June 30, 2010

Why I love Lake Erie? By Casey Rothburn

You asked for an editorial and you are getting one. This is not going to be long but it does express my feelings for this wonderful community. My husband Bill and I have been coming to this area for over 20 years now and each year gets better and better, but maybe that's because we are getting older and we appreciate things so much more. As soon as we cross the Route 2 bridge a peacefulness comes over us. If we had been talking business our conversation changes and we are talking about how beautiful and peaceful our life is becoming. Our blood pressure definitely improves and so does our disposition. Happy People in Happy Places is definitely right Joy. We enjoy your website and look forward to your updates. Keep up the good work and good luck in your Real Estate with Howard Hanna.

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January 12, 2010

Marblehead/Port Clinton in the winter

Today as I set at my desk I am seeing what mother nature has proudly brought to us near Lake Erie. The pretty snow, the geese turning upside down in the water searching for any little creature to nibble on, the egrets standing on the shoreline watching for anything that moves to gobble up, and the deer in the state park munching on the apples that people have left for them. It is indeed a winter wonderland. Yes you do have to bundle up more near the water and maybe wear your flannel jammies, but when you look out upon the water and see the peacefulness it is all worth it. Today the sun shines on the snow and reflects off a little warmth to warm our hearts and spirits. Today I will be grateful for each and every precious moment I have living in this region. An area where I can stay home with a warm blanket and just watch tv, or join up with buddies at our still favorite places. A lot of friends have traveled south but in hearing from them it is even cold there. Even in Key West!! So today I will be happy for what I have here in paradise and count the days until summer comes again. There is a Keith Urban song playing that I really love called "When Summer Comes Again". It makes me yearn for the days when I can walk the beach and see the seaguls diving for minnows and the children scooping up sand in their sand buckets. Yes, today I will enjoy the beauty of the winter knowing that in 2 months the daffodils and tulips will start peeking out of the ground. As the cool wind blows around your face and freezes your toes just wrap up a little more and think to yourself--only a short time and it's here-- Summer!!!

Karen Lawrence, Marblehead resident for 40 years

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October 24, 2009

The Unauthorized Underground Anchors Away Marina News Reporter -- Ron Lavely

Well it appears that summer is over before it really got started. As I write this it seems that the little summer we had changed suddenly into winter. As I prepared my boat for winter storage in mid October it was 40 degrees out with rain and high winds coming in off the Lake. This felt like winter to me. I decided to walk up to the marina office to see “Smiling Joe”. I told Joe to go ahead and have the shrink wrap company come in and do my boat along with the rest of the boats. This is always a challenge for me to shrink it myself each year, but this weather got me out of the mood to do it this year.

It was exciting this summer to follow the construction project at the world famous “Crabby Joe’s” bar and grill, located in Anchors Away Marina. The Marina that is known far and wide for having the cleanest restrooms on the Lake. Crabby Joe’s started the year with new management and great plans to add a second floor patio. Planning that it would be completed by Memorial Day. When Memorial Day came, all that changed was more new management, and then more new management. Before long I gave up even trying to learn their names. But still no sign of a nice second flood deck where you could enjoy the view of the entire west harbor area.

But construction did start shortly after the 4th of July, and by Labor Day the second floor deck was coming alone nicely. They only worked to 11:00 AM each morning so as to not interfere with the normal business. No one wants saw dust in their burger and beer, especially in their beer. The construction crews were then having so much fun they could not get them to stop building once they got started. After completing the second floor deck they kept right on going up. We were all started wondering how high they would go before they stopped. Bad weather came and they finally stopped building after the third floor deck was completed. If the weather had held out its hard telling how high this bar may have went. So Crabby’s now has a nice first floor restaurant and bar area with a great second floor patio above it and then another even better deck above that one. There going to be some good times up on those decks next summer. There is also going to be some skinny waitress’ next year after they carry drinks and food up two flights of steps. If the famous trophy fishing Captain Keith Pooh Bear and his gang goes to the top floor to quench their thirst, the waitress will never make it through the evening.

A big topic of discussion this summer was the difficulty of traveling to Canada. Or rather the difficulty of returning home after making one of these fun trips. I have heard that boaters have received letters from Home Land Security threaten them with $5000. fines and confiscation of their boats. Canada welcomes us with open arms and then you have to jump through hoops to just return to your dock. Hundreds of people are illegally crossing the border down south every hour, while the federal government spends millions on Lake Erie making sure we pay all the special fees just to return to our docks. How many wet backs have you seen swimming across Lake Erie to get to our Ohio shores? Maybe the Feds don’t know their north from their south.

The weather has always been a major topic for boaters and people living near the Lake. This year has been extra windy and cooler than normal. I keep asking, when is my global warming coming to the lake. The hot topic this fall was the “Big Blow” in early October. The wind blew out of the west south west at 40 mph for a couple of days. All the water blew out of the western basin and stacked up in the eastern end of Lake Erie. The whole western end of Put-in-Bay was dry with boats sitting on the bottom. West Harbor looked like a small stream. There are pictures of the Miller Ferry plowing through waves which were going as high as the pilot house. It looked like a big destroyer crashing through waves in the ocean. Earlier in the summer we had another big blow. In late June we had a big blow which tore all the gas docks out of Anchors Away Marina in West Harbor. One section floated clear down to the south end of the harbor. It took two weeks of welding to get them back in service before the 4th of July. Smiling Joe was really smiling when they were put back in service, he even had a donut from Jill’s to celebrate. Maybe global warming is being replaced by global windiness. Well that enough of my windiness for a while, have a nice winter.

Remember; be like a duck, calm on the surface but paddling like hell below the surface.

Joy's Note: Ron, You outdid yourself. What a great editorial!!

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10/22/09

Guest Writers Wanted!!

What's a Guest Writer? A guest writer is someone I pick every month to write an article for LakeErieLife.com. It's someone who I think has an interesting perspective on Lake Erie. Maybe it's someone who works in the fishing industry or drives a ferry or runs a tour train. It can be anyone who has something to say. I have asked some people I know to write an editorial. Let's see what they come up with. You've all read my blogs and now it's time to hear from others in the community. I hope you like the idea and will give us your comments also as I have plenty of space on this website to voice your thoughts. I'm waiting to hear from you. You can be anonymous if you want. Start typing. Put it in a Word Document so I don't have to proof everything and send it to joy@lakeerielife.com. If you don't know how to put it in a word document simply put it in an email and I will make it work. Get me some photos and recipes while you are at it. Your friend, Joy

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06/16/09

Happy Faces in Happy Places

Aren't people happier when they live on or near the water? I sure have noticed that. People totally enjoying each other eating, drinking, jetskiing, walking in the state park, just having fun. That's the beauty of retirement is that there is more time to enjoy life. Just feeding my swan friends on their 5 times a day trips to my dock. Now this is getting expensive. What else do swans eat? I now have found that I can call them out of the sky. Yes people, when I see them fly over I yell "Sammy" and they swoop down out of the sky and come to me. WOW now that's exciting. Don't you also just love the sounds of spring and summer, the birds singing their peaceful little songs, the neighbors gong banging in the wind? Ooops now I have brought up a sore topic. Oh well if that's all that bothers me then I don't have much to complain about do I? Life on the Pond--I'll take it anytime over the city life. Now go enjoy the day. Remember the 100 days of summer and don't put off till tomorrow what you can enjoy today.

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05/07/2009

Still No Crappies!!

Well I am still waiting for my crappies. Maybe if my husband Rob didn't talk so much on the cell phone he could catch a few or maybe if I would go buy a fishing license I could catch my own. Anyway, still no crappies!! Maybe if I say really good things about MY FRIEND JACK he will bring me a few. Maybe if I say he is handsome and smart and that PoohBear picks on him too much I will get a crappie. I will also say that MY FRIEND JACK has a pretty wife. Maybe she could catch me a crappie. Anyway, let's see what it takes to get a crappie. Until the next installment I will eat tilapia from Bassetts. P.S. I have just been corrected, I need to refer to MY FRIEND JACK as FIRST MATE JACK. In the future, he will be called FIRST MATE JACK, even though he's still my friend Jack :)

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05/02/2009

Crappy Fishing--It's a short season!

Are they crappies or croppies? Whatever they are, they are good. I am still waiting to taste the first one but Rob has bought his license and I have the skillet on the stove ready just in case. Our friend Jack knows where to catch them. Gotta get my guy to wet his pole and catch us a few. They are like sponge mushrooms in the spring--gotta get them while they are here. We have a friend who goes mushroom hunting each spring but he won't share his spot with anyone. I think he puts on his disquise and searches for them at night. Anyway, if anyone wants to share their secret places I will share a few of my secrets (hmmm--makes you wonder about that one). Anyway, send me your story and I'll will print it right here in this column. Enjoy the weekend and keep smiling. Joy

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05/02/2009

To All Our Viewers

Welcome to Lake Erie Life. We are so glad you came to visit. This is your site to find helpful information for businesses, fun, island activities, community activities, children’s activities, and anything else we can provide.

We will add additional hit buttons as needed to make sure you can find whatever you are searching for. We want to be able to show business announcements, grand openings, festivals, community activities, help wanted, lost and found, job postings, business cards, notes of congratulations, thank you notes, poems, pictures, and business reviews for the Featured Businesses included on this site. We might even have a contest or two.

The more info you share, the greater this site will be. We want you to visit it frequently and be able to print out coupons of your favorite business establishments also. If you can send a business our way we will be happy to reward you with Gift Certificates at some of our favorite establishments. If that Business Category is not showing-we will add it.

The best way to reach us is by email. Please send your emails to skipperrob@lakeerielife.com or joy@lakeerielife.com

If you have a Business or Service and would like to be included in one of the Category Listings please give us a call at 419 732-1054 or 614 306-1900 (Rob) or send an email and we will respond as quickly as possible. Thank you so much.

P.S. We are looking for Editorials. If you have some knowledge on a subject related to boating or activities on Lake Erie send it along and we will feature you. We will also show your name and email address if desired so people can respond to you.

Thanks so much and start sending some information to us today. We especially like pet photos with cute captions and we need some great recipes.

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