A trip to Granite Basin

At the same time my instincts toward domestic engineering overcome me in the fall, Eeyore seems to wax nostalgic. Each year we make a pilgrimage to Granite Basin Lake (about a twenty minute drive, but a pilgrimage nonetheless) where he rambles about just soaking up the vibes and reliving his childhood.
His father often took E. to Granite Basin on summer evenings where they would fish away the magical twilight hours, returning home well after dark with Blue Gill and Catfish for supper. Unless too much water was running over the top of the dam to make sitting there too wet for comfort, that was their favorite spot. Now of course, there is not only a railing across the dam, but access to the dam has been completely fenced off.

The water level is at an all time low here, and a few waterfowl are gathered

in a depressed looking group on a muddy bank across the lake

For me, it reinforces the knowledge that, no matter how great the summer rains seem, they are still quite meager when compared to the rainfall in the past. We all need to be aware of our personal water usage and to urge our public officials to consider the welfare of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren before giving permission to developers to pump water straight from the aquifer to keep lawns or golf courses green for "only five years" until they have enough effluent to do the job. When we moved to the One Acre Wood almost 25 years ago, our renter was carefully hoarding any cold water that ran from the tap before hot water ran out. I do that now and use the water for my house plants. Oh dear! A rant! Ahemmm..

A couple of years ago, Granite Basin looked much better, although water was far from spilling over the dam. Clicking on these gives you a better feel for this magical place.

In her book One Last Frontier, local resident and author Pat Savage tells that this basin was a natural catch point and there was a little lake here prior to the dam being built. She said that in the fall, several different tribes of Native Americans gathered here to feast, trade, and socialize. I pulled her book from the shelf, but I can't quickly or easily find that reference. I'm pretty sure I remember it correctly though. There is still an abundance of wild grape vine here and in years past, both E.s family and mine came here to harvest the fruit. I would think that would have been a draw for the different tribes. Anyway, it's a lovely idea isn't it?