Post Pumpkin Carving

With highs mostly in the 60s°F and lows in the 30s°F, last week would have been considered icy for summer. It was pleasant for late October. The lake temperature was in the lower 50s°F which is unpleasant. Nobody swam.

The cool mornings had Lucerne steaming and its temperature falling.

The lake level, despite the inch and a half of rain the week before, is getting low. The north end's rock bar is getting more surface-y.

It'll take a few more feet of falling lake level before the entire thing is exposed.

What sunsets lacked in red and orange, they made up for with sundogs.

Last week, local squirrels were more hyper than usual. Many territorial deck agreements were violated and bird feeders emptied. These bar/squirrel treaty violations will not end well.

As is the local custom this time of year, last week's carvings were placed in a tastfully arranged display of gourdatude.

They're better after dark.

There's a super crop of acorns this year. The deer will be fat and logy just in time for hunting season.

All the milkweed pods exploded on the north end of the lake around mid-week.

Cool evenings and a low fire danger kept several nights a little warmer.

Lucerne isn't the only body of water getting lower. The water hazards at the NCC are showing more shore these days.

Some guy is playing with trucks on three. Beware the Tonka hazard on the approach.

The nightmare of the new Tonka hazard should be over as soon as the expanded tee on four is done.

As November approaches, the skiing in the lumpier parts south and west of the lake is not so good. I blame the absence of snow.

The hills further down the road held an added bonus this year. Weather. Flash flood alerts were broadcast, locals clutched their pearls, and some ran to higher ground. We turned on our wipers.

There was also some unskied flatness on Lucerne last week. Even with the cold water, 52°F last we checked, there was a measurable amount of regret for packing away the ski boat. In addition to regret, last week also held a warm-ish weekend, some awful golf (I want to blame the Tonka, but it was probably a curse or something), and an annual check of the extreme southwestern parts of Lucerne. The leaves are still on the trees here and, just in time for Halloween, chunks of the corpse of Hurricane Rachel are puddling the fields and potholes. Also, the ice-in contest is coming soon.

-Nemo had to turn the wipers to high for a time.

Post Pumpkin Carving

October 19th through 25th, 2026