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!!

New Boating Laws to Take Effect Aug. 28, 2008

Note: Below is a press release from the Missouri State Water Patrol.

NEWS RELEASE

PUBLIC INFORMATION SECTION, P.O. Box 1368, Jefferson City, MO 65102

For further information contact: Sergeant Gerard G. Callahan
Public Information Director
Phone: (573) 751-3333
E-mail: Jerry.Callahan@mswp.dps.mo.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jefferson City

New Laws In Effect On the Water for the Labor Day Weekend

The traditional end of summer is upon us and while many people will be boating well into the fall, for some Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah of the summer boating season. The Missouri State Water Patrol asks that boaters stay vigilant in their safe boating practices. Remember the rivers and lakes will be more crowded than other weekends due to the three day weekend. Slow down and be courteous to other boaters around you. Allow for extra time while loading and launching boats.

In addition to the added traffic there will be a number of new laws that will take affect on Thursday, August 28 which boaters will need to be aware of.

· Missouri's legal blood alcohol content for operating a vessel will drop from .10% to .08%.

· Boats must come to an idle speed within 100 feet of an emergency vessel that is displaying flashing lights.

· The nighttime speed limit of 30 m.p.h. has been expanded to include all state waterways.

A law making it illegal to obstruct the flow of traffic on the water was expanded to apply to all state waterways.

News Release ID: N07080178
Release Date: 20080826

Isn't it nifty? Eric is FIFTY!!!

I bet the store sold a lot of orchid-colored Western shirts that year. What do you think? Hubba hubba. Guys, hold on to your lady friends, because this cowboy just might breeze into town, sweep her off her feet and ride off into the sunset. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!!!

NEW HOURS!

We are making a slight change to our hours starting today. From now through Labor Day weekend we will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (Over Labor Day weekend we will stay open until 9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31.) Starting Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1) we will most likely start closing at 7 p.m. through the week. Yes, folks, it's that time of year. (Sniff, sniff.)

It's a Girl!

Larry and Brenda Kankey (of Bull Shoals, Ark. and the Good Karma houseboat at PCM) welcomed a granddaughter on 8-8-08. Campbell Elizabeth Miller weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 21 inches long. Apparently, Grandpa Larry had guessed ahead of time that she'd weigh 8 lbs, 2 oz and be 21 1/2 inches... Pretty darn close! Brenda says mom and baby are home and well. Isn't she sweet?!

Too Cute

I had to share this photo of our dog, Oscar. This was his first time out on the boat. How can you not love that face?

The Blowout

Wow, so I think I finally figured out how to do slideshows on the blog! Yay, me! Here are a few snapshots of the party on the lake on Saturday. I think the slideshow will automatically start, but if you scroll over the picture you can pause it and click the left or right arrows and go through each photo at your own pace. Enjoy!