March 31st at Lake House Supplies

The last day of March I spent at my home in the city, a small town called Paducah in Western Kentucky with a big city feel and just minutes from Land between the Lakes.  Located in the middle of the Arts District in Lowertown (we will talk about this later).  April is right around the corner, spring is in full bloom and the Quilt Show will be her in just a few weeks which we will also talk about later (it too late to book a room anywhere close to this town now for that event, because it is a big one!  Even Land between the Lakes will be full of visitors.)

Quilt Show

As for this event …..    Paint the Plugs

Paint the Plugs Lowertown Beautification

It was relatively quiet in town as the local artists where painting the fire hydrants.  The paint added great character to the Arts District and is much appreciated by the locals.  That was last week.  

As I was saying before I got sidetracked …..April 1^st is tomorrow so today is the day to get out those hummingbird feeders because the hummingbird scouts are going to be coming around looking for a place to bring their friends.  I want to be ready in the city as well as at the lake to invite them to my places.  So I will encourage you to get out the sugar and the water and mix 1 cup of plain white sugar into 4 cups of plain clear water and fill up your feeders if you are in our area because the little scouts are going to be buzzing through real soon. 

Ready for the Hummingbirds

The beauty of nature is endless so take a few minutes and enjoy it every day.  Watch spring unfold before your very eyes and be grateful for the miracle of regeneration. 

April 3, 2016

April Fool’s Day has come and gone (thank goodness for that because I am such a sucker for those pranks) and I survived unscathed.  I had to work my real job the last couple of days and I am happy to have this day off.  My real job is as a retail pharmacist which is high stress and fast paced that’s why I like to able to stop and be still and practice gratitude for the lovely things nature offers.  On my way to work on April Fool’s Day I was up and out early and caught the most beautiful sunrise on the water. I wanted to share it with anyone and everyone who would appreciate it as much as I would.

Sunrise April 3, 2016

So this is what I got to enjoy before going into the pharmacy Friday morning.  Every time I watch the sunrise or the sunset I marvel at the power and awesomeness of our Creator.  That’s one of the reasons I love being on the lake so much.  I am constantly reminded of just how blessed we are to be able to enjoy all the things that life has to offer.  All we have to do is stop, be still, and enjoy them.  Spring brings millions of chances to see the miracles of nature in the blossoms and flowers alone.  For example look at these…..

Lilacs

Lilacs just starting to bloom and if I had "smellovision" you could even enjoy their scent.  Then there this little squirrel out enjoying the weather and the mushrooms poking out too.

Coming up for air.

Squirrel in the Sunshine

That catches us up to today the 3^rd of April.  I am back in the city and the wind has been blowing and the trees are shedding their blooms.  I took my little dog Tobi out for our morning walk and took a moment to record this…

Pictures are so much more powerful than words, but words can sometimes relay things that pictures cannot such as history and facts.  So I will digress here with the photos and give you a little history and a few facts about the Land between the Lakes.

Land Between The Lakes (LBL) is a 170,000-acre national recreation area in Western Kentucky and Tennessee located near I-24, about 90 miles north of Nashville, TN, and just south of Paducah, KY.

HISTORY: Land Between The Lakes is an inland peninsula formed when the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers were impounded, creating Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley -- one of the world's largest man-made bodies of water. In 1959, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River, many recognized the recreational and environmental education benefits of what would soon become Land Between the Lakes, a near-island between two man-made lakes.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy created Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area. LBL was formed to demonstrate how an area with limited timber, agricultural, and industrial resources could be converted into a recreation asset that would stimulate economic growth in the region. Land between the Lakes is the country's only such national demonstration area.

LBL became a reality in 1964 when Rushing Creek Campground, LBL's first public recreation facility, opened. Today, Land between the Lakes is the focal point of a $600 million tourism industry; it remains one of the most visited attractions in Kentucky and Tennessee.

The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers flow very close to each other in the northwestern corner of Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, separated by a rather narrow and mostly low ridge. This area where they are only a few miles apart had been known as "Between the Rivers" since at least the 1830s or 1840s. After the Cumberland River was impounded in the 1960s and a canal was constructed between the two lakes, Land between the Lakes became the largest inland peninsula in the United States.

Variety Of LBL Trails Make This A Recreation Paradise

With more than 200 miles of trails winding their way through rolling woodlands and along isolated shorelines, no wonder the USDA Forest Service's Land between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area is a draw for outdoor enthusiasts of all types.   You can hike, ride horseback or mountain bikes, motorcycles, or ATV in LBL.  Jeeps are welcome too.

LBL's hiking trails are especially diverse. Visitors of all skill levels will find trails that meet their needs. More extensive hiking networks include the 65-mile-long North/South Trail; the 14-mile Canal Loop, which is a shared-use trail with mountain bikers; and the 26-mile Fort Henry system, which traces the path of General Grant's troops during the Civil War.

Each trail network has its own distinctive features, Canal Loop has a rugged beauty, North/South showcases LBL's diversity, and Fort Henry has Civil War history.

Shorter hiking trails wind through the Environmental Education Area near The Nature Station. These trails offer scenic beauty as well as educational opportunities. The longest, at 4.5 miles, is Honker Trail, which covers such varied terrain as woodlands, meadows, and the lake shore. Center Furnace Trail, at .3 miles, is literally a walk through time, offering a glimpse at the region's role as a major iron ore producer in the early 19th century. Long Creek Trail, at .2 miles, is handicapped accessible.

Mountain bikers have fast discovered LBL; thanks in part to its newly expanded mountain bike trail system. Canal Loop was opened to mountain bike use in 1997, and offers some of the most challenging riding in the region. In fact, Canal Loop has been the site of several National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) sanctioned events in recent years.

Bikers wanting a less challenging ride can choose the Energy Lake Mountain Bike Trail, which covers scenic forest and lake shore terrain and stretches approximately 14 miles. Jenny Ridge, at 12.5 miles, blends hilly terrain offering scenic vistas with less rugged portions through streams and forests. LBL's horseback riding trails have been newly expanded, as well.

With LBL's Wranglers Campground fast gaining a reputation as the region's premier horse camp, trail riders from around the country have begun descending on LBL in record numbers. Thus in 1997, LBL's horse trails were doubled from 40 miles to 80 miles. Horse trails depart from Wranglers and cover a variety of terrain, from woods to the lake shore. Many also pass by historic sites, such as the ruins of the Laura Iron Furnace.

Another fast-growing sport is the use of motorcycles and All-Terrain Vehicles, and Jeeps. LBL has the first federally designated area set aside just for ATV use - the 2,500-acre Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle Area. ATV enthusiasts from hundreds of miles away have long known about Turkey Bay and its varied and challenging landscape. Turkey Bay riders can splash through mud and water or ride up and down varied terrain. Turkey Bay is also an informal campground, and many visitors will make a weekend of their ATV experience.

Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley Fishing

Kentucky Lake is a main stem reservoir on the Tennessee River. This is the lowermost of nine reservoirs that stair step their way down the Tennessee River from eastern Tennessee. Kentucky Lake was impounded by the completion of Kentucky Dam in 1944. The dam backs up about 160,000 acres of water (that’s about 155,339 football fields), which is the largest of Tennessee Valley Authorities’ (TVA) reservoirs. TVA operates the Tennessee River system to provide year-round navigation, flood control, electricity, recreation, and water supply. The water levels at Kentucky and Barkley Lakes fluctuate from winter to summer. Winter pool is 354 (fasl) elevation, and rises during April to reach summer pool of 359 (fasl) by May. Summer pool extends until the week after the Fourth of July holiday, and then the water level is slowly lowered back to winter pool by December. Kentucky Lake lies parallel to its sister lake, Lake Barkley. Lake Barkley was built in the 1960’s by the US Army Corp of Engineers, and is connected to Kentucky Lake at the northern end by a navigable canal.

Recreational boating, wildlife viewing and fishing can occur year around at Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. During the winter months, many boaters take advantage of the water’s view to watch eagles nesting in tall trees along the shoreline and swooping down to feeding on fish. Other migratory birds pass through the area making bird watching a must for outdoor enthusiasts. For those that like to hunt more than watch, those migratory birds include geese and ducks. Late winter brings out the anglers for some crappie fishing, which last well into May. In February and March the crappie are found in deeper water along the secondary creek channels, but move very shallow by April. By then, black bass anglers are starting to enjoy some trophy bass fishing. Black bass stay active along the shoreline throughout the spring, and move to the deeper ledges by summer. During late summer, fishing shallow for feeding bass in the backs of embayment offers some great top water action. Follow that up with some fall Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley fishing along the rocky shoreline and woody structure.

If you prefer some relaxing fishing for pan fish, such as bluegill, Kentucky Lake offers that also. However, be ready to have your line stretched. Kentucky Lake offers some nice size bluegill, but is also home to the 2-pound red ear. The red ear belongs in the sunfish family, but feed along the bottom for snails and small clams, hence the name shell crackers.


The lakes regularly host some of the country’s most outstanding fishing tournaments. Tours that visit our lakes for the tremendous bass population include the locally based and nationally recognized FLW series, Stern Series, and the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League. Another regular visitor is the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series. Not to be out done by the bass leagues are the crappie tournaments. Our lakes are known for some of the best crappie fishing in the U.S. We are visited yearly by Crappie USA and Crappie Masters. Both are outstanding tournament series. These are just a few that visit the area yearly.


If you prefer fish on the larger scale, then Kentucky Lake has that also. Kentucky Lake has an excellent population of blue, channel, and Flathead catfish. The channel catfish prefer the embayment, while the blue catfish prefer the main river channel. The catfish normally move shallow, and into rocky areas to spawn during June. The best fishing for blue catfish is during the summer months. The main thing to key in on is current in the river channel. During the summer months hydro power at the Dam is pulling water, this creates current along the river channel. This current also makes for some fair fishing for white bass and striped bass. A great area to fish for white bass is in the canal. The lake also offers other fisheries such as sauger, yellow bass, and yellow perch.


In addition to all the fishing, the large embayments of Kentucky Lake can offer hours of enjoyment for the recreational boaters. Whether it is just sitting and soaking up the sun, or the thrill of skiing or tubing, there is something to do for all the outdoors men, or women, in your family.

Peace to you until we meet again.

April 4, 2016

Good afternoon friends.  Today was another day in the pharmacy and the weather was fabulous while I spent the day indoors.  I did manage to capture a great sunrise photo that once again made me count my blessings.  How can we not be filled with gratitude when we see something like this….

Some things are just worth getting up for.  It’s been a long day for me but I am going to give you a few more facts about one of my favorite places in the USA……Land between the Lakes.

Lake Barkley & Kentucky Lake Boating

Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are well known as a water lover's playgrounds. Our Lakes are large enough to accommodate all sizes and types of water and pleasure crafts. Common types of watercraft that frequent the lake are personal watercraft (PWC), deck boats, pontoons, runabouts, houseboats, speed and powerboats, ski boats, and fishing boats of all sizes and types. The 184 mile Kentucky Lake is bordered on the east by Land between the Lakes, one of Kentucky’s most visited attractions. Inside this 170,000-acre play land you can live out any type of outdoor recreational activity imaginable. Hike, bike, hunt, fish, camp and relax inside this non-commercialized haven of nature’s preserved beauty. Kentucky Lake is the largest man-made body of water east of the Mississippi River and one of many of a chain of lakes in Kentucky and Tennessee constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Covering over 160,300 acres of land, there is room for everyone, Kentucky Lake was created upon the completion of Kentucky Dam, a 206-foot embankment built in 1944. Kentucky Dam's construction was part of a federal plan to control floods in the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and develop their tributaries. Located in the Western Kentucky, beautiful Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake are within a day's drive from most of Middle America, making these beautiful lakes a popular boating and watercraft destination.

Lake Barkley & Kentucky Lake Golfing

When it comes to Kentucky golf, Western Kentucky's Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley golfing is way above par. Home to more than 25 area golf courses carved out of West Kentucky Countryside, with tree-lined fairways, many overlooking the Lakes that will challenge any one's golf game, from beginners to seasoned pros. Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley are fast becoming a favorite resort destination for the avid golfer. With the area's mild climate, you can enjoy golfing year-round. So come to Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley - just a short approach from anywhere. Western Kentucky boasts over 25 beautiful courses to choose from!

For the delight of any golf enthusiast, the Kentucky Lake and the Western Kentucky area offers beautifully landscaped, excellent courses. From beginner to professional, you will find a course that challenges every facet of your game.

The Kentucky Lake area has a variety of golf courses to test the skills of every golfer. From 9-hole executive courses to 18-hole championship courses, Kentucky Lake offers you a great golfing experience at a great value. The Lakes are the premier destination for golf in Kentucky so come try our fine courses out today!

I highly recommend the golf course at Mineral Mounds State Park just off of I-24 on exit 45.  You really should check it out.  It’s shady, beautiful, and not usually very crowded especially on the weekdays.

Peace to with you until we meet again.

Lakehousesupplies.com