Last Laps

Before buttoning up the pontoon boat in preparation for our departure, we took her out for a couple of laps around the lake.

 We fully exercised the "hybrid" aspect of the boat - first lap was mostly with the electric trolling motor, second lap was all gas. This time lapse using my droid powered by the pontoon boat cigarette lighter / USB port:


We also determined that, despite earlier concerns expressed on this blog...

...it is possible to catch fish from the pontoon boat.

First Official Cruise of 2014 Commemerative Portaiture by Olive

 Papa's new/old pontoon boat  (purchased last fall) was back in the lake Wednesday morning after an off season electrical makeover.

The Kettu clan converged on camp for a visit and a cruise around the lake. Em, Matt, and Olive were here on a school night, so could not stay long.

We had time for one slow-speed circumnavigation, so loaded everyone on the boat for the first official cruise of 2014.

As the captain was busy trying to remember how to drive the boat, he relinquished his photographic responsibilities, handed the Olympus over to Olive, and promoted her to official Cruise Photographer.  She chose to commemorate this inaugural cruise with intimate portraits of passenger and crew:

A bold artisitic choice, but the right choice.

Sunday at the Lake House with Jay

After the Saturday festivities extended late into the night, Sunday morning started slow. A mystery chef kicked the day off right with a righteous breakfast, starting with a Chard and Chorizo Fritatta recipe that was improvised with found ingredients into a Spinach and Salami Fritatta masterpiece.

Eager to improve his Nephew Utility Index Score, Number 3 pressed his trusty sidekick Tommy into service cleaning and checking out the new old pontoon boat.

After the cleaning, we settled into some football. BALTs and chips accompanied the expected Bears thrashing of Detroit.

Unfortunately, the game did not go according to script  as Jay Cutler defeated the Bears 40-32.

"DETROIT — All the happy talk over Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's mechanics during his team's 3-0 start overlooked the fact that you can't change his wiring. This is who Cutler is as a quarterback in Chicago, the reason the trains run on time one week and the cause of a derailment the next. You can win often in the NFL with Cutler and occasionally lose because of him, depending on the day. Good luck predicting when those days will come. Several smart football men have lost their jobs trying."

Subsequent to the game, Cutler was also found to be responsible for RGIII's injury and other events:

"CHICAGO— After nearly a century and half of mystery, local historians have discovered that current Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was solely responsible for the 1871 fire that destroyed entire city blocks and claimed the lives of hundreds. “Yup, it was totally his fault,” asserted Chicago Historical Society chairman Bob Chianski during a press conference that coincidentally occurred soon after the Bears loss..."

The second shift work crew departed when it was clear the game was over at halftime.  Nothing more to say at this juncture, except...

Further

Warm Welcome at Camp

Harlan drove up the day before, and had a nice pot of chicken wild rice soup waiting for us...

...accompanied by grilled fresh caught brown trout, just hours out of the Escanaba river.

Checked out a used pontoon boat for sale on the lake.

Still dithering.

Otherwise spent Monday relaxing, waiting for Erik to arrive and watching more football with more gourmet dining... Harlan's pot roast.

 I think I will arrange for Harlan to prepare camp for our arrival in all future trips.
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