Cooler today, after five very hot days, and a strong wind from the southwest. I had to put the top down on our boat, and tied it to the dock in a couple more places. There was 3/10ths inch of rain in our gauge; we would have liked more but are happy to get that. Cec Ewen said Kelvington got a very heavy rain.

This is traditionally one of the park's busiest weekends; I see lots of cars down by the beach, a bit more traffic on the road, and a few watercraft running around (though not many in this wind) but otherwise it is just another weekend to us.

There is a plaque hanging in the Park's Service Center, down by Lakeshore Campground - when I asked Alex Dunlop what it was all about, he said his staff won the 2001 Customer Service Award. They were up against some pretty high-profile parks, including Cypress Hills, Meadow Lake, Duck Mountain, and Moose Mountain. The award is based on a survey form on the back of camping permits, asking for campers' comments on: customer service, cleanliness of facilities, grounds maintenance, Park information, sense of safety & security, and overall Park experience. 946 forms were returned, with over 98% rating the Park service as excellent. The award will hang in the Service Center for the summer, and then in the Administration Office. Congratulations, Park staff!

Informed sources tell me that Saskatchewan Express is going to be here again this summer. The date is July 18th. Anyone who has seen the show will tell you it is the best free show around. Don't miss it!

On a recent tour of the Peninsula, by the Marina, I disturbed two families of geese - one with three young, and one with six. They are the only geese still around, as far as I know. I expect they will be transported as soon as they molt, which should be soon.

The geese didn't move away from me as quickly as they used to. I stopped within ten feet of them; they checked me out pretty carefully, but it was awhile before they took to the water, and then they didn't seem in any hurry. The rabbits seem pretty tame, too. One in our yard let me get within about five feet of it, and didn't seem unduly wary. I noticed some black, round nodes on the backs of its ears - ticks, possibly?

Wednesday evening, when it was up around 30·, we packed a picnic supper and went out on the boat. We anchored in the shade on the west point and ate a very comfortable supper. Afterwards, we browsed up and down the shoreline, meeting six or seven beavers, a few red-necked grebes, a group of about five loons, and a soaring bird we didn't see long enough to identify. Oh, yes - there was a pileated woodpecker that came down to the shore to drink, and a deer. We chug along about trolling speed, and the animals don't get alarmed.

Yesterday, we took a drive over to Marean Lake to check out Tom Coleman's perennial garage sale.  Back in the mid-sixties, we spent some summers at Marean Lake in the next cabin to the Colemans. We got to know them pretty well then, but lost track over the years. Tom had a battle with cancer about fourteen years ago, which he won. Now he runs his annual yard sale, and proceeds from most of the donated items go to cancer research. Tom says he sent them almost $2,500 last year, and is up to about $1,400 this year.

We dropped in on Ann Hobman's yard sale, too, also an annual affair. At the back of the lot, Ann has a steep slope planted to flowers, and it is beautiful.

By this time, we were hit with an ice cream attack, so went over to Woulfe's clubhouse for some sundaes and milkshakes. Derek and Lana served us, under baby Hunter's watchful eye.

I was amazed at how low the water is at Marean Lake. Docks must be at least fifty feet long, and people wading out at the end of them were only knee deep. In most cases it is hard to launch a boat; Bob McCrae has a tractor that he uses to push out the trailer to where water is deep enough to float the boat. I tried to remember where the water line would have been when we holidayed there; as I recall, there was only a narrow little beach; now it's a hundred feet or more wide. Great for sunbathers, but a bit awkward for boaters.