Oak Point

This map shows the whole area we call Oak Point. (Click on picture to enlarge). The majority of Oak Point is in two townships, they are Leech Lake and Unorganized #4. The Oak Point Road travel through Wilkinson and a small part of Otter Tail Peninsula Township to our area. In total the road is about 16 miles long from Hwy 371, including the loop at the end by the Narrows. Leech Lake is on three sides of Oak Point, Steamboat Bay to the left and the "Big Lake" to the right and the Narrows at the end. The darker green areas on the map are either private or tribal properties, The light green area are all owned by the federal government and are part of the Chippewa National Forest.

We had a rare treat with a couple of Pileated Woodpeckers in our yard this week. They are very large (crow sized) black and white Woodpeckers with a prominent red crest at the real of their head. They can reach 15 inches or longer in size.

We spent about a half a day this week doing our leaves once again. Hopefully that will be it for this fall. I could not help to wonder what the explorers two hundred years ago, like Pike and Schoolcraft and others would think of us with the green grass on our lawns and the need to rake the leaves off our lawns. After all the rick soil we now have came from decaying leaves and other vegetation.

We continue this November with above normal temps this week. I understand the temps are running about ten degrees warmer then normal. I had a conversation with a neighbor who told me that the ice spearing season for Northern Pike starts Dec. 1st. That date is now only nine days away with no ice in sight. Our weather has been upside down this fall. Above average temps in September, cooler then average with snow in October and now above average temps in November. The last two days we have had temps above 50 degrees.

This is the last weekend of the firearms deer hunting season and I saw lots of blaze orange hunters in the woods. Of course the great weather brought the hunters out for one last chance for mister buck.

This coming week will bring us Thanksgiving. We are planning on traveling to our son and daughter in laws home to have the Holiday with them and our grand kids. I have so much to be thankful fore, great wife, family, grand kids and I get to live in the north woods on Leech Lake in a great neighborhood.