Lake: White stuff doesn't go away
By TOOTSIE SNELLING
Marion County Park & Lake Reporter
This white stuff just won't go away, will it! I actually got stuck in my driveway. The van just fell through the layer of sleet and wouldn't budge. But when it melted a little, we finally got it up on top again.
This stuff is so much different than snow and a lot heavier! It made for great sledding and I'm sure all the kids enjoyed being out of school for that.
There was so much buildup of sleet and ice on top of the heated dock that it was sinking. The floor of the dock was level with the lake water, so Dale had to get on top of the dock and chip the sleet and ice off with a shovel. It took him about three hours and he wound up with a good backache. I should have called the paper to take pictures! I couldn't watch, I knew he was going into the lake, but all worked out OK.
Makes you wonder how much weight some of our houses and buildings are holding up. Sure glad we didn't get all the ice other places got. It sure was close. I wouldn't want to be without electricity for days. They were just lucky the temperature were not 20 below with high winds.
Fishing in the heated dock is still slow. The ones who venture out in the early morning hours seem to do the best. And then you have to fish outside if you want to catch a crappie. We've had some reports of five to eight nice crappie taken lately, so that is slow. February is always slow. March will be better.
Part of the lake froze over again with the colder nights and the geese have returned again. As usual, they park under our bedroom window. I feel I know every one of them personally, as each one sounds different. The bald eagle flys over once a day just to stir them up. They sure don't like him.
Last week we took a few days off and traveled to Breckenridge, Mo., to visit my sister and husband, Genie and Ed Prothman. It was just as dry up there as it was here. On the way home, we stopped in Overbrook and visited another sister and husband, Virginia and Dick Gettinger. After returning home, we drove to the nursing home in Whitewater to visit Dale's mother, Dorothy Wilson, who is recovering from pneumonia. She has since gone home to Potwin and is doing much better.
Sorry to report losing two more of our past lake residents, Herb Wullschleger and Ona Griffith. Both were residents of Marion Manor. Our condolences to their families. In our younger days, Ona and I used to see who could can the most quarts of green beans in the summer. She always won out. She was one of the original Chat & Dine members and organized the craft tables and show.
We attended a five-year cancer-free party for Margie Sandwell Saturday night at the VFW. It was a surprise, put on by her children and their families. Congratulations, Margie!!
Sunday evening, we had a Superbowl party at our house. Those present were Mark, Leann, Kiana, and Levi Lewman, Dean Snelling, Dan, Tam, Tristen, and Seth Snelling and friend Madison. My team didn't win and, as usual, and we all ate too much. We all were disappointed in the commercials. There was not a super one that took our eyes.
