Carlin Lake Association

Bike trail already in place

 

 

John and I came home after a few days away in October, and were surprised to see that a bike trail had already been leveled and surfaced along Hwy W and Hwy K.   News reports say that the bike trail extension is 1.9 miles long, and runs from Red Feather Road (where Camp Jorn is) to Rest Lake Park, across the road from the Discovery Center.

You may know that a bike trail is already in place from the Discovery Center south along Hwy 51 to Powell Road, so this new part extends that trail.   

News coverage says the $230,000 cost of this new stretch of the bike trail has been totally funded by private donations, with no tax money used.    Interesting, huh?

 

 

As we stopped to take a couple of photos of the new trail to post here, we got a surprise:  ten swans swimming there in Rest Lake along Hwy K, just before Smokey's.   Some were whiter than others, so I don't know if you can enlarge to count up to all ten in this picture or not.   But, it was a fun stop, and a pleasure to see the swans.

 

 

Half full? Half empty?

 

No, you don't have to worry.   Carlin Lake is definitely neither half-full or half-empty.    There is still LOTS of water in the lake, even though our shorelines do show a real decreased water level because of very dry months in September and October.

In fact, the lake is still inviting local otters to play.   Duanne says he smiled, watching four of them playing the other day (probably two adults and two youngsters), batting around the buoy which floats over one of our new fish cribs.   The otter family seemed to get a kick out of pulling the buoy down and watching it pop back up.   It makes me smile just to picture it.

 

The half-full/half-empty question I'm talking about refers to this past week's weather:

The optimistic part of me is delighted that we got almost an inch of rain Wednesday night into Thursday.   Plus, our area missed damaging storms that went through Rhinelander and Merrill, bringing 60 mph winds and hail an inch in diameter.

The pessimistic part of me, though, was disappointed that we didn't receive  the 3.6 inches of rain that fell near-by in Natural Lakes and in Boulder Junction.   Those three-plus inches of rain would have really raised our water level before the lake freezes over.  

There's still plenty of time, though.   Although the high temperature on Friday hovered around 35 degrees, we're a long way (I hope) from ice on the lake.

A really trashy story

 

 Trash on Hwy. P and Crab Lake Road is at a 10-year low, according to local trash-talker William Draves.  Now, and again in the spring, are good times to pick up roadside litter. Or, possibly grandparents can pay cash-starved grandchildren to do it.

 Bill says that a couple of years ago, amounts of trash started dropping around Carlin Lake about 7% a year for 3-4 years, and has leveled off for the past two years at the new low.

  “I blame the kids,” says Draves.  “They just don’t litter like we used to when we were growing up.”  

 Some neighbors call Draves’ trash statistics “pure garbage,”  but Draves defends his trash research.  “There’s a margin of error of 3%, so my numbers should not be taken litter-ally,” he maintains.

 

This story, submitted to the Carlin Lake blog by an anonymous writer, gives good news, doesn't it?    I know Bill has been picking up roadside litter as he walks along Carlin Lake Road, W. Van Vliet Road, Crab Lake Road, and Highway P for many years.    It seems really positive to me that he has noticed dimishing garbage along those routes.

Personally, I notice that many litter-ers seem to be those with other bad habits too:   drinking and driving, possibly smoking at the same time.   Occasionally I see a fast-food styrofoam container---anyone who has ever read a speck of "green" news knows it is almost impossible for those to bio-degrade. 

This is a good reminder to clean up after ourselves, as our mothers taught us.   And, sometimes we may need to clean up after others who are less considerate, also.    

Thanks to all who keep Carlin Lake and its shores free of refuse and keep our roadsides clean too!

 

National Reading Group Month

 

  A couple of emails inform me that October is National Reading Group Month, and mention the good personal relationships and mental challenges that book groups foster.   (We already knew that, right?)  

They also include a list of recommended books for book clubs:  I've read only four of them, but will check out some of the others, to see if we may want to choose some of them for another year.

By the way, Ladies Home Journal now has a monthly recommendation for book clubs.  Their book this month is Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, which we will be reading in February.   Way to be ahead of the curve, huh?

 

Great Group Reads! Selections for National Reading Group Month (2012) from the Women's National Book Association.

The Absolutist by John Boyne

An Age of Madness by David Maine

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan‐Philipp Sendker

Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

Boleto by Alyson Hagy

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani

Faith by Jennifer Haigh

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck

In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

The O'Briens by Peter Behrens

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Right-Hand Shore by Christopher Tilghman

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeannette Winterson

 

Very interesting----DNR's fish shocking survey

 

On a cold and blustery October night, members of Carlin's fish committee joined a team of three people from the DNR to conduct the survey of fish in our lake.    Mike Smith took and shared the following photos and explained the process to me.   

By now, you have received the committee's written report by email.   Please direct any questions or comments or words of thanks directly to any member of committee.   (I was along the shoreline that night only long enough to watch the rig circle our bay, and I was freezing.)

 

 

Here, the DNR's boat is being put into the water.   Note the orange "arms," which will form the outrigger to capture the fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorta spooky looking, isn't it?   The boat traveled the whole perimeter of the lake, getting within 20 feet or so of shore.   The circuit took about an hour, similar to the trips John and I took this summer conducting the survey for bats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In front of the boat, fish were shocked by a generator.  Then, the stunned fish floated between the outriggers behind the boat, where they were grabbed by net and placed into a live well on the boat. 

Here, the boat arrives back at the dock.  You can see how bundled up the crew appears.

 

 

 

The nets catching fish for the live well also captured some maple leaves floating on the lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every fish, large and small, was counted and measured, before being put back into the lake.

Here you see a blue gill and a perch in the net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A twenty-inch large mouth bass is measured.   Mike pointed the fish's belly out to me, showing that he is well-nourished from plenty of food in the lake. 

 

 

 

 

 

Even little fellows were measured, as they provide food for the larger and older fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks very much to Mike for the information and the pictures.  The words above are mine, as are any inaccuracies! 

Second morning......

 

Today's the second morning in a row that we woke up to see snow on the ground.   It's definitely enough to stick, and very pretty.     (Photo along the roadside was taken at 10:00 am, so the snow stayed for awhile.)

 

 

 

 

The leaves continue to drift down and the tamaracks are beginning to look golden.  These are along Hwy B east of Presque Isle.

As usual, click photos if you want to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

Shocking survey long awaited

 

Our fishing committee has been working for a couple of years to survey the fish in Carlin Lake, to get further information about species and numbers.   

Last Thursday night October 4th, in the cold and wind and dark, the DNR was able to conduct that "shocking survey."

Now the Carlin fish committee is working with the data and with the DNR to compile the final results of that survey.   They hope to have the results available to members of the Carlin Lake Association soon, and tell me they will forward the data, so I can post it here for everyone.

 

First snowfall

 

 

 

Clara McCall shares this photo of Saturday morning's snowfall.   

She says the turkeys nibbled in their front yard for awhile, but as the snowfall got thicker, the flock fled into the woods.

From those of us who weren't home to see the first snow, Thanks, Clara!

 

 

 

 

 

Now, a second "bird in the snow" picture, this one thanks to Jim Stocker.   Such a faithful eagle, constant even in the snow!

A belated "Thank you"

 

Thanks so much to Bill and Jeanne Huemann for their gracious hosting of our September chili supper.   Although the weather was chilly and drizzly, their porch was comfy and welcoming, and all fifteen of us had a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

We ate lots of Ramona's and Jeanne's appetizers, followed by chili made by Pauline, Linda, and Jeannie, and Karen's huge loaf of shepherd's bread.  Most of us still had plenty of room left for Nikki's Cookies and Sue's ice cream sandwiches.   

As usual, a good time was had by all.   Thanks to Bill and Jeanne for the very enjoyable evening.

 

 

 

 

Some took a little walk over to the Watkins' pier to see the fish cribs still waiting to be placed around the lake.

Fall Fotos from Friends

 

 

 

 

View of Carlin Lake from Carlin Lake Road, compliments of Clara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clara's photo of loon floating on the calm lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week's full moon, thank to Mike Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike's bog with fog    (Sound like Dr. Seuss?)

 

 

 

 

  Northern lights on September 30th, compliments of a friend of Chris Davis' who works at Aberdeen Lodge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary and Warren reminded us how beautiful the cranberry marshes are right now, too.