It's Tourney Time...Not Just for Hoops Fans

While they may not have brackets and rankings, it's tourney time too for Lake Anna's anglers. The Lake Anna and Potomac River Bass Anglers Tournament is one event underway here at the lake.

I gotta hand it to these guys and gals...I see them out in rain, cold and wind each and every day working our cove and surrounding environs. They've got far more patience than I do!

If you're coming to the lake anytime soon checkout any of our local marinas and you'll find more information about local tourneys and fishing events.

Lake Anna Hodge-Podge

What the heck!!?? From sunny and 75 to snowing and 30. To say it's been a weird week would certainly be an understatement. I'm so thankful we didn't fully de-winterize last weekend. As it is the water levels on the lake were so high on Saturday that someone walking on one of our neighbors piers it looked like he was walking on water.


In spite of the cold and windy weather there were a couple of interesting lake tidbits I found this weekend...both from bloggers. One is a post from a woman walking and biking to Florida and took a side trip for her first visit here and the other from a wine afficianado who made his first visit to Lake Anna Winery and provided a very nice profile.

Tap-Tap-Tap...It's 6:30 AM...or is it 5:30?!?!?

Now, I'm not a fan of this whole seasonal "spring ahead, fall behind" nonsense (especially "Spring ahead", anyway) but it was especially unwelcome this weekend when we woke up to rapping on our door at the ungodly hour of 5:30am on Sunday(like 6:30a isn't bad enough on a weekend). Who could possible be tapping at our door this early?

Imagine our suprise to find it was a beautiful male cardinal. And he was incredibly persistent. His first round of wakeup calls began from our main level deck. Once he saw us shuffling around inside dazed and confused, he quickly flew away. Within minutes he was back again, this time from the patio below the deck.

He tapped away at our sliding glass doors for hours. The kids were really worried he was going to knock himself silly...I personally can't imagine how he didn't end up with a doozey of a headache (he'd certainly given us one, by the second consecutive hour).

Later that morning we found signs that he's also been tapping away at a window at the front of the lake house. What in the world could he be after? Given the beautiful lake weekend we finally had my advice to him is "stick outside buddy...Spring will be here soon!"

Highways and Bi-ways

Construction has begun on a bypass that should make it alot easier for folks traveling to and from the lake in Spotsylvania County. The Fredericksburg Freelance Star says:

"The new road will provide traffic relief at the T-intersection at Spotsylvania Courthouse, which handles about 20,000 vehicles a day. In 2029, the bypass is projected to carry 48,000 vehicles a day. The first segment is a three-mile, four-lane road that will peel off Courthouse Road (State Route 208) near the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park and Plantation Forest subdivision. It will go west of the courthouse, crossing Brock Road. It will end 1.5 miles south of Robert E. Lee Drive. The second phase will continue around Post Oak, cross the Ta River and reconnect with Route 208."

But this is a big project that won't see the first phase done until the end of 2008. So, it will probably mean construction headaches for travelers in the short term...good news for Lake Anna travelers in the long term.

So what's in that water anyway?

One of the joys of lake living are the constant reminders that we are merely sharing the space we call home. The woods, the water and the air at Lake Anna are constantly filled with all kinds of fish, fowl and other animals which we love watching each and every time we may cross paths. There have been a number of bear sightings at the Lake in recent years and months...but more on that later. First, I wanted to share one of the best descriptions of Lake Anna's creation and the fish which now populate the lake.

C.C. McCotter has been a fishing guide on Lake Anna since 1992. His website details biological surveys done on the local fish populations and lists an impressive array:

"Here are the original 40 species according to family group; American eel,gizzard shad,threadfin shad,blueback herring,eastern mudminnow,mosquitocfish,white sucker,creek chubsucker,shorthead redhorse,northern hog sucker, chain pickerel,Northern pike, common carp, bluehead chub, river chub, goldenshiner, satinfin shiner, swallowtail shiner, spottail shiner, pirate perch,white catfish, brown catfish, yellow bullhead, channel catfish, margined madtom,bluespotted sunfish, redbreast sunfish, pumpkinseed, warmouth, bluegill, redearsunfish, mud sunfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch,walleye,tessellated darter, white perch and striped bass. There are rare,unsubstantiated reports of a smallmouth or two but they are not established in the lake."

And the biggest surprise for me (as an acknowledged and admitted fishing neophyte)...eels?!! In lakes? Apparently it's not all that unusual. Even so, I don't think I'll share that one with the kids.

Can you Say Cabin Fever!!!

Enough of the cold...enough of the single digit temps and wind chills! I can't help but dream of warm breezes and sunny spring days on Lake Anna. Unfortunately, regardless of the groundhog's predictions it seems we have nothing but cold temps ahead for the long-term forecast anyway. But I've found something that might help...

The Fredericksburg Outdoor Show is this weekend at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center. I've never been before but it sounds like a great way to plan for another Lake Anna summer. There's also coverage of the event in the Freelance-Star if you're looking for something fun to do this weekend.

Up for a 55 Mile Bike Ride?

OK...in the name of full disclosure I have to admit that running a triathlon would never rank up there on my list of fun things to do; however, I do find it fascinating that so many people out there are not only running marathons successfuly but also expanding into the world of triathlons.

Lake Anna continues to host athletes participating in the Virginia Triathlon. Last Fall one of the competitors from the race pictured here spent the weekend in our Rental Condo and he was one of our best guests ever. Of course, he was probably so beat after the race I bet he just vegged the whole next day! Do triathletes veg?

Already, preparations are underway for Lake Anna's next event in April. Athletes will gather at Lake Anna State Park on Saturday, April 21, 2007 where they'll Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 55 miles, Run 13.1 miles. Really, I'm not kidding.

There's more on the Virginia Triathlon website. It might be fun just to come watch.