RECAP of 2013 Schubkegel Family Time on Floyd Lake

  

June 30th

 -        Tim, Jessi, Tyler, Levi, Jenni already at the lake, stayed after Angie, her parents and sister’s family of seven left/morning of June 30th.

 -        Joyce arrived/afternoon/ Tim Schubkegel family resting up/ lots of prior lake activity with Bohlmans.

 

July 1st

 -        Called numerous plumbers about circuit breakers flipping/bath tub leak

 -        Called Jim Schmidt, shingler/appointment July 5th/resolve shingling “loose ends”

 -        Moved picnic table to side deck

 

 July 2nd

 -        Ordered large rocks for beach front/old cabin/to eliminate weeds/erosion

 -        Planted Tim’s flower purchases/old cabin

 -        Cleaned new cabin after Tim’s family moved back to main cabin from new cabin

 

 July 3rd

 -        Tim dug out sod by rocks in front of old cabin/waited for delivery/none came!

 -        Inserted dug-out sod in deep tire track grooves/made from shinglers in spring

 -        Cathy, Dave, Hannah, Chrissy, Andi and Doug arrived late morning.

 -        Jean’s family arrived late eve/Jean quick to note familiar “fish smell”!

 -        Doug went fishing – the “best ever”, he said!

 -        Had green cake to celebrate Andi’s birthday!

 -        Jean/Mitch surprised Andi and Doug at Lakeside Grill/up until 1:30 am

 

 July 4th

 -        Country Fields Landscaping truck arrived with huge rocks at 6 am/

 dumped by lake/woke up family/not happy!

 Rock piles remained on lawn by the lake all morning and afternoon.

 Dave B described the rock scene by the lake as “a hernia waiting to happen”!

 Mitch was so sound asleep on a lawn chair, no one could rouse him.

 Finally Levi, Tyler and Tim started moving the huge boulders, lining them up along shore

Joyce was advised to “relax” and come back when it was all finished!

Weedy shoreline in front of old cabin was eventually “updated” with a continuation of the large rocks currently surrounding the “tree lake”!

 -        Tim fried fish for everyone’s supper!

 -        No “Beauty by the Beach” spa this year – forgot to bring nail polish remover!

 -        Family went into town for the evening fireworks, except for Joyce.

 She saw spectacular neighborhood fireworks from porch/ living room windows!

 -        Grandchildren were up until 4 am, hanging out in the living room/making pizza/singing hymns in the dark out on the dock/neighbors applauding!

 

 July 5th

 -        Andrea loved her megaphone birthday gift/tried it out at the fireworks/

 kept using to shout greetings to surprised boaters/pontooners passing

 by the cabin, who waved and smiled in return!

 -        Tim and Mitch went fishing at 8am/canoe was gone/thought it might had been stolen/

 Doug had gone out by himself earlier/just couldn’t stay away from those fish!

 -        Doug’s birthday/Cathy’s family gave him a fishing rod.

 -        Waited all day for shinglers to come/settle up loose ends from job/never appeared!

 -        Tim and Levi/Tyler changed light bulb in main cabin stair way/needed tall ladder/tricky!

 -        Mitch worked on laundry room switch/converted it to overhead/needed ceiling housing.

 -        Tim took grandchildren pictures in the evening/conducted interviews!

 -        All crowded in the living room that evening/watched “interviews” – priceless!

 -        Grandchildren sang for the family – also priceless!

 -        Jessi suggested that the grandchildren form the Floyd Lake Family Singers and sing in the boat parade next year!

 

 July 6th – Saturday - rain

 -        Tim’s family left at 9am/Angie had called previously about water in basement in their new home!

 -        Tyler left his billfold in the “newly-decorated” back bedroom of the main cabin

 -        Jessi left one of her paintings at the cabin/sweet note/took along “investment”!

 -        Purchased new dishwasher at Wal-Mart/Mitch helped make the decision.

 While parked in Wal-Mart’s lot/ Jean-Mitch’s car was dinged by truck/

 Joyce witnessed the event from inside/waited long time for driver to return/finally called police/eventually spotted the owner of the truck/Wal-Mart employee!

 -        Reiners family went fishing.

 -        Biedenbender family timed the Checkmate to see how long it took to circle the lake!

 

 July 7th – Sunday

 -        Andrea and Doug left for New Ulm

 -        Family attended Audubon service/clarinet solo in different key!/still “old” TLH liturgy

 -        Cathy/Dave purchased new storm dorm for new cabin/stored in garage.

 -        Cathy left in the afternoon/took fishing pole/gun for Tim/uneasy about gun in car!

 -        Mitch spent all afternoon cleaning Checkmate, inside and out/looked brand new!

 -        Dave’s Biedenbender family arrived/loved the lake/went for rides.

 -        Mitch took out broken dishwasher in main cabin/found mold behind/

 needed parts from Menard’s/made three attempts to fix dishwasher/finally at 12:30 pm called it a night!

 

 July 8th - Monday

 -        Mitch drove to Menard’s early in the am/purchased dishwasher parts/bleach.

 -        Joyce cleaned mold from wall behind dishwasher

 -        Tony made omelets for everyone/offered to help Joyce with mold-clean-up

 -        Mitch was finally successful in getting the new dishwasher up and running!

 -        Mitch took children tubing in the aft.

 -        Jean/Mitch’s family left lake/Jack had to miss his baseball practice back home that eve

 -        Dave took the Rivera family tubing

 

 July 9th – Tuesday

 -        Dave’s family left in am

 

 July 10th – Wednesday

 -        David texted from Germany!  Relayed good news to Tim, Cathy and Jean!

 

 July 11th – Thursday

 -        Koestlers called/not coming/car problems

 

 July 14th – Sunday

 -        Purchased paint for touch-up at lake/Menards (after 10 am service)

 -        Found WIFI service at a coffee shop in Detroit Lakes for computer “catching up”

 

 July 15th - Monday

 -        Jean called/Megan is homesick in China/smell horrific/can’t eat food/showers?

 -        Andrea called/wants to drive to the lake the next day!

 

 July 16th - Tuesday

 -        Andrea arrived at the lake all by herself/slept in back bedroom/visited all morning/ sunbathed the rest of the day!

 

 July 17th

 -        Visited again all morning!

 -        Hung clean shower curtain – hot job!

 -        Andrea helped figure out how install new burner receptacles in main cabin stove!

 -        Andrea sunbathed all afternoon/went for a run in the evening

 -        Joyce weeded beach front.

 

 July 18th – Thursday

 -        Andrea helped with kitchen light fixture/painted swing in front yard

 -        Andrea tried to start mower/had Helen’s lawn service young man help start mower/didn’t realize clutch had to be held down/felt so proud to be able to mow the lawn by herself/thought her “dad would be so proud!”/did most of the lawn/ smiled almost the whole time!

 -        Andrea washed Joyce’s hair in the lake!

 

 July 19th – Friday

 -        Andrea left early afternoon/Joyce did laundry/began moving to new cabin

 -        Vacuumed/washed windows in main cabin

 -        Powerful sudden storm on the lake suddenly broke top third of Roel’s patio tree, crashing to their meticulously cleaned patio during their family reunion!

 

 July 20th – Saturday

 -        Wrote information sheet for “new” renters/moved clothing/food to new cabin

 -        Renters arrived/Sawchucks missionary-doctor young family of five/happy to have use of a high chair/play pen/floor bed for the baby

 -        At “first glance”, said everything looked “immaculate”/loved the lake view from the upstairs master bedroom where parents slept /children in two downstairs bedrooms

 

 July 21 – Sunday

 -        At church, Rev. Thompson asked me if I “was still alone”??

 

 July 23rd - Tuesday

 -        Darlene and Ollie Olson paid a visit/brought a wicker basket of chick plants for flower garden/spaghetti and brownies/invited me to their 10:15 church, Sunday, July 28th.  Ollie is quite bent over/Darlene has recently recovered from right hip replacement/was up and on her own in three days/both in good spirits!

 

 July 27th - Saturday

 -        Renters left at 10:45 am/washed bedding/dishes/towels/rearranged furniture/put away baby things/very tight schedule to get everything done before next renters arrive!

 -        Zetocha renters arrived around noon/Dale was in back brace but recovering/son was working/daughter would come later in the week/was still drying laundry!

 -        Zetochas helped with various projects during the week/mowed lawn/turned over the canoe which had filled with water/helped trim bushes by fence/weed under evergreens/invited Joyce for a few meals/left main cabin very clean!

 

 August 3rd - Saturday

 -        Zetocha’s left in am

 -        Returned items from new cabin back to main cabin

 -        Cleaned out refrigerators/new and main cabin

 -        Brought in flag/umbrella from patio table

 -        Washed bedding/towels

 -        Packed plants in car/personal belongings/food

 -        Watered lawn/plants one last time

 -        Stored cushions under bed/sun room

 -        Put garbage out by road/said goodbye to Roels’

 -        Turned off power/checked all buildings/locked up/sadly left!

 

  

SUMMARY of 2013 Floyd Lake Activity

 

May 31 – June 1st (Dave Biedenbender)

 -        Opened all cabins (See Dave Biedenbender’s separate activity journal)

 -        Took Checkmate to be repaired

 -        Mowed lawn

 

June 11-15th (Joyce, Dale, and Becky Markgraf)

 -        Updated back bedrooms/bedding/window treatments/accessories

 -        Weeded flower gardens/raked lots of leaves

 -        Shopped for lawn mowers/dishwashers

 -        Did lots of fishing (Dale!)

 -        Mowed lawn (Dale/Becky)

 

June 26-July 9th (Bohlman, Schubkegel, Biedenbender, Reiners, Riviera Families)

 -        Family Vacation Time

 -        Mowed lawn (Levi/Dave B)

   

June 30th- August 3rd (Joyce) - Maintenance/landscaping projects

 -        Touched up chipped paint spots in main cabin kitchen

 -        Cleaned/organized kitchen cupboards/pantry/broom closet in main kitchen

 -        Cleaned, organized and painted lower cupboard insides

 -        Cleaned, organized and put contact paper on lazy susan/main cabin kitchen

 -        Scrubbed/cleaned, painted bathroom floor/lower main cabin bathroom

 -        Scrubbed/washed shower curtains/both bathrooms/main cabin

 -        Removed rust stains from sinks/toilets/bathroom tub

 -        “Fixed” downstairs toilet from constant running/bent the inside rod!

 -        Cleaned/sorted through magazines/sunroom shelving contents/utility room

 -        Cleaned and organized tool, tackle shed, garage

 -        Disposed of water softener in garage/advertised on Craigs List

 -        Disposed of miscellaneous unused kitchen items/gave to Boys Club

 -        Dug out huge dead shrubs on south side of old cabin porch (two day challenge!)

 -        Trimmed bushes along south fence/weeded well

 -        Cleaned up brush pile by fence

 -        Cleaned up south side of old cabin/trimmed bushes/removed cement blocks

 -        Dug up sod around split rail fence/other pipes in lawns/put in small stones/for future ease of lawn trimming

 -        Inserted and watered sod in tire track grooves made by shinglers/huge project!

 -        Transplanted hostas to new cabin front entry/fence area

 -        Dug up/potted six baby evergreens

 -        Planted lots of sedum amidst large new rocks/front of old cabin

 -        Weeded all flower beds/edged deck area

 -        Weeded, cleaned, raked beach front

 -        Weeded under evergreens in back yard/by road

 -        Trimmed bushes in back yard/pulled lots of weeds from lawn

 -        Weeded overgrown plants on beach front/bordering Helen’s property

 -        Transplanted strawberry plants from raspberry bushes to south side of old cabin

 -        Weed around mail box, added stone border, planted chicks from Olsons

 -        Painted outside door sills of new cabin/main cabin

 -        Painted garage overhead and side door/shed doors

 -        Painted outside of the blue storm door of new cabin/spray painted the inside of the door brown/found screen in garage/put behind door for possible future use

 -        Painted new cabin inside loft steps

 -        Disposed of all recyclables/house and garage/found new pick-up place – 59’r Café parking lot

 -        Brought home potted flowers

   

August 31st – Sept 2nd (Biedenbender and Reiners Families, Joyce)

 -        Closed-up cabins/winterized boats

 -        Mowed lawn (Dave B)

Dear Schubkegel Family Members,

I thought I would give you a summary of what went into the process of opening up the Floyd Lake Cabin this past weekend.  It was a cold, rainy weekend, but I was able to accomplish everything I set out to do.  This will definitely be a long, drawn-out description of the events, but have "NF", humor will be injected to keep things moving.  I've boiled the whole cabin-opening process down to "just" 25 points.  So, strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride!

1.  I arrived at the FL Cabin at about 11:00 AM on Thursday.  My first order of business was to take the Checkmate boat in to the fiberglass repairman named simply "Paul".  I still don't know his last name.  So, I put the battery in the Checkmate, hooked the trailer up to the Trailblazer, and drove it over to Paul's place.  Besides having the longest ponytail I've ever seen on a male, Paul was able to hoist the boat up and determine that it would cost $900 to fix it.  Ouch.  He said he thought screws from our boat lift "bunk" had done the damage.  I checked on that when I got back to the cabin, and he was definitely accurate.  I left the Checkmate with Paul, and he said he'd be able to get it done by the end of June.  Tim, I'll talk with you to see when you're going to be there in June, and then let Ponytail Paul know when you need the boat.  I’m sure we’ll become good friends.

2.  When I got back to the cabin after dropping off the boat, I turned on the water in the big cabin.  As always, I held my breath until I realized that no pipes had burst.  Lieutenant Schubkegel, you did a nice job blowing the water out last Fall.  Two things that I did notice after turning on the water.  The first is that the light in the laundry room isn't working.  Did you try replacing the light bulb?  Before you ask, yes, I tried putting a different light bulb in, but it still didn't work.  The second is that the circuit breakers for the hot water heater keep tripping off.  Hot water heater circuit be trippin’. We knew that had happened off and on last summer.  This is something that needs to be checked out.  Otherwise, the water was returned to the pipes with no major mishaps.  Whew!

3.  Next, I took the dock inserts from the sunroom and inserted them into the dock.  This went off without a hitch until I got towards the end of the dock.  That's when I dropped my screwdriver into the water.  So, I had to go get my swimming suit on and get into the water.  Let me just say that I nearly died of a heart attack when I entered the water - it was COLD!!!!!!!  Good for the circulation J.You'll hear about how I learned from this experience, and figured out a better way to get things out of very cold water later.

4.  After the dock inserts were in, I decided to look at the "bunks" (I guess that's what the things are called that the boat sits on.)  on the boat lift to see if there were any screws sticking up.  On one of the "bunks" there were three screws sticking up enough to scratch and gouge the bottom of the boat.  I decided to take the "bunk" off and take it into J and K Marine (more on that later).  While taking the "bunk" off (which was not an easy job) I twice dropped my wrench into the lake.  This time, however, I got smart and used the fish landing net to scoop the wrench out of the water.  It shows that you can teach an old dog new tricks.  I could say something here but will not.

5.  Vacuuming and straightening up the sunroom was next on the docket.  There were lots of leaves, cobwebs, and dirt on the sunroom carpet.  After the vacuuming was done, I situated the furniture in the right places and put the furniture covers (actually old sheets) away.  Very nice.

6.  Then it was on to the deck out back.  I swept the back deck and then put the wooden tables and benches back onto the deck.  Those tables and benches have definitely seen better days, but everything is in place on the back deck now. 

7.  The side deck (I like to call it Tim's deck, since he built it.)  was the next to get some attention.  This deck was also swept, and then I put all of the chairs that the roofers had left on the grass over the winter back onto the side deck.  We could definitely use some new chairs (just my opinion, of course).  Ditto that sentiment.

8.  I then proceeded to sweep the back entry to the sunroom, where the old mosquito repelling fan used to sit.  This area was very full of leaves and other refuse.  It looks very nice and tidy now.  Nice … in three days it will be back full of cobwebs and mosquitos.

9.  The canoe needed to be put on the lift and the paddleboat needed to be put down by the lake, so I muscled both of them down there.  Not an easy task, but my short, stocky build definitely helped.  Having a low center of gravity was beneficial.  Just think if we still had the sailboat!

10.  Next I did something that the girls and I like to call "stick patrol".  This basically consists of picking up all the sticks that have fallen over the Fall and Winter that need to be picked up before the lawn is mowed.  I guess I never realized how many branches and twigs can fall over one Winter.  There's definitely a nice pile of sticks and twigs to serve as fire starters this summer.  Extra nice work.

11.  Mowing the lawn "Part I" took place next.  I mowed the third of the lawn nearest to the road during a fairly steady downpour of rain.  I'll admit that I took a couple of breaks to get out of the rain during "Part I".  Then, I decided that the other two-thirds of the lawn could wait until Friday.  Great thinking and I agree with your “dividing the lawn into thirds” method.

12.  After listening to the smoke alarms in the big cabin beep for most of the day, I decided to by a couple of 9-volt batteries at Walmart.  I guess I haven't bought 9-volt batteries for awhile, but $7.45 for two batteries?  Ridiculous!!  WalMart is sticking it to us.  Yet those batteries could save a life. But, after I put the new batteries in the smoke alarms the beeping miraculously stopped.

13.  Opening up the old cabin (otherwise known as Jean and Mitch's place) was the next thing on my list.  Priming the pump went well and water has been restored to the oldest cabin on Floyd Lake. 

14.  Opening up the new cabin (or should I say "Swiss Chalet") and turning on the water in it went equally without incident.  Glad the underground hose is still functioning.

15.  After 14 other things were done, I felt that the Lund boat had waited long enough.  It was time to put the Lund into the icy waters of Floyd Lake.  My backing job was flawless, and the Lund was released into the wild.  The Lund belongs on Floyd – no doubt about it. After a few pulls, the trusty Johnson motor roared once again.  Excellent!  The problem was I couldn't keep it going.  I think we need a new hose between the gas can and motor - the one we have kept falling off and the motor kept stopping.  YES – that was an issue last year, as I needed to hold the hose and steer the boat at the same time to go across the lake.  At one point I looked for back-up hoses at WalMart (had none) and never got around to checking a marina.  J & K probably has one for $320.00 plus tax.  So, I row, row, rowed the boat gently to the dock.  Wow, what a workout.  I got the Lund safely onto the boat lift and put the tarp over it to protect it from the piercing rays of the sun, which might appear above Floyd Lake sometime yet this summer.  Thanks for the TLC.

16.  Putting the registration stickers on the Lund was the easiest job of the weekend.  Enough said.

17.  I needed to take a drive, so I took both boatlift "bunks" into J and K Marine and explained the problem to them and how it damaged the boat.  I ended up talking to a guy in the service department named Doug and also one of the owners of J and K.  The owner agreed that they would fix the "bunks", and they're going to consider whether or not they'll do anything else to help us with the fiberglass repair.  I wouldn't hold our collective breaths, but maybe they'll even pay for some of the repair of the boat.  They're going to get back to me.  That would be a nice gesture, since the boat lift came from them in the first place and apparently caused some of the damage.  Did “Doug” have a ponytail?

18.  When I arrived at the lake, I noticed that the float for the septic tank near the new cabin was up.  After an afternoon of telephone tag with Anderson Septic, a cool dude named Jason came and pumped out the tank.  All septic tank guys are cool.  Jason also provided me with some interesting information on why the float could be up already when no one had used the cabins yet this year.  His fascinating explanation enlightened me to the fact that water from the melting snow this spring seeped into the tank.  Septic tank dialogue can be and certainly is fascinating in and of itself. I didn't realize that could happen, but apparently a septic tank has some cracks and holes - at least that's what Jason said, and it sounded believable.  I suppose Mitch could tell us whether that's really true or not.  Let's talk about it around the campfire over the 4th of July!  I tell you, I learn many new and useful things "every day".

19.  I then remembered that there are two screens that need to be put into place on both sides of the crawl space of the big cabin.  They replace the insulated boards that are usually there in the winter.  So, I switched the screens for the insulated boards.  Let me just say that that crawlspace/basement area is really, really creepy!  I spent some nice hours under there a few summers back.

20.  Mowing the lawn "Part II" was the next thing to do.  The middle third of the lawn was definitely the thickest.  Several areas needed to be gone over twice.  But, mowing the lawn is nice, mindless work.  Stay tuned for mowing the lawn "Part III".  I cannot wait! …

21.  I did a little raking next.  The area between the lake and the sunroom was full of leaves because that's where the boatlifts and docks sit during the winter.  While raking this area, I looked at the nice wooden swing hanging down from the large tree.  It saddened me when I thought of little Jack falling off and hitting his head last summer.  Jack, I hope you're not suffering from any post-concussion symptoms.  I took about three wheelbarrows full of leaves from this area and dumped it across the road.  I didn't get any blisters from the raking, so I'm pumped about that.  Blisterless is best.

22.  Mom S. suggested that I should check on the condition of the bunkhouse, so I did.  I am happy to report that the bunkhouse is in great shape and there are no signs of mice infestation.  I also took the boards off the outside of the bunkhouse windows.  That was enough time in the bunkhouse for me.  The less time one spends in the bunkhouse, the better.

23.  Mowing the lawn "Part III" was next.  This was, by far, the most rewarding of the lawn-mowing segments.  I'm not sure why, but it just felt really satisfying.  After the entire lawn project was done, I stood back and admired what a beautiful lawn we have at the cabin - except the areas where the roofers drove their trucks and trailer.  But, I'm sure it will fill in over the course of the summer.  I’m getting emotional …

24.  On Saturday morning I did the job that all of us wish we could do - cleaning out the gutters.  Boy did I scoop some sweet stuff out of the gutters!  Four pails worth.  Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain - those gutters are clean and the downspouts are flowing freely.  By the way, I also picked up many stray pieces of shingles that were left up on the roof.  You'll thank me this summer when you won't be getting hit by those pieces falling off the roof during extremely windy periods of the day.  Always remember - I'm here for you, family.  You’ve got our back – we’ve got yours!

25.  The last thing I did was sweep out and straighten up the garage.  What a fitting end to a great Cabin Opening weekend!  Nice!  The only thing missing is finding a drowned chipmunk in the toilet like we did a few summers ago, but your time at Floyd sounded much nicer.

Well, thanks for hanging in there.  Let me know if you have any questions about anything or think I should take up a novel writing career instead of teaching.  I'll keep in touch with J and K Marine and Ponytail Paul, and we'll get that Checkmate and boatlift up and running before we get up there.  Take care!

Your friendly cabin opener,

"Dr. Dave" Biedenbender

 

P.S.  I bought some new golf clubs on the way home at Scheel's in St. Cloud.  Now it's time to golf!  Well worth it!



           

4^th of July Recap:

Dave S., Jean, Mom, Cathy, Angie, Tyler, Levi, Jessica, and Ryan left Big Floyd Lake to go back home.

Dave B. and Tim have a successful 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. outing with many 15-18 inch bass at Al’s Honey Hole in Mud Lake on plastic worms.  Fish fry for lunch.

Dave B. fixes Andrea’s non-starting car (anti-theft problem) and takes out his frustration on the charger.

It was a hot day flirting with thunderstorms and other skiers/tubers on the lake.  Dave grilled Jean’s chops and Cathy’s wings, then headed to Wal-Mart for a non-productive trip.

We went to see the fireworks at Big Detroit Lake among many drunken youth, strange people, and mosquitoes.  Andrea’s comment of the day while observing the 4^th of July crowd:  “Where are we – at the circus?!”  The fireworks started late and seemed shorter than other years, but fun to watch.

After returning the cousins slept together in the old cabin after watching the academy-award winning dramatic movie, “Nacho Libre”.

5^th of July Recap:

8:30 – 12:00 a.m. fishing trip with another dandy stringer of bass in the 15-17 inch range on jigs, spinners, and Dave’s newly purchased Power Bait plastic worms on the weed lines in Mud.  We observed a bald eagle swooping down and catching a fish (caught on video).

Dave ran some town errands (recycling, Wal-Mart trip #2).

It was a great day on the lake – lower humidity, mid-80s, sunny, calm.  There was plenty of swimming, sunning, tubing, and relaxing.  It really hadn’t rained since we arrived here two weeks ago, so things are a big dry.

We started cleaning up for the return on the 6^th.  Dave B. and his girls plan to stay until Saturday.

Dave B. took his girls for a late-evening fishing trip and Check Mate ride.

As I type the loons are calling out over the calm lake as the sun sets over the western horizon.

THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT TIME MOM AND DAD! 

We’ll hope to see everyone again next year at Big Floyd Lake!

It was another great few days! On Monday evening the cousins presented a power point presentation on the benefits of a new sun island and jet ski, followed by a beneficial LLC meeting with many discussion topics covered.  The weather has been hot and calm every day with some Monday night storms and perhaps today. Dave made amazing breakfasts with omelets and French toast. Cathy’s family provided a great pizza dinner on Monday as well as her and Jean making chicken tacos last evening. Jessica’s friend Ryan’s car keys went missing for a while yesterday but Levi came to the rescue in finding them.  Dave B. did another fine job mowing the lawn.  Bob Roel came over for a visit. Jenni caught a turtle off the dock.  Angie and Jean shopped for a new sun island. Megan received a surprise special delivery of flowers from her boyfriend.  Andi, Jessica, Ryan, and Uncle Dave had a great tube ride despite breaking the rope. Mom continued to receive numerous roofing bids for the hail damage received a few weeks ago. Andi celebrated her birthday last night with party hats, noise makers, cousin cupcakes, and a fine acceptance speech.  After a “’dad vs. Jessi” tube ride (Jessi won 5-2), Tyler and Angie hit the lake for some fishing action, followed by popcorn and another game of Monopoly.
Despite the national holiday, many of us (Jean, Cathy, Angie) will be leaving today to return for work.  A few of us others plan on staying until Friday.  Happy 4th of July!

After 10:00 a.m. church at Immanuel, Audubon, the annual Floyd Lake fishing contest took place on Sunday under hot and sunny conditions with boats zooming all over the lake.  Paige and Jack took home some cash for their sunfish. Hannah and Jenni came home with prize coupons.  Jean and Mitch made a great grilled dinner as Dave and Cathy celebrated their 24^th wedding anniversary, complete with a 142 tube of red, white, and blue Menards bubble gum and a visit to the Lakeside Bar ($$).  Although Mitch needed to drive back for work that evening, Dave S. took the midnight Amtrak train up to Detroit Lakes and arrived around 4:00 a.m., slept a bit, then made omelets for everyone late morning.   The hot and muggy Monday afternoon was spent in the lake and behind the Check Mate.  Jessica’s nice friend (B)Ryan came up from Minneapolis and fit in well.  Late afternoon storms fired up as Dave and Cathy made pizzas for us all. 

Congratulations to Levi for winning the earlier three-day-dad vs. Levi fishing contest (just to keep things interesting) with a morning fishing trip triumph in the sunfish and northern category.  That, along with his previous 19 inch bass, put him over the top for a grand prize of a box of Menards fruit snacks (his request).  There'll be a rematch next year:).
Mitch, Jean, and their family arrived late Friday evening at the lake, followed by Jessica (picked up at the Fargo airport from Tucson via Chicago by Tim and Levi), and Angie, Tyler, and Jenni from Wisconsin.  The Biedenbenders came mid-Saturday morning and we enjoyed a very calm, warm day at Floyd.  Angie and her girls hit the town for the farmers' market.  Tyler joined Levi in the wake-board category.  Surprisingly, no one tubed!  Angie and Jessi enjoy canoe rides around the bay.  There was plenty of sun, playing in the water, and relation.
On that day, June 30, 2012, we celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of our dear parents Joyce and father-in-heaven Fran with a fish taco dinner (quoted by Mitch as "the best meal here ever", much to the dismay of Dave and his world-famous Rubens), followed by some rhubarb crisp and celebratory raspberry champagne. Mom enjoyed her 50th anniversary card, scalp massager, scented soap, and chocolates. Later on Mitch, Levi, and Jack hit the weed bed for a quick run (Jack got a 14 inch bass).  We also had a fire with smores followed by two games of Yahtzee, Mitch's New York car trip, Guy Johnson stories, and a good night's sleep.  We're looking forward to another great day today with church, the annual Floyd Lake fishing contest, Andi's arrival, and more good times.

On a very warm and humid day we took a mid-morning canoe ride with grandma, followed by skiing and wake boarding with Levi, then lunch.  Since the weather calmed down with cloudy skies, we tried mid-afternoon fishing which resulted in a nice basketful of panfish from the north Floyd shore of reeds and a dandy 19 inch plus bass caught and released (after photos) by Levi on a plastic worm.  During that time Joyce continued to weed and make the yard look great.  After filleting the fish we travelled to Wal-Mart for a new trolling motor battery, some groceries, then back to Floyd for a nice evening neighborhood walk.  Warm days are expected for the next week, as it looks like most of the other families will be making it to the lake by this Friday.  Safe travels everyone!

The great Becker county weather continued on Saturday and Sunday.  Although fishing was not as active, the lake was filled with many weekend boaters.  Levi went skiing and tried wake boarding a few times.  After church at Immanuel, Audubon, we stopped at an antique store along the way for some casual shopping.  The raised concrete on the sidewalk in front of the old cabin was fixed (the second chunk removed and buried by Levi in the sand).  The winter ice had pushed the parts together to form a 45 degree angle.  Mom did extensive weeding throughout the weekend but we ended Sunday with a long canoe ride to the far southwest area with Levi, mom, and Tim. Some nice bass were caught in the far southwest reeds on a plastic worm.

Floyd Lake 2012!

There were three early spring trips:  Dave Biedenbender came up with three MVL teachers to open up the cabin, mow lawn, and put in the boats in mid-May (18-20);  Dave and Laura Schubkegel and Joyce came up Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27) to mow lawn, rake leaves, and fix some earlier plumbing issues; Biedenbenders then came up (June 8-10) for a family get-away.

Currently Joyce, Tim, and Levi Schubkegel are enjoying pleasant weather at Floyd Lake today, June 22, 2012.  Reports were phoned by Bob Roel to Joyce earlier in the week of a major hail storm up here ("larger than golf ball sized hail").   We noticed many leaves on the lawn and some branches when we arrived.  Mom will get a report from State Farm on roof damage. There was also some "strange heaving" from the winter ice, pushing the concrete sidewalk in the old cabin up at a 45 degree angle.

We arrived last evening, unpacked, and headed out for about an hour of Floyd fishing (first year with Levi getting a license as he's 16).  We drifted in mid-Big Floyd and caught panfish and bass  (while on the lake we saw a rainbow end right over the cabin!) and enjoyed an evening fish meal for Joyce while watching the Heat beat the Thunder in the NBA finals, game five.

This morning's fishing action was very good with early topwater bass action in Mud Lake, followed by fish hitting spinners along the weedlines along the east coast.  We (Levi and Tim) limited out on bass and northerns and enjoyed an evening fish fry after a great day of lawn mowing, a canoe ride with mom, Levi, and Tim to the reed bay,  skiing (Levi), weeding (mom), and power washing (Levi).  An evening trip to WalMart resulted in a flat tire in their parking lot.  After a quick replacement with the mini-spare we made it back to the cabin.

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day with little to no wind and mid-upper 70s temps! The boats are working well and the weather forecast looks good for the days ahead.

August 2, 2011

We had another great Floyd Lake reunion of the Biedenbender, Reiner, and Schubkegel families. Cathy, Dave, and Hannah came up last week Thursday. Grandma, Jean and her kids (minus Mitch - work), Tim, Tyler, Levi, Jenni, and guest Mariah S. came up Sunday. Andrea, Krissy, and Gaylin drove up late at night.

The past few days have been spent tubing, relaxing, and enjoying the latest Paige/Hannah cabin spa under the theme "Where Beauty Meets the Lake". Jack enjoyed hanging with his male cousins. Dave and Tim caught some bass and panfish while out on a few trips. Topwater action was slow but the largemouth were hitting on purple and black plastic worms. The weather was warm - upper 80s - despite some needed rain and t-storms on Monday. Andrea gave Levi and Tyler a buzz cut, and blew a circuit when grandma's 50-year-old electric razor got stuck in Ty's long locks. Note to self: If the circuit in the porch trips, reset switch is on the outlet behind large blue couch on porch south end.

Tuesday night featured a brat and fish dinner, followed by the adults watching "the Bachelor" and the kids watching a video while having tickle fights and "buckin' broncho rides" with the monster in the sleeping bag (usually Tyler or Levi). The Duberowskis (Dot and Roger)from Lake Havasu visited, had lunch, and had a quick fishing trip to the weed bed. Dave and Tim hit the lake one more time with high success in Mud Lake, straight across by the large house dock - with surfacing bass and crappie hits. The Madison Schubkegels headed for the Mall of America on Thursday but Dave, Andi, and her bud hit the lake for some topwater bass action in Mud Lake at Al Stelljes' bass point (in and to the far right). They had plenty of action, complete with a "large marge" throwing Dave's poppin' plug with a might jump.

Thanks for another great time!

July 5, 2011 Tuesday

Dave and Tim hit the lake at 7:00 a.m. Top water bass fishing resulted in about a dozen hitting near the entrance to Mud and other locations near the lily pads and reeds. We switched to vertical jigs with black rubber worms and hit sunfish, crappies, and more bass at the weed lines. A last stop at Al's point weed bed produced many more sunfish and the largest bass (over 3 lbs) of the morning on a plastic worm - Texas rig. We returned after 11:00 a.m. to great weather again - sunny, a light north breeze, and warm temps in the 80s. The girl cousins took the canoe out for a ride with Luther swimming close behind. The plan for mom was to get another queen size bed for the extra downstairs bedroom, since it currently has two blow-up mattresses - accomplished at Menard's, along with the return of the Johnson 25 hp, as J & K fixed the once again busted recoil. Mitch fixed the hyper-extended hinge of the lower house window, replaced curtains and grounded the surface of the painted cement steps to the old cabin. Dave took the troops on many a tube ride. Mitch took some kids to Al's point for one last fishing trip. A final campfire, smores, sparklers, and awards ceremony (1st annual best cousin of the year award: Levi; Best grandma award: grandma S), followed by a 2002 summer video viewing of the 40th anniversary trip to Duluth. Our last evening at Floyd was great, as everyone will be leaving tomorrow. Thanks mom and dad!

July 4th, 2011, Monday

Dave and Laura left early to head back to Hudson, WI. Levi was up earlier than the other kids and went out to the dock to check things out. He was startled and amazed to view a bald eagle swoop by the large cottonwood tree and drop a half-eaten bullhead near the boulders - a great start to the 4th of July! (bald eagle sighting). He canoed out to the reeds on his own and got up close to a family of loons. The weather was great again - sunny, temps in the 80s, with a southwest breeze. There was heavy lake boat traffic, much use of the Checkmate, and general laying around enjoying the lake time. Cathy and Sarah left around 4:00 p.m. to get back to work. After dinner, Dave, Sarah, Mitch, and Megan headed to the Al's point weed bed for some pan fishing action and got it - often a fish every catch. The rest of us watched a major storm front approaching from the northwest with lightning nearly every second. They came back with a basketful of fish near sunset. After cleaning, the dudes played some Yahtzee (which Jack won handily). Near the end, the storm hit with a mighty blast, sending the tubes (stored on the deck) flying down to the road. After some heavy rain and wind it was over by 11:30 p.m.

July 3, 2011, Sunday

Dave made a delicious French toast - bacon - fruit breakfast for everyone to start the morning. More trips were made to WalMart and other stores. God blessed us with another sunny, relatively cloudless day with temps in the 80s and a south wind which gave us the calm side of the lake today. Levi and Tim took princess Andrea (it was her birthday today) on a special canoe ride to the bay and back. She said "it was the best birthday present she'd ever had!". There was a lot of action with the Checkmate today and quite a few boats and jet skis on the lake - it was buzzing with excitement on a great day. We had a casual lunch of fried Floyd fish. Bob R., neighbor, came over number of times asking if we'd like to try the sailboat. Later on, near dinner time, Bob and Mitch launched the doomed vessel in an attempt to see if it still worked. Although riding low in the water, the two made it 1/3 way to the point with a light breeze and tried to turn it around. Riding lower yet, the boat heaved and took on more water. Levi from shore noticed Mitch trying to bail water. Tim got out the binoculars and verified Reiners furiously attempting to get the water out with his hands. The alarm was sounded, and Tim & Levi ran for the 9.9 Johnson/Lund to save them. When they reached the failing ship, Bob was in the front, ready to go down with the ship. Mitch had jumped out so as not to bring the boat down further. We helped Bob into the lifeboat (Lund) and resolved to tow the sinking vessel into shore with a rope. Bob was late for a dinner date, but we hoisted up the salvaged craft on the boat lift in an attempt to drain the water. It was then realized that there was a large crack/hole on the bottom of the boat, which was why so much water came in.
After a delicious dinner of brats, steak, and chicken (thanks to Dave, Laura, Dave, Cathy), Andrea's birthday was celebrated. She received many nice presents but really enjoyed the Selena Gomez gifts. More Checkmate action and a spectacular fireworks display by the Floyd Lake neighbors until near midnight. Dave B. enjoyed new joke material as the result of Jean's comment about putting jeans in a freezer to keep them fresh. He also relived some memorable Fran comments from past years. Thanks to mom for a great cabin time - praise be to God for keeping us in His care!

July 1, 2011, Saturday

Dave B. and Tim headed out early fishing in Mud Lake, catching a large variety of keepers for a fish fry including sunfish, crappie, bass (18 inches the largest), and a walleye by Dave. Upon returning we met Dave and Laura, who arrived the previous evening around midnight - later than they expected, due to an accident they were in just outside of Minneapolis (rear-ended by a car behind them who was hit by a car behind that one). Dave was OK; Laura went to the hospital to get checked out with neck problems. We're glad they were kept safe by the Lord!
Numerous trips were taken to WalMart and local stores for supplies. The weather was in the 80s, sunny, with a north wind. The annual Floyd Lake boat parade took place in the early afternoon. At that time we also had the first LLC meeting, discussing future plans for the cabin lake property. After the detailed but productive 1 1/2 hr. meeting. Sarah B. arrived to complete the Biedenbender family. After Jean and Mitch's delicious dinner, Dave, Mitch, and Tim tried some walleye fishing later in the evening. None could be caught, although Mitch hauled in a nice northern and Dave had a big bass hit at sunset. The new Johnson 9.9 had some gasoline flooding issues when the tank was switched (apparently don't pump the ball). After a gorgeous sunset, the group played Andrea's unique but exciting mind -memory game, where each person had a picture card matched with their name. The object was to turn over two cards, trying to match them up. Thanks!

June 30th, 2011, Thursday

Happy anniversary to Joyce and Fran, 49 years ago today. Tim fished early on - some bass and crappies in Mud Lake. Most of the day was spent sanding the back deck, with a quick trip to Menards and WalMart. It was hot in the mid 90s. Thompson's sealant went on before dinner, which was fish, corn on the cob, salad, and cold beer. I took mom out fishing while Levi and Jenni wanted to stay back to scrape the old shed, ready for painting. Right before sunset they took a quick tube ride around the bay. "Shoot the Moon" ended the day, with anticipation of everyone else coming tomorrow to Floyd. Another great sunset!

June 29th, 2011, Wednesday

Fishing in the morning with Levi - slim pickins. Egg & sausage breakfast, followed by back deck work most of the day, reversing the boards and sanding. It was windy and temps in the 80s. We also put Thompsons sealant on the dock and front deck, but worked on the back deck most of the day, but had time to visit the Olsens and a few rounds of "Shoot the Moon" in the evening.

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

5:30 a.m. fishing with Levi and dad - a bit slow, but some nice bass on topwater poppers. Upon returning to a pancake breakfast, news that the Check-Mate was being delivered. Jenni and Levi put on the boat canopy and the boat was returned. The kids cleaned the paddle boat, cleaned the sailboat, then Bob (neighbor) helped us put together the sailboat components. Mom and Jenni worked hard on the rocks and weeds by the cottonwood tree. Jenni power-washed the deck and shed. We put the canoe on the lift, trimmed some branches, cleaned gutters, put on the tire swing, filled the Check-Mate with oil and gas, fixed a bouncy dock, worked on the back deck, and more. After a fish & home-grown salad plus watermelon, we had an afternoon nap. Levi got up on skis in the afternoon and is now a pro. Brats for dinner, then a campfire with mega-marshmallow smores with a spectacular sunset and a few rounds of "shoot the moon" cards. The weather was great - sunny, calm, with warmer temperatures to follow.

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Fishing cancelled at 5:00 a.m. (rain) but went back out at 7:00 a.m. The Johnson 25 hp did not start (recoil again); neither did the back-up old 5 hp. Levi and dad took the trolling motor out to the weed bed and caught a few panfish, northern, and bass. Eggs and sausage for breakfast. More rain, so we drove to J & K Marina to check the status of the CheckMate and to take the disabled Johnson in for repair (also with the intent on shopping for another motor). After some searching, they had a 9.9 hp 1997 Johnson for sale which was purchased with the intent on fixing the Johnson 25 hp for a back-up. Mom made a deal with the dudes at the shop and they agreed to deliver the Check-Mate to Floyd Lake free of charge the next day. We shopped again at WalMart, then off to Papa John's for some free cookie dough. Home-made vegetable soup from mom, an afternoon nap, pot-roast dinner, then evening bass fishing with Jenni, Levi, and dad. We kept six dandy bass and a northern, then fried up some for an evening snack.

June 26, 2011

Levi, Jennifer, and Tim Schubkegel arrived at Floyd Lake with a canoe on their car to meet Joyce Schubkegel. We shopped at WalMart that evening during heavy rains. Mom enjoyed gluten-free pancakes that evening.

June 17-21
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Joyce Schubkegel came up with the Markgrafs to Floyd Lake. Trip summary by Mr. Markgraf:

I thought that I would give you an update of our time at the lake. I was not successful in catching crappies, but managed a few others fish - 14 nice bluegills, 8 small northerns, and four small bass. There was an east breeze quite often which may account for my slow fishing.
I spent the quite a bit of time slow trolling for crappies along the weed lines and into deeper water in Mud Lake just as you come out of the channel. I mostly used 1/8 ounce beetle spin and a split shot sinker with various colors/sizes of twister tails. I didn't catch one crappie. I never did get any minnows.
I found some bluegill spawn beds in about 3-4 feet of water just on the edge of the reeds on the west side of Floyd Lake several blocks to the left of the channel entry into Mud Lake. So, the before the next time out I picked up some panfish leeches and did some bobber fishing. I only got 9 bluegills out of these beds, so there should be some left for you! I didn't find any eggs in them when I cleaned them. In case you look for the beds, they are out from a small light colored fallen tree on shore. The distinctive feature of the tree is that three of its larger branches protrude toward the water at the lake's edge. There is a fairly large rock on shore not just too far to the left of the tree. I caught the bass and a few bluegills while casting the edge of the reeds along this same shoreline.
I trolled back and forth in deeper water off this shoreline hoping for crappies or walleyes, but I only caught 3 small northerns. One day there was a good walleye chop so I dragged a jig with a Berkley Power Bait 6 inch pearl colored minnow around, but I didn't have any strikes.
I caught the other northerns in Mud Lake - three of them while trying to catch crappies and two of them when I switched over to a larger jig and twister tail. I fished a dare devil and a Rapala for a while, too, but no luck on those baits.
Dave and Jeff caught some bluegills in 2 feet of water way down to the right on the west side of Mud Lake where a creek enters the lake. I think I found the spot. I didn't have live bait along but I tried a few casts with the Beetle Spin. It was breezy so I couldn't hold the boat in a good position to fish amongst the lilly pads. Another day I made my way toward the public boat landing one day to check for spawn beds, but a boat was anchored and two guys fishing in the place I had expected to find some so I backed off.
Battery
I was not able to get the trolling motor battery to take a charge. I tried three nights using the 10 amp setting. I put 3 gallons of mixed gas in the motor gas tank before we left so it should be good for you to go for a while.
Boat Motor
There was a coat hangar-like wire hanging along the right side of the boat motor just behind the shift lever. I discovered that if you pulled the wire to the left, away from the motor, I was usually able to shift the motor into to neutral. Because of my lack of arm strength I was not always able to get the motor started in gear. I usually had to have the throttle wide open and that was a bit unsafe because the boat took off like a shot when the engine kicked in! So, I was glad to be able to start it in neutral.
Sail Boat
The screw holes were stripped out for the screws that hold a metal collar that the mast pole goes through. I purchased four dry wall anchors and new screws at L and M which worked great to secure the collar. There were also some stripped out holes for screws that held two brackets in the sailboat cavity where you place your feet. I bought screws a size large than what were there, and they tightened up pretty well, too. When I tightened them I had a screw driver with a fairly short blade. Later, your mother found a screw driver with a longer blade that might have allowed me to get an extra turn on the screws, but it was just before we left and I didn't get to try it.
Although I could have used your services of a guide, we really enjoyed our time at the lake!
Thanks much.
Dale Markgraf