Oak Point Association

We had an excellent program at our annual meeting on Saturday the 26th of June. Our speaker was Doug Schultz, Large Lake Biologist for the Minnesota DNR located here in Walker.

The principal item on his agenda during his presentation was the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species. He wants property owners and boaters to be aware of the problem and then what they can do about it here on Leech Lake. Doug thought that our water quality on Leech is generally better then it was in the 1950's and 1960's when untreated septic water was getting into the lake. We do have some limited invasive species in our lake they are the Eurasian Watermilfoil that is some of the harbors, Purple Loosestrife, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Rusty Crayfish and Chinese Banded Mystery Snails. The best way to protect our waters is to prevent hitchhikers on our fishing boats and trailers. Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting any equipment, eliminate water from live wells, motors and minnow pails. Never release plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water.

Doug also spoke to us about an update to the Leech Lake Walleye Management Plan that will become public on July 1st. He reviewed for us the current regulation of the 18 to 26 inch slot fish, the special limit of 4 fish, the Cormorant control program and the fish stocking program. The new plan will have a survey associated with it which is your chance to voice your input about the slot size and the special limit. I will try and send along a copy of the survey when I get one.

Doug also spoke briefly about the status of the Musky in our lake, which he pointed out was still very good. You have a chance to volunteer in the spring when they tag Muskie's which sound like fun. Doug can be contacted at doug.w.schultz@state.mn.us . Very excellent program.

Summer 2010

It must have rained about everyday this week. We had over an inch of rain on Thursday morning. The grass on the lawns is growing very fast, just finished mowing once again. No need to water the garden. Had two meals of lose leaf lettuce this week. Weeds are growing fast.

With all the rains the lake level is up once again. The wheels on my dock have two or three inches of water on top. This is a good sign going into the summer dryer months.

Mayflies

I think we are finally at the end of the Mayfly season, what that means is that now it's time to clean windows and get ready for the 4th of July. Doug Schultz answered a question at our annual meeting about Mayflies by saying that their presences in Leech Lake is a good sign of the quality of water that we have.

Daisies

The wild flower of the week is the common white Daisy which has white petals with a yellow center. They grow in open areas where they can get plenty of sunlight like pastures, ditches, vacant lots, etc. This perennial flower blossoms in June and July and is quite common across most of the midwest states. The Showy Lady Slipper is still blossoming and can be still found.

June Storms

The main topic of neighborhood conversation this past week was the weather. Early in the week we had cool, wet and overcast skies that was the continuation of the previous weeks gloomy weather. On Wednesday we had a nice day with warmer temps. Then on Thursday, when we had all the tornadoes in Minnesota, we had winds and an inch of rain. On Friday afternoon we had very high straight line winds from the west and southwest. We had at least 4 trees down on the Oak Point Road that partially blocked one lane. One big massive Oak tree down in my neighborhood. Many branches and leaves down on the lawns that had to be cleaned up. We had 3 smaller trees down at Oak Point Estates that are already cleaned up.

Showy Lady's Slipper

The Minnesota State Flower made its appearance this past week. It's a wild orchid native to northern North America. It has been protected in Minnesota since 1925. It's illegal to pick or transplant this flower. Many people consider it to be the most beautiful flower in the state. It is a brightly colored flower that has one or two blossoms on a single stem. White petals sit on top of a white pouch streaked with pick. It flowers in early June to mid July, about two weeks later the Yellow Lady Slipper. This orchid prefers more sunlight then its yellow cousin. This plant has a long life span and that some times be up to 100 years. The stem of this plant has a hairy appearance with the "hairs" causing irritation to some people.

We find the flower in the road ditches where it gets more sunlight. The best place that we find them is in the Highway 371 ditch just north of the intersection with the Oak Point Road. This past week we must have seen hundreds of them in this location. If you visit this site please take your pictures, but please leave them alone so that we can enjoy them for years to come. We also find them in various location along Oak Point Road.

Mayflies

Thursday winds and rain riled up the lake water and led to a major hatch of these flies. They were so thick they kept my motion detector light on my garage all night. Let's hope this will be the end of this years hatch.

Goose Island

In doing some research this past week I came across an ancient map by Antoine Nau, who working from Zebulon Pikes Journals, he showed and called Goose Island by name. This map is over two hundred years old. This doesn't answer the question of how Goose Island got its name, but its had the name for a long time.

Fauna

The unofficial report that I heard this week continues to be good for walleye catches, but the high winds have had a negative impact.

Still seeing White Tail Deer along the Oak Point Road in the mornings. Good numbers are younger deer.

The number of Minnesotans that want to hunt bear has increased to approximately 18,500 applying for permits. But the number of permits that the DNR issue is down to 9,500. The DNR estimates that there is 20,000 black bear in our state. About 30 % of the permit drawers end up not getting the license, plus the success rate for those that do get a license is about 30%.

Garden

Enjoyed some fresh green onions which is the first produce from the garden this spring. We should be able to pick some leafy lettuce by the end of the week. Green beans are about two weeks out yet. The growth has been slowed by the cool, overcast skies we have been having. However this week, the first week of summer promises to be more seasonal in temperatures which will help the garden grow.

Ken Carlson, Mail Boat

Ken Carlson's first exposure to the Oak Point area was in 1947 when a young 17 year old Ken was treated to a boat ride on the Mail Boat Excursion Trips. At one of the stops he took a picture of the owners' lodge at the Mounds Point Resort. 42 years later Ken and Sig bought the exact same owners lodge as their first cabin on Leech Lake. Ken has that same picture framed in their home that they built to replace the old owners' lodge that they tore down.

Harold Fisher and his wife Vera ran the mail boat out of Walker. They had one of the most unusual rural star mail runs in Minnesota history. They had 55 customers from cabin owners to resorts. Mail boxes were on your dock. In addition to mail they also delivered some supplies. The trip covered 71 miles and took approximately 3 hours. It ran from May 15th to Sept 30th. The boat also had room for up to 17 riders who wanted to see the lake sights. Ken paid $5.00 for his excursion trip. In addition to the Squaw Point area the boat served Stony Point, Pine Point and out as far as Otter Tail Point. The boat stopped at Otter Tail Resort for passengers to take a break. The boat was a 23 ft. cruiser with a 210 hp engine. It is said that in the 24 years the Fishers ran the mail route they missed only one delivery day due to weather.

Vera Fisher who herself ran the boat for 15 years just died on May 5, 2010 at the age of 92 in Walker. Her obituary was in the May 12th Pilot Independent.

Ken was the founder and editor for the Oak Point News since July 1995. He wrote three newsletters a year. The first annual picnic he covered was at the Nicholson on Chippewa Beach Rd. At the first annual meeting that he covered at his own home the membership changed the name of the organization to Oak Point Homeowners Association. Ken and Sig have been married for 57 years. We owe Ken a debt of thanks for his efforts.

Rain, Wind and Mayflies

It has been a cool, rainy week here on Oak Point. According to my rain gauge we got over one inch of rain which is good for the gardens, lawns and wild flowers. We now need some good warm weather to get the garden growing. I found this beautiful group of wild roses in the Oak Point Road ditch this week. It had between 60 and 70 flowers in this one area. We had plenty of Mayflies this past week which in turn attracted sea gulls to the area. Used my leaf blower to blow Mayflies off my sidewalk and driveway.

Pure Maple Syrup

We had a meal of pancakes this week with some Oak Point Pure Maple Syrup thanks to Mike Schrank. It was just fantastic.

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.

Memorial Day 2010

Called the unofficial beginning of summer. Memorial Day is the first three day weekend of the summer season. Originally called Decoration Day, the day was set aside to remember and honor those who died in our nations service. It is now a date to remember all lost loved ones. The last Monday of May is the official federal and state holiday, with May 30th as the observed Memorial Day. Decoration Day was first observed in 1868 at the end of the Civil War. Locally a number of VFW's and Legions have services. Walker has a joint service by both the VFW and American Legion.In Cass Lake the Leech Lake Band has a Memorial Pow Wow at their Veterans Memorial Complex for all. On this special day, let us not forget the true meaning of this day and remember our nations hero's.

Lots of people enjoying the Oak Point area this weekend. Between my sisters summer home and my place we had family members that totaled 14 adults and 11 kids. I grilled two turkeys in the kettle grills and made my famous Boston Baked Beans. We had all sorts of foods including Rhubarb treats. Many of the area residents had family gatherings as well. Summer time at Leech Lake is all about family, food and good times, including cribbage games at our house. This weekend we started to teach my grandson the rules of cribbage. The cribbage tradition lives on.

Fishing

With the heat and the warm water temp. the Walleye bite is slowing down. Only a few were caught off the docks this weekend. We have enough fish for a meal. Sister Susan's 27 inch Walleye was the prize winner for the weekend.

Flora Aplenty

Our warm humid weather brought forth plenty of mother natures beautiful spring flora. People outside of Oak Point are jealous of the real thick ferns that we have. The Wild Geraniums are out. They are the lavender colored flower with 5 petals that grow on the edge of the woods usually close to water. The red pedaled wild Columbines with the inverted flowers and thin stalks are also blooming. The Columbines need more sun and can be found in the road ditches and in the open areas. We also call them Honeysuckle because of their sweet taste. I found some additional clumps of Yellow Lady Slippers in my back lot this past week. One clump had 11 blossoms.

Garden plantings are starting to poke through. Green beans are 3 to 4 inches high, green onions 5 to 6 inches high. Potato just starting to sprout through the black soil. Spent some time in the mornings weeding. Out garden is about 250 ft. from the lake. And I am hope that the lake effect will serve our garden well. The lake will make things a bit cooler, but it can also help us maintain a constant temperature on chilly mornings. The drawback could be the lack of heat. Will it get warm enough, long enough to ripen tomatoes? We will have to wait and see.

Oak Point Road

Gravel shoulders are finished, the paint stripping is done. All that is left is the signage, but what do I know. What an improvement for all of us on Oak Point. This road improvement will add to the value of our properties. Let is hope that the speeders don't find the road to appealing.

Dock Fishing

This is the time of the year that I enjoy just going down to my dock in the evening and fishing for Walleyes from about 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm or so. The fish are coming into the shallows to feed on minnows or insects during this time of the evening. The key to their movement is light penetration. The less the light penetrates the water surface from a slight chop to break up the surface, or we have an overcast sky, the fish will venture in sooner and shallower. Now I have a nice boat and I enjoy using it, but nothing pleases me more then sitting on my dock and catching my Leech Lake limit of 4 Walleyes within an hour or so. My usual presentation is a leaded jig with a minnow attached. Six pound test line is more then enough. A bobber stopper rig or plain minnow hook also works well. Any color jig will do as long as it has some green. I cast out and retrieve at various speeds and motions all to entice the fish to bite. The usual fish are the eater size or smaller and not the bigger ones, but occasionally one in the slot size shows up and needs to be released, but that is rare. I am quite often serenaded by the sound of the Loons as it was this evening. The peace and quiet is real relaxing. Low tech fishing for a relaxing, stress free evening. And yes, you will probably need some bug spray. You usually can be in bid by 10:30 pm or sooner.

May Weather and Garden

The weather has been real warm and summer like all week. May started out cool with snow the first weekend, but it has been warm since. My sister and I have been working in our garden. We went to the greenhouse for the first time this week. I am sure that that will be at least a weekly trip until everything is planted and the space used up. Spring is the time of the year when it feels good to get your fingernails dirty in the soil. I will be writing about our garden as the year progresses. My lawn grass is just popping right now. Lawns need to be cut about every five days now. Plenty of those pesky Dandelions. The warmth has also brought forth tree pollen. Both the Oaks and Basswood trees are doing their annual thing with seeds floating on the water, on decks, driveways and all other services.

Oak Point Road

With the nice weather the road contractor is making up for lost time. They are going early in the morning by 7:00 am to at least 8:30 pm in the evenings. I get tired watching them work. Both layers of asphalt are now down so the driving surface is completed. The contractor still has some finishing up to do, such as gravel shoulders, signage, stripping and things of that nature. It's a real nice drive right now. We did wash both our cars and the pickup this week to get the road grime off the sides and from underneath. I have resumed my morning walks on the new road.

Yellow Lady Slippers

Pictured here are some Yellow Lady Slippers that are wild orchids that grow out here on Oak Point. They show up in late May and early June. They are found in shady hardwood areas with rich organic soils and they like the early morning sun. They bloom early in the spring before the trees leaves are fully out. The flowers last 3 to 4 weeks. They are cousins to the Showy Lady Slippers (pink) that are the official Minnesota State Flower. Showy Lady Slippers will show up in 2 to 3 weeks and can also be found here on Oak Point.

2010 Fishing Opener

Fishing Opener had to be defined as a success. I had two of my grand kids with me, my brother Mike, great weather and good food. We caught enough fish to have a good fish fry, but the numbers were limited. Most of the neighbors that I spoke to had limited success. We had no wind, blue skies and temps in the 70's. We needed a Walleye chop to get them biting. My grandson's 17 inch, 1.6 pound Crappie was the prize fish for the weekend. In two days we caught close to 12 Walleyes and an assortment of other fish to make it interesting. We had many, many boats on Leech Lake on Saturday morning, probably more then I have ever seen. Our neighborhoods here on Oak Point come alive with people and guests. To me the "Opener" is more about family and getting together and enjoying the lake.

Up until Saturday morning we had a wet windy week. According to my rain gauge we had about .7 of an inch of rain this past week. The water in the lake is now above the wheels on my dock which is a good level. So the rain in May is trying to makeup for March and Aprils lack. My lawn is needing mowing once again. Worked in the garden planting potato, green beans and onions. Need more time in the garden this coming week.

Road Progress

With the cool damp week the contractor, Anderson Bros., had limited success in their progress. Asphalt is laid half the way around the loop and has stopped by the "Narrows". The word now is the contractor wants to get done by Memorial Day Weekend. Pictured is a big Bald Eagle that I took today as he stood guard by the "Narrows". I think that the animals will be glad to see the road project completed.