...but where are the manatees???
Nope, no manatees, although I keep expecting one to surface, the water is so clear and warm here in June. Lake Marburg lies just south of Spring Grove, an artificial lake (as most in PA are) created by flooding a valley. "Bobbing" by your boat in a PFD and dive mask (or using a viewer (a plastic aquarium or dishpan with a plexi bottom glued in) nets you views of SAV (Submerged Aquatic Vegetation) beds, schools of young fish, curious bluegills (waiting for you to stir up some bottom dwellers or turn over a rock for the macroinvertebrates living underneath), and a much more relaxing time than a day at the chlorine and peeing-toddler-infested pool. Sailboats ply the waters as do some power boats (usually fishing) and pontoon boats (aka: the Party Deck That Floats). The lake is big enough for all, and a great place to kayak, or take your kids with some fishing lines or dippy nets to see what they can find...
Ospreys nest here, cormorants, blue herons and other water birds abound. Large fish lurk in the depths, waiting for your line, and you may catch sight of horses swimming off one of the trails.
....you'll have to go farther south for the manatees.
Ospreys nest here, cormorants, blue herons and other water birds abound. Large fish lurk in the depths, waiting for your line, and you may catch sight of horses swimming off one of the trails.
....you'll have to go farther south for the manatees.
Did you just crawl out from under a rock?
We all have a deeply embedded hunter-gatherer instinct (hence all those piles of shells I bring home from the shore, or rocks brought from lake and river paddles). A fun way to exercise this instinct is to get a net, a white frisbee (or other shallow light colored tray) and turn over some rocks. Many insects begin their lives this way, as tiny water predators (dragonflies, damselflies, others). The diversity and number of species found underwater shows how healthy your stream, lake or river really is (more is more: diversity = stream health!). Overturning rocks in the shallows attracts bluegills and other small fish, waiting for prey.
...dark and stormy night...
The weather forecast had mentioned a 40 - 60% chance of precipitation. In June, this means thunderstorms, generally in the afternoon. The day dawned bright and sunny and continued to be so, with fluffy sheep clouds (cumulus) decorating the sky (a color LL Bean calls "blue jay"). At 6:30, the western sky darkened and the clouds towered into cumulonimbus... but Thor was still sleeping, no flashes from the Mighty Mjolnir lit the sky, no distant rumbles of Frost Giants biting the dust came over the lake, only the distant sounds of boat engines. The sun set, the clouds painted the sky, fireflies danced on the lake lawn. We went home.
It wasn't till we stopped for some drive-through food that the rain poured down. Really fun trying to get your sandwich and fries throught he window... zzzzzzzzzzzzzt up... zzzzzzzzzzt down................zzzzzt up...............zzzzzzzt down...
It wasn't till we stopped for some drive-through food that the rain poured down. Really fun trying to get your sandwich and fries throught he window... zzzzzzzzzzzzzt up... zzzzzzzzzzt down................zzzzzt up...............zzzzzzzt down...
