One week 'til turkey day

It's quiet and chilly here today. And I don't have much to report. I do want to give you a heads up that we will be closed next Thursday for Thanksgiving. However, we will be open from 8 to 4 Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving. Starting Dec. 1 our official winter office hours will be 8 to 10 a.m. (Such a hard life.) We do have several projects planned this winter, so even after Dec. 1 we'll likely be around throughout the day. The lake is almost back to normal now. Less than 7 feet to go.

VFD Hunter's Dinner this Saturday

The Pontiac/Price Place Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its annual Hunter's Dinner at 5 p.m. this Saturday at Station #1. Cost is $6 for adults; $3 for kids younger than 10. The menu includes turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry relish, rolls, dessert, coffee and tea. You can get meals to go if you'd like to pick up food to take home to your friends or family.

Closing at 4:00 today...

Ok, so we were planning to start closing at 4 tomorrow (Sunday), but it's just so chilly and yucky out today, and there are so few people around, that I'm going to close at 4 today. So, from now through the end of November we'll be open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Just FYI!

The Right Way

This morning, for the first time in MONTHS, I made the complete circle around the park! We still have cable issues, so you'll notice when you drive around the corner that the blue PCM truck is parked in the middle of the road. You can drive around it; just please use a little caution. Also, for those of you who don't know, the 800 dock is now connected to the shore, so you can park over in your usual spot again. Happy Friday!

The End of an Era

It's been a long journey. One that unfortunately came to an end today. This morning, we took down what we've all come to know as "the beaver tree." Between the high water and the beaver's incessant sawing, the tree did not survive. We believe it died about a month ago. And with the strong winds we've had lately, we were concerned that it could fall and hurt someone or cause damage to the dock or someone's vehicle.

Many of you have followed the beaver story all year, but what you may not realize is that the big, beautiful cottonwood was as old as the lake. Tim remembers when it was "just a little bitty thing" back in the '60s. But despite it's modest size back then, it was always in the way, he says. Years ago the docks were laid out differently, and during high water conditions they had to split the dock, push it past the tree and reconnect it between the shore and the tree. Numerous times they considered cutting it down. But for whatever reason, they never did.

He can remember twice it was struck by lighting - once about 20 years ago. That summer there were bad storms on three out of four consecutive Fridays. When the lightning hit the tree, Tim was in an aluminum boat pulling a steel cable across the cove. (Talk about a death trap.) Doc Klayman was also on the dock that day. He says it split the tree right down the middle, and fire was shooting out the top. Everyone thought for sure the tree would die after that, but it survived! As the tree continued to grow, the shade it provided also grew - Phil Peters and Roger Long always liked to park near the tree for that very reason.

I was sad to see it fall this morning. I know some of you probably are, too. Today, when Doc came in from fishing and saw it lying across the road, he said, "It's the end of an era." And he's right. It certainly looks different out there without that tree, and it's going to take some getting used to. We're planning to save a log from the base of the tree to make a bench, so we can enjoy a little piece of it forever and ever.

I guess in the end the beaver won. Or did he? Wouldn't you like to see his face tonight when he comes out and finds nothing left of his little masterpiece... but a stump? SURPRISE!

New Hours

Starting this Sunday, Nov. 9, we will be closing at 4 p.m. Our hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through the end of November. We'll cut back even more starting Dec. 1. I'll keep you posted as we near the end of the month.

Happy Halloween! (a day early)

If you happen to be in Pontiac this weekend (or if you're just looking for an excuse to go to the lake) Just Jackie's is having a Halloween party Friday night. Costumes are encouraged, but obviously not mandatory. Tom Cline, Mike MacPherson and the rest of REVOLVER will be there playing live music for your entertainment - and it's their last show of the season.

Besides that, it's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend in Pontiac. Sunny and mid-70s! You better take advantage of a good fall lake weekend, because you know Missouri weather can change overnight! (Brrrr... I don't even want to think about it.)

So, head to the lake this Halloween weekend... if you DARE.

Signs of Fall

Here are a few fall pics from P-Town. The colors aren't as brilliant as usual, but the scenery is still pretty to look at. Enjoy.

Check it out!

The lake level is about 673 now (still 19 feet above normal), and the top road is almost completely out of the water. However, if you head down to the dock in the near future please go down the "wrong" way for now. You'll notice we have the road blocked off by the launch ramp, so you can't actually drive the full circle yet - that's because there is a cable going across the road that we don't want anyone driving on for now. Thanks for your cooperation!

Update: Stamp Sales

I spoke to Micky Iseminger (Pontiac postmaster) this morning, and as of today she has sold 278 sheets of breast cancer awareness stamps! Her goal was to sell 140 by Oct. 31. Even though she has surpassed that mark, she still has more sheets if you want to purchase some. Remember, 13 cents from each stamp (or $2.60 per sheet) goes to breast cancer awareness. This Friday (Oct. 31) she'll serve pink cake and punch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pontiac Post Office. She'll be drawing for a $20 gift certificate to Just Jackie's, plus other items. Call 417-679-3440 for more info.

New Access to Main Dock...

The lake is really dropping now! We're getting close to having the top road out of the water... Today the guys moved the main walkway, so you can now drive down the road in front of the bathrooms, park, and walk on the dock. I took more pictures and I will post them shortly.

R & M at PCM

In an effort to strengthen the connection between the main office and the 200 dock, the guys (Josh, Matt and Tim) have been working behind the office this week on installing new braces that will hold the two docks together. Earlier this year, strong winds caused some damage to the end of the 200 dock closest to the main office. That wasn't the first time that had happened -- it's a weak spot. Hopefully these new braces will solve that problem, so the next time the wind blows it won't happen again. Better yet, let's hope we don't have any strong winds blow through for a while. ;)

I Spy #5

This is probably too easy... but I thought since it's been a while I'd give you a freebie. :) Good luck!

Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer awareness stamps are now on sale at the Pontiac Post Office. Each stamp costs 55 cents, or $11 for a sheet of 20. Thirteen cents from each stamp, or $2.60 per sheet goes to breast cancer awareness. Pontiac postmaster Micky Iseminger sold 77 sheets last year, making her the top seller for small post offices in her area. This year her goal was to sell 140 sheets -- she's already pushing 200!!

She's making it fun for you, too, by doing weekly prize drawings for those who purchase at least one sheet. And, on Oct. 31 she'll be serving pink cake and pink punch at the post office! How fun is that?

The Pontiac Post Office is open from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 12:45 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Call 417-679-3440 for more details.

Lake Level

Hey all! I hope you're having a good Thursday afternoon. I'd like to update you on the lake level, if you haven't been following it online. It's down to about 682.0. Just 28 feet above normal! It's going down pretty rapidly. Let's hope it keeps that up. Obviously it's going to depend on the amount of rainfall we get this fall and winter and next spring. We'd like to get the top road open one of these days, as well as remove the walkway connecting the 200 dock to the 800 dock. I'm sure many of you would like that as well. We'll keep you posted. And I know I owe you some recent pics and a new I Spy. I promise to get on that right away. :)

P.S. The beaver tree is done. We'll be cutting it down this winter. :(

Fishing Report

Bob Gunkel and Justin Avery did well fishing this morning. They had a nice crappie, bass and walleye... little bit of everything. They said the bite was good until about 8 a.m., then it just shut off. Early morning and late evening is when most folks have been going and catching.

Happy Monday, everyone. Just wanted to let you know our hours have changed again... 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, including the weekends. That will likely stay the same through at least October.

If you've been following the lake level forecast website you know B.S. crested on Friday at 686.0. Only 32 feet above normal! HA. We haven't had any rain in a while, and I didn't see any in the forecast for the next week, so hopefully it will start back down again.

From what I'm hearing the fish have been biting. In fact, fishing has been pretty darn good lately, especially early in the morning and late in the evening. I've been hearing chatter about kentuckys, walleye and crappie. Woo-wee!

PCM Updates!

Greetings! Sorry it's been THREE WEEKS since I've written. I've actually been out of town for a while, and I just... got... back. This is what's been going on:

"TAKE A HIKE, IKE!" (direct quote from Cindy P.)
First of all, I'm sure some of you are wondering how Ike affected our little village. I was actually out of town when the storm hit early Sept. 14. Lots of trees and limbs were downed in Pontiac, and the power was out for several hours. There were some minor problems at the dock. If you're wondering what happened to the fishing dock, it's fixed to the end of the uncovered dock in the back of the cove for now. It broke loose from the 800 dock, and it's going to take a little work to get it back out there. In addition to that,an anchor and a piece of tin on one of the old docks came loose... and so did one of our rental boats... and a few other bumps and bruises. Nothing major. (Thank goodness we aren't situated on the Texas coast. Those poor folks.)

BOAT DOCK HOURS
This weekend we'll be open until 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Starting Monday we'll be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. (By the way, Just Jackie's will be open 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday through the winter. No more Wednesdays.)

FALL LAKE CLEANUP POSTPONED
Because the lake is still super high we've decided to postpone the cleanup until possibly the spring. We'll just watch the lake level to see what happens. We'll keep you posted.

SUGGESTION BOX
I'm already starting to plan for next season... If you have any comments or suggestions about things we could do better next year, please don't hesitate to speak up! (Yes, I know the spiders were really BAD this year. I'm looking into it. :)

Beaver Alert!

We spotted him! Well, Josh and Matt spotted him this morning and yelled at me to come out and look. This isn't the greatest photo. He was swimming across the cove. And he's fast! Look at the wake he's making! I had to zoom in to get this. So, in case you've been wondering... yes, the beaver is still here. Sigh.

NEW HOURS

FYI: Starting today, we'll be closing at 7 p.m. daily. Have a great Labor Day!!