I learned something about 4-wheel drive on this trip. I sold the pickup and bought an Amanti in December but still had the 4-wheel drive Equinox that should be more than enough for duties around the resort. However, Friday as I approached the resort I noticed that the main driveway had about a 2-3 foot snow drift. No problem. I shifted into 4-wheel and plowed into the drift with the Equinox, knowing that the pickup handled such obstacles with ease. I didn’t know that tire size and clearance also enter into the equation. The equinox was so stuck that all 4 wheels were basically not touching anything that could give me traction. I pulled out a grain shovel and spent the next 30 minutes digging the packed snow out from under the belly of the vehicle. Eventually I got the Equinox freed but kinda wish I could have my truck back.
When
I got home Saturday I googled my resort name and checked
out what was on the web. Look at what I found by a blogger
named Joe Bustad:
Lost
Island Resort has a pontoon, water trampolines, kayaks, bikes, fishing
and a paddle boat and that kept the kids really busy. They got along really
well and played great the whole time except for a spat in the truck on the way
home the last half hour when they really should have been napping. AnniO and I got a lot of the logistical and who does what stuff
figured out from the spring break trip and things went smoothly. As soon as we
got home, my girls went off to Bible school and Ann’s off to their dad’s for
father’s day so we unloaded the car and savored the moment of quiet and the
fact that we’d pulled off a successful family trip!
If you are planning a vaca’ to that area, give the
Most of my Father’s Day was spent at Lost Island Lake and I was awakened with
breakfast and then the three girls did a puppet skit for me and sang “Been Watchin’ You Dad” and “Three Wooden Crosses” and they all
gave me a really cool, high-end watch that flips up and houses a glass
compartment that has a cool photo of the 4 of them. I continued my annual
tradition of Father’s Day fishing with the kids too but my fishing luck was
thin.
I’ve discovered I’ve got a great fishing partner in Alex after spending some
evenings on the dock and having him hook a few. AnniO
also got her fishing license so I know she’ll be back getting her money out of
it. I just hope she doesn’t catch more than me for the year!
========================================================
That’s cute, huh? Amazing how the web affects so much of our lives. I hope everyone feels this way about what we are trying to do at LOST.
For those of you who know my lake neighbor Bob Augustus, Bob is very ill but loves the lake so much he is planning on going to LOST tomorrow, Thursday, and staying through the weekend. If you’re at the lake please go visit Bob and spread some cheer. Bob has been my constant friend and advisor since day one at LOST and words cannot express my gratitude for all the help and encouragement he has given me. Now, let’s give him some.
Almost ready to open. We’ve put in the docks, cleaned up the yard. There’s going to be some changes in parking this year to make it more comfortable. And the games are going to be outrageous. We purchased new internet computers for the gameroom and for your evening entertainment we will be playing action games using the Wii and our 10 foot screen. We have Wii Sport, Wii FIT, and the Outdoor Adventure series. The Wii is an amazing little device and I’ve been trying to work out every night with it and am about 20 pounds lighter than I was last year at this time. It’s also great fun for the kids as the evenings wind down.
This weekend I’ll be headed to LOST since we have some guests for the fishing tournament. The Lodge is still available if you want to make a spontaneous trip – the weather should be perfect. I’m also connecting the water and turning on the electricity for the 7 little cabins so they’ll be ready to go. This is going to be a terrific summer with the docks stronger than ever, the new internet computers, the evening deck games with the Wii and my new slimmed down body. Maybe I’ll try to swim across the lake for the first time.
I’ve had three inquiries about what happened to my journal. There have been plenty of things happening and I have no excuse. Actually I have two. First, Facebook has eaten up my writing time in the evenings. I have over 130 students who have “friended” me on Facebook and it has literally changed my life as a professor. I see so much of their lives they are now like family and it’s a weird feeling to know so much about them. I think I’m trying harder to reach them in the classroom. So that’s my first excuse.
My second excuse is Bob. After he died, it’s hard not to be sad at the lake and my occupation is Happy. That’s right, I’m not selling beds, I’m selling Happy. No matter what the weather is, my job is to make certain that you leave Happy and that the memories keep you coming back. This is the perfect job for me because I am an eternal optimist, ie, a naturally happy person --- sometimes drives others crazy but what the heck, it’s hard for me to tone it down. But I really miss Bob and I have to block it out all the time or I can’t do my job here at LOST. So I stopped writing for awhile.
Today was amazing and I’m back online with the Journal to talk about it. We have made great improvements in the parking at LOST. It wasn’t cheap but the two extensions on the two parking lots should add enough space for everyone’s boat and trailer. I’ll put up a photo or two on the INFORMATION page. The downside is that the giant firepit is now gone forever and the volleyball court is smaller --- life is full of compromises.
I pressure cleaned all the outdoor furniture today in 97 degree heat but the spray kept me cool. Doesn’t sound like a big deal but cleaning included a dozen grills, 7 picnic tables, 6 round tables, maybe 30 chairs and a partridge in a pear tree. The Jacuzzi is cleaned but not filled yet. All the cabins are spotless and the windows are so clean they are invisible. The gameroom is set up and all the internet connections working. What’s left is to fill the trampolines and look for holes to patch. Need to get the pontoon boat on the hoist but might wait – 4 days of rain they say. Water slide and swim ladders, paddleboat dock, and a couple of minor jobs left to do. Karaoke is ready to rock and better than ever.
Tomorrow,
Jackie arrives with her boyfriend. She’ll be working for me for 3 weeks
which is a real godsend because Denise is still teaching back in
Well, the holiday is over and it started out with high winds and rain but by Sunday the weather was good and Monday was great. Adam is going home tomorrow and we’ve really whipped this resort into shape. We’ve patched the trampolines so there will be three of them on the water as soon as it warms up. We’ve substantially improved the parking and trimmed the trees. The bikes are all ready to roll and we had our first Karaoke/Nintendo Wii party on the deck and it was a blast. It’s really funny to watch adults try to do some of the Wii Fit activities using a 10 foot screen and drinks in both hands. Everyone laughed so hard.
The big swing has a new seat, the Jacuzzi has a new lightweight cover, and the game room has new gameboy games. The golf course is being used daily and both tool/storage sheds have been reorganized. All the grills and firepits are cleaned out, the swim ladders and water slide are installed on the dock, and the pontoon boat motor started Instantly after sitting all winter. That was amazing.
Every year we get more guests telling us how reasonable our prices are compared to all the other resorts. A lady called me today and booked a week for her family and told me that our prices were half as much and there was twice as much to do here. What we take great pride in doing is having activities for every age and for every kind of weather. Our seven small cabins are really old – 1950’s – and it’s more like camping out than staying in a 5 star hotel. But the emphasis is not on the interior at LOST, the emphasis is on the exterior. You’ll get a clean, dry, comfortable bed, bath, cable tv with vcr, microwave, etc. but it’s not the lap of luxury. Of course, we also have the lodge and Eagles Perch if you want modern accommodations. But the memories we want you to go home with are about the fun you are having, not about how long you slept!
The summer is off to a great start. We had a retreat this weekend for Students In Free Enterprise and everyone had a great time despite the clouds and rain. They golfed and rode bikes and played volleyball, did a campfire/S’mores, and practically lived in the Jacuzzi. They grilled and grilled – even when it was raining. It was great to see 12 college students planning activities and preparing to do a year of good deeds around town while enjoying the resort in what turned out to be cold, rainy weather. I’ll put a couple of pictures on the INFORMATION page.
We have been really blessed this year with great weather while we were preparing the resort for guests. April and May were perfect for all of the cleaning, fix-up, and prepping. We did more painting and flower planting and deck fixing than other years. The changes in the parking lots will be appreciated by everyone and if I do say so myself, the place looks great. Today, a big family reunion starts (6 cabins) and I’m hoping the rain is over (and enough for the crops) so the little kids can get out on the paddleboats.
Sometimes
we forget or take for granted the wonderful things around us at LOST. Birds. I spend a lot of time cleaning up bird poop
because the entire resort is shaded by huge trees inhabited by an amazing
variety of birds. Ornithologists (bird people) love this area and I was
told this area has one of the greatest variety of
species in the
The
warm weather is almost here. It's been in the mid-70's
and we are ready for the swimming to begin. The water temp is still probably in
the 60s but it will warm up fast now. This weekend we had old friends in the
cabins. The Lehman brothers claim they've been coming here since the 50s.
That's gotta be some kind of record. And we gave them
great weather Saturday for fishing.
Then we had a really fun Karaoke party last night with the little boys and girls pushing out the teens and really taking over the show. I felt a little bit like a Pied Piper because they all scrambled over to the bench next to me and even moved some of my equipment so that I could barely move my elbows without bumping them.
But everybody sings with that 10 foot screen displaying the lyrics. Even Denise (my Denise?), yup, got a sore throat from singing too much. I love those wireless mikes - we pass them around so people can lead the singing when they don't feel like standing in front of an audience. This upcoming week will be a little slow if you want to pop in for a short stay. Then things really start cranking. Considering how severe the recession is, I am so grateful that people can still find time to take a break and be happy.
Thursday. What a day. It started at
Tonight
we had a Wii night and some teenage girls from
Our relationship with the weather seems to be just the opposite of farmers. Saturday was blistering hot and our business was booming. I ran up and down the stairs to the gas dock constantly and even though I drank water constantly all day, I lost 2 pounds. Then Sunday it drizzled and rained most of the day and I only pumped gas for two boats. The weather wiped us out. Now, which day helped the farmers? Actually most of my farmer guests are ready for some hot sun to get the corn growing, but usually the rainy day is the winner.
Saturday night was not a big crowd for karaoke but we had a great time anyway. We bent the rules a little bit and kept it going until 11;30 pm. Can’t keep doing that or someone will complain. Maybe I should have turned down the volume a little bit but we were having such a good time.
I’ve got 2 trampolines and 2 giant tubes on the water now and they seem to be holding air better than last year. I patched 7 holes and used a new glue that I hope lasts longer than that rubber cement. There were so many little kids on them today and one of them told me it was his most fun thing to do. At one point, all of the boats were being used, there were air mattresses on the water, and kids on the trampolines. It feels great to see so many people having a good time and getting great exercise. One family had a little boy who they “claimed” never, ever, took a nap. You guessed it, he took a 2 hour afternoon nap – we wore the little bugger out. And that, folks, is why I do it.
I
guess people are getting used to us closing at
Put some pictures up on the INFORMATION page. Check them out.
Whew! It’s been a long, long time. The place has been hopping. The 4th was the best ever. I can’t remember a weekend that was so much fun and everyone sharing the good times. A group from Humboldt rented several cabins and had a great Sweet Sixteen party and I was ready to launch a karaoke party later but they were so exhausted from the skiing and tubing that they just went to bed.
The
fireworks show was the best ever and was billed as a memorial to the Snobs on
the Hill. Over at
Sunday,
July 5th was our best gas day ever. I never saw so many watercraft on the lake at the same time. They were
lined up at my dock for gas when I opened at
Then Monday night we saw the most beautiful wall cloud moving across the lake and you can see the photo on the INFORMATION page. The wind wasn’t too bad but it just pounded us with rain – at least 2-3 inches because the paddleboats were full and Jack’s Cuzzi overflowed.
Tomorrow
is the beginning of Bully Bullhead week and it’s got to be one of the silliest
festivals in
Top this for customer service: One of the busiest days ever on the gas dock (Bully Bullhead weekend). Jetski comes in for a fill and his gas cap comes unhinged and plopped into 8 ft. of water. I pulled off my shoes, dived in and after about 8 or 9 head first trips to the bottom I actually found the cap. All part of the LOST full service gas station service.
Bummer:
After spending half an hour preparing for the Saturday night singalong and with about 30 people already on the deck, the
retired couple in Pelican come up to me and say they are going to bed and we
need to stop the noise (9:30 pm). I pack up the gear and everyone goes
back to their cabins and boats. If you want dead silence at
My goodness, Super 8? That's kind of rude. I didn't mean it. If the Lodge or Pelican want a quiet Saturday night, we'll give it to them of course. In fact, we don't do a singalong unless our guests want it (which they DID on the 11th). I can't guarantee that the other cabins and neighbors will be quiet. It is usually a noisy night, even boats are out cruising with their radios blaring. But by 11, everything quiets down and we all get a good night's sleep.
Our current Lodge guests love to play and come up with cool games. They had a contest to see if they could run across the two giant tubes and dive onto the outer water trampoline without falling in the water. It was great for a laugh but I wish I had the ability to upload a video clip on this website because it really was silly.
Our neighbors (Bob's family) had an old paddle boat and gave it to us since they didn't use it. I tried it out and it floated and I was able to arrange the dock so it would fit. But it looked terrible, with big fiberglass patches. So I did one of those “pimp-my-ride” things and spray painted the heck out if it. I will put the picture on the INFORMATION page for a couple of weeks. I used plastic paint so it should stick. If we still have it and it looks greenish on the seats when you come here, it's because the paint wore off where people sit! Sure hope that doesn't happen.
This weekend we will be
packed and Denise is bringing in some friends to help her manage the place.
I'll be out sailing in the Pacific with my oldest daughter in her little 25'
sailboat. I didn't think 25' was little until I saw how BIG the
August 2nd was pretty much shot because of jet lag and a red-eye flight. Then I had to wrap up my two online summer courses. But things are back to normal now and the place pretty much runs itself. The guests are having a great time today with the boats and trampolines and it looks like the week is going to be August warm finally.
Yesterday was a bit exciting. A bass boat sank and we used a water trampoline bladder to get it up. Slipped it under the boat and then blew up the giant balloon and up she came. It was a little more complicated than that but it was a good experience and everything worked out well. Despite being totally submerged, once above water the battery worked fine and ran the bilge while we bailed with buckets and a water vac. It really surprised me that the battery was still good and working.
Also patched several floaties yesterday. They have been quite popular this year and are so inexpensive that I can buy plenty of them for our guests. Got a full house and a busy week next week and then things start slowing down as everyone gets ready to go back to school.
Ok, I admit it. I love Facebook. It reconnected me with my family, it allows me to stay in touch with over 140 former students who “friended” me, and it allows me to share my collection of photographs. So John’s Journal is falling victim to newer technology, how sad. I guess the big difference is that I set aside time to write in the journal but Facebook is simply turned on and I check on it for a minute here and a minute there and it keeps me in the flow of several lives at once.
That doesn’t mean nothing has happened since August 5th. A lot has! We have had 4 karaoke shows in the last 7 days. Now, we had to keep the sound down on a couple of them but they were all great fun. We seem to have more children this year and they all crowd around me to see the computer I’m using to launch the songs. Sometimes I have to tell them to back off a bit. And, we’ve had a lot of dancing too. Last Tuesday was the biggest Chicken Dance we’ve ever had. The deck was vibrating so much that I had to hold onto the mixer to keep it from falling.
This has been a great year for boats and trampolines too. All 4 tramps are still on the water. That’s never happened in prior years. Some have slow leaks but they’ll make it til Labor Day. We’ve done a good job of refurbishing Bob’s (yes, THAT Bob, God bless his soul) paddle boat and it’s being used every day. I have a new idea for the canoe – how about outriggers? Then it wouldn’t capsize. I’ve got the perfect tubes for that.
The new filters are keeping the Jacuzzi cleaner and overall it has been a great year. Grant and Melissa, our teen staff, both did a great job and hopefully will be back next year. This year isn’t over yet, we’re praying for good weather over Labor Day but that’s always touch and go. Then we have several guests over the Clay County Fair and then hunting season starts.
There has been some interest in annual rentals for the seven dwarfs, our original 1950s cabins. I’m going to have to figure out the financial implications but it seems feasible if the families are compatible. If you are interested in having a cabin exclusively for your family from April through October, let me know and I’ll work out a schedule for 12 monthly payments.
It is soooo cold. Saturday had one jet ski on the lake. If it was a normal August weekend there would have been 20 or 30. But my guests seem to have liked the weather – clear, crisp, little wind. They wanted to do some fishing and they got their wish. It seems that legendary monster catfish has returned. In prior years I wrote in the journal about this giant fish that I saw a couple of times and so did 7 or 8 of my guests – looked like it could be 40 pounds. When he (she?) gets hooked he slowly swims away and the line either breaks or else he swims under the dock and the line breaks on a dock piling. This happened twice to my guests on Saturday but they never saw the fish so I can’t confirm that it was the legend, but I’m pretty sure it was. They also caught walleye, perch, catfish, bullheads, and some huge carp so it was a pretty good day yesterday on the fishing dock.
It might have been a snapping turtle. Two of my guests took a paddle boat under the bridge and spotted a huge snapping turtle on the surface, as big-a-round as a car tire. They tried to take a picture but it went under the water when they started to move around. Speaking of snapping turtles, my “litter” is still alive because we cracked one open and he was quite frisky, moving his legs and head. We put him in the lake. I took the rest of the snapping turtle eggs (69) into the shop because it was so cold last night. I’m just afraid that when they all hatch they’ll be crawling all over the shop and it will take weeks to find them all. It’s so hard to be a parent, isn’t it. Sigh.
Next weekend will be the last big weekend of the year. All of our neighbors will be pulling out their docks and swim rafts. My dock will stay in the water for a few more weeks but it’s time to get the water trampolines out of that cold water. The leaves are falling and we have to sweep the deck almost daily when we are here. Kinda sad, but I’m looking forward to some nice winter days with the ice singing to me. You didn’t know ice sings? Stop by this January, it really does.
Denise and I have prepared a plan where families can rent the little cabins for the year or even partner up with another family for an annual plan - with optional boat hoist. We’ll put a flyer together. Send us an email if you might be interested.