You Should've Seen the One that Got Away

While the drought hasn't been great for lake levels...especially for those of us in small coves...it certainly made for some fun fishing for the kids last weekend.

The catfish were literally visible from the deck and pier which allowed our newbie fisherkids to actually watch them swim around and nibble their hooks...pretty cool actually.

While this one is our son's biggest catch yet...he's already telling "fish stories" about the huge catfish (double this size) which snapped his fishing line and got away.

We'll remember that one as our "Walter" (from On Golden Pond fame, of course).

8 or 9 Beers and Driving a Boat?

It makes me insane when I think about the risks some people take not only with their own lives but with all of those around them. Consider this story of a Lake Anna boater (and let's get serious, there are many just like him on every waterway in America) arrested this weekend in Operation SWEEP patrols by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The Freelance-Star described one stop this way:

"The boat, which carried several adults and children, had been on the water since 11 a.m. Dedrick said he suspected the driver was operating under the influence. The man told officers he'd had eight or nine beers throughout the day. He refused to take a test to determine whether there was alcohol in his system."

Would this same guy load up his crew in the family minivan and drink 9 beers on his way to Kings Dominion? Maybe so, but it's clear that far too many people treat drinking and boating differently than drinking and driving because they know they won't get caught. Sad, huh?

WWBT in Richmond also did a story on the weekend's patrols and you can link to their video here.

The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail

So many local wineries...so little time.

It's hard to believe that summer is already winding down and we haven't made a single trip to the Lake Anna Winery yet.

But it's not too late. This article in the Richmond Times Dispatch inspired me to hit the road before the summer's over and stop by a number of our local vineyards. Reporter Jack Berninger talked to a number of local winemakers about their favorite wines, including Lake Anna's Graham Bell.

Graham Bell has been the winemaker at Lake Anna since 2001 after staining his fingers first at Montdomaine Cellars, then at Horton Vineyards, both in Virginia."Seyval Blanc [$12]. It's a nice, fruity wine [with aromas of] pear, a little apple. It's fermented and aged six months in stainless-steel tanks and is off-dry, light and refreshing."

A little bit of research also led me to the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail (have you noticed the signs alongside the roads?).

Their last event was a few weeks ago but the season isn't over yet and they've got at least one more event planned for 2007.

Safety Patrols a Welcome Sight

Did you notice the increased patrol presence on the lake this July 4th? We certainly did and have to say "thank you" to the Coast Guard auxiliary and the Louisa County Sheriff's Department for being out there in a visible way.

This is new for the Sheriff's deparment thanks to addition of three jet-ski's to their patrol, one donated by Anna Point Marina. For the first time in a long time, we didn't go a day without seeing someone having a "chat" with local water patrols.

As much as that might be a pain for the jet-skier without his vest or the boat operator who's clearly had a few too many beers, this noticeable water presence will make Lake Anna safer for all of us and for that we again say "thanks".

WCAV did a story on the holiday patrols and you can watch it here.

When A Picture Tells the Story

Why waste words?

This is what summer on the lake feels like whether your 6 or 96!

(...OK, maybe with less bone-jarring tubing on the higher end of those numbers)

Hey Lake Anna...Lend a Hand!

The Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity chapter has put out an all-call for volunteers to help work on a house in our neighborhood this weekend. The Freelance Star says:

Tomorrow and next Saturday, the group needs people to work on a house near Lake Anna. Volunteers will clear brush and level the ground to get the site ready for construction. Work will start at 9 a.m.

The group will also host an orientation June 21 at 7 p.m. for anyone interested in helping the group build homes for needy area residents.

What A Bummer

I suppose it's just more evidence that Lake Anna has hit the map for many people living well beyond the Louisa County and Fredericksburg area. I'm not sure how else to explain such huge crowds over the weekend at the Lake Anna State Park beach. So many, in fact that the beach was closed! WVIR in Charlottesvilles described it this way:

"Unexpectedly large crowds forced park rangers to turn people away by the carload. For the second time in two days, they had to ask people to leave. Getting turned away on Memorial Day can make for some seriously unhappy campers."

Talk about an understatement. Given the state's budget picture and the General Assembly's unwillingness to pay for even desperately needed programs like highway construction, I can't help but wonder what, if any relief , would even be considered for something like state park overcrowding.

It's especially disconcerting in the case of Lake Anna State Park since the construction of the cabins and other improvements have been such a terrific addition to Lake Anna. That impact is certainly diminished if the crowds you're trying to draw can't even enter the park once they arrive.