By Joe Crain
After a rather exceptionally nice stretch of warm weather the first half of the month, things have started to turn rather autumnal here at camp. The leaves have started to make their annual change in color and a few trees have even started to shed some of their chlorophyll depleted sun catchers. The daytime temperatures have turned rather chilly, struggling to get to the mid 50s, which has been a bit hard to get used to with most of the month having been much 
above average (with even a few days reaching into the mid 80s!). On the 28th we had our first frost, a sure sign that summer has definitely come to an end. Although most of you probably didn’t realize it, because warm dry weather is what we all hope for while at camp, we were experiencing a mild drought in our region for most of the summer. With about three inches of rain fall this month, things have turned rather lush once again and, to the chagrin of many a homeowner in the area, we have had to start mowing our lawns again! Unfortunately the rain came in only two big storms causing some erosion in the usual spots around camp; the road to the upper diamond and the road down to the bike shack. I had the camp tractor out with the back blade attachment and got the roads back into shape. The rain also had a rather detrimental effect on some fresh landscaping work along the sidewalk down to the Rec-Hall where some fresh fill and grass seed washed out. With fingers crossed, we refilled area near Logger One and spread some more grass seed in hopes that there will be enough warm weather left this fall to get the grass established. We secured the side of the hill with a couple of railroad ties in hopes that if another deluge comes, the area will be spared another blast of run-off.
Camps morning cook Cody Keys has taken off his chef’s cap and traded it for a tool belt again this off season in his second year as our seasonal caretaker. We have been dropping not so subtle hints to him and the main office that perhaps this could be the year that he takes on the job through the season as well. Cody’s been busy replacing rotted fence and sign poles, and he tore out the old rotted ramp into the sailing shack and replaced it with fresh green treated wood this week.
On top of all these end-of-season odds and ends, we’ve all took some vacation time since the camp season has ended. At the beginning of the month, I spent a few weeks in Ashland Wisconsin swimming in and enjoying the shores of Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay. As I said above the weather was exceptionally warm the first half of the month, and the cool waters of the big lake were a perfect counter point to the heat. I was able to get the roller skies out and tune up my cross country ski form for the upcoming season on the 12 mile paved loop trail that circumnavigates Ashland. The trail is a “Rails to Trails” loop that passes along the lake shore for about 5 miles. It was especially nice this year because the trail just had fresh asphalt put down this summer on a large portion and was as smooth as a freshly groomed ski trail!
Caretaker Andy is currently on a road trip to Bozeman, Montana to visit his son Leo. Once there he and Leo plan to take some motor cycle rides through the gorgeous mountain passes in the area. One of my favorites would be the stretch along the Gallatin River known as the Gallatin Gateway. Andy said he was going to stop along the way there at the Little Bighorn battle field in Montana.
Enjoying natures display of color in the trees, it’s caretaker Joe At Camp.