Spawning

I thought "Spawning" would be an appropriate title for this entry since there are two things spawning up at Big Sky Lake.....The obvious one - the Rainbow Trout (they are currently spawning in this tiny creek that feeds into the lake) and we are spawning a "new look" inside our lake place.

We went over to the Lawson's for dinner on Saturday night and afterwards Kristin asked me if I would like to go on a ride (on her four-wheeler) to see the spawning fish in the creek. Jeff and I had checked out the creek a couple weeks earlier without any luck. I had seen a fish earlier in the day that was in the shallow water by our place that looked like a talon or a beak tried to grab him and carry him off..... He eventually succumbed to his injuries.

On the ride with Kristin we saw hundreds of fish who were following pure instinct swimming up this creek to spawn. It was an amazing sight. Since there were so many fish in shallow water in such a weakened state - there were signs of the opportunists...the birds (eagles, blue herons, and cranes mostly). There were half-eaten fish all over the place near the lake beside the creek.

This weekend I saw three new flower blooms that I haven't seen yet this spring...Penstemon, Glacier Lily, and this other flower (or maybe it is a bush?) It is yellow with very interesting shaped leaves. I see them every year at the lake but I have never identified them.

Jeff was a busy guy this weekend - he stained the dock and also put up some of the cove mold inside - in the living rm/kitchen.

On Sunday we had some visitors for a couple hours. Jason Ayers and his children came over so that his oldest (Hannah) could do a little fishing! She had a barbie fishing pole - and there were several fish that cruised by the dock looking at the worm on the end - but they didn't take it. Jeff was using lures and he got two fish on for Hannah to reel in. It was fun to see her reaction!