Carlin Lake, beautiful and clear, is a medium-sized lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. This blog's purpose is to enhance communication among lake residents and other neighbors and friends of the lake.
The blog is sponsored by William Draves and maintained by Carmen Farwell. Please click at the end of any post to comment, or contact Carmen at johncarmf@gmail.com.
We hope you come back and click in here often!
I haven't posted for awhile. I hope in the days in the meantime, you have had a very pleasant and tasty Thanksgiving. We all have loads of blessings to be thankful for, and certainly not in the least, our environment and friendships at Carlin Lake!
And also in the meantime, winter seems to have arrived, with inches of snow on the ground that will stick this time. Those of us who have been here at the lake know that two earlier snowfalls of 4-6" disappeared following days of warm temperatures.
This photo shows Marty and Aliza on the water on Thanksgiving Day, doing a final check of water temperature and clarity. Marty reported that the water temp was 38.6 degrees at the surface, and 39.10 at depth of ten feet.
You can see the shoreline conditions from their photo below from Thursday. So, it's no wonder that Cecil was able to report on Friday morning that the lake was nearly ice-covered. Snow showers resting on the ice made it obvious that there was hardly any open water left.
And, now on Sunday, we probably have 4-5" of snow on the ground, and ice still covering most of the lake. (If you are a more certain snow measurer, I'll be glad for your input in comments below.)
(If you are envious of Marty and Aliza's hats, I'm sure they will be glad to let you know where you can purchase one of your very own!
Any person who's been at the lake this summer and fall will have noticed the dramatic drop in the lake's water level.
Thanks to Carl Watras for recording the measurements for these months. And, many thanks for the attached graphs, making the decline visible for us.
On graph below, I note that the loss this summer was approximately 40 cm. Google helps me convert that to 15 1/2 inches! If someone had told me without Carl's readings that we had watched a change of 15+ inches, I might not have believed it.
But, as he does annually, Carl also gives us information to let us stay calm! These changing lake levels have been mostly predictable over the years of record-keeping, with water levels following more-or-less a ten-year cycle.
Here, you see the measurements from Little Rock Lake as well, a seepage lake that's very similar to Carlin Lake, Carl tells us. It's reassuring to see that their summer measurements were quite similar to ours.
We woke up today to 25 degrees and probably four inches of snow on the ground. The sun is shining, and it's bright and cheerful.
And the lake is still wide open, as you can see.
We have all known that winter is due, and here it is. The weatherman at Channel 12 said that last year, Rhinelander had already had 10.7 inches of snow by Halloween, and we probably had more than that.
Chuck and Karen Hayes, with understandable pride, share this news about their son Karl. Congratulations to Karl and his family, and to Chuck and Karen, who must have had a lot to do with Karl's success. (Don't you think??)
After Chuck's many years of service to Vilas County, the Hayes name will certainly be recognized and respected for hard work and ethical leadership.
It's fun to share good news, and Carlin Lake neighbors will enjoy following Karl's career in the Northwoods!
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today his appointment of Karl Hayes to serve as Vilas County District Attorney. Gov. Evers’ appointment fills a vacancy created by the appointment of former District Attorney Martha Milanowski to the Vilas County Circuit Court. Hayes will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term that ends January 2025.
“With a track record of excellence and high commendations from previous colleagues, Karl has demonstrated his commitment to upholding justice and fighting for his community,” said Gov. Evers. “I have the utmost confidence in his ability to serve the people of Vilas County well as their new district attorney.”
Hayes, who previously served in the Vilas County District Attorney’s Office as a legal intern, has family connections to Vilas County and will be relocating back to the area. Hayes has been an assistant district attorney with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office since 2007. His 15 years of experience prosecuting misdemeanors and felonies include working as a felony drug prosecutor, a firearms prosecutor, as part of the homicide unit, and with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Hayes currently is a team captain in the office’s general felony prosecution unit and serves as a mentor for younger prosecutors. Prior to earning his law degree, Hayes was a teacher and coached baseball and basketball.
“I am deeply honored to accept the appointment to serve as Vilas County’s District Attorney,” said Hayes. “The promotion of peace and safety in the community through just prosecution of crime is my highest priority. The people of Vilas County can be confident that I will be a good steward of County resources, and that all who come into contact with the District Attorney’s Office will be treated with dignity, fairness and respect. I look forward to coming to the Northwoods and getting down to work.”
“I am extremely proud that Karl Hayes has been appointed by Governor Evers to be the District Attorney of Vilas County,” said Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. “Karl is an exceptionally skilled prosecutor who has successfully held some of the most dangerous people in our community accountable. He is also the embodiment of a professional and principled prosecutor who seeks justice above all else. He will apply reason and compassion in equal measure in his dealings with victims and the accused. The people of Vilas County will quickly see how fortunate they are to have him as district attorney.”
What brought you to Carlin Lake? The answer to that question continues to be fun to share with one another. Because we all have chosen to live on this lake, we have one powerful thing in common: our desire to preserve the lake that brought us here in the first place.
Here, Gary and Sally write about their first, and continuing, love of the lake. Thanks so much for sharing.
Now, would you be willing to send a couple of sentences or paragraphs about how you and your family got here? From the newest to the oldest residents, it will be fun to hear your stories.
The question frequently asked of Carlin Lake residents is, “Why did you choose Carlin Lake?”. For us this goes back to 1978. At the original Retreat Bar, we were told of lots for sale by George Hartford, Jr. on Carlin Lake.
We wanted to be on a lake with wilderness shoreline and good for swimming. Carlin was that lake! Carlin Club and six other residents were all that occupied the lake. Carlin was not like the big lakes or Chain of Lakes. It was quiet, shoreline pristine, wildlife abundant and true Northwoods appearance. Homes blended into their surroundings.
We found Carlin to be a lake that was a reflection of the Northwoods. A wilderness spirit was felt.
Sally and Gary Wise
Here are two photos I borrowed from today's Facebook posts. Julie Draves shares the beauty of bare branches and lake views in the sunshine, and Mary Watkins posted last night's almost-full moon across the lake.
The weather has been perfect, and even with leaves falling, the woods are beautiful. I know we may have some rain, but I'm thinking this is still a great weekend for a walk in the woods.
I enjoyed three local trails this week: the Van Vliet Hemlocks, off Crab Lake Road; the Lakeland School trail off Papoose Road, starting at the little lodge there; and the Pipke Park trail (on which Carlin Lake men helped constructed the wooden bridges over those wetlands.) All three walks were relaxing and lovely.
And, of course, Winman trails, Discovery Center trails, etc, etc. Aren't we fortunate??
And, if you keep your eyes on the ground for part of your hike, you will see a variety of different fungi. In fact, I took these photos just along the roadsides of Hwy P. The leaves will let you picture how large the three were.
Enjoy your fall weekend!
You will remember that on other Veteran's Days, Carlin neighbors attended the delicious dinner which raised funds for the Veteran's Memorial in Presque Isle. This year, the same great dinner will be served----but coming up already this weekend, October 9th at Camp Jorn.
Take a look at this ad for details. You will see you can buy tickets at the door and can choose carryout if you prefer. Even though the memorial now is complete, the foundation still needs funding to keep the site insured and well-tended.
Good food! Good cause!
On a calm, sunny morning this week, Bob and Judy Ruch snapped these beautiful photos of the best fall color. Many lake neighbors already have our boats taken out of the water, so it was a pleasure to see how the glowing shorelines looked from the water.
And, this morning---Sunday---our rain gauge measured 1.1" of rain. But there has been no wind, so trees still look really lovely. I hope it's beautiful wherever you are too!
This week, another couple of dear friends and lake neighbors will be moving on. Ann and Duanne Swift, our adventuresome bird and wildlife experts, are packed up and will be heading out in their well-traveled camper to temporary digs in Green Bay, where Ann's mom and grandkids live.
They are excited about their permanent new home which is already being constructed on a scenic hillside in LaCrosse, and yes, have already been in touch with an active bird club there.
Ann and Duanne's history is a bit different from some of ours, as they built their new home on Carlin Lake while they both managed full-time jobs. But they have always been involved in life on the lake through all things fish, fowl, and four-legged, as well as enriching the Discovery Center and its many programs.
Their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the environment of the lake have been a model for all of us, as they have appreciated and shared the daily beauty around them.
Here, Duanne sends a heart-felt "So long" to us all! We will miss these two greatly at lake events and in pontoon greetings on the water, but friendships survive miles and we will stay in touch. We know their open friendliness will make them most welcome wherever they go!
On leaving home
Sixteen years ago, on a beautiful early fall Saturday afternoon, Ann and I slid our canoe onto a calm, crystal clear lake in hopes of arriving at a decision about the purchase of a lake lot that was far beyond our budget. As we paddled along the eastern shore we fell in love. There was no longer a decision. We simply HAD to make it work.
Now, as we prepare to leave, the real pain comes not so much from leaving the lake (though difficult) as it is the people who reside on its shores. What Ann and I could not see, that lovely fall day, was the true beauty of Carlin Lake lies in the kindness and caring of our community of neighbors. You’ve became a once in a lifetime experience for us. Not only are you great stewards of the environment, you became the friends we could always count on. People we laughed with, cried with and came to love. While we will miss this spectacular environment, the real void will be this community of people who care. Thank you for enriching our lives.