2006 Shag Update - Fall Color Edition 4 - We Catch and Eat More Fish

Contemporaneous e-mail backpost...

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Subject: 2006 Shag Update - Fall Color Edition 4 - We Catch and Eat More Fish
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2006 23:13:25 -0700
From: MW
To: Family

My wife tells me that she really is not all that into fish pictures. So we start this edition with some more fall color.

This is the "Jinx" oak tree in the front. When we arrived, the maple behind was in full bright yellow color and the oak was green. Now the maple has lost its leaves and the oak is red. Meditate on this for a while, because ...

We are back to the fish pictures - caught Wednesday...

No need for a fish stretcher this time.

Mr. Pike relaxes in a ice bath...

...while I look up How to fillet and cook a pike.

Not bad for a first effort.

After a PBR marinade, the pike fillets were oiled and seasoned, in preparation for ...

Fresh Michigan Cajun style blackened pike in the cast iron skillet.

And another dinner fit for a king.

For Sigrid - a non fish picture. Moon rising over Shag Lake and the remains of a bonfire.

That's it for this edition. Logistics changed for the return. Looks like we will need to spend another night here to finish cleaning and closing up. The plan now is to drive back early early Saturday AM. - mw

2006 Shag Update - Fall Color Edition 1 - Escanaba River Cataracts

Dawn from the deck.

September 27, 2006 - Mike K, Mike W, Harlan and Poppa converge on Shag Lake. We arrive in two cars and two routes - Harlan and Mike K arrive after dark by way of Boney Falls with three trout. Mike W and Poppa arrive by way of the Island Casino late afternoon with $185 more in their wallets than when they left Chicago. Both stoves were fired up and chili was cooking when the fishermen got there. Cold night outside, toasty in the camp. Awoke the next day to peaking color at Shag.

Shag Lake in the fall.

Lil' Camp in the Fall

Mike, Mike, and Harlan get ready for the Escanaba Granite Canyon expedition:

Mike K and Harlan work the Escanaba:

Harlan works a pool in front of a Maple

MW photographs MK fishing the bottom of the cataracts

More of the Escanaba cataracts with Harlan's catch & release:

Finally, these from our initial Escanaba cataract expedition in the spring:

NOTE: Converted, reformatted, edited, expanded and back-posted from a contemporaneous e-mail update.

Shag Update 13 sent 06/06/06 at 06:06:06 AM

Seven of Twelve

This - another contemporaneous Shag Lake update e-mail back posted in the blog as part of the continuing effort to accurately document the consumption of the Big Shag Big Stout 12- pack.

-------- Original Message --------


Subject: Shag Update 13 sent 06/06/06 at 06:06:06 AM
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 06:06:06
From: MW

Numerologically, this would seem not to be a very happy update. Perhaps the better part of valor might be to skip directly to update 14 in another day or two ... But lets throw caution to the wind and press on.

So I am sitting around relaxing and it occurs to me that I have not seen any Shag Lake Updates in a while. Curious methinks, as Roy had been so reliable putting these together so far in this trip (with the notable exception of the unfortunate and regrettable update #7). I have no answer for this odd behavior on Roy's part, I am sure that he would not naively think that simply because he is no longer here, he is somehow relieved of this responsibility. Surely not. If anyone has any explanation for his oversight, please let me know. But while waiting for Roy to get back on the program, I thought I'd help him out and put this one together. Wendy was the impetus, as she called yesterday and told me that "While she enjoyed Roy's updates, everyone really wanted to see more pictures of me" and felt obligated to report that Roy's updates had not adequately been covering my trip. Blushing, I agreed to scrape a few picture together. But first this ....

This is the sight that greeted me after seeing Roy and Harlan off Sunday morning. I think this picture speaks for itself. My task here was made doubly difficult as I have been unable to locate the automatic dishwasher the boys were using during their service here. Until I locate it, we have changed our eating habits at Shag. Dad and I are now sharing exactly one glass and one fork for all meals, and eating only off of paper plates. More on this picture later.

Now as requested by Wendy: Pictures of Me - mostly using my cell phone camera.

Me at Red Fox Run on Saturday: My tee shot on 13 (missed birdie - got par) and standing in the tee-box on 17 (my drive is 240 over my shoulder at the top of the hill in the center of the fairway). I did not score as well as I would have liked, as my caddy was a no-show and I had to carry my own bag.

Later the same day. Me preparing to snorkel and shoot underwater video in the Escanaba at lil' camp.

Picture of Me relaxing on lil camp porch - apres swim, while Harlan fished. I sent this picture to Sigrid to remind her what I look like. She said that if I don't shave to not bother coming home. I think she is joking.

With Harlan back from the river, we decided to enjoy the moment with Big Shag Big Stout # 7 of 12. Wendy, sorry about including Harlan here, but I could not find a picture of just me with the stout..

That night, our last night together this trip, over a dinner of perfectly grilled swordfish and salmon prepared by Master Weber Chef Harlan, we decided to celebrate and share an additional bottle of Big Shag Big Stout (#8 of 12).

Roy was included with a small sample for this special occasion. Roy behaved a little oddly, first leaving the table when the camera appeared, then hiding his beer wielding arm under the table. Roy, in case you are wondering why I felt compelled to point this out, please refer to photo #1 above.

And to bring us up to date, Dad I motored to Jacobson's Bay late this afternoon for a little bass fishing. No keepers this trip.

Big Shag Big Stout - Nos. 7 & 8 of 12

Cousin Matt's Abalone Adventure

Matt gets his share.

Base camp.

Abalone cove awaits.


Matt & Mike on the beach with abs.


Apres dive.

Big Shag Big Stout - Sea Ranch

Matt and Zach toast the now fully matured flavor of Big Shag Big Stout.

This entry back posted from an edited contemporaneous e-mail to friends and family:

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: Big Shag Big Stout - Number 9 of 12
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 17:59:00 -0800
From: MW

Continuing the chronicle of the best documented 12-Pack of beer in the history of the world. Number 9 of 12 was consumed on Saturday May 13, 2006 at Zach's Sea Ranch home in northern California. It was enjoyed by Zach, Matt and myself over dinner.

A dinner fit for a stout of this stoutitude.

On the menu - Sautéed Abalone steaks taken from the ocean the very same morning and prepared using "Lou's North Beach Recipe", served with white wine, parsley, garlic sauce. Served with rice, asparagas, and a freshly picked artichoke from Zach's garden.

The stout, like me, only gets better with age.

Thus endeth my allocation of BSBS. - mw


[NOTE: I have not fully audited the final count of the beer, but am using the established system of numbering the bottles chronologically as they are consumed.I believe there are now three remaining. One in the possession of Matt Rea and two in a hidden recess of the well pump at Shag Lake]

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Post Script: In retrospect, I believe my count on the BSBS bottles was in error. the post will be updated with an accurate countdown once the audit is complete.

Post Script 2: As suspected, the original e-mail had a wildly inaccurate count. I am not sure what I was thinking - apparently I was counting backward from what I guessed was left over.

The corrected count...

Big Shag Big Stout - #6 of 12