Cats on the lake

Dwight Peck's personal website

Summer 2022

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.

Cats on the lake

After eight months stuck in a semi-urban condo (where 'going outdoors' meant the hall corridor), and six days in the back of the car or locked up in hotel rooms, Melvin the Doge and demonic little Choupette have arrived back at the lake in the Wisconsin Northwoods, 3 June 2022.

Kristin's cottage, the cats' summer playground. How much will they remember?

It's hard to tell. They seemed to have recognized the cottage, but now they're wondering what grass is.

Testing out the concept of walking on the grass

The view of the lake on a fine morning

A little reluctance showing up here. But persistence, determination, will win out; after all, it's just grass.

Bringing back memories of bug hunting in the lakeside foliage, perhaps

And of bouncing on the trampoline

It's all coming back now.

Including the perennial nemesis from the other end of the family property. Variously known as Sweetheart, Pinky, Gilligan, and for some of us, 'the White Cat'

-- Wait and watch; maybe he'll go away.

Melvin, lurking in the foliage, has been . . .

. . . spotted.

This could become serious.

Choupette will not stand for other cats pestering Melvin, and has seen the White Cat off with a stoney glare.

Only one cat on these premises is allowed to pester Melvin.

When the world, or the pestering, become overwhelming, Melvin retires from society for a while.

A quiet time for repose, reflection, and recharging the social batteries

Choupette has her own way of coping -- mainly baleful vigilance.

Something has been detected hiding in the ferns.

Teamwork and the instincts of the hunt

The Mussent Point boathouse. Choupette has asked to explore the place, very briefly, but . . .

. . . has instantly gone into hiding.

We're so bored already, and Choupette is probably laughing at us from somewhere here.

-- Please, Choupette; please!

Gotcha.

Having graduated over two years from hunting bugs to occasionally hunting the odd shrew, vole, or chipmunk, perhaps it's on to fish now.

Staking out the notional border between the two halves of the property. Checkpoint Pinky.

Pushing the borders back a bit, but now it's a standoff.

Which could go on for quite a while

-- Good luck, Melvin. Call me when it's over.

Yum -- grass.

A wet and chilly early morning in mid-June, the cats were desperate to be let out to romp about -- but are having second thoughts.

Recharging the batteries again

Brother-in-law George is helping to move the hydrobike dock to a new location . . .

. . . with the help of brother-in-law Eric, here pursued by his dog Agate.

In times long past, this was the site of the dock of what is now Kristin's cottage . . . and perhaps it will be again.

Though it's not working out so well -- too rocky, too crowded, potentially too dangerous for the oldtimers.

A group siesta, but . . .

. . . still vigilant

-- Another chilly morning. What shall we do today?

The Secchi Dish measurement for water turbidity -- it's visible down to 20 feet. That's good. But it's early June -- all the power boats haven't got going on the lake to stir things up (wait till July 4th).

We've got barred owls (or 'hoot owls') this year, lurking in the swamp at the back of the property (no cats out at night!), and here's a juvenile planted just next to the boathouse dock. Either stranded, unable to fly yet, or in freezing mode to avoid being noticed -- in any case, gone the next morning.

Eternal vigilance

The hunt is on -- something moved, or buzzed, in the foliage.

Nothing so far

Another torrential rainstorm

We're out of the rain down on the pontoon boat.

Cats hate rain. Any port in a storm.

Active cats can hunt for bugs (and small mammals) or . . .

. . . they can hunt each other.

A performative face-off

Back to hunting bugs (or small mammals)

The hydrobike dock coming round to try a new location for it

A choppy water test for the new dock placement

Hopes are fairly high.

Propellering through the early-season lily pad farm, which will have to be discouraged before it interferes with the bike traffic

It's not entirely satisfactory yet -- too high off the water to be pulled up conveniently. Improvements will need to be made.

Our very patriotic neighbors across the north end of the lake

Is it a boat, or a buoy? It was a boat, long ago, but now it's a buoy, meant to warn rogue powerboats away from the shore.

Next up: Cats cavorting by the lake, and some rain