Wow, once the temperature goes up things start popping around here. The rhubarb and new asparagus beds were totally dormant when I arrived but have since quickly shot out of the ground as have the iris bulbs and peonies in my perennial bed. I have planted some seeds but have yet to get the raised beds planted and the long garden hose set up for watering. My neighbor took a spin around his yard on his lawn mower and, although I can’t imagine there was much to mow, he unearthed the lovely smell of fresh mowed grass which my friend and I enjoyed while sipping our morning coffee in the screened porch. The birds and water fowl are quite busy but no sign of baby goslings yet. The eagle on the island is in her nest which is quite visible without leaves on the trees. I think I even saw movement of a young eagle in the nest. The song birds have found the feeders and a robin has built a nest in my grapevine wreath on the porch. There are lots of new young calves alongside their mothers in the neighboring pastureland and I have seen numerous pheasants on the highway this spring.
Our maiden kayak voyages around the island went well; one day being a bit breezy and the other day still and warm with the turtles sunning themselves on the rocks. There are several more kayaks and a canoe on the lake in my neighborhood this year so I have plenty of company out there. I checked in on the fishermen participating in early spring tournaments as I paddled around them off the island. My neighbors are slowly getting their shorelines tidied up and their docks and boats in the lake. Several of my neighbors have started their nightly saunter down to their docks with the hope of snagging a few good sized walleye. There is still light water traffic on the lake which remains the domain of the fishermen this early in the season. As the month progresses, more pleasure craft will appear although my neighbor and his grandkids are already out christening his new pontoon boat.
I have caught up with the neighbors, enjoyed my first supper at Shady Beach with old friends and entertained several others here at the lake. After a lovely 10 day visit, I took my longtime friend to Sioux Falls yesterday to catch her plane back to Arizona. I am grateful to have had so much quality time with her and look forward to more visits from friends and family throughout the summer. I write this article as dark clouds move down the lake and the smell of rain is in the air…what could be better for an early coming home! Wouldn’t it be nice if the story ended there but, alas, this is South Dakota. I had just finished planting numerous packets of annual flower seeds in my perennial bed when the downpour hit. By morning the flower bed was flooded so what I hoped would be lovely rows of color coordinated flowers will most likely resemble a wild flower patch by summers end. No matter, they will still be beautiful! With my raised beds now planted and the hoses set up for watering all I have to do now is work the kinks out of my sore back from all that bending over. A sunset pontoon boat ride with the neighbors should work wonders. 2018
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