My dad and stepmother also used to stay at Cedar Lodge. When you said that the kids became "normal" and resorted to building sand castles, it reminded me of another "old days" thing. If you watch documentaries of World War Two, you might be able to see how the Army would cross a river after a bridge had been blown up by the retreating Germans. They would anchor big rubber rafts beside each other all the way across the river. Then, they'd build a bridge onto these floating rafts. I think an example appears in the movie, "A Bridge Too Far."

Al Weseman (of "Al's Place," now Fort Flambeau Condo) bought one of those big war-surplus rubber rafts. He'd anchor it a little way off the beach. The kids would have a ball climbing, diving, and bouncing around on that big rubber raft. Al would put it out there every year, and the kids loved it.

(Incidentally, Al Weseman died a few months ago. His wife, Millie, still lives in the house on the hill alongside the old trout farm at Spring Creek.)

There was a former Chicago Bears football player by the name of Hal Schumacher who was a "regular" up at Al's Place. A great guy. He had enough surgical scars on his knees to prove that he was a running back. (Ouch!) He eventually bought some land on Lake Bastine, and parked a large travel trailer home over there. He's gone now, but his offspring still own the property.

He once brought a hot, orange speedboat up to the Flowage. This was back in the days when 15 horsepower was "risky," and mounting 25 horsepower on the back of the boat was "nuts!" Hal's new boat was powered by a high-horsepower "water jet" rather than a prop. He figured that he would outfox the stumps and leaners that were costing him so many shear pins, props and even an occasional lower unit. He could zoom along and ride up and over a leaner with no problems at all. It had an accelerator pedal just like a car. He bemoaned the fact that, while on a demonstration ride, I wouldn't floor the accelerator and "Damn the torpedoes - full speed ahead!" He wasn't molified by the fact that I had done my "hot rod" thing back when I enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War and had became a 20-year-old fighter pilot. (That's another story.) I wasn't looking for thrills anymore, but he didn't see it that way.

Buyng that particular boat was a good idea - - at least, it seemed so at first. He could zoom around and even pull water-skiers. That was a rare thing in those days. However, it wasn't long before his teenage son managed to impale the boat on a submerged stump while traveling at a bit more than "cautious speed." He, like his dad, submitted to the urge to "damn the torpedoes!" The engine and waterpump powerplant were none the worse for wear. The teenage son was okay, too. But, the hull was totaled.

Hal didn't bother to replace the boat. He surrendered to the fact that the Flowage (and his teenage sons) were going to have the upper hand for some ongoing period of time.

Like I say, the Schumachers are still "regulars" up at the Flowage. That area still has its magnetic pull, that's for sure. The bar in "the lodge" is still much the same as it always was. If I go into it, I can still hear the voices of old friends sitting around the bar while engaging in a contest of liar's dice to see who buys the next round of "Kugel." The conversation would vary from the one that got away, to the one that got away. And, the kids asking for another dime so they could play the bowling game while Al cooked up another Tombstone pizza. (Do you hear these voices in there when you and yours stay there these days?)

Great memories - - absolutely great!

It's not easy to grasp, but 50 years from now, THESE will be "the good old days."