McHenry County Blog

Crystal Lake's Gate 7 Beach at the Gate 9 end on the morning of March 20, 2010.

The ice disappeared from Crystal Lake on Friday, March 19th.

March 15th, same location. The ice on Crystal Lake was rotten.

Three boys of summer were out on the raft at Gate 7 in Lakewood, Illinois, about 8 o’clock Monday night.

I had stopped to take a photo of the sunset.

I guess they decided it was time to go in.

The first one let out a shout after his dive toward the beach. Apparently, he had dried out while on the CCAPOA raft on the south side of Crystal Lake.

I kept taking photos and got this one of another of the youths diving in.

What looked to me like a blue heron flew low across the lake from the west and landed on the front lawn immediately east of CCAPOA Gate 13 Beach on Crystal Lake.

Next an egret landed in the same front lawn.

Ray Christi lamented that he didn’t have his camera, but mine was in the car, so I got it.

We walked closer. The egret took off over the swimming area.

I got this shot.

Neither of us saw where the other bird went.

Last Saturday, March 14th, I captured the last ice on Crystal Lake.

Naturally, it was in the shade on the South side of the lake.

The lake was as pure as it ever gets.

No muddy bottom stirred up by the motor boats.

And, there was no need for the “No Swimming” sign erected a couple of years ago at CCAPOA’s Gate 3 Beach in Lakewood. That’s the beach where trailer boaters decided additional boat slips were more important than continuing to let little kids have a small beach at which to swim.

Later the same day, this woman walking her black dog stopped to enjoy the view.

It was the Ides of October and the tree leaves were turning and falling.

The CCAPOA pier at Gate 9 on Crystal Lake in Lakewood had no boats.

It was the Ides of October and the tree leaves were turning and falling.

The CCAPOA pier at Gate 9 on Crystal Lake in Lakewood had no boats.

It was between 5 and 6 last Wednesday afternoon.

My wife and two of her girl friends were discussing chick books, ones about the stories quilts tell, which one’s cousin had just gotten published, murder solving clubs, stuff like that.

I joked that they should write a book about women getting together on a pontoon boat to solve murders.

Now that I think about it, maybe it would be my murder they would solve.

Maybe they would commit it (after all, I was misbehaving).

Anyway, I’m looking at the late afternoon sun reflecting off Crystal Lake, taking photos of and past the women.

That’s when I looked down beneath the neighboring dock at CCAPOA’s Gate 7 Beach dock.

Above, you see what I saw.

I think it’s the bungee cord that was found wrapped around my neck…in the forthcoming book, of course.

Think I will get a photo credit if they use this picture on the cover?

It was between 5 and 6 last Wednesday afternoon.

My wife and two of her girl friends were discussing chick books, ones about the stories quilts tell, which one’s cousin had just gotten published, murder solving clubs, stuff like that.

I joked that they should write a book about women getting together on a pontoon boat to solve murders.

Now that I think about it, maybe it would be my murder they would solve.

Maybe they would commit it (after all, I was misbehaving).

Anyway, I’m looking at the late afternoon sun reflecting off Crystal Lake, taking photos of and past the women.

That’s when I looked down beneath the neighboring dock at CCAPOA’s Gate 7 Beach dock.

Above, you see what I saw.

I think it’s the bungee cord that was found wrapped around my neck…in the forthcoming book, of course.

Think I will get a photo credit if they use this picture on the cover?

Take a look at the muck on the shore near the CCAPOA boat dock at Gate 9.

I don’t know whether the storms washed it up or what.

You can get a better look at the dead vegetation, by clicking on the photograph.

Take a look at the muck on the shore near the CCAPOA boat dock at Gate 9.

I don’t know whether the storms washed it up or what.

You can get a better look at the dead vegetation, by clicking on the photograph.