The Regatta, a hungry eagle, and George Island

Dwight Peck's personal website

Summer 2019

A photographic record of whatever leapt out at us

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

The Regatta, a hungry eagle, and summiting George Island

Kristin and Oscar cruising on the lake, 30 August 2019.

Well spotted by Kristin: the juvenile eagle perched on Adjidaumo

Now seen from just around the western point of the island

The upper and lower eagle nests on Adjidaumo (an add-on for the in-laws?)

The team is assembling at mid-lake.

Catching up on old times? Plotting a coup?

Synchronized pedalboard/hydrobiking

Cousin Rob is in the lead for the moment, but it's going to be a near thing.

Cathy arrives with still another species of watercraft.

Here they come!

The team investigating the far northern bay

Catching up on old times? Planning dinner? (Plotting a coup?)

Or just trying to figure out how to back out of this swamp?

It's all sorted now.

A little post-Regatta loosestrifing -- purple loosestrife is an invasive weed that needs to be yanked out and quarantined before it begins strewing its 10,000 seeds/each plant all over the lake. We've been so focused on searching for chanterelle mushrooms that we've let the loosestrife get ahead of us this year.

One of the eagles has just winged in across the lawn and settled into the tree outside the study window -- and he's not entirely alone. 31 August 2019.

One of god's little creatures will soon be without intestines. Yacck!

Such disgusting violence just to gorge on his fellow creatures! Hmm; of course, we eat hamburgers from industrial slaughterhouses, so . . .

-- Yum. Next!

It's 31 August 2019, the Labor Day Weekend, and we've spent the last few hours listening to loud parties going on all up and down the lake. Turns out -- it's just one enthusiastic party cruising up and down the lake in a pontoon boat.

One of those Labor Day parties where young men climb up onto the railings and do back flips off the boat.

We're passing Adjidaumo and headed for George Island for an exploration (see map below).

Here comes one of the vile Wave-Maker speedboats with a wake surfer following along behind.

A walk up George Island

George Island -- there was a spot on the far side where a few years ago we could get in behind the tag alder barrier and climb ashore. 31 August 2019.

'Changeable weather'

Rounding to the far side of George, where, unlike many of the other shorelines on the lake, the tag alders are still blocking access, what a nuisance.

Purple loosestrife! Oh no. (We haven't brought a plastic bag to quarantine it in, we'll have to come back another day.)

More of the pestiferous weed

Our disembarking point is just over here at the eastern side of the island.

Adjidaumo zoomed through the tag alders

Our former tying up place has since been otherwise occupied by fallen trees.

Out on the lake, three quite heavy recreational fishermen passed us in a small boat with a dysfunctional outboard motor. They were trying to progress to shore by pulling repeatedly on the starter cord to get a few propeller revolutions with each pull.

But a Samaritan has joined them to pass over a line and . . .

. . . tow them over to the public landing.

In the meantime, we've spotted a potential tying-up place, over on the left of the southwest corner of the island.

-- Wait here.

Up the hill we scramble, every footstep sinking four inches into loose leaf-and-pine-needle detritus.

Toward the summit spongily

Nice open forest, no nasty vegetation tugging at our ankles . . .

. . . oh, my.

The summit. Perhaps this is a first ascent.

No way, we were here ourselves, up from the other side, years ago.

That's enough of that. What a mess.

Back down, double-quick

In any case, the late-afternoon wind is picking up.

Slipping and sliding on the several inches of whatever that is.

Uh oh -- no hydrobike.

Okay -- saved.

Now we're hung up on the rocks.

Free at last (by rocking back and forth vigorously for a while)

Since we're here . . .

. . . we'll make a circumhydrobikation of Baby Leigh.

Round the southwest end of it

That suspicious red tint has been explained to us -- it's perfectly natural -- but we can't remember what we were told.

Found art

The loons seem to have left the lake, so it's time to see whether reports of their nest here can have been accurate; it doesn't look like it.

State-Owned Island -- a sign that's surely Surplus to Requirements: camping, picnicking? Here?

Anomalous three-in-one tree -- the island is state-owned because, back in the day, somebody forgot to pay the property taxes on it.

Baby Leigh seen from the underwater reef sticking out the east side of it

Adjidaumo with clouds

Fast-pedaling past the little crescent bay on the east side of Adjidaumo (not a peep from the eagles overhead)

Hopefully this year will be the last stand of the tag alders -- one more winter of iced-over lake ought to finish them off.

The Lake in the Wisconsin Northwoods

Mussent Point is at no. 12.

Next up: Purple loosestrifing

The USA

Wisconsin Northwoods,
June-Sep 2024

Wisconsin Northwoods,
June-Sep 2023

Wisconsin Northwoods,
June-Oct 2022

Wisconsin Northwoods,
June-Oct 2021

Wisconsin Northwoods,
June-Oct 2020

Wisconsin Northwoods,
June-Sept 2019

Virginia and Wisconsin, July-Sept 2018

Wisconsin on the lake, July-Sept 2017

Wisconsin on the lake, July-Sept 2016

Wisconsin on the lake, July-Sept 2015

Wisconsin & road trip, July-Sept 2014

Wisconsin & Virginia, July-Sept 2013

Wisconsin on the lake, July-Sept 2012

Wisconsin 'Northwoods', June-Aug. 2011

Wisconsin on the lake, July-August 2010

Wisconsin,
August 2009

Boston and Maine, 2007

Marlowe's wedding, 2006

Olympic National Park, 2004