Kelly Lake, Oconto County Wisconsin

It seems so anti-climatic!

To Shirley and I it’s been a gorgeous spring and summer this year; an early spring starting in March with temps already hovering the 80s; April continuing with fine weather that ushered in a wonderfully warm—above average—summer. Due to the early spring, we were about six weeks ahead getting the yard work done; boats and dock in.  We’ll remember the summer of ’10!

Alas, time flew and here we are taking out docks! As I look around the lake, a vast majority of docks are out this weekend; people packing up, heading out and returning to their winter homes—some planning on Florida and south for the migration. There still remain a number of us who remain and watch the seasons change here at Kelly Lake; loving the serenity and solitude; the migrating waterfowl; changing colors as we adapt gradually to what eventually will become WINTER!

I’m still at the age where I easily tolerate and enjoy winter. A trip south for a week or more is never out of the question… perhaps a cruise this winter, but not wishing to be gone for any extended period of time—at least not yet at my age. Point being… Shirley and I love all four seasons, albeit a week or two southbound breaks up the long, though ironically short February! We’ll see some of you this winter at the fisherie, on occasion during snowmobiling, and when you take the ride to “check things out”.

Saturday the Levar clan showed up again to take out our dock. It’s difficult for me to do it anymore, and the crew has taken upon themselves to lend a hand. Our thanks and appreciation is shared here with pic and video! See links, “Kelly Lake VIDEO Cam”. Thanks to the crew again this year.

It’s sad to see the docks out, but what grand and fun memories remain of summer ’10; the Kelly Lake friends we gathered with, and all the family and friends who came up to visit us here at Birr’s Eye View; the Cardboard Boat Race; the “Dance”; the “Blue Herry Cup”; the events. Taking out the boats and docks seems so anti-climatic. A bit melancholy but, spring’s around the corner! Looking forward to your many friendly faces! Rog and Shirley

The crew begins to arrive.  See link at right, “Kelly Lake VIDEO Cam”.

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It’s Kelly Lake’s Craig Stangel’s 40th!

Happy birthday, Craig! Uncle Roger and Aunt Shirley

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Kelly Lake Kayakers!

Tuesday turned out to be a beautiful summer-like day, and the evening calmed down for a perfect traverse of Kelly Lake kayaking. Kelly Lake’s Mary (Baba) Marks, June Aldag and Sam Rothermel stopped by while enjoying smooth water and the quiet solitude of the lake. This time of year, especially during the week, affords one the lake without traffic; nary a soul.

Sam, June, Baba and I met when we were about 15 here at Kelly Lake.   The girls were much younger than us back then, of course!  Go to “Links” and down to “Kelly Lake VIDEO Cam” to join us on our visit.  Roger

June, Sam and Baba.

June, Baba and Sam,

A long-time Kelly Lake beauty, June!

Smilin’ Sam!  One of the most fun-lovin’, enthusuastic friends I’ve known!

How Baba compliments a beautiful backdrop!

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Towering clouds reflecting brilliant hues!

Walked out this AM just before sunrise to a pleasant warm surprise. Unstable front brought in confused skies with sun and clouds, sprinkles and thunder; 68* at 6..

Just prior to sunrise, the clouds opened up with fabulous hues and billowing clouds reflecting and preceding the sun’s arrival. Midday moved to a partly cloudy 75*. Here’s a couple of the several photos shot of the sunrise. Roger

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Did you see it?! And its four moons?!!

Last night after dark, as I was relaxing on the deck, I noticed a bright planet; wasn’t reddish; bright white. There was a string of tiny lit dots off to the left (north). I drew Shirley’s attention to it, wondering if perhaps it was Mars or Venus. She went in and Googled planets visible on the 19th. I brought out a pair of high-power binoculars.

As I waited for her search, even more intrigued by the four small but apparently bright tiny adjacent objects nearly in a straight line—as if trailing the bright planet—I went back in for my telescope. Even more amazing! Shirley came out and explained that it was Jupiter and her four moons:  Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io.

Shirley had just purchased a new camera with up to 400x zoom which I used to try to capture the event—”Jupiter at its brightest in 47 years”. It’s one thing to Google, see it on TV, or even see the pics I took, but to witness it was astonishing!  I probably should have set up the tripod for a sharper image, but this is what I got:

Hopefully tonight will be clear, though they’re predicting clouds and an outside chance of rain.  By coincidence and a desire to relax on the deck at dark before retreating to bed, I glanced up into a clear night, unknowingly, serendipitously, I got a look at an event not observed since the last 47  years!

Here’s a side note: When I was in 5th grade, it was evident I needed glasses; couldn’t see the “blackboard”(!)—a term we used back then. Trip to the eye doctor and I joined the class of “four-eyes”!  Later that Friday evening, we left Two Rivers to or cottage at Kelly Lake for the weekend.  We arrived well after dark.  Stepping out of our car with my ‘four-eyes’—still amazed at the remarkable improvement to my vision—I glanced up at the stars.  Oh, the magnitude and vastness of stars and the universe!  On a clear night a person withg good eyesight can see an average of 3,000 stars…  Prior to my corrected vision, I had probably been able to see a tenth of them.  Astonished, I commented to my mother at the numerous pinpoint luminaries in the heavens!  She glanced up, dismissed it saying, “Well, they’re  always like that!”  Really, I thought!    Gosh.

Since that very first encounter, I began reading everything I could about the universe; from Isaac Asimov to the late Carl Sagan, and just ordered out Steven Hawkings book, “The Grand Design”!  My intrigue and enchantment with the infinite vastness beyond our tiny planet and its shores opened my wonder and studies of what lies beyond.  Ergo, my infatuation about the bright planet and the trailing tiny dots goes back to my almost telescopic pair of horn-rimmed glasses.  Roger

For more info about the event last night, see http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Jupiter_at_its_brightest_in_47_years?dpl_id=207148 , and http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/jupiter_moons.html .

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