well I have a ton of mail to go through and have to make my do list while keeping in mind that I have to work slow or get someone one else to do it for me. Sure wish I was fishing as the last week has been pretty decent weather wise here at Lake Iwanttobethere. When I do get fishing and I will I am going to take the time and enjoy every cast I make and every fish I catch will be a special one. This post is someone short but just wanted to let you know I am still around and there may be times when I can not post for a few days or several days. Life still goes on here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[corny13]

Glad to see you are hanging in there.  Hope you are feeling well enough soon to cast a few bass and ROCKBASs lures.

[Bobby Bass]

DRYING OUT HERE yesterday we got rained on pretty good as a big storm fell on the other side of Lake Iwanttobethere and the lake did act as a buffer but still we got pretty wet here. High winds blew here but from my vantage point on the deck it does not look like we lost any branches. Good thing the rain barrels were put out as they are over flowing and two of the three new garden beds are filled with dirt so they are ready to be planted in. This coming weekend I will get the last bed filled with dirt by the grand kids who have agreed to return even after the long weekend they had last weekend. I had made arrangements with Stan and Jean to stop by with their ice cream truck and as payment to the grand kids they got to pick anything they wanted from the truck. Amazing what a double cookie dough malt can do for a sore back.

Thursday was the wife and mine thirty-ninth wedding anniversary, we had a bbq here as I am not up to do much traveling other then going to doctors appointments but family and friends came over. I just held court on the deck and sampled food and chatted with people if they made it past Duncans approval. He was bribed quite easily with a chunk of cookie or some pats on the head. I was treated to a couple of fishing stories but I had nothing to offer in return. All I can do is look at the Puddle Humper still covered in her tarp and waiting patiently for me to get better.

This is my third attempted at writing a story as I got side tracked with some calls that I needed to answer. All three times I had to get on my computer and lost what I was writing. Time for a new computer I think, this one is nine years old and I spent more time fixing things on it then it is worth. Sunshine Ray was calling for it to warm up today but that has not happen. I am sitting here at the desk wearing shorts on his forecast but have a space heater pointed at me, go figure. I was just talking to my neighbor Chuck how I have missed all of spring this year. I sure hope that I don't do the same with summer. Spent a few days in the hospital which seems to be the normal thing for me every few weeks. Found out that I have a growth of my pituitary gland and will be going in for surgery here in a few weeks. Thought being that it may be the cause for a lot of the side effects that I am having. Just kind of a timing thing as they are finding more things wrong with me then right. Pretty much a no brainer to get it looked at and fixed but I am sure getting sick of being in the hospital and being called by my first name when I go through the door.

Son in law is enjoying working on the bridge over at Mystery River, He has more paid down time then working time and if he would stop setting himself on fire it would be a great job. They are burning off and replacing supports and he has lit his knee pads on fire a few time. No biggie he says till tells my daughter his wife that he needs to buy some new knee pads and shows her the holey burnt ones. Elmer and Vic are slaying the crappies on their new brush piles up at the RESORT and I may be borrowing tomatoes plants from Vic to plant in my own garden. Seems the wife forgot to water my seedlings and they don't look very good here. The wife is finding out just how much stuff I do around the cabin now that I am not doing the stuff around the cabin. Matter of fact the grass needs to be cut but I think I will have the grandkids do that, they might actually think it is fun using the riding mower here at Lake Iwanttobethere

109232

[Bobby Bass]

Glad to see you are hanging in there.  Hope you are feeling well enough soon to cast a few bass and ROCKBASs lures.

am looking forward to some fall fishing, hope to be well enough by then. if I get out earlier then that it will be a big plus

[Bobby Bass]

Finally a good day in store for us here at Lake Iwanttobehere, no rain forecasted and grandkids are coming over to plant, maybe. Will be outside working on projects which means the inside kitchen  floor will have to wait.Looking forward to a bbq and some deck time. Might even write a story to catch up on what is going on here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

THE UNDER TWO foot granddaughters are here at the cabin while there parents are out looking at some houses. Duncan is busy watching them so they don't get in trouble at least his version of trouble. He is right along side of them as they search through the toy box and empty the contents on the floor. Some rain falling here once again but most of it is staying to the West of us, the other day it was all streaming by on the East. Some may call us lucky I am just saying Lake Iwanttobethere is doing her best to keep us out of the mess. 

Lots of projects going on here at the cabin I started this story the other day but got sidetracked. The kitchen floor in the cabin got tore up yesterday as I was going to retile it but the wife decided to go ahead and start it without me. The oldest daughter and her husband somehow got convinced to help and it took them all day to pull the old tile off and remove the subfloor which was damaged. Buff the big tom cat had a problem as the tile was first removed leaving a very sticky surface behind. He made it half way across the floor where he got his paws stuck. The wife had to go and pry his paws off the floor and make sure he was not hurt. Today he is keeping his distance from the kitchen.

Does not much matter what the weather is as if it rains out like it is suppose to tomorrow. I have inside projects to supervisor or if it is nice out there is outside stuff to do. Going to fire up the BBQ here soon as it is turning into a nice evening here. Yesterday there was some commotion at my neighbors Chuck place as Echo the wonder dog is in the dog house. Chuck had added a small pen outside for the new batch of chicks he bought and Echo decide the chicks would be better off set free. She tore open the fencing and chased the chicks out of the pen into the open. Several crows spotted the chicks and flew off with five of them before Chuck could run the birds off. Tomorrow Chuck will be heading into town to see if he can find some replacement chicks. Needless to say Chuck is not to happy with Echo the wonder dog.

Also found out that a neighbor down the road has bought a bee hive, Was wondering why I an seeing so many bees around and now I have my answer. Of course there is a ton of wasps looking to see up nests to and I try to keep the wasp spray handy to get them before they get settled in. A couple of robins slipped past and established nests but their broods have already hatched and set sail. Now if we could just get the rabbits that are hiding in the bushes and are to quick for Duncan to catch. We may have to leave the gate open so Duncan can keep them out of the garden.

May is all but done and June is up, Did get grand kids to mow but this time of the year a week later and it needs to get mowed again. Might have worked them to hard last weekend as they were not to interested in coming over this weekend till we said we were going to BBQ and no work was going to be done. Going to rain tomorrow so the wife is planing on doing some more planting tonight in the big garden but I don't know if she will have enough time. Elmer and Vic have been fishing almost every night and they dropped off some walleye yesterday. The crappies they are keeping for themselves. Them old guys can really pack the fish away when they are hungry for them. Hope everyone had a good holiday and looking forward to seeing you here at Lake Iwanttobethere.                                                                                                                                109362

[Bobby Bass]

DUSK TWILIGHT, BLUE light, sunset they all appear at the same time here on Lake Iwanttobethere. Last night I was sitting on the deck when they arrived. Grand kids and parents had all gone home, school the next day for them and work for their parents. Some smoke was drifting up from the fire pit and I was down wind. Just enough to keep the skeeters away if there were any. The wife was letting me smoke a cigar but I had to wait till the kids were gone. She was inside washing dishes and putting away fixings from the BBQ. I sat on the swing and Duncan was perched up along side of me. I was watching what he was watching and I think he was watching what I was watching.

Son in law had tended the BBQ while the oldest son cooked on the fire pit. Ribs, burgers, polish and corn on the cob. Potatoes wrapped in tin foil and slit open to hide sweet onion and butter were turned and watched in the fire pit. Hot dogs speared on sticks and smores for desert along with carrot cake. Watermelon and a fruit bowl did not last long. Some of the kids went to the dock and fished a little, some small gills stole worms and made quick getaways. I made it down to the old bench where I used to spend time watching Barney fish from the dock and it brought back memories of the old dog. With everyone gone I sat on the deck and listen to sounds coming from across the lake.

Someone was mowing which is against the law here at Lake Iwanttobethere on weekends and holidays but with dusk arriving they too stopped and it was quiet unless you were listening for things.The sound of screen doors slamming shut could be heard and somewhere across the lake a lady was laughing loud and hard. Might have had one to many cocktails but she was pass the point of caring. There was also the sounds of missing, the redwing blackbirds had gone quiet and the sound of geese were faint. Frogs were heard and in the sky I watched along with Duncan as seagulls soared toward the lake only to reach the lake and rush back inshore. You could not hear their wing beats but they were working hard to get another ride before darkness arrived.

A couple of boats trolled pass the cabin and I waved and the passengers if they were looking in my direction waved back. Long lining daredevils I am guessing they passed by as they followed the weed line. I saw one guy get up and make a big deal of reeling in a fish then I could clearly hear him talking to his partner that he sure thought it was bigger then a hammer handle on the end of his line. It was brought into the pontoon and looked over, it still was a fish caught and then it was released with a splash back into the water and the lure slipped back overboard.

Darkness fell and lights on cabins went out and cars and trucks started up. You could hear them as they drove by my place heading back towards blacktop and homes in the city. It was a holiday after all and people had to go back home and back to work in the morning. I sat on my swing and watched and listened to the lake go quiet, me and my cigar my dog and a few snap and pops form my fire here at Lake Iwanttobethere   109451

[Bobby Bass]

WELL SUMMER IS here, maybe not on the calendar but after June first we count it as having started. I was in town today, ran some errands and made small talk as I sat in the Tahoe. The wife did all the driving and I did all the sitting. Grandsons will be here for the weekend so I have bunch of projects for them to do but I needed to pick up things. Garden is not all in but we will take care of that this weekend as long as the weather holds out. I think tomorrow is going to be a rain day so I will be working inside the cabin. Of course when I say I will be working it just means I will be directing traffic. Just a few more days of school and I will keep the grand kids busy if I can keep them coming over. Of course along with work they will be plenty of time to fish and swim off the dock.

My neighbor Chuck is working to get me out fishing, so much that he has dragged the pontoon boat down to the shore and has started to convert it back from the ice fishing shanty to a floating boat again. I have told him I really want to fish out of the Puddle Humper but it still sits quietly under its tarp in the boathouse waiting to be uncovered. It has been over two months since I developed the blood clot in my leg I am hoping anytime here it will finally go away and I will get the use of my leg back and with that I will be able to drive again and of course fish. Tomorrow if the rain stays away I am going to see if I can get up on the riding mower and cut some grass. Watching the wife mow is driving me nuts as she mows under the trees like she is using a vacuum cleaner, back and forth back and forth.

Normally by this time of the season I would have a few fish caught and would have visited a few of my spring honey holes, not this year though. Chuck has not been out fishing either, we have not really had very many nice evenings to go out fishing so we figured we have not missed out on to many chances. I think Elmer knows I have not been able to get down to the dock and pitch a sucker out as I did have the granddaughter check his bucket and there were no sucker minnows in it. I almost went to the Masterbaiters shop and bought some but I gave it a second thought as it has been awhile since I have had to buy my own.

Cabin should be busy with the grandsons here and am also watching the city dogs of the daughters. I think Duncan will be teaching the city dogs how to chase rabbits not catching mind you as the two in the garden have made him look pretty sad in his attempt to catch them. Lilacs are in full bloom and there are several vases in the cabin holding them. Apple tree in front of the cabin is in full bloom and it looks like it may be a good year for apples if the blossoms can just hang on a while longer. The neighbor's bees are showing up at my place as I noticed they have been banging against the glass of the windows, sometimes it almost sounds like hail hitting the glass. Yesterday I did come home and sat on the swing, the wife tossed a few covers on me and before you knew it I had polished off about a three hour nap. Felt good at the time but then I had a hard time going to sleep last night. Tonight I am watching a little basketball to make me sleepy here at Lake Iwanttobethere    109544

[Bobby Bass]

WHEN WILL WE get two nice days in a row? That is what the guys at the Lodge are betting on this week. Yesterday was decent out till out of no where a big time thunderstorm appeared. Hail, strong winds and rain fell like it had been dumped from a bucket. I was out in the yard and did not have time to make it to cover but we did have a tarp close at hand. We stood in the middle of the yard and the grand kids held onto the tarp and my head acted as the center pole of a makeshift teepee. We were at least kind of dry from the knees up, the rest of us got drenched.

The storm passed quickly but was followed with small showers but by then we had umbrellas at the ready. Most of the time was spent in the garden and we got a lot planted. Potato buckets were made and planted. Corn was planted along with the cucumbers and onions. The 3rd big raised bed was filled with dirt and beds number 1 and 2 were planted with carrots and radish. I know we are way behind time wise but the weather has not been all that great so we may catch up here in the next few weeks. Bought a new small lawnmower to mow the hill with and number two grandson was itching to try it out. Told him the grass was going to have to dry so he did not get to mow, but said he would be back.

Wife got a new swing for her birthday which is coming up and a little rain was not going to stop her from putting it together. As I write this she is kicked back swinging away. National Donut Day was celebrated here and I convinced the wife to take me down to Amy's Bakery. She was promoting the day with buy one get five free and some people were complaining she was only offering the deal on plain cake donuts not everything in the shop. I happen to prefer the plain cake donuts so she got no complaints from me as I dug in the white bag that held a dozen tasty treats.

Cabin is quite again as the city dogs were picked up last night and with the grand kids gone Duncan and I have the place back to ourselves. Gus told me in a telephone call last night that the Bait Room has been doing brisk business. I have to get up there this week sometime and get a tackle order in. Also the grandson needs to restock the crawlers as Arlo has been doing fine in the trout fishing and his group he has been taking out has been losing more bait to the trout then catching trout. I have a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning so I will try to get over there then. I was going to borrow some tomato plants but since I did some transplanting here at the cabin and the plants have just blown up. End of the week I think I will go ahead and plant the tomatoes and see what kind of luck I get in growing them. I was going to plant my sweet potatoes in bags but I found a big big tote that I am going to fill with dirt and try out. Always like to do some experimenting when I am gardening.

I did go and buy a cement mixer, it was on my list for this spring as I have about a thousand pounds of potting soil to be remixed and additives added. The potting mix will be used to fill pots on the deck and all the five gallon pails that are used in my rain gutter gardens, The rain gutter gardens are started a little later then the big garden so they are still on schedule. With no tobacco being grown this year there will be more vegetables planted and experimented with. I also have a few concrete sidewalk sections that need to be replaced if I get around to them here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

IT'S BEGINNING TO look a lot like summer, all the birds are flying about, there are bunnies in the bushes and boats are trolling about. Sounds more like a winter song but it is true. Getting some good sleeping weather as long as you have a quilt on when you leave the bedroom window open all night. Got a real good nights sleep here the other night after working on a lot of projects that day. Now last night I was not tired so I did not sleep that well but hope tonight to be back sleeping and not wide awake at dawn like I was this morning.

Duncan had me worried this morning, he was let out early and took off after a rabbit and was in hot pursuit ignoring the wife's calls to come back. He was gone for about five minutes which is just enough time to get me worried. Normally I never let him get out of my eyesight and even though he is five I still treat him like a pup and worry about what can happen to him. I was just getting ready to give my neighbor Chuck a call to see if he was over there when he came thundering through the brushes and jumped on the deck, tongue hanging out of his mouth and panting some. The wife was telling me that I had nothing to worry about but I still gave Duncan a lecture about boundaries. Dang Dog has me wrapped around his paw.

Cabin projects continue to be worked on, slowly but there is some progress everyday. This evening Hammering Hank and Skinny brought the new fridge from the General Store to the cabin. They got it inside and placed it where the old one was and here we find out the cord is two inches short, go figure. Will have to put on a longer cord tomorrow and complain a little to Big Earl. New dishwasher is also here and the son in-law will be over this weekend sometime to install that. Wife is happy she is getting her kitchen remodel done even if it is taking longer then planed. The daughter and son in law will be over again on Sunday to do some work as some sheet rocking as that needs to be done before any painting can be done. The last of the garden should be planted as that is taking forever to do. I m pretty much just being the Forman and it takes so much time to teach and tell how I want things done rather just doing it with out thinking like I would normally be doing.

By this time of the summer garden would be in and I would have been fishing several times and lawn would be mowed tight and evenings spent sitting on the swing enjoying myself. Speaking of swing we did manage to buy a new swing for the wife and a new bench seat cushion the old swing was sagging pretty good and the bench seat had lost all of its coosh. That has been taken care of and just in time as today I was going to sit outside and enjoy the two lines of thunderstorms that were headed for the lake but somehow spit in two and went right round the cabin, we got a few showers but nothing like everyone else caught. Had to get the wife to take the hose out and water the gardens.

Grand kids will be here tomorrow and mowing grass is on there list of things to do. I did buy a smaller mower so the one grandson can push mow the hill down to the lake and my daughter bought me a battery powered weed whacker that the granddaughter can use to weed whack. She is too small to use the big gas powered one so the small one should be perfect. If I can keep them interested in mowing grass and tending to the gardens it will make things a lot easier for me as I heal. In a surprise I caught a walleye off my dock the other night, can't remember when that has happen but then again we are usually jus throwing a sucker off the dock to tease the passing northern. Speaking of dock fishing today marks the one year passing of Barney my dock fishing dog. I spent some time sitting on the dock not fishing but just thinking back on all the time that Barney spent on the dock looking into the water of Lake Iwanttobethere and watching them sunnies hiding under the dock and in the shade. Funny how time keeps marching on here at Lake Iwanttobethere

[Bobby Bass]

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY normally this time of year is always busy but with my current health issues it seems that I need an extra six hours added to every day. It was pointed out to me that I have not written for over a week. I have been meaning to but something comes up and I never make it to the desk and put words down. Several storms have hit us here at Lake Iwanttobethere and just as many have missed us. Lawn has been mowed a few times and number two grandson has declared that it is his job, I bought him a small gas powered mower and he won't let anyone else touch it let alone use it.

Number two granddaughter is in Texas on a big family get together. Back in the day we might travel thirty miles for a get together now it is no big deal to fly across the country. She is ten and has seen both the East coast and the West coast and can now add the Gulf. Funny thing is she has yet to make it to Canada which is just a few hundred miles away. The wife celebrated her birthday on Friday. Her sisters came over and I just made an appearance to sample the goodies that were brought over. I am a couple of days away from my own birthday. I will be sixty-three and as you all know I will also be celebrating my monthly birthday which will be 756 and still counting.

Yesterday I got a huge present from my number one daughter who told me she is pregnant with what will be number four. She already has three girls and her and her husband want a boy, I don't care I will spoil a boy or a girl. This will make number eight and I made a point of pointing out to the wife that it was a good thing that I built that playhouse a few years ago, it looks like it is going to need an expansion here soon! Woke up this morning early with a smile on face, already had a dream about having eight grand kids running around the lake here.

In other news I did get the cement mixer put together and have put it to work mixing potting soil. I should have know there was going to be some problems when the lettering on the box said " Some assembly required "Then the directions consisted of nine small black and white photos of what it should look like but not on how you got it to look like the pictures. After putting it together four times we finale found the right combo. Today it is ninety in the shade and strong winds coming off the lake. The wife is outside thinking abut doing some work and I am hiding out in the den doing as little as I can. A couple of the grand kids are here and I got a quick hi and then a minute late could hear them screaming as they leaped from the dock to hit the water. As long as I don't move I am just fine where I am here at the desk. I am smoking some of my home grown tobacco in one of my pipes and now that it has aged for a year it is actually not bad at all.

Am going up to the RESORT later this evening, Have a beer or two and visit with the guys in the Bait Room. Might go out on the pontoon but might just enjoy the A/C and chill. Forecast is calling for rain but for some reason where ever I go the rain does not follow. Wish I could say that for the wind as that is always with me. Matter of fact last Sunday they had to call the church league softball game as it was so windy the pitcher was tossing the ball to home and the wind would take the slow high pitch and deposit the ball behind the pitcher. Hard to hit it if you can't even get it to home plate. Lot's projects getting somewhat done around here I hope to spend more time in town and also at the Lodge in the next few weeks so I can get ya all back up to speed here .Fishing has been kind of slow but the town has been busy with tourists. Hope you are all having a great Fathers Day I know I am here at Lake Iwanttobethere

110237 <><

[Bobby Bass]

TWELVE HOURS LATER and the lake is almost calm again. Last night I did make it up to the RESORT where I pulled up an easy chair and tried to watch the game seven NBA final game. Of course about every minute or so a weather warning scrolled across the top of the screen and a weather box open up showing us the advancing weather system. We did not really need it as all we had to do was look out at the waters of Lake Iwanttobethere and the trees bending downward under the force of the gusts of wind. Like most of the guys I enjoy a good storm just as long as it does no damage that we have to fix. A call to the wife back at the cabin was made and she was getting some wind and light rain but it looks like the storm was going to split and go right around Hidden Bay.

I decided to stay at the RESORT for the night and was treated to a pretty good light show and a few gusts of wind that had to be well into the sixties. The old guys Elmer and Vic agreed that we were getting some serious wind. Sunshine Ray was on TV talking of tornadoes and straight line winds. Hail was from ping pong size to grapefruit size. Grapefruit size, insurance guys are going to be busy today, don't know how a car windshield is going to stop a chunk of ice that big. One gust of wind made all of us look at each other as it shook the Clubhouse. I happen to be looking out the window at the time and it was like scene from the Wizard of Oz as I watched the umbrella that was in the glass deck table get lifted right out of the table and go airborne. Elmer made mention at that time that someone should go check on the umbrella and I just took a sip from my Hamms and said "We will find it tomorrow"

Most of the storm had past us by eleven so we moved outside to enjoy the light show as it moved out over the lake. Still some wind and by midnight I was in bed with the window cracked open. It was good sleeping weather and I slept until seven. Vic made pancakes for breakfast between answering the phone and relaying messages to Hammering Hank who was already gone. Lot of broken tree limbs down and a few trees to had toppled from the storm. I was asked if I wanted wood and I of course said I would take any hardwood. Wife came up and brought me back to the cabin and Hammering Hank had already dropped a few loads off by the wood pile. Nothing like free firewood I always say. 

A slow walk around the yard produced just a few branches but no missing shingles on any of the out buildings so I was happy. I took a seat on the deck and listen to the echo of chain saws working across the lake. Duncan who had been following me jumped up on the swing and was soon fast asleep. Wife told me he was up most of the night keeping track of the storm. Jumping bass thermometer hanging on the cabin wall said it was seventy in the shade which is better then the ninety it was yesterday. I think I am going to just sit back and enjoy the weather and watch Hammering Hank bring me wood. Wife is making lunch and we will feed him and send a big bag lunch back to Skinny who is doing the cutting while Hank is hauling the wood away. It is the least we an do for the free firewood here at Lake Iwanttobethere

110314 <><

[Bobby Bass]

I JUST HAD a box of Cracker Jack’s without a single peanut in it ! What is this world coming to? I know this is a fact because I bought the box just for the peanuts. Cracker Jacks has always brought back fond memories of when I was a kid and would go to the minor league baseball games, that and nickel hot dogs and dime cokes ice cold pulled out from a cooler filled with ice water that a guy would carry right up to your seat and pop the top off with a flourish and hand to you in exchange for your quarter. Young kids just don’t know what they are missing these days. Popcorn was a nickel and a sack of peanuts in the shell were a dime. You could go on a date for a dollar, try and do that today. Guess I am thinking about the old days since tomorrow is my birthday. The girlfriend I had back in the days is nothing but a memory and if I remember she ate most of the peanuts and usually my hot dog to!


　

The oldest daughter will be bring over pizza tomorrow for my birthday dinner. It will cost her twenty-five bucks for it, Times and prices sure have changed. Nice day today and it would be a good day to go fishing except for the wind that is strong and coming out of the East. Trees are swaging and the swing is moving on its own on the deck. Wife is out planting and the big garden except for being late will finally be all planted. Of course the stuff that I like is in the ground already so I don’t care about what she is finally getting in the ground. On Friday the number two grandson will be here and we will plant the thirty some five gallon buckets that will rest in the gutter gardens. They will quickly catch up to the plants in the garden and we will harvest from them long before the bed gardens produce.

　

What I am looking forward to is the container sweet corn that I bought and will plant in bags and then keep in a small swimming pool. I tried this with sweet corn last season and they grew small ears but were very tasty. The container corn is supposed to produce regular size ears on small stalks so we shall see. Sweet corn might just be my favorite thing that comes out of the garden, can’t beat it along side a nice grilled steak and a beer or some crispy fish and tatters. I better change the topic here I am getting hungry.

　

I was actually doing some work this morning, had the electric chain saw out and I was cutting off small limbs from the loads of tree branches that Hammering Hank dropped off yesterday. I can do the cutting but I will have the grand kids do the picking up and stacking next time they come over. There were some dead branches in the pile so they will get burned up in the fire pit tomorrow night as I am sure I will have a fire going for my birthday. My neighbor Chuck was over and he offered to cut up the bigger wood for me and I of course accepted his offer. Just something I can’t do as I have to lean up against something to stay up right.





I did try and hit a couple of golf balls yesterday over at his golf course, I can forget driving that is not going to happen. The best thing I was at was chipping only because I can lean against the mower so I have some kind of balance. The best way for me to get the ball down the fairway was to ride in the mower and hit the ball like I was playing polo. The game of golf between the two of us quickly became a game of trying to hit the other one’s mowers with golf balls with a lot of shouting, laughing and close calls, but that is pretty much the way everything ends here at Lake Iwanttobethere.

110384 <><

[Bobby Bass]

SLEPT IN LATE but it is after all my 756th birthday today. I was still in bed at noon just getting ready to roll over and start an afternoon nap when the kitchen door open and Duncan who was already comfortable in my bed jumped up and left to check out the visitor. The mother in law was soon standing in my doorway cake and card in hand. I open one eye and just said "You are a tad early.put the card on the night stand and give me a fork for the cake" She laughed at me and told me if I wanted either I needed to get out of bed and come to the kitchen, and so that is how my day started.

In my defense I was up past my bedtime last night. At bedtime we usual turn on the whole house fan for awhile and cool things off. Last night it would not turn on and I have a feeling that it has seized up, you would think something would last longer then thirty years. Plan this morning was to get the compressor out and blow it off and see if it is just dirty, maybe see if there are some oil points but I don't remember any. Middle of the night I woke up in search of a quilt as it was cold in the cabin. The predicted lows in the fifties and wind had done its job cooling the place down. So I figured I would sleep in and look at the fan later.

I did hear some Hollering coming from my neighbor's Chuck place which reminded me that today is the beginning of Hollering Days here at Lake Iwanttobethere. There was also a few curse words in there so that made me think twice. I was just about out of bed when the wife followed by Duncan came in with scramble eggs and toast, almost breakfast in bed. I ate half and let Duncan clean the plate, a little secret we keep between us. Went to the kitchen thanked the mother in law and went over to Chuck's riding the garden tractor. Chuck was putting a rolled rubber roof up on a damaged section of steel roof and after getting it up there and spreading it out he discover he had it upside down, The Howling was for the work it was going to take to start back over. Back in town Howling Days will go on for the next few days then we will have a week of Hush as town folks try and get their voices back.

Wife out did herself yesterday as the big garden is finally planted and now we can just water and watch. Of course I read stories of people being south of us with three foot corn and flowering soybeans and we are just happy that we have our garden all in my mid June. This of course means I have some time on my hands to work on other projects and I can take my time. Normally I would start fishing now but the Puddle Humper is still under her tarp and it will be while before I get her out this season if I do at all. Some fishing will be done off the dock and since I caught a walleye off the dock who knows what I just might catch off there this season. I do see some home grown cigars in my future to be rolled and smoked. Kids will be over later tonight to eat the Mother in laws cake and the fire pit will be lit as long as the wind stays down. It is forecasted by Sunshine Ray to rain this evening so I will not have to water the garden, my only chore for the day on the calendar. Of course this also means I will get back to writing and bring you the news of what is happening here at Lake Iwanttobethere

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[Bobby Bass]

A NICE GARDEN rain fell after dark last night so for once Sunshine Ray hit a forecast. This morning my sister who was in town from California came to visit and we caught up. My older sister shares the same date for her birthday as I do and my younger sister was born one day earlier. With a title better timing my mother would have had three kids born on the same date. Two days I is not too uncommon but three I wood say is unusual. After she left I took a nap on the couch because I can, having the garden in does leave me with some free time now.

I am hoping for the number two grandson to come over tomorrow, the grass needs mowing and we will work on the gutter garden as he knows the super secret recipe for the potting mix we use. Hollering Days going on in town and if the wind is blowing just right I can hear it here at the cabin. Chuck did not go into town as I can hear him working on the roof next door. He was over here a little while ago as he was working on his trolling motor that is giving him some problems. I up graded my motor and few years ago and told him he is welcomed to the old one that I did not toss but put in storage. I think it just needs a new foot pedal so we shall see if he can get it going. Worst thing that can happen is I get rid of the old motor for free and he gets a working one for far cheaper then buying a replacement. Then again the FELLOWS will take anything so that might be another option.

Cleaning off my desk of a lot of stuff that just does not to be on here. Was getting kind of deep here with mail and stuff that should be put a way in folders. Good thing it is a big desk top. That and I need the room if I am going to roll some cigars. I thought about doing that yesterday but ran out of time as the young grand kids were here and I got busy with them. Hardly any wind blowing right now and I am thinking maybe I should try and get down to the dock and maybe pitch a minnow off the dock under a float and see if I can get something to hit. Not really fishing but still is better then trying to catch something from the deck as that would be one long cast.

With my birthday out of the way I am thinking I might go spend some time at the RESORT. Vic said it would be no problem keeping an eye on me and it would give the wife some time away from me. She has been watching me for the past five months and I am sure she would like a spell away from me. Might be able to get some fishing time out on the pontoon boat and maybe even a few trolling trips on the mail boat. FELLOWS have been working on a way to get me in the boat I have heard.

No doctor appointments for a week or so and I would like a change of view to. Week with the boys might be just the thing the doctors have not ordered but would make me feel a little better. Of course a few cigars and an occasional beer and bacon sandwich might go well to help speed my recoverer or at the very least make me feel that I am getting better. Who know maybe I could get in dip in the healing waters of Lake Iwanttobethere

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[dew2]

HEY MR Bass>>If ya need afoot peddle fer a minkota 80,s to 90s model I have a few here.I'd trade for cigars. $35.00 for the peddle then shipping. Is what I offer to others.
 Interested?