FOGGY

GOT UP PLENTY EARLY AND GOT TO MAZEPPA TO FISH BEFORE 7 A.M. GOT RAIN THIS WEEK AND THE CREEK WAS UP A BIT AND MURKY BUT I JUMPED IN BUFFALO AND FISHED A BIT. GOT 5 BUT THE FOG WAS WHAT I REALLY ENJOYED. A HAUNTING LOOK DOWN THE CREEK AND LOOK FOR THE PHOTO I TOOK ALONG WITH A SPIDER. NEVER SAW THIS KIND BEFORE AND EMAILED PENN STATE TO HAVE THEM IDENTIFY IT FOR ME. LOOK FOR THE PICS IN THE FOLDER.

EAGLE

WONDERFUL DAY IN THE CREEK AS I CAUGHT 15 MOSTLY SMALLMOUTH BUT A COUPLE OF GORGEOUS BLUEGILLS. BLUE HERONS AND I ACTUALLY SAW THE BALD EAGLE THAT HAS BEEN NESTING BETWEEN MAZEPPA AND COWAN. CAME RIGHT DOWN THE CREEK AND ABOUT 15 FEET RIGHT OVER MY HEAD. ONE REALLY HUGE BIRD. DIDN'T PERCH SO I DIDN'T GET A PICTURE. BUT PLEASE LOOK IN THE FOLDER FOR PICTURES OF WILDFLOWERS.

RICKY PHILLIPS

WELL RICKY IS MAKING US PROUD AGAIN. NOT ONLY IN WASHINGTON DC AGAIN AT THE SENATE AND WAS SELECTED AS AN ENGLE FELLOW. ONE OF THE MOST REGARDED PREACHING FELLOWSHIPS IN THE COUNTRY. WE ARE MAZEPPA PROUD.

WOODPECKERS

NOT MANY FISH LAST SUNDAY BUT A RARE SITE WITH 3 PILIATED WOODPECKERS GROUPED TOGETHER

FISHING BUDDY

WELL IT WAS A SLOW DAY FISHING YESTERDAY AND FUNNY AS THE WATER WAS A BIT CLOUDY FROM THE THUNDER STORMS THIS WEEK AND SEEMED LIKE IDEAL CONDITIONS. BUT ONLY 11 FISH. LOTS OF WILDLIFE AND STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT I SAW JUMPING IN THE WATER. WEASEL LIKE BODY BUT ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SMALL BEAVER. WAS UP THE BANK BEFORE I GOT A CHANCE TO GET THE FIELD GLASSES OUT. AND I HAD A FISHING BUDDY IN THE CREEK.......A BEAR. NOT BIG BUT NEAT TO SEE ONE AGAIN. HAD A FEW HUGE BEARS THE FINAL YEARS WE WERE ON THE FARM. AND 2 FUNNY STORIES OF BEARS TO SHARE. FIRST TIME WE SAW A BEAR WAS IN OUR HAY FIELD NEAR BRUBAKERS AND IT RAN RIGHT TOWARDS THE ROAD CREW AND SCARED WAYNE SWARTZ WHO HAD HIS BACK TO THE BEAR. ABOUT THE SAME TIME LESTER BAKER WAS IN THEIR GARDEN AND HE HEARD A NOISE. FIGURING IT WAS DOROTHY HE TURNED AND STARTED TALKING ONLY TO FIND A HUGE BLACK BEAR SITTING THERE. LESTER TOLD ME I DON'T THINK I EVER RAN SO FAST.

17 MORE

WELL QUITE A WEEKEND FISHING WITH 17 MORE TODAY I ENDED UP WITH 43 FOR THE 2 DAYS. NICE MIX OF FISH AND A 14 INCH SMALLMOUTH TODAY. REDHEADED WOODPECKERS ALONG WITH THE KINGFISHERS AND THOSE ADORABLE SANDPIPERS.

100 DEGREES

WELL THE TEMP WAS ABOUT 100 AGAIN TODAY AS WE ARE IN A REAL HEATWAVE THIS WEEK. SO THE CREEK FELT REAL GOOD YESTERDAY AND WHAT A GREAT TIME FISHING TOO. CAUGHT 26 IN ALL AND TONS OF WILDLIFE AND ESPECIALLY BIRDS. THE REDWINGED BLACKBIRDS WERE ALL OVER AND REALLY CHIRPING. ALSO FLICKERS...HAIRY WOODPECKERS AND LOTS OF OTHER BIRDS TO ENTERTAIN ME.

19 MORE

19 FISH TODAY AND A GOOD VARIETY AGAIN WITH MOST BEING ROCKYS AND SMALLMOUTH BASS. BABY MERGANZERS CAN FLY NOW AND A GROUNDHOG WAS KEEPING ME COMPANY WHILE I FISHED.

GREAT DAY

ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN THE CREEK AND A WONDERFUL WAY TO KICK START MY VACATION. 18 FISH AND TONS OF WILDLIFE INCLUDING. PUT 2 PICS IN THE FOLDER, ONE OF A BLUE HERON AND THE OTHER A 4 FOOT WATER SNAKE THAT SWAM RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. TODAY HOPE TO FISH SPRUCE RUN FROM THE BRIDGE UP TO COL. JOHN KELLY ROAD WHERE MY BUDDY YURIY LIVES. FUNNY ALL THE YEARS I LIVED IN MAZEPPA AND YEARS SINCE I NEVER FISHED THAT STRETCH OF THE RUN. AS FOR TODAY IT'S SO NEAT TO BE CATCHING SO MANY ROCK BASS AGAIN. MAYBE ANOTHER SIGN THE CREEK IS MORE HEALTHY THANKS TO THE SEWER PLANT. KINGFISHERS ARE NOW BACK IN FORCE AND SAW A FEW MORE SANDPIPERS BUT THE CRAYFISH STILL AREN'T OUT MUCH.

GREAT DAY IN THE CREEK

GOT TO MAZEPPA ABOUT 8 AM AND AFTER THE RAIN THE WATER WAS SLIGHTLY CLOUDY AND KNEW IT WOULD BE A FUN DAY FISHING. GOT 21 IN ALL AND QUITE A VARIETY BUT ABOUT HALF WERE ROCK BASS. THE SMALLYS WERE BITING AND HAD A BIG ONE HOP OFF ON ME. LOTS OF WILDLIFE WITH DUCKS, GEESE AND EVEN SAW A BEAVER. NICE TO SEE THE CRAYFISH FINALLY EMERGING AND SAW A FEW SAND PIPERS.

LIBRARY

WELL THE NEW CHILDRENS LIBRARY IS UP AND RUNNING AT THE MAZEPPA UNION CHURCH WITH BERT AND HELEN STAHLS NAMES INSIDE. THANKS SO MUCH TO BETH AND CHARLIE HACKENBERG AS BETH GOT THE BOOKS AND CHARLIE BUILT THE BOOKCASE. A PICTURE OF PEYTON PHILLIPS HOLDING ONE OF THE BOOKS IS IN THE PHOTO ALBUM.

NICE DAY IN THE CREEK

HAD TO WORK TILL 11 BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY RUSH AT WEIS BUT GOT TO THE CREEK BY NOON. STARTED SLOW BUT ENDED UP WITH 14 FISH AND MOSTLY ROCK BASS. BLUE AND GREEN HERONS...A MOMMA DUCK DOING THE WOUNDED WING ROUTINE AND LOTS OF BIRDS. WHICH SPEAKING OF WHICH I SAW A HUGE BIRD THAT I SWEAR WAS A BALD EAGLE. WAS TOLD THERE IS ONE NESTING BETWEEN COWAN AND MAZEPPA AND CURIOUS IF THIS WAS IT. WAS A GREAT DAY IN THE CREEK AS THE TEMPS WERE MID 80'S AND THE WATER WAS PERFECT TO WADE.
THE CRAY FISH ARE FINALLY MAKING THEIR APPEARANCE. ONE THING THAT IS REALLY GREAT TO SEE IS ALL THE MULLUSKS IN THE CREEK A REAL SIGN THAT BUFFALO IS A LOT MORE HEALTHY THAN MY CHILDHOOD AND ALL THE SEPTIC TANKS BLEEDING INTO THE CREEK.

ALL WET AGAIN

WELL IT TOOK A FEW WEEKS AND A LITTLE LESS RAIN BUT I FINALLY GOT BACK IN THE CREEK. WHAT A FATHERS DAY IT WAS TOO AS I GOT 28 FISH AND 4 KINDS.....BLUEGILLS......ROCKYS.....SMALLYS AND OF COURSE CHUBS. SAW LOTS OF WILDLIFE INCLUDING A MUSKRAT.....WOOD DUCKS....BLUE HERONS AND SEVERAL DEER. 2 DOES WERE PLAYING TAG IN THE CREEK AND FUN TO WATCH.

FINALLY BACK TO THE CREEK

WELL I FINALLY GOT BACK TO FISHING AND WADING BUFFALO CREEK BUT HAVE TO SAY IT WAS STILL HIGH FROM THE RAINS. QUITE A FEW MORE TREES IN THE CREEK AND STILL VERY LITTLE WILDLIFE BY THE CREEK. A FEW DUCKS AND ONE CANADIAN GOOSE. I GOT 13 FISH TODAY AND A FUN DAY UNTIL THE RAIN CHASED ME BACK UP BUFFALO. AS I WADED TO MY SPOTS I CAME UPON A 13 INCH BROWN TROUT BELLY UP. BUT HIS GILLS WERE STILL GOING SO I TURNED HIM OVER , GRABBED HIM BY THE TAIL AND MOVED HIM BACK AND FORTH TO GET WATER THROUGH HIM. THEN NESTLED HIM IN SOME GREENERY TO KEEP HIM UPRIGHT. CHECKED ON HIM LATER AND HE WAS GONE SO HOPEFULLY HE MADE IT.
WAS NICE TO SEE SOME OF THE FARMERS FINALLY GETTING THEIR CORN PLANTED AS I DROVE OUT TO MAZEPPA INCLUDING THE BRUBAKERS WHO BOUGHT OUR FARM.

PARADE

WHAT A WONDERFUL PARADE AND CEREMONY AGAIN THIS YEAR. SPEAKER WAS RON WAGNER WHO DOUBLES AS SCOUT LEADER AND LAY MINISTER.
SOME PHOTOS IN THE ALBUM. REALLY LOVED BILL AND SANDY BAKER IN THE GOLF CART AND GRANDCHILDREN BEHIND ON THE JOHN DEERES.

FIRST WADE OF THE YEAR

I ACTUALLY GOT WADERS FOR THE VERY FIRST AND FINALLY BROKE THEM IN TODAY. NO WAY I COULD HAVE WADED IN THE CHILLY WATERS TODAY WITHOUT THEM. WATER WAS A BIT HIGH AND THE CURRENT WAS SCARY STRONG AT SPOTS.
AND LOTS OF DOWNED TREES IN THE CREEK FROM ALL THE FLOOD WATERS THIS SPRING.
SAW GEESE...MERGANZERS AND A GORGEOUS BALTIMORE ORIOLE THAT KEPT WATCHING OVER ME. I CAUGHT 18 IN ALL BUT I LANDED A MONSTER SMALLMOUTH THAT REALLY MADE MY DAY. A 17 INCH SMALLMOUTH !!!

CELEBRITIES

WELL WE HAVE A FEW CELEBRITIES AS I SENT THE PICTURES FROM THE WORLD FAMOUS HAM AND EGG SUPPER TO THE LOCAL PAPERS AND THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO PUBLISH THEM . NICE TO PUT MAZEPPA ON THE MAP !!!

HAM AND EGG SUPPER

WELL I ACTUALLY MADE IT OUT TO THE WORLD FAMOUS MAZEPPA HAM AND EGG SUPPER LAST NIGHT. FOOD WAS GREAT AS EVER AND SO WONDERFUL SEEING OLD FRIENDS. LOOK FOR SOME PICTURES IN THE FOLDER.

DOROTHY BAKER

DOROTHY BAKER , WHO GROWING UP WAS A DEAR FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR IS NOW AT THE BUFFLAO VALLEY NURSING HOME AND THIS WEEK I STOPPED TO SEE HER. MARRIED TO LESTER FOR I THINK OVER 60 YEARS AND BETTER NEIGHBORS WE COULDN'T HAVE EVER HAD. WHAT A WONDERFUL VISIT WE HAD TALKING ABOUT OLD TIMES IN MAZEPPA AND WAS STUNNED TO FIND OUT DOROTHY ACTUALLY LIVED IN MONTANDON AT ONE TIME. ASKED DOROTHY IF SHE EVER GETS BACK HOME TO THE FARM IN MAZEPPA AND SHE SMILED.......YEAH I HAVE TO GET HOME OCCASIONALLY.....TOO MANY GREAT MEMORIES. THING I STILL CHUCKLE ABOUT IS THAT THE 2 COOKS WE HAD AT BUFFALO CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY WERE BOTH.........." BAKERS "

MUC CHILDRENS LIBRARY

WONDERFUL NEWS FROM THE MAZEPPA UNION CHURCH. LAST YEAR I HAD GIVEN THE CHURCH SOME MONEY ON TOP OF THE RENTAL OF THE HALL, FOR MY 50TH BASH. WANTED THEM TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE CHILDRENS SUNDAY SCHOOL IN HONOR OF ROBERTA. GOT WORD THIS WEEK THEY PLAN TO START A CHILDRENS LIBRARY AND THE FIRST BOOKS HAVE BERTS NAME IN IT ALONG WITH HELEN STAHL WHO WE JUST LOST. HAVE TO THINK BOTH HELEN AND BERT ARE SMILING DOWN ON THE CHURCH AND THEIR DECISION : )

HELEN STAHL

WE LOST A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY THIS PAST WEEK IN HELEN STAHL. OUR HEART FELT FEELINGS GO OUT TO WENDELL , JOHN AND MY CLASSMATE MARRIANNE.