Hello Clam Lake!
Well, we had a day or so of no rain. This summer, that seems to be a rare event as we watch the grass grow and grow and grow!! One pretty much has to dodge the sprinkles in order to get any outdoor work done. Definitely making up for our dry winter!
BOOK CLUB RECAP – I had a chance to catch up with Lisa Peifer as to how this month’s Book Club meeting went. She said it was well attended with some great discussion held on June’s chosen book – “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store”. Good news! Next month’s meeting will be held at Ransoms Place on Tuesday July 9th. July’s book will be “The Secret Life of Sunflowers” by Marta Molnar. Once again, they invite everyone to join them for some “lively discussion, camaraderie, tasty food and inspiring libation”. Food and drink are available for purchase before, during and after the meeting. Lisa Peifer and Bonnie Booth are spearheading this group and we thank them for initiating it.
COMMUNITY CLUB RECAP – From all accounts this month’s Clam Lake Community Club meeting was well attended and offered up some good discussion on various items. We thank all those that attend and take an active interest in the happenings of our village. Kathy Arias reported that the winner of the door prize was Kathie Allen with the fill your card Bingo prize going to Rick Filter. Congrats to them!
ST. GEORGE CHAPEL – A reminder that every Saturday at 6:00 pm Mass is celebrated at our historic “Chapel in the Pines” – St. George. St. George is named after George Zillig, whose parents Hank and Mamie Zillig, owned the Pinehurst resort across the road from St. George Chapel. George was only 20 when he was released from the Navy in August of 1945 a few weeks shy of the end of WWII. Sadly, he was killed in a traffic accident on Highway 77 shortly after his discharge. His parents, in their grief, donated the land where St. George Chapel sits to build a chapel in his memory. The logs were donated by the Forest Service with the construction done by locals. The half log pews were made by Leonard Menke, whom owned a sawmill down present day Menke Road, on the way to Cable. Service in St. George is taking a trip back in time to a simpler era as one enjoys its bygone era log construction and simplicity. Come pray with us!
PREHISTORIC EGG SEASON – June is typically the month we see mother turtles heading up from the lakes to lay their eggs in driveways, on the sides of roads or any other good sandy spot they can find. One truly prehistoric creature that we see routinely is the Snapping Turtle. Snappers have a fearsome reputations for their powerful jaws but, in reality, as many of us can attest whom have had contact with them around our homes, they are not as scary as all that. Typically, they are shy and just want to get on with their business and be left alone. Here is some background info on them – “ Snapping turtles have evolved in North America for almost 90 million years, making them some of the oldest turtles in the Western Hemisphere. Fossilized remains suggest their ancestors lived as far back as the Triassic Period, 230 million years ago, before the age of dinosarus. Some scientists say that snapping turtles haven’t changed much since they evolved, which is why they have a somewhat dinosaur-like appearance.” I have watched them go about the work of laying eggs and it is a slow and ardous process which can often lead to predators digging up their eggs soon after. One has to feel a bit of pity after all that work as they try to propagate their species. One year, when my children were young, we were lucky enough to protect a batch of eggs and watch the hatchlings as they emerged from the ground in the fall. So, if you see these prehistoric mamas on or near the side of the road please take care.They have a right to be here too!
Until next time…..
Pictured are our snapping turtle hatchlings.
