Some Things Never Change....Some Things Do.....

While watching all the problems in the office being dealt with on my blackberry (and not worrying a bit), Billy and I canoed around Joyce Lake Friday afternon. This lake can be found a few miles South of Hwy B. in Land O Lakes while driving on Hwy. S. It wasn't long before we caught our 9th fish of the day and that quickly turned into 10, 11, and so on. By the time we left Joyce Lake, we still had problems at the office, wet clothes from the rain, and no less than 17 fish either up to the canoe side or in it, for the day. We started catching them so often we just started shaking them off the hook and didn't even bother bringing them in the boat. Of all the fish we got, only one was a northern pike (Forest Lake), 3 were smal mouth bass (Joyce Lake), and then somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 or 13 large mouth (both lakes). The biggest of the day I caught as we were leaving Joyce Lake....a largemouth that must have been 3 or 4 pounds (see photo).

We sometimes wonder about the mystique of up north and why we return whenever we can. I think the reason is that things do not change there. The water may go up and down, but the little red cabin pretty much just stays there waiting for the next visitor. For every new store that ever appears in town, there is another that just shut down. I am sure many people drive through Land O Lakes and wonder whether it is being built up, or torn apart. While the town never changes and the lake life never changes, one thing for sure....we do change. I cannot tell you what a difference it makes when Billy stands up in the canoe here in 2009, when just a few years ago, you could not tell he was even in the canoe! And while making our way to the store called the Tackle Box this morning, I could clearly see that it looked very much the same as it has for years, but I still knew that the years have gone by however, because Billy was driving the truck when we parallel parked in front!

Well, time for a little rest, a little dinner at Bents Camp , a little time to fix the gas line, a little of watching Billy split wood with an AX, and we will then be off to Tower Lake for a little more fishing.