Lake is busy
TOOTSIE SNELLING
Marion County Park & Lake Reporter
Summer officially started Friday and it felt like it over the weekend. It was hot and windy! The swimmers and boaters liked it and the beach was full. We had quite a few campers, some of them coming for weekend reunions that were held in the hall.
Several families from Colorado came in on Wednesday and stayed through the weekend for the Matz reunion that was held Saturday.
The Johnston family reunion used the hall Saturday evening and again on Sunday. The Blankleys used half the hall on Sunday. The Hannafords used the east shelter house Saturday evening, and Our Savior Lutheran Church used the north shelter on Sunday, so it was a busy weekend.
Peg and Paul Silhan from Salina hosted a family get-together in the hall Saturday to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Those attending were Lucy and Paul Miller, David and Barbara Silhan, and Sister Teresa Waner, Wichita; Lenora McLinden, Newton; J.C. and Mary Jo Feist, Joseph and Loretta Feist, and Joe, Emily, Garrett, and Audrey, Manchester Okla.; Theresa Feist, Levi and Grayson, Enid, Okla.; Byron and Barbara Harris, Peabody; Carol and Ray Peirce, Hesston; Gary and Joyce Mott, Manhattan; Catherine Silhan and Janet and Ron Deneault and Alan, Salina; Virginia Gettner, Overbrook; Regina Prothman, Breckenridge, Mo.; Dan and Tammy Snelling, Tristen and Seth, Marion; Leann and Mark Lewman, Kiana and Levi, Florence; Dean Snelling, Goessel; and Dale and Tootsie Snelling. We all had a good time visiting with cousins we don't get to see very often. Regina Prothman came on Friday and spent the weekend with us before returning home on Sunday.
The lake is still 5" above normal with all the rains we've had. Dale cleaned out the tower again so it should drop the level to normal pretty soon.
The fishing was good over the weekend. A few more crappie are being caught off the heated dock now. Channel cat continue to bite all around the lake with liver still the best bait to use on them.
Several boat fishermen reported catching bass, saugeye, walleye, and wipers but no big ones were brought for pictures. The water temperature is still hanging around 77 degrees.
We had an interesting camper on Saturday evening, maybe you saw him. The bicycle that was loaded down! ( He had bags hanging on both sides of the back wheel, two bags on the front wheel, and a big pack on the back.) He is traveling from Montana to Alabama to visit relatives. He said he had made 100 miles that day and that it had been hard work in the wind. He was tired and wanted a shower and a place to sleep. I asked him how many more days until he reached Alabama. He thought about 13. At 8:30 a.m. Sunday, he was at the Florence intersection, heading south. I guess he sees lots of country, but oh, that aching back and legs. I believe I'd have taken a plane or bus!!
(Last week's news)
Another busy weekend! The reservoir filled up in their electric spots on Thursday and were sending campers over here to us. Some had never seen or camped at our little lake before and were impressed by how pretty it is. They all caught fish. Several said they would be back again.
With all the rain of last week we are about 18" above normal. The water ran over the slab on the north end twice after the rains. Water hasn't ran out the spillway yet, but it is going out of the tower and burping up in the burp hole.
When the water runs in, everyone goes to the north end to fish for channel cat. Several nice stringers were taken. Remember the limit on channel cat is five per person per day.
Fishing was good again last week, several nice wipers were taken along with drum, channel cat, walleye, and the crappie were biting again in the heated dock and in a few spots around the lake.
Ken Schmidt and John Waner cleaned several nice crappie that were 10" to 15" long. That's mighty good eating. The water temperature today, Monday at 10 am, at the public dock is 77 degrees. I think the rain helped to warm it up.
Father's Day weekend always brings out a few dads and their families to camp and fish. A few even got new fishing poles and reels!
The hall was used Saturday for the Hamm and Hett reunions and Saturday evening by the Scheibs.
The rain on Saturday chased away a few of the tenters and the boaters had to quit because of the lightning and rain, but all were out in full force again on Sunday. It was a beautiful day. Glad we missed all the storms with the wind and hail!
Dale and I went to the Caprice Ballroom in Goddard Sunday afternoon to attend the 50th wedding anniversary party for my sister Peg and Paul Silhan of Salina. We didn't get to stay too long, but got to visit a little and enjoyed the music of Barry Boyce of Omaha, Neb.
With all the recent rains, the guys are having a hard time keeping up with the mowing. As soon as they mow one spot it rains again and it needs mowing again. Last week it rained on mowing days or was too wet to mow, so please be patient, they will be around to your spot. They also worked on the beach area buoys. Doesn't the orange pipe around the beach look nice, now anyone caught swimming out of it can't say they couldn't tell where the beach area was.
We hope the rains hold off a little now so the wheat harvest can begin. We were surprised not to see any fields cut down by Wichita. Guess it was too wet. The wheat is golden and the heads have dropped, too. That means it's ripe and ready. Watch out for the farm trucks in the next few weeks.
