Marion Co. Lake beach area popular during hot weather
By TOOTSIE SNELLING
Marion County Park & Lake reporter
Talk about HOT!!! My gosh, we might as well have been in the desert this past week. That's what it felt like. I keep watering my flowers, but it doesn't do much good, I think I'm cooking them instead. Dale said the lake has gone down about three inches on the tower. The hot and windy days really sap it out in a hurry.
We didn't get many campers around the lake due to the heat. Who would want to stay in a tent in this weather?
We did have a camping group in — the Kansas Sunflowers. They were in BIG motor homes or motor coaches, as I called them. There were about 15 of them. They started coming in on Wednesday.
Due to the extreme heat, they used the hall Friday evening for a cookout, Saturday morning for pancakes and sausage, and in the evening for their potluck supper and games, and again Sunday morning for rolls and coffee before going home.
They really liked having the hall for their activities, enjoyed our pretty lake, and many of them went to surrounding towns to eat and shop during the day.
The hall also was used for the Kraus reunion day and evening on Saturday. On Sunday, both ends were in use by the Kochs and Goodings.
The beach has been the most popular place on the lake lately. Everyone just wants to get in the water to cool off. I even ventured down Saturday morning with daughter Leann and her kids Levi and Kiana. I didn't get to set down though, Levi is two and not afraid of the water. He was jumping off the dock and had to be watched every minute! I'd forgotten how that was.
We had a family camp with us last week that was from Ohio. They had been to Colorado for a wedding and came back through Kansas to sightsee. They stayed the night before in a campground in Garden City, just north of the feed lots. Needless to say, they thought this was heaven. They were going to stay just one night before going on to Kansas City, but liked our lake and the area so well they stayed two more nights. We visited with them quite a bit in the office and they couldn't get over the wind or breeze as I called it (they should be here when it really blows 25 to 30 mph). Anyway, they told us where they live which is about 60 miles south of Lake Erie and that they average only 55 days of sunshine a year because of the lake-effect clouds. They liked our clear skies and the breeze. They didn't seem to mind the 100 degree days.
Fishing was slow all last week. We didn't have many fishermen out. Even the dock fishing has slowed. Maybe after the cool front goes through, fishing will pick up again.
Mark, Leann, Kiana, and Levi Lewman from Sedgwick came to stay with us over the weekend. Other visitors through the weekend were Dean and Julie, Madison, and Mercedes and Sherry Hess, Jayde, Karly, Molly, and Emmie.
(Last week's news)
Sounds like it's going to be another hot week. The rain showers, storms, or cold front didn't bring any relief and tomorrow is supposed to be in the 100s again — always on my day off! We will have to do our mowing early in the morning, then set under the shade tree or work in the basement. At least we didn't get any baseball or tennis ball-size hail like they did in Ottawa. The car dealerships will be having some good buys on cars if you don't mind not having a front or back window!!
We didn't have many campers out, but lots of swimmers and boaters. It's even too hot to fish for most folks. But, two fellows from Hutchinson fished last Friday and caught nice Wipers weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces, 9 pounds 15 ounces, and 6 pounds 10 ounces. They also had several nice White Bass and Drum.
Then on Saturday, Bill Bradford from Marion, Aaron Schwartz from Buhler, and Bob Lemon from Lehigh caught their limit in channel cat on shad gizzards. They weighed from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds. So, if the heat doesn't bother you and you are persistent enough the fish are here, you can catch fish.
And to the fisherman who dumped his stink bait in the parking lot in front of the hall and restroom/shower building, we didn't appreciate that. We had to hose down the parking lot to get rid of the stink. The hall was rented the next day, both sides, and people were walking from the beach to the shower house wondering what they were walking in. Sometimes I think people just don't think!
Someone ran over the lights at the flag pole, but they are back on again, thanks to Roy. Monty brought some new flags again and told me to thank Bob Pittinger for them. He provides them for us to use. So, thanks Bob — very much, we appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Oh, and Shirley, sorry you think the lake is so ugly. Wish you had been in the office over the Fourth of July weekend — we had probably five or six different people come in from either out of state, out of county, and local people to tell us how pretty the lake was and that it was one of the best maintained lakes they had seen in Kansas. And if you had bothered to notice, he mowed around several bunches of wildflowers all spring and didn't mow them off until they quit blooming or had dried up with the heat. We like the flowers better than anyone and Dale tells him where to mow.
The hall was busy over the weekend. One half was used Saturday for the Jacob Winter reunion and the other by the Colle family. And on Sunday there was another Winter reunion and the Mollhagens.
