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.
Undiscarded bits and pieces from early September 2022
A fine morning introduces the month of September, and we're cruising the northern end of the lake in a fit of hydrobiking exhilaration. And admiring the flags flapping in the warm southern breeze.
If there were a flag-flapping competition, this would be the hands-down winner, on this lake anyway.
We've just seen an eagle grab a fish off the lake and head off to tear it to pieces at his leisure. As we pedaled closer to observe, he toted it over to this sort-of hiding place and is trying to be inconspicuous.
We were being terribly sneaky, hiding behind bushes etc., but he's no fool -- he's left his fish, temporarily, and is watching us from farther off now.
Angry and impatient, anxious to get back to tearing his fish apart . . .
. . . before he forgets where he's hidden it.
Back on the wing, to a still safer refuge
This isn't worth it. We've got our photos, he can have his fish. It was probably already dead anyway.
Oh wait, more photographs.
A herd of 10. Undisturbed in the middle of the residential part of the lake.
Nobody's in much of a hurry.
Another bouncy day on the lake
Nothing inconveniences a hydrobike!
Cousin Rob calls this 'pedaling uphill'. The bouncing is fun, but we're not making much progress.
The Mussent Point fleet taking a break
This, on the far side of the Tigertail (in the awkwardly-named 'Indian Bay' (map below)), appears to be a new eagles' nest, which . . .
. . . would explain why we seem to be seeing a couple of generations of them around this year. And no surviving loon chicks.
Probably a special sort of 'objet d'art'
The propeller's stuck -- we'll need to be patient.
The perfect place for quiet contemplation
Some of the rude symmetries of Mussent Point
Rob is pedaling up the eastern shore to meet us, but has unaccountably stopped, as if transfixed.
Oh, it's the herd of Ten Mergansers. We need more photos!
And now we need another Secchi Disc reading.
Au tour du Île Pink -- at the southern end of the lake, almost attached to the Tigertail Point. This is the southern corner, where . . .
. . . Cousin Rob has got stuck on the sandbar.
The northern corner of Pink island, facing the Tigertail Point. (Dr Pink appears to have been a local worthy, back in the times immemorial.)
When surveilling for vulnerable prey, two eagle-eyes are better than one (unless they dispute possession).
Our tiny creek in Tomahawk Bay -- someone has beat us to it. We've put off our lame explorations for too many years.
They're certainly having a right struggle with it.
Two intrepid ladies in kayaks, who (to our vast relief) report that they didn't get very far up the creek before getting fouled up in vegetation and blocked by fallen trees. [We'll come better prepared -- someday.] [Maybe with explosives]
Into the canal nearby for another turtle hunt
An extremely unsuccessful turtle hunt. We were becoming spoiled by a few meagre successes.
An old favorite, a landmark even, at the entrance to the second half of the canal
We hide our turtle-driven disappointment and pedal back to Tomahawk Bay, where . . .
. . . we can observe the locals preparing their winter shelters.
Another High Noon standoff with (Pinky) (Sweetheart) the White Cat
Reinforcements
Cats need to learn to stay at their end of the property, that's all. It's not about any real animosities.
A view of the lake, with the 'Green Beach' for late-afternoon sunbathing relaxations, after the dock's withdrawn into the tree-shadows.
The back porch of Kristin's cottage, which is called 'Manor Mouse'
The back lawn, with trampoline
The totem pole
Choupette's an explorer
Melvin's an explorer-observer
The wilds along the driveway onto the property
A sibling's cottage on Mussent Point
The main house at Mussent Point
Another sibling's cottage at Mussent Point
Kristin's cottage ('Manor Mouse') near the end of the point
The boathouse at the end of the point
Melvin in the venerable boathouse . . .
. . . hoping that someone will take him for a ride.
The venerable Grumman 'Fun Ship' (our reading room on inclement afternoons)
Early evening sun on the east side of the lake
The trampoline on the west side of the lake
Afternoon sun down the length of the east side of the lake
Repositioning some hydrobikes near the end of the summer
We've got hydrobikes in three locations round the upper lake, and getting them to the right properties for winter takes some clever planning.
Kristin has graciously volunteered to help us sort out the process for Cousin Rob's bikes.
Bike One moves from Mussent Point to Point o' Pines as we tag along on the pontoon boat.
Now we've got Bikes Two and Three also bound for Point o' Pines from down near Tomahawk Bay.
There's probably an easier way to do this, and . . .
. . . this is probably it.
But it's cheating, so we'll continue under our own power and signal Kristin to pick us up at the far end.
The hydrobike dropoff place at Point o' Pines. (The Musset Point hydrobikes winter over in the venerable Mussent Point boathouse.)
The Lake in the Northwoods
The lake at a glance. Mussent Point is at the red dot, no. 12.
Next page: Miscellaneous views on the lake: Supplement 3
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 19 September 2022. 
