June 2010

What a beautiful week, maybe a little on the cool side, but a real nice peaceful week here on Oak Point. Lake activity has quieted down after the Memorial Day weekend. Also the extra people and equipment from the road project are gone. Saw three groupings of deer on the road this week. also an indication that they enjoy the peace and quiet as well and are venturing out further. Been seeing some deer tracks in the new gravel shoulders of the Oak Point Road when I am on my morning walks. Good signs for the fall deer hunters. Saw the Oak Point wild turkey this week for the first time in several weeks. Maybe she was hiding from the road work as well. It's good to know that she is still around.

The month of May was a mixed bag weather wise with early snows and cool rains then warm, even hot weather. We actually ran our home air conditioner two days during May, and that was double what we ran it all last summer. Hope that June will be a more normal month.

Jim Proebstle

The author of the book "In the Absence of Honor" was at the Cass Lake Public Library for a program this past week. He was there for the Minnesota Legacy Program that brings authors to libraries to discuss their books. Well he has a summer home out on Otter Tail Point on Leech Lake just northeast of my home about 4 to 5 miles across the water. By car he is about 40 miles away. It was fun meeting him. His book is loosely based on Cass Lake and the native population and the gaming industry and its social impact.

Flora

Found this beautiful wild rose bush this week along Chippewa Beach Road. This bush is just starting to blossom out. Wild Roses have five pink shaded petals with a yellow centers. The skin of rose hips is editable and is a high source of vitamin C. Our wild Leeks season is coming to a halt, not that you can't harvest them later but the leaves and stems are turning brown and disappearing making the Leeks hard to find. The white bush is an American Cranberry or wild highbush cranberry that is a beautiful showy white bush in the spring followed by a bright red berries in the fall. The fruit is tart and high in vitamin C and can be used for jellies and sauces.

Mayfly Hatch

We had our first Mayfly hatch this week. Mayfly's are an aquatic insects that in their adult stage will last only a few minutes to one day or so. As adults their only duty is to lay eggs on the surface of the water that will be next years supply of Mayfly's. In our area they are associated with all lakes and rivers that flow to or from the Mississippi which includes Leech Lake. We will have sever hatches of these insects during the next two weeks before they are finished. Some of the insects are larger, some smaller, some will have a greener shade, some a yellow shade. Sometimes when the weather and temperature are right their will be millions of them. I have seen them cover the blacktop road after a rain. They are a high protein food source for fish, seagulls and ducks. Wait to clean your windows until this annual event is finished.

Fishing

One of my neighbors reports that he went fishing for a couple of days with some former co-workers who were visiting Leech Lake. They had real good success fishing with night crawlers in deeper waters. Numerous fish had to be returned to the water that were in the protective slot size.