A BLEMISH ON UGLY

Today is a sad, sad day.  Today marks the last day of this year that I will be working on  beautiful Douglas Lake.  It is with a sunken heart that I must bid farewell to this lake and all the fond memories it has bestowed upon me over the past twelve months.  I'd just like to stick a few pictures up here to serve as a reminder to myself of what I'll be missing in 2013.
The weather was particularly foul this morning with on and off rain, some heavy at times.  The wind is expected to hit 20 miles per hour this afternoon.  A quick run to the boat ramp indicated that fishermen decided to stay home this morning.

I stopped at two different parking areas and boat ramps to see if there'd be room to park my truck and trailer.  I found plenty of space.

This morning was going to be a bust as far as finding anyone fishing.  The New Year's holiday has started today and I guess thoughts are of family and friends and not fishing.  I thought I'd snap a couple pictures of the gorgeous lake just to have a reminder of what I'll be missing this Summer.

There's nothing that can compare to the pristine beauty of Douglas's crystal blue waters.  Gonna be tough to not be able to put  a boat in on this water.  I guess I could bring my personal boat on down for a ride.

Wow - just imagine all that mud covered with fifteen feet of great blue/green water.  Gotta use the ole imagination but, if one tries hard enough he can see how pretty this is, I mean, it could be.  Mud for as far as the eye can see.  Not to worry - it will be water in the summer, albeit, stained to sort of stained water.  There's nothing perfect in the world and Douglas Lake is no exception.  One has to imagine what it could look like with water in it to appreciate the grandeur of this body of water - I mean mud.

 The above shot is of the river at the Leadvale boat ramp.  Ah man -  this is great!  The piles of rocks were once piers that held up a railroad bridge.   TVA has knocked it down years ago and left the piers lay where they fell.  This was a blessing in disguise as it made a lot of fishermen better boaters.  They had to learn fast how to accomplish technical steering when negotiating these rocks.  Of course, once past the rocks they couldn't go up stream much further than a thousand yards until they hit rock shoals that cross the lake.  These old rock piles are like old friends.  Gonna hate to leave em.  Guess I'll learn to adjust.

I know what your thinking.  What a beautiful scene.  Normally all that mud is totally covered by water but, when ya think about it - mud is pretty.  Well, its - a - unique.

Wow - this is rough.  I can feel tears pushing against the backs of my eyes at the thought of leaving all this.  It can't be helped.  I've got to leave.  I'll just have to learn to deal with it.  Have you wondered where the title of this entry came from?

This is a really beautiful spot.  Its the prettiest spot on the entire Douglas Lake.  Its not a very big place and that says a lot about the rest of the lake.  It is pretty though.

I call this pretty spot "a blemish on ugly".

I hoped you smiled a bit reading this little, sarcastic entry.  Seriously though - this is the last day on Douglas Lake for me this year.  See ya in 2013.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR