Tuesday -- July 13, 2010
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.9     Water Temperature: 83

The rain is a welcome sight, even if it means that the river is clouding up now. All of this mud and trash in the water puts a big damper on the fishing and the swimming. The mud is especially bad after a long drought, when dirt, pollen, and contaminants build up on the landscape.

Thursday -- July 15, 2010
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.9     Water Temperature: 83

The heavy rains brought a lot of stuff past the Island and much of it was snagged by the captains float. The dock acts as a strainer and tons of trash were piled against it yesterday. I spent several minutes pushing all the branches, logs and sticks out into the current. The plastic bottles , tennis balls, softballs, soccer balls and styrofoam, I scooped out of the duckweed as they drifted past me. Looking down river the clumps of sticks covered with duckweed looked like floating islands.

Wednesday -- July 20, 2010
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.85     Water Temperature: 85

I'm doing a lot of yard work this week and last. I sort of put the big painting project on hold until the weather cools off a little. The jewel weed is growing well and some stalks are taller than me. The stinging nettles are big now too and I have been trying to keep the trails clear of that nuisance. The "grass" in the field is growing incredibly fast as well, I cut the grass on Friday and by Monday you can't even tell it was cut.

During my trail-clearing shifts I notice that there are some new invasive plants taking hold on the Island. This is not good. There is a large patch of Kudzu near the head of the Island and we also have Chinese Yam to add to our list of unwanted colonizers.

Just a reminder. In order to use the Club you must be a member in good standing or be the guest of a member. You may also purchase a pass if you are on the wait list. The pass will allow you to use the Club during weekdays. Lately I have been getting many requests from non-members to use the Club, those people wear me out.

Monday -- July 26, 2010
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.77     Water Temperature: 88

Good news, there was no damage done to the Club during that sudden storm yesterday. The only problem is that there is now a large tree across the path on the way down the hill. I did not lose power and since I have a well I don't need to ration my water use, Yeehaw!

I had some young volunteers here last week and we made some real fun improvements to the Island. First, we installed the new zip line! We haven't built the launch platform yet but with the help of a tall ladder we are able to grab the trolley and have a good ride. Make sure you put your feet up. Secondly, we installed a makeshift water slide on the swimmimg dock! I had found an old plastic slide that was wedged into a tree on Minnies Island. I think it was brought there by the extreme flood we had back in March. Anyway, I managed to fit the slide into my canoe and I carried it back to Sycamore. The kids and I did some minor repairs to the thing, and after attaching it to a four foot-ladder we had ourselves a pretty respectable slide. It's a little small for me, but it was perfect for the kids and they loved it. Thanks to member Scott Bertaut and my nephew, William Huisentruit.

Monday -- July 30, 2010
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.62     Water Temperature: 88

I spoke a little too soon about the damage caused by the storm last week. No buildings were damaged but some of the large trees on the Island were severly damaged. The snapped-off top of a silver maple is blocking the trail by the tool shed. Of course when I discovered the limb I looked up to see which tree it came from. To my surprise, the closest silver maple was a good twenty feet away! That must have been a very strong wind. A sycamore also took a hit, over by the swimming dock.

I thought I was doing a pretty good job of keeping all the invasive plants and vines in check but I guess I was wrong. Everywhere I turn now, I see invasive vines. I even found a oriental bittersweet vine that was over an inch thick and smothering an entire tree. I'm also getting worried about the recent invasion of Japanese yam. These buggers are popping up everywhere and some have now gone to seed. It seems worse than in years past and I wonder if it has anything to do with the major flood we had back in March.

-- Joe Hage, Sycamore Island Caretaker