So much fun, so little time

Wow, I can hardly believe nearly two months have passed since since my last post. Blue Ayes splashed gently into the water in early May, and we've been enjoying a multitude of excursions over the past several weeks.

While the weather has been too cold for simply lounging in the sun, it has been quite conducive to pulling in some of Lake Superior's finer inhabitants. Labor Day weekend provided us with fair winds and calm seas, resulting in a catch of one delicious coho salmon and four beautiful lake trout.

We each pulled in a fish that weekend. My beauty, (31 inches, 6 lbs) is right here:

The ice is out!!!

Finally! Good news! The ice is out in the bay, but....some ice still lingers in the marina area. Generally speaking, May 1 is the earliest the marina will splash boats and it looks like we're going to be scheduled for the second weekend of May. So close, yet so far.

First order of business will be removal of the bright blue shrink wrap. Captain Matt is usually then responsible for the outside cleaning and polishing of the boat (which sometimes includes hiring the polishing out to a third party - it's just easier that way). I get the inside, which means Clorox wipes and loads of teak oil. It sort of results in a glue-sniffing phenomenon (not that I would know what sniffing glue entails), without actually looking like you're doing anything inappropriate. HA!

Oh, to start finally making plans! Apostle Islands, look out....here comes the Blue Ayes Crew!

Missing the boat....

It's not yet Christmas and the Winter Blahs seem to be taking a strong foothold. This means only one thing - it's gonna be a loooong wait until spring splash (it's quite a site to behold, and maybe I'll post a video in spring....if it ever gets here!!). Oh, I'm feeling squirrely already. Seriously - who would't be missing this view:

As I sit in front of the fireplace, watching the snow accumulate outside my window, I can't help but feel as though it might never be warm again. True to her word, Mother Nature ushers in each season almost on time, and I have no reason to suspect Spring will come much sooner or later than is typical, but the wait is agonizing nonetheless.

There is an "up" side to this, and that is that I appreciate what we have in our boat even more.....like understanding what "happy" is all about only because you've also experienced being "sad." We are incredibly fortunate to have the adventures laying in wait for us, promises of another extraordinary set of experiences on the Big Lake that are enjoyed by so few.

For now, I will reminisce with memories and photos....and the latest copy of the West Marine catalog. For winter is also the time to "gear up" for the next season. You got it - it's shopping time!! I guess it's a reasonable consolation. :-)

Our YouTube Debut!

For a first hand view of our recent Chigger adventures, be sure to check out this video clip!

Muskie Matt (famed local fishing guide, remember him from my last post?) does a weekly fishing segment for the NBC station out of Rhinelander and picked our Chigger fishing excursion for his latest topic! The lake trout you see on the video is 31.3" in length....what a beauty!

Chigger Fishing 7/18/08

"Did you ever wanna go and do some fishing? Get away from everything around here......"

And so goes the Chigger's tune, Fishing, and that's exactly what we did!

The good Captain and I spent the day Friday with Sid Chigger, Big Daddy Chigger (along with yorkie Bucky Badger and our pooch Buttons) and famed local Muskie Matt for a beautiful day on the water in hopes of hauling in a respectable catch of lake trout.

Mother Nature graced us with fair winds and a bright sunny day. Sounds great, right? Sure.....if you're water skiing or suntanning. Fishing.....a nice cloudy day with a little chop on the water is what tends to roust the masses out of the water and into a cooler full of ice. For fishermen new to the Big Lake the conditions were ideal though, so we headed off toward a favorite fishing spot. After the fish finder failed to find fish, and our lures weren't producing any better, we pulled lines and headed for yet another popular locale (but they're both secret!!) Sporting a set of new lures (another secret!) recommended by a local sports shop, our second attempt proved to be much more fruitful.....by mid-afternoon we ended our trip with smiles on our faces and fish in the box. The fish were down deep, seemingly unaffected by the weather, although I seriously suspect some other factors were at play, particularly the footware of choice by Muskie Matt (those'd be camoflouge fleece slippers, by the way). Not that I'm superstitious or anything.....but he might be on to something!

Our canine friends gently reminded us that a trip to shore was in order, so we left for Big Bay on Madeline Island. Anchored in 14 feet of water, we dinghied ashore to let Bucky and Buttons take care of business and romp about the beach before setting a bead on the marina.

There's nothing like ending a day of fishing enjoying the fruits of hard labor, so Captain Matt grilled some filets to perfection. Mmmmmmm.....nothing like fresh grilled lake trout (well, maybe fresh grilled salmon, but that's another trip!).

Our most respectable guests are certainly welcome back aboard Blue Ayes anytime, and I suspect we've not seen the last of this crew!! Stay tuned!!

Photo: Sid Chigger, Captain Matt, Admiral Becky, Muskie Matt, Big Daddy Chigger
absent: Bucky Badger and Buttons