Both lakes busy over holiday weekend
By TOOTSIE SNELLING
Marion County Park & Lake Reporter
If you drove out around the lakes this weekend you know how busy we all were. I believe everyone in Wichita, Newton, and surrounding towns went camping. Marion Reservoir was full by Thursday evening and was sending them this way. We had over 100 campers around the lake and our electricity areas were full, too. Some of them were paying since last weekend so they could have their spot. You can tell how big the crowd was by looking at the trash hoppers. They are stuffed full.
The rain Friday evening dampened things a little and made for muddy spots. But, true campers don't let a little rain bother them. The lightning didn't get bad and the wind didn't blow hard. Actually it was a beautiful weekend for camping — a little cool at night, but that only made for camp fires and roasting marshmallows. YUM! (I sold out of those.)
Fishing was good. Everyone was catching fish — channel cat, wipers, walleye, drum, some perch, and a few crappie. The biggest catch was made by Mike Wheeler with a 34-pound flathead. Son Dean was fishing by him and helped him land it. About 11:30 p.m. they called to see if we would weigh it in. So Dale opened up, weighed it, and took a picture. He left the fish in our tank over the weekend and the word got around and we had a steady stream of lookers. He had been fishing for white bass and crappie with twister tails when he caught it. You just never know about fish or what they will bite on.
Another camper, Greg Detman and girls from Newton, caught a 7-pound channel. They were really happy and excited. It was the biggest fish he had ever caught.
People in the heated dock were catching wipers (using liver with bobbers) almost as fast as they could catch them. But, most were not big enough to keep.
Speaking of chicken livers, I don't mean to laugh at my customers but when they ask for liver, I tell them I have prepared or frozen livers and they ask if the frozen liver is hard. I have to laugh (doesn't your freezer freeze hard, or is it just mine! Maybe there's a new freezer out I don't know about.) Anyway, if you ask, I'll nuke them a few seconds so they won't be so hard!
We must have written a book-full of boat and jet ski permits. The lake was busy with them Saturday and Sunday.
We had a few swimmers, but the water is a little cool for them yet. Boy, did we see some bad sunburns! First big weekend out always is bad on them. We sold out of all sunburn lotion, too!
Three of my sisters came to stay with us over part of the weekend. Genie Prothman from Breckenridge, Mo., and Virginia Gettinger from Overbrook came Friday afternoon. They came especially for the Florence Alumni Banquet Saturday evening and returned home Sunday after church. Eleanor and Paul Silhan from Salina came down Friday evening to visit with all of us. They returned home Saturday. Mark and Leann Lewman, Kiana and Levi stayed with us on Sunday and Monday. They fixed supper for us Monday evening. We were dragging a little by then.
The hall was busy over the weekend with L.L. Richardson and Phillips using it Saturday and the Smiths on Sunday. The shelters were used by campers and day picnic users.
I have to say a special thanks to the city of Marion. Dale tried to paint the flag pole at the corner at Kingfisher's Inn with a ladder and his tractor. But it was making me a little nervous as he got to the top, so I called Harvey Sanders to see if they would bring out the bucket truck so he could paint the top part of the pole. Here came the truck and two painters, too, Friday afternoon. Thanks to Travis Schafers and Christian Pederson for painting the pole. And thanks, Monty, for a new flag. It is much appreciated!
The wildflowers are starting to bloom. The Missouri primrose or butter cups, as I call them, are in full bloom and so pretty. If you haven't been out to look, be sure to drive around and see all the different species and colors. I still have a brochure in the office telling the kinds. There will be something new every week! Remember, LOOK don't PICK
