The Lock

I mentioned in the previous post that Scott and I went from Lake Monona to Lake Mendota this past weekend in the old fishing boat named Martha.  To do so required that we pass through a lock because Lake Mendota is 5 feet higher than Lake Monona. 

To get to the lock we had to travel down a somewhat lengthy channel.  Well, actually we first had to find the channel.  That took a little time as we putted along the perimeter of Lake Monona looking for it.  And then we saw this light and sign.  We had arrived at the right place.

A permit is required to pass through the lock.  And a $5 fee.  Scott had taken care of this on line the night before, so we were all ready to go.  Down the channel we went.  It was lovely and so peaceful on a Sunday morning.  Birds singing.  Crickets chirping.  Calm, quiet waters.  A place to exhale.

There were jogging/biking paths along the channel and a number of bridges that crossed over it.  We would later learn that we passed underneath 10 bridges on our way down the channel to the lock.

The entire channel is no wake, so it took us a while to motor down it to the lock.  That was OK though.  The slow pace matched the sereneness of the trip.

This is what the lock looked like as we approached it.

We would have to motor into that open area to the right.  They would then close a big metal door and we would sit in there as water poured in and lifted us 5 feet.  In the next shot, we are getting closer...

And closer.....

And then we were in and down the big metal "door" went.  Next shot is looking back towards the direction from which we entered the lock.  You can see the big metal door and one of the bridges we passed under to get to the lock.  And you can see Scott too.  Cute boy.

 
While we waited for the water to raise us up (takes 4 1/2 minutes), this nice fella who was working the lock came out and chatted with us.  He had an appreciation for our "classic" boat and outboard.  (we prefer 'classic' rather than 'old'.  sounds a little sweeter rolling off the tongue.)

Next shot is the big metal door opposite of the one where we entered.  This door would open up and let us out onto Lake Mendota.

And here it goes, opening up...

We're out onto Lake Mendota!  Lake Mendota is the biggest of the 4 main lakes here in Madison.  It's 10,000 acres in size.  That's a big lake.  Downtown Madison is on an isthmus, so you can see the Capitol building from Lake Monona (previously posted a picture from that vantage point), as well as from Lake Mendota (pictured below).  Not sure if you can see it, but there is a big park right along the water.

University of Wisconsin- Madison is situated right along Lake Mendota as well.  It's a nice campus.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures of it.

Lake Mendota is a popular spot for sailboats.  This is what Scott and I saw when we first came out of the lock.

Hard to see in that picture, but we counted nearly 30 sailboats out on the water.  We got close to a couple.

We didn't stay out on Lake Mendota too long.  We had already been out for several hours and we were quite a long ways from where we had launched in Lake Waubesa.  We needed to call it an early day because I had to work the next day and Scott resumed classes as Monday was the start of fall semester for him.  We had to wait to go back through the lock.

When the door opened, this big a** boat came out.  Dang. That thing could run us right over in our little old fishing boat.

Back through the lock and back down the channel we went.  This is the view as we were about to exit the channel back out onto Lake Monona.  The whole trip through the channel is so lush.

So, that was our big boating day this past Sunday.  We'll travel through the lock to Lake Mendota again another day when we have more time.  We at least wanted to get the flavor of it.  Now that we know what we're doing, we'll definitely do it again before the boating season is over for this year.

Best Picture Ever?

Well, maybe not the best picture ever....but maybe one of the best ones I have ever taken.

Scott and I were up and out on the lake early this morning, just at the break of daylight.  We launched at Lake Waubesa, motored over to Lake Monona, and went through the lock to get to Lake Mendota.  More about the trip through the lock to Lake Mendota later.  It was a really cool experience.

When we launched at Lake Waubesa, the water was like glass.  So calm. So smooth.  Very reflective.

I took this shot of the sky as we were about to enter the channel to Lake Monona.

 
The water is so incredibly calm, it reflects everything that hits it.

Absolutely spectacular.

More Pictures From Martha

I think I've been getting some good shots of the sky when we've been out on the boat.

It's probably impossible to take a bad picture of something so beautiful.

It's not a shot of the sky, but last Sunday when we were out, this guy passed by the place where we had stopped for lunch.  How cute is his dog sitting right up front?

So that's what a good dog acts like.  I'll have to tell Rudy and Jada about it.  Maybe they can learn a little something.

Actually, the boat that dog is in is the kind of boat I'd like to have:  open bow, more comfortable seating options than a fishing boat, room to fairly easily walk around. Oh well.  For now, we're just happy to be out on the water in Martha.

Downtown Madison, Wisconsin

I took this picture of downtown Madison from Lake Monona while Scott and I were out on the old boat Sunday morning.

Madison is a beautiful city, situated on an isthmus.  Even when I was struggling with my adjustment to living here, one thing I have never wavered on is this:  Madison is a great place.

Sunrise

We got out on the old fishing boat this morning before daylight, prior to 6 AM.  We watched the sun rise over Lake Waubesa from the water.  It was an awe-inspiring experience.

You Know You're Old When....

In this particular case, I'm not referring to myself.  Although I am rapidly approaching my 42nd birthday, which seems inconceivable to me.

In this case, however, I'm talking about the fishing boat named Martha.  We took her out on Lake Kegonsa for a few hours last night after I got home from work.  We loaded up the gear, a cooler stocked with beer, and off we went.  What a great way to spend a Friday evening.  It was dusk when we loaded up to come home for the night.  Boat launches at dusk are busy places.  Apparently boaters, ourselves included, like to soak up every bit of daylight possible out on the water.  Then, when it starts to turn dark, people head for the shore in masses.

Anyhow, our boat is a Lund, which I've been told is a generally respected brand of fishing boat.  Last night as we were loading up, 2 dudes in a newer, fancier fishing boat than ours pulled up.  One of the guys, who had kind of a 40-ish, grown-up surfer dude vibe to him, spoke to me as I was holding the boat at the dock waiting for Scott to get the truck.  He asked me, in a rather fascinated tone of voice, "Is that the first Lund ever made?"

Ouch.  And then quickly, LOL.

He immediately followed up by asking if the boat was a 1972.  Me, in a joking tone like an exasperated teenager:  "No.  It's a nineteen seventy three."  I also shared with him that the outboard was built in 1969, the same year I was born.  I think he was really fascinated by that.  Now that's old.

In the meantime, Scott had pulled up.  Surfer-like dude was still chatting with us a little bit.  Here is a small snippet of the conversation (keep in mind we're both on fishing boats).

Surfer-like dude:  Did you guys catch anything?
Me:  Yeah, we caught a buzz.

I amuse myself sometimes.

Even though Martha is old (classic??), there is no shame to our game.  We're just happy to have a boat.  Last night, we drove her to a restaurant named Springer's.  Springer's is right on Lake Kegonsa.  You can get there by land or water.  We pulled up and docked our boat so we could grab a bite to eat and a drink.  Here is poor little old Martha at the dock.

She's so little, you can hardly see here there amongst the big pontoon boats.  (If you can see that bit of light blue color in the picture, that's the inside of Martha.)  I'm not sure the picture does it justice.  Martha was in stark contrast to the other boats that were docked and that came and went while we were at Springer's.  I'm pretty sure that in the world of boating, we are considered low-class losers.  Quite frankly, we're fine with that.  We're just happy for what we have.

It's pretty much super fun to get to a restaurant by pulling up in a boat.  Here is Springer's as we approached.

Springer's has a nice patio right by the lake.

The food was surprisingly good.  Really, really good actually.  I had a roast beef sandwich with cheddar.  It was toasted on sourdough bread.  Delicious.

It was Friday night and this is Madison, Wisconsin, so of course Springer's had a fish fry.  This is the most fish-fryingest place I have ever been.  Scott did order it up.  It was good.  One of the better fish fries we've experienced actually.

 
You can see Scott's food, his Bud Light, his body and then the water right behind him.  That's how close the patio at Springer's is to the Lake.  We love being on or near the water.  Springer's is the perfect place to dine and have that lake experience at the same time.

I was in the mood last night for something a little lighter than beer.  I had a vodka something-or-other that the waitress recommended.  It was tasty.

That was our Springer's experience.  After dinner, off we went back out on the water.

Not many people were out last night on Lake Kegonsa.  It's a big lake; I think the second largest of the four main ones around here.  The picture above is my vantage point when I look out from inside the boat.  Expansive sky.  And miles of tree lined water.  It's amazing and one of those things that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

It strikes me funny to see a "gas station" right out on the water.

Scott went out fishing by himself on Thursday while I was at work.  He launched from this public ramp within Lake Kegonsa State Park.  The launch was quiet when we drove by last night.  I just think it's so beautiful nestled there amongst the big trees.

We saw quite a few people fishing, including these folks on and around an old bridge. 

That was about it from last night.  It was a gorgeous evening.  Sunny.  Warm.  Nice breeze blowing.  It was a perfect summer night.  One last shot of the sky as we headed in for the evening.  What's that saying?

Red sky at night,
sailors delight.

I caught a glimpse of a sailboat in this shot.  The word that comes to mind is tranquility.

Martha- the unveil

Here she is.  The old fishing boat named Martha that we bought.

She ain't much to look at...but we're having a blast.  We love getting out on the water.  There are so many lakes and waterways up here, having a boat seems like a necessary part of life.

We test drove her last Saturday and then bought her and brought her home on Monday.  Next shot is from Monday night, our first night with her.  Scott and I were so excited, we sat in her in the garage and drank a few brews.  We considered it 'practice'.

Scott wanted a boat so badly.  One could say he was obsessed about it.  He was thrilled to finally have one.  He grew up with a boat like this, so he is very familiar.  I think that familiarity has made him even more excited about this particular boat.  I got this picture of him Monday...hugging the outboard and looking as happy as happy can be.

When Scott saw this picture of himself, he said he looks like a fat kid hugging a cake.  Well, you know what the say about fat kids.....they're harder to kidnap.

I think I literally took a couple hundred pictures during our first 2 trips out with Martha.  We loved being out on the water so much.  I'll share just a couple for now, but I'm sure there will be more posts in the near the future.  For the time being:

Our first launch, with the bumpers hanging over the side.

Motoring from the launch site out into Lake Waubesa.

 The channel between Lake Waubesa and Lake Monona.

Someone took the time to build this rock structure.  It's kind of cool, especially with the Canada Goose next to it, apparently sleeping as we quietly motored by in a no-wake zone.

Another shot as we were going through the channel.

OK.  Blogspot is really acting up (or maybe it's my computer) and working my nerves.  Regardless, I'll close for now.  I'll post more pictures of our adventures with Martha soon.......

An Old Fishing Boat Named Martha-- In Two Parts....

....(for now)....

Part I:  Tuesday, Lake Waubesa

Part II:  Wednesday, Lake Kegonsa

Still more to come later....

An Old Fishing Boat Named Martha

More to come later......

Madison Mallards

Madison has a baseball team.  I don't even think they qualify as single A, but there is a baseball team nonetheless and they are named the Madison Mallards.

Actually Scott just looked it up on line.  The Mallards are a collegiate summer baseball team in the "Northwoods" league.  Well, there you go.

Someone I work with had told me about the Mallards last year.  Scott and I love to go to baseball games and we aren't going to get to see a pro game this year, so we decided to check out the Mallards last night.

It was so fun.

We just decided that same day to go to the game.  When Scott tried to get tickets, all the general seating tickets were sold out. I was more than a little surprised by that.  I didn't think Mallards games were that big of a deal.  Even though there was no general seating, what they did have available were tickets to the "Blind Duck" area of the ball park.  The tickets were $27.00 each, and it included all-you-can-eat and all the beer you can drink.

All you-can-eat and all the beer you can drink?  No brainer.  We're in.

It was an absolutely spectacular night for a baseball game.  Sunny. Breezy.  Mild temps.  The ballpark is on the north side of Madison.  I'm not very familiar with that side of town, but we discovered that the ballpark is in a big, beautiful city park area:  Warner Park.  The ball park where the Mallards play is dubbed the "Duck Pond".

Here are a couple pictures as we walked up to will-call to get our tickets.

It was like a little miniature professional baseball park.  Not what I expected.  I was a little impressed.  This was parked on display out front.

Yes, that would be an El Camino.  And not just any El Camino....the Schlitz El Camino.

I have to write that again.....the Schlitz El Camino.  In 2011, no one should ever say "Schlitz"  or "El Camino", let alone say them together.

Here are the tickets we picked up at will-call.

Allow me to draw your attention to the price of the tickets.

The picture is kind of blurry, but the price is listed as "Beer".  Hey Mastercard--that's even better than 'priceless'.

When we walked in the gate (which let me just mention it's much harder to get through those turn-style admittance gates since I have gained so much weight....) there was a big group of people handing out a bunch of free stuff;  visors, bag clips, etc. etc..  The Mascot from Madison Area Technical College (where Scott goes to school) was there.

True-to-form for a ball diamond, beer was readily available quickly upon entry.

There were concessions, lots of things for kids to do, and a darn cute barn-like team store/gift shop.

It really was like being at a mini- professional baseball park.  So unexpected and so cool.  Right here in little Madison, Wisconsin.  Population:  212,000 and 42,000 of those are college students.

We made our way around the ballpark to the Blind Duck area. It's located back in the left field area.  We had to show our tickets and ID to get in.  We got wrist bands and these:

A plastic cup that you can keep refilling over and over and over again with beer.  A refillable cup.  Now that's pretty smart.  Cuts down on waste.......although being the germ-o-phobe that I am, I'm not sure how I feel about the rims of cups where people's mouths have been, touching the tap where the beer is poured.  I just shuddered.  I can't think about that more.  I can only hope when they poured the beer that they didn't let the used cups touch the tap.  (shudder)

After entering the Blind Duck area, we quickly made our way to fill our cups for the first time.  There was a pretty big selection of beer and it was nice and cold.  We also checked out the all-you-can-eat menu.

I don't know if you can read that bottom line or not, but it states:  "Full menu runs through 6th inning.  Limited menu through 7th inning."  Let me translate that:  "Limited menu through 7th inning" = you can get all the left over crap that wasn't eaten in the first 6 innings.

The Duck Blind area doesn't have typical ballpark seating.  There are picnic tables and standing room on a couple different levels of decking and there were some benches along the fence.  The area was packed with people, including what appeared to be several corporate parties.

As you can see, the beer areas were clearly marked.  God, I love Wisconsin.  Ain't nobody here ashamed about drinking beer.....or eating fried cheese.

See that fellow in the big yellow hat in the picture above?  Big yellow hats must be kind of popular at these games.  This fellow had one on too.

Perhaps these are the Mallards version of the Packer's Cheeseheads.

When I first learned about the "Duck Blind" area, I thought the blind part might have something to do with the fact that there is all you can drink beer.  You know, like drinking yourself blind.  I later came to assume it's called the Duck Blind area because you can't see the game.  Scott and I landed seats on the benches along the fence on the left field line.  We could definitely see left field clearly and we could see most of the rest of the field, but we couldn't see the batter.  Watching the batter is kind of a big part of watching a baseball game.

Oh well.  In spite of not being able to see the batter, we still had fun.  As I mentioned, it was a spectacular evening for a game.  Here is a shot looking out across the field from our seats.

It looks like you could jump right up and grab those clouds.  I have mentioned before that the sky up here looks different to me than the sky looks in Ohio.  It seems more expansive and the clouds seem closer to the earth.  It's beautiful here.

Apparently extensive renovations were done to the Duck Pond ballpark last year.  They had many updated features, but kept some of the old charm as well, like the old scoreboard where someone has to manually change the numbers each inning.

This is a shot looking out across the outfield.  Like big-league parks, there was plenty of corporate advertising.  Another thing I love about the Wisconsin outdoors, in addition to the sky, is all the big trees and greenery that surround almost everything; beaches, ball diamonds, you name it.  Lots of big trees all around.

Just to prove we couldn't see the batters during the game, this was the view looking down the left field line towards home plate (at least I assumed home plate was down there) as the visiting team warmed up.

No home plate to be seen.  We really couldn't see any of the infield very well.  Except the pitchers mound.  We could clearly see that because it was the biggest pitchers mound I have ever seen.  Actually, I wouldn't call it a pitcher mound.....I'd call it a pitchers mountain.

That picture doesn't really do justice to how high the mound was.

According to what we read on-line, part of the purpose of the summer collegiate league is to give college baseball players a sense of what it would be like to play ball in the minor league.  That's the rationale behind having the ballpark set up the way it is.  There were other things that were structured like a pro (or semi-pro) game, like watering down the infield before the game started.

Watering the infield isn't anything particularly special, but what was entertaining was the fact that right before the crew finished watering, they dropped the hose and did Michael Jackson's dance routine to Thriller.  We found it quite humorous.  They also had various types of entertainment between innings, shooting t-shirts into the crowd, that kind of thing.  A couple times, people in those blow-up costumes came out and danced.  Scott and I laughed so hard.  Watching those big blow-up costumes wiggle and jiggle while doing a dance routine is just one of those things you have to see to appreciate how funny it is.

Another piece of entertainment at the game is right before the opening pitch. Maynard G. Mallard, the team mascot, come blazing in on a zip line.  We missed it while we were at the game and had to settle for the You Tube version.  In case you'd like to take a gander:  link

It turned from day light to dark while we were there.  There was a big old full moon up in the sky.  Lovely night.

That about sums it up.  We had a great time at the Madison Mallards game.  We love the atmosphere at baseball games.  It was a great night to be outdoors.  All-you-can-eat and all the beer you can drink.  Makes me feel like singing.

Take me out to the ball game

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks

I don't care if we never get back

Oh let's root, root, root for the home team

If they don't win it's a shame

For it's one, two, three strikes you're out 

At the old....ball....game!