Duck hunting

I have had some incredible duck hunting at home the last month or so. More birds than I have seen in over 20 years. Anna and I have had some incredible hunts.

Anna was mad because she called in over 500 ducks and I only shot 8 (that's the limit). Sounds like a future guide to me!

It looks like some of our guests that haven't made it up for fishing at the lodge for a few years are coming back. Could be a busy summer again! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Water level at lodge

Talked to Desmond this morning. He got his moose, a nice bull. The water level has come up over 3' since last June. Should make for some great walleye fishing into July next year.

Home at last

We wrapped up the season on Sept. 2 this year. In the last week, the weather changed with a big storm that knocked over the tops of a couple of spruces in the yard. With the mixing of the water, the lake trout came up. Too bad there isn't anyone to catch them!

Shirley finished closing down the kitchen and getting all the linens washed , dried, folded and put away. Neal arrived for his winter stay, and we finished putting the lodge to bed for the winter.

It's amazing that as soon as the guests leave and the generator is off how the wildlife shows up!
Taz tried playing with a few of the locals without much success. "Stinky" the skunk was especially upset with Taz. Good thing his aim was bad!

the complaint department

Sometimes I'm happy that I'm me and don't have to deal with the "man" issues like plugged toilets. Especially toilets plugged with sand. Still having that battle.

The highlights today were a bounced cheque - fortunately the bank honored a cheque that WE had written on that amount. I can fix that tomorrow - but it's still a pain to deal with. And then one of our reliable clients that's a great fisherman got held up in Minneapolis and missed the plane to the lodge by all of 7 minutes. NOT impressed. Since everything else at the lodge is fantastic - hopefully he will have such a great trip that he forgets this first annoying day.

I need to meet the plane tomorrow, so I should probably get some shut-eye tonight. Fishermen telling me what a great trip they had makes up for a lot of the annoying details that go into making it work.

Another day in paradise...

Most people have that "dream" to work at a fishing lodge. Today's "dream job" started with the housekeeper knocking on the door and announcing "you have to get up - we have no water". You roll out of bed knowing that you have to get the water going before the first guest wakes up and tries the shower, and in time to make coffee before they start filing in for breakfast. The guide that was supposed to show up, didn't. He had boat problems and ended up sleeping in his boat in the middle of the lake. At least he had the intention of showing up! The lake is low, so the intake pipe has sucked up a bunch of sand so all of the water lines have to be cleaned out. Same as all the little tiny toilet tank lines had to be blown out this spring since they were full of sand from last fall. Everything is working this year for a change - the ice maker, the dishwasher, the lawn mower, the van, the boat motors, the septic system, the freezers, the generators and even the little generator that we use when we don't need as much power. And the staff is getting along great. If we can keep up with the daily repairs, we will have a great season. Now if only we could get a few more bookings! The fishing is always great!