Long Lazy (Well, Somewhere) Days Of Summer

For those of you who have been following this blog for awhile, you know this blog is at least a week old since all blog posts are first posted on our web page. So, if you are reading this here, this really is 'old' news.

Actually, this is REALLY old news because I have been unable to post for nearly a month. To my faithful readers - I am very sorry. I had a combined problem - a laptop on its last leg and more work than I know what to do with. Both ended up for the good - lots of work translates into enough extra income to buy a new and improved laptop. So, my best intentions include returning to weekly posts! - So to my actual post from July 24th.

I think our ‘real' summer has finally arrived, at least for the next few weeks. While there are thunderstorms forecast for this weekend, and the last rain we received was this past weekend, the past few days have reached or topped 80 degrees. To us, that feels HOT!

Wildlife sightings remain generous this summer. I assume it is courtesy of the wetter, cooler weather. Deer. Elk. Bears. Cougars. Moose. And, of course the birds have been abundant and varied.

I think the wild flowers, however, have garnered more comments than anything else. Not only do the colors appear deeper and the flowers more abundant, but there seem to be more varieties this year. I can not count how many people have said something about them.

Furthermore, the fishing has just started to slow (and not very much, at that) here at Elk Lake. Of course that means we will probably only have about 4 weeks where the fish are ‘down deep.' This is good news to the fishermen, I am sure.

Best yet, the bugs have not been too bad. I suspect the late frosts (the last one probably only two weeks ago) have kept them bit back. That always improves the pleasure I derive from my walks (kayaking I don't seem to run into too many).

Speaking of walks, hiking has been wonderful. The only challenge has been coming back ‘un- soaked.' With grass up to my waist (and arm pits in many places) and the regularly cool moist (with dew) mornings - I have come back wet more than once.

However, as I said, wildlife sightings and the profuse wild flowers has made every hike an adventure. And, while we have had a black bear sow and cub (based on tracks, not sightings) pass by the south side of the resort - and a grizzly sow and two cubs sighted just a couple of canyons away - and a lone grizzly sighted just up the hill - and a lone black bear sighted at Hidden Lake (all that within the last three weeks), I have not seen anything more than scat.

New this year is a cougar sighting. Craig had the first look one morning about a week ago. He was kayaking and noticed something just across the bay from the lodge. It pulled away from the water's edge as he approached but stopped just a few yards up the hill to check him out. Then, a couple days later - late morning - some guests (also on the lake) spotted a lone cougar walking in the shallow water north-east of the lodge.

No wolves around, though. At least not that we know of. However, we did hear of wolves killing some sheep just outside of Ennis a week or so ago - so they are around (probably closer than we think).

 

All in all, despite what our summer help would likely term ‘less than summery weather,' we have been enjoying a wonderful summer at Elk Lake. I trust, wherever you are - you are having a great summer too!

Lady of the Lake