Vacation

I have another vacation story I want to share with you.  On the evening I was on the still, clear lake, I caught some fish.  Then let them go.  If you missed that story, you can read it here.

While on the lake, I also got to listen to a couple of loons play Marco Polo.  That was very entertaining.  Other than Marco and Polo, I have no idea what else they said.

We stayed at Loon's Nest Resort near Park Rapids, Minnesota.  We have had several wonderful vacations there.  It's a great place to stay.

A view of the sunset from Loons Nest Resort

I also saw a flock of geese and heard some crazy honking.  They landed in a little cove nearby with a huge splash, splash, splash, and so on.  They honked for a bit longer then settled in on the water.  I also saw a big bird circling around, presumably doing a little fishing himself. 

This is a picture of my Fisherman's Soap

It contains Anise Essential Oil that is said to mask human odor.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the boat on the calm lake.  There were only a couple of other boats that even came within sight, so it was kind of like having the whole lake to myself.  I would have enjoyed company to share these cool things of nature that I got to witness, but as it is, I will cherish those couple of hours on the calm water and remember them fondly. 

Thanks for reading!

Gone Fishing

Last week I got to go on vacation in Minnesota.  Ever since I was a child, this has been an important part of summer for me.  I have always loved being on the lake and enjoying the scenery and wildlife.  And I have always loved to fish.

The weather was cold and windy the first several days of vacation.  I’m not one to row out in a little 14’ aluminum craft when there are whitecaps.  So we were well into the week before I got to go in the boat and fish.

 Cute fish soaps

One evening I went fishing when the lake was so still it looked like glass.  I am a catch-and-release type of gal; I’m not after big fish to feed my family.  I enjoy catching fish of any type or size that put up a bit of a fight.  I caught several fish on this particular night.  I caught my first northern in many years.  It was small, about 14”, but it was fun to catch.  Once I got it in the boat, it broke the line, so I had to grab him so I could take the hook out and send him on his way.  I also caught several rock bass.  They are good fighters.  I can pretend like something really big is on the other end of the line. 

More fish soaps since I don't have any

pictures of the real thing to share

Want to know a secret?  Sometimes I do that with weeds too.  I’m pretty sure that some really big fish that got away were actually weeds, but I leave a window of possibility that rather than a weed, I truly did have “the big one” on my line. 

I have no proof of my catches.  I was alone in the boat, and I didn’t have a camera.  So I hope you’ll take my word for it J

Thanks for reading!

Rock Candy

Have you ever had Rock Candy?  When I was a kid, I got to spend a week in Minnesota each summer (or most, anyway).  One of my favorite memories of those days was going to an “Old Fashioned” candy store where the candy was in big glass containers and big baskets. 

We got to choose some candy to put in our very own sack.  The idea was to make our sack of candy last all week. 

 

One of my favorites was rock candy.  I loved the sparkly look of those sugar crystals on a stick.  I can’t remember if they were made in different colors and flavors way back then, but if they were, I know the richly colored ones would have been my favorite.

Rock candy was fun to eat.  And it took a bit of time to eat the sugar on a stick, so that helped me make the candy last longer. 
  

I don’t eat rock candy anymore, but I do make Rock Candy Soap!  I love to use various colors and fragrances in these fun novelty soaps.

Do you know someone who likes rock candy?  Do you have fond memories of rock candy or some other vacation treat?  I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!