July 4th Weekend

What a weekend! The sights, sounds and smiles had to be experienced! My Canon PowerShot S100 digital elph fails to capture the moments of a great weekend.

The holiday started on the 3rd, Thursday evening, with a couple boats decorated with red, white and blue lights, our nation’s flag, patriotic music to be joined by others in a parade around the lake – cut short all too soon by the sounds of fireworks and a few cottages beginning the holiday weekend with the traditional lighting of the shoreline with flares.

Friday the 4th was overcast but the rain never came as cookouts brought family and friends to the shores of Manchaug Pond. Out on the lake that evening a number of boats stayed out in the middle to have the best view of the flares lining the shore. Joining them, we had a boat come along side to ask when the town would begin the fireworks display! That was a good one! As neither Douglas nor Sutton had advertised fireworks this year and I doubt that Manchaug Pond would ever be chosen as a prefered location!

Saturday brought 3/4 of an inch of rain – badly needed on this lake. Every little bit makes it a little easier to push that pontoon boat off the rocks and into the lake! And there are still plenty of residents with boats high and dry1

Sunday ended the weekend with a bang as plenty of sunshine and no wind brought the most visitors the lake has seen this season. The lake was calm in the early morning hours with the old causeway a place of renewed interest making for a great fishing spot as well as providing a “beach” area to land a canoe or kayak from the ramp and swim off the wall or nearby rocks. I have to say it does make me nervous to watch kids swim in the channel when the big ski boats are approaching.

Blueberry Island, no longer the favorite spot to pick blueberries saw alot of activity yesterday as boat ramp visitors hauled coolers, tents, chairs and friends in tubes behind their jetski to claim their beach for the day. Others from the campgrounds and the ramp used the island to start their skiiers or just to walk the sandbar.

More fireworks are predicted in the form of big thunderstorms for today. Let’s hope they bring the level of the lake higher.