July 16, 2006:

I’m sending this Report out a couple of days early as we are taking off on another little jaunt this weekend. Tell you about it next week.

 We got a dilly of a thunderstorm Wednesday night, or rather in the small hours of Thursday morning. It woke us up, and it was just one clap of thunder after another. By morning, there was a half-inch of rain in the gauge. It continued to drizzle all morning, then early Friday morning there was another thunderstorm. The end result was 1 1/8^th inches in the two days. I didn’t hear anyone complaining, either, except maybe those who went to Craven for the country show. Lloyd and Louise borrowed our motor home to go to it - I expect it could be some muddy when we get it back!

Last Monday, Doreen spotted a deer making threatening moves toward her flower garden. She only had one day lily plant, with two stems with buds, and the deer was going for one of them. Doreen opened the door and hollered, “Get outta there!” The deer looked at her. Doreen stomped out onto the deck and waved her arms, shouting, “Shoo! Scat! Scram!” The deer looked at her. Doreen stomped down the steps onto the lawn, waving her arms and threatening all kinds of mayhem if the deer didn’t leave immediately. The deer ate one of the day lily stalks. Finally, when Doreen was about seven feet away, the deer slowly ambled off. Too bad Doreen didn’t have her broom handy - she’s hell on raccoons with a broom!

Connie & Gary at the Beach Café tell me the fireworks display for August 12^th is on again. Whatever problems they had have been settled to their satisfaction. Put a mark on your calendar - everyone loves a good fireworks display and the one they had last year was outstanding.

The Cove is advertising “The Return of the Redeye”, which is a redeye volleyball tournament on August 4^th. Play volleyball all night? Not this cowboy. I don’t even play it in the daytime. It’s a good place for those who enjoy watching the fairer sex in scantily clad action, though. (Not me, of course!)

And another fireworks display - at the Cove, August 5^th! It will take place north of the Cove’s cabins, in that open area now owned by Almi Campground. What a summer, eh?

Swimming lessons have started at The Cove and there seems to be quite a stream of kids carrying towels headed that way. The lessons at the Cove were very popular since the government opted out; they were sorely missed the last couple of summers. Jerry would have liked to open the pool up to public swimming, but the staffing requirements made it impossible.

Our slide show Friday night was a huge success. We showed them a show of Park historical slides, from about 1930 to 2001. This was slides scanned from Floyd Thompson’s, Ed Norgrove’s, Merv Miller’ and Veronica Rauckman’s collections. Then a slide show of our own photos of the Park in more recent times, and lastly one of wildflowers and plants of Greenwater and area. I was very pleased with the reception we got. Thanks to Mallory for the use of her computer - it does a better job than mine does.

After the slide shows, Caroline and Mallory brought out a big birthday cake - it was the 75^th anniversary of the provincial park system - and served cake and coffee to anyone who wanted it. Most did; there wasn’t much cake left! What a great evening!

We went to the Tackle Box afterwards, and talked to Orren’s father, who was helping out while Orren was at a wedding. He said fishing isn’t too bad. There is a shelf just south of the north shore where there is a pickerel hole, and people who know where it is go out in the morning and evening and seem to catch lots of pickerel. Some jacks are caught trolling up and down the east shore. Occasionally someone finds a pocket of perch.