What was the Weather like Yesterday?

Lakeview Cottages is a summer resort. In the winter we shut off and drain the water and board up the cabins. The road is maintained only to Lakeshore. After that point, you're on your own. If you think you'll drive up from Big Creek, you'd better think again because the gate is locked across the road four miles from the lake. It's a long walk...up the hill...through deep snow...and slippery ice... Been there, done that!One of our camp guests (and friend of Mark & Cindy in Cabin G) was up at Huntington and was curious about what Lakeview Cottages looked like. The snow was too deep and soft so they could only get to the dam. Notice their mode of transportation! Now you see why, when you call "Lakeview Cottages" in the winter, you reach Susan in Fresno.Above is the island, from Dam # 3.

If you look closely between the trees, you will see the peak of a cabin roof. I'm not sure if it is a Lakeview Cottage or one of our neighbors.

In the summer, this dam is lined with fishermen & women! Our cottages are back in those trees.

These pictures make me want to go snowshoeing. When our children were small, we used to cross country ski the length of Huntington Lake, then up to Camp Keola. You need to be certain the lake is frozen over. A couple of times we skied around the lake by road. That is a lot longer and more hilly. The road is tough skiing because the snow mobiles leave washboard like tracks on the road.

Lakeview Cottages are a great destination in any weather!

What's the Weather Like Today?

Any of you familiar with Kindergarten, will recognize the title as a class room jingle, ending with, "Let's ask _____. " So today, let's ask: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryF?HNT This is where co-owner Brent goes to find out the latest weather at our favorite spot on earth. Well, at least it's my favorite spot - I hope it's other people's favorite spot. Speaking of weather, it's raining and cold outside. That's fabulous, because that means it's snowing at Huntington! When us Fresnans get a view of the surrounding Sierra Nevada, it's a great day! We've had a few of those days lately. The rain washes away the fog & smog and we get a view of beautiful white mountains! I can't wait to be up there!

Valentine for a fisherman

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to get a really romantic Valentine for my special fisherman, so I decided to get him a new wedding ring (or three). I knew he wouldn't want chocolate. I thought his gift should fit inside his card. Herb Bauer's Sporting Goods was right on the way home, soooo....

I called George at work and asked him what kind of lure was good at Huntington Lake. I made up a story about a guest wanting the information. He suggested a "red wedding ring." Try saying that fast! The store expert showed me where the wedding rings were. The wedding rings all appeared to be white (diamond like). This was confusing! So I asked the helper for the RED wedding rings. He informed me that the ones with the red beads were the red ones. Ohhh!

See, the little ring of clear rhinestones is in the middle of that string of RED beads. The price was affordable, so I bought three. My fisherman is happy. And I know what kind of lure to recommend for trolling at our end of the lake!

Christmas Tree - Fisherman Style

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family! This has been a busy time of visiting with relatives and friends. Both daughters were in town, and with boyfriends, there was a revolving door of comings and goings! After retrieving some boxes from storage at another house, we did get some decorating done. Now that we've downsized houses (done before the girls returned home), we don't have room for the tall, large diameter tree of Christmasses past.

Our little tree gives us the opportunity to showcase ornaments representing George's favorite pasttime - fishing. Every Christmas we've given our favorite fisherman one or two ornaments. Soon he had enough for a small tree at his office. Now "his tree" has become "our tree" and graces our living room.
The red lantern is fitting with the outdoor theme. The garland has wooden beads with wooden bobbers regularly spaced. Do any of our Lakeview Cottages friends recognize this carved fish? This fish is the kind that are on our cabin key rings! You can get them at the Shaver Lake gift shop across from the hardware store.

One year, George asked for a fishing vest for Christmas. OK, I did get him the life size version! I am thinking that real flies and lures would make nice ornaments on our tree.

The fish on the hook in this ornament is about the size (when enlarged to full scale) of our average fish caught at Huntington!

The fish on the end of this line is "bearly" big enough to take out of the lake! Collecting fishing ornaments has been a fun effort for our whole family. Some friends have surprised us by finding the "perfect" ornament for George.

Was Santa really "born to fish?" Actually, I think the guy in the next photo was born to fish!

What were we born to do? This holiday season and closing to the old year give me a chance to reflect and consider my purpose in life. I think about the many gifts and blessings I've received. I think about how I am giving back. I ponder God's greatest gift and how the star leads us to Him. What were you born to do?

Versatile Packing

When you visit Lakeview Cottages, you get a cute vintage cabin in a fabulous setting. The cabins have personality and are clean, but are very simple. The guests make the cabins their own for the week or two weeks they are mountain cabin dwellers. Some guys come up to the lake, throw their sleeping bags on the made up beds, fill the refrigerators with prepared food, then hit the lake for 24/7 fishing. Other residents really move in - with wall hangings, special dishes and appliances, rugs and lamps! It is fun to see the cabins take on the personalities of each current guest.

Being simple cabins, there is not much furniture or storage. There might be a bedside shelf, but no bedside table. Since I like a place for my book, reading light and other necessities, I set out to find a bedside table that could multi-task, be inexpensive, rustic, and not take up lots of room in my car.
My solution is borrowed from my college days when everything I owned fit in a '62 VW bug. Crates are great! You can pack them, then at the destination, unload them and stack them into shelves. Since they're used for carrying supplies they take no extra room in the car. My college age daughter combines them with 1x12 boards to create longer shelves. The crates in the top photo are from Michael's. These crates are a little sturdier than the ones sold at Joann's.

Cindy, in Cabin G, found this sectioned box at ----. It stands on end to fit a narrower wall space.

I also use plastic storage bins to transport and store my cabin linens and supplies. They don't look quite at home in our rustic cabins, but they do make a great shelf for holding a suitcase off the floor.

When you're packing for your mountain getaway, look for containers that are spacious and can be put to use when you get to the cabin. I recommend using versatile crates. (George says, "Be crative with crates!")

This Little Light of Mine...

I love those little lights glowing on our porch. They are just so friendly! Mark took this photo from Cabin G on October 10, 2008 (now you see why we don't extend our rental season). Some of the regulars at the cottages (both summer time guests and owners) bring little white lights to put around their porches. Not only does this provide soft lighting while enjoying the lake view at night, but it lends a bit of individuality to "your" cabin. Putting up unique lights also tells others a little about your personality.

Mark and Cindy (Cabin G) put up quilting star lights around their porch. Cindy is an avid quilter and can often be seen at Lakeview piecing quilt tops on her vintage green Singer Featherweight! I 'd like to find some motorcycle lights for Mike (Cabin E) and tie dyed t-shirt lights for Jim & Annie(L)! Hmmmm, more essential shopping for the cabins!

George spends his early morning and daylight hours down on the lake fishing, but in the evening, his trout lights cast a cheery glow on Cabin F. OK, most people who see the lights from the road think that the lights are chili pepper lights, but that's just because the trout are rainbows and have a pink side to them. We found these lights at the Forest Service camp ground check in office and gift shop. They had other lights, too. Below is George's "stringer" of plastic fish. It takes two strands of the novelty lights to go around the front porch.Porch lights (sold as patio lights) can be found in all different themes. The firefly and old lantern lights would be great on our porches. Target has many styles and they're not expensive. Porch lights are friendly and mark the cabin as "yours." They are like a welcome sign. They don't take much room, so pack them in next summer and let your light shine!

Sing Around the Campfire

So we're driving up to the lake early this morning. It was a beautiful morning and had been two long weeks since we had been to Lakeview. George says to me, "I love the mountains!" Thinking of a common (to us) camp song, I reply, " I love the rolling hills!" We couldn't think of the next line, but we both remembered the fourth line: I love the daffodills, and of course the refrain: boom de ada, boom de ada.... and we were off singing the round as we drove up the four lane!

Campfire songs are a big part of our history. George used to play the guitar and sing with the campers up the hill at Camp Keola. I remember the songs I learned in Girl Scouts, then sang at church camp when I was nine. There's something about a group of people gathered around the campfire singing songs together. Sometimes the "play list" is structured, sometimes it's just whoever can remember the words, leads.


What makes a song, a campfire song? I cherished my campfire songbook from my youth, but, like my youth, it has disappeared. When my kids were little I bought the Wee Sing Around the Campfire book & tape (now its called sing-a-longs). I looked up campfire songs with a Google search and found a list of 50 songs - few of which I considered "campfire songs." So what is a campfire song?


The words need to be known by most of us, or they need to be easy to learn. Generally the song needs to be accompanied by the guitar - which means basic chords. While sometimes we accompany with the harmonica, that's hard to play and sing at the same time. I soon realized there are different categories of campfire songs - usually based on the group of campers. There are scout camps, church camps, mixed age general publilc camps, same age camps. So, if you'll help me, let's make some lists of all time favorite campfire songs. Please make a comment, and if I know it, I will add your song to the list.


Scout Songs: Ash Grove, Kookaburra, Kum Ba Yah, White Coral Bells, Taps,

Basics: Clementine, Down In the Valley, I've Been Working on the Railroad, Oh, Susanna, Reuben & Rachel, She'll Be Comin Round the Mountain, Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Rounds: The More We Get Together, Make New Friends, One Bottle of Pop, Boom de ada, Row Your Boat, Sarasponda, The More We Get Together,

Folk Songs: The Hammer Song, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, Puff the Magic Dragon, Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,

Church Camp: Rocka My Soul, He's Got the Whole World, I Lean, Arky Arky, Three Jolly Fishermen, Love Love, It Only Takes a Spark, They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love, River of Life, Dem Bones

Silly Songs: Sippin Cider Through a Straw, The Boarding House

70's: Anything John Denver (Grandma's Feather Bed)


Whoa! This list is going to take a while! I can just hear Keola Lifeguard, Art singing all these fun songs. I can even hear the campers shouting out "Arky, Arky!" It makes me smile and brings back such great memories. So, the next time you're by the campfire, why not suggest a song? It will bring the group together (hopefully) and be one of the highlights of your camping trip.