05/20/2007

So many activities, so little summer

By Ed Hungness
Local columnist edhungness@
yahoo.com

Read Ed's past columns here

Last month marked the beginning of spring, but it's May when things really start to happen around here.

Snow shovels are hung up and the snowblower, no longer needed, has been tucked away in a dark corner of the garage. You can feel the anticipation of summer in the air and it's good.

Bulbs are up and in bloom, plus leaves are back on the trees. Most folks have raked their yards, put fertilizer down and mowed the grass already.

Now is when I start to think of tomatoes — homegrown tomatoes. We aren't supposed to set them out until after Memorial Day, but some gardeners take a chance and put them out earlier. Here at the cottage we are short on areas of sunny ground. Our gardening is limited to containers and I've had excellent luck with patio tomatoes.

You really don't need a lot of space to raise veggies. Another advantage of container gardening is that they can be dragged into the garage if there is a frost warning, which helps extend our growing season.

The chest waders had been hanging in the garage since last October when we took the dock out. Several weeks ago, we braved the icy cold water and put the dock back in. Why is it that the water level is always the highest when the water is the coldest? As I put that last dock section in, I wished that my waders and I were just a tad taller. Soon after the dock was installed, the fishing boat was launched for its annual voyage across the lake.

This year I have some new walleye baits that I brought back from our trip to South Carolina. These are baits that Michigan walleyes have never laid eyes on and are guaranteed to drive them wild. That's what my brother-in-law told me, anyway. He's a lawyer by profession and don't they always tell the truth? Ask me this fall and I will give you a complete and honest report.

It's the beginning of another summer season for outdoor fun. The "snowbirds” have drifted back from warmer places and old friendships are being renewed. Soon we will see pontoons motoring by on sunset cruises, hear kids laughing as they play in the water and catch the smell of evening campfires being enjoyed around the lake as we listen for the call of the loon.

There will be cookouts, trips to the local farmers market, summer visitors and much more. Let's all take time to enjoy our favorite outdoor activities during summer's brief and welcomed return.

Ed Hungness and his wife owned their cottage on Fife Lake for six years before moving there after his retirement in 2005. His writing draws from life experiences, fond childhood memories and a love for the outdoors and northern Michigan. He can be reached at edhungness@yahoo.com or care of the Record-Eagle.