SS: A Loon Story by Kathy Mogan

A Loon Story

by Kathy Mogan

This is a true story that shows the amazement of saving a precious wild animal and the people of Siseebakwat / Sugar Lake working together to make this such an amazingly beautiful place to live.  You just never know what experience is right around the corner….. or in your driveway. 

This was the Summer of 2016 when this happened and when I wrote this.  

Susie Mogan, Johnathan Mogan, and I were outside in the yard. It was a beautiful day, so I walked to my car to grab a lawn chair that I had just bought.  Sitting in the driveway, right next to my car, was what looked like a grey furry stuffed animal. I got close and bent down and thought that it was the cutest, softest dog toy…….. until it turned its head.  What?!?!  

Seriously the cutest fuzziest thing I have ever seen!!  Well, after Susie and I got close and checked it out, Susie said “This is a baby Loon”. Knowing that Loons are unable to walk – we had no idea how it got into the driveway.  It didn’t make any sense how it ended up there.  I picked it up slowly and checked it over to make sure it wasn’t injured. Amazingly, it didn’t have a scratch on it, so I snuggled it up to my chest and carried it to the lake.  

I slowly set the baby in the water and it instantly started swimming.  My 8-year-old son (Johnathan) could do an amazing Loon call, so we had him do his call a few times.  Right away we heard a Loon call back that was pretty far out in the water.  Thankfully, that baby must have known momma’s voice because she started diving and swimming in her direction.  The baby Loon started making the cutest sweet baby call & Momma Loon started calling and swimming toward the baby too.  It took a few minutes, but before we knew it, they were reunited!!  We watched with the binoculars for a bit just to make sure it would be okay and they seemed to be doing great. Yay!!!  Not only did we have this amazing experience to save the baby Loon, but we were actually able to reunite it with momma Loon!! How amazing and such a beautiful moment to be a part of!!  (No, unfortunately, we didn’t get one picture – it happened so fast)

Susie Mogan (my mother-in-law) sent me this text not long afterward. 

“Kathy! Someone saw an eagle pick up a loon baby yesterday and fly off with it. I bet that was the one in the driveway. Probably dropped it. You'd think it would have died when it hit the ground, though. Anyway, the person said the loon had two babies. If it was the same parents, maybe when our loon swam back, the other parent had the second baby. The person took pictures of the loons and babies……looks just like ours.”

Hopefully, this is one of the Loons that comes back here every year and we hear their beautiful calls of Happiness!!! And who knows, it may have had babies, grandbabies, and even great grand babies since then…... 

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed our little (true) story.

Kathy Mogan

This photo was taken by the one and only Karen Lucachick

Board Minutes: June 2022

Siseebakwet Lake Association

Board of Directors’ Meeting Minutes

June 11, 2022

Call to order:  The meeting was called to order by President Tom Huettner (on ZOOM) at 8:36 am.  In attendance in addition to Tom were Bill Hagenbuck, Deb Hagenbuck, Betsy Martin, Roger Quern and Dora (Holly) Hayes. 

Announcements and Correspondence:  More than 41 individuals attended the Spring Meeting/Potluck at the Lodge and enjoyed an excellent potluck.  The program – a presentation of SLA activities and introductions of members by table – went well.  Also, feedback on the Newsletter has been excellent.

Secretary’s Report: Betsy moved to approve the Secretary’s report of the previous meeting.  The motion was seconded and approved.

Treasurer’s Report:  The Treasurer reported a total of $37,618.50 in the bank accounts.  About $400, in dues were collected at the meeting.  To date this year expenses have been $1,156.99 and income has been $779.24.  Roger encouraged us to pay dues using Pay Pal.  We mentioned having a membership drive in April.  President Tom suggested that we encourage SLA members and others to make donations to the Association and to mention the need for support in the SLA newsletter.   SLA strongly supports the AIS program for our Lake.  Bill Hagenbuck moved approval of the Treasurer’s Report and the motion was seconded and passed.

Committee Reports -  Communications (see Social)

Water Quality, Management and Education - Chair: Tom Huettner:  SLA will continue to work with Soil and Water in the County and the State.

Communications and Social – Gwynne B., Betsy M., Vice Chair – SLA will plan to have a Happy Hour in the Lodge on July 16, 2022; the affair will be a potluck.  We will announce the affair in the SLA newsletter and to our neighbors and friends and encourage everyone to participate in bringing the food. We will also ask for volunteers. 

Special Projects:  Records Retention Update.  Betsy Martin and others suggested names of volunteers for the SLA history committee.  (Names include:  Diane  ?  , A. Laska, Pat Daugherty.  Bill Hagenbuck indicated Laska could help with electronic records.)  It was suggested that anyone who came across interesting mat9erial should send it to the committee.   Betsy suggested that by the end of next year (?Dec. 2023) we should have the bulk of material roughly organized.   At this time the material could be put on a hard drive and/or “in the cloud.”

Roger Quern moved that the meeting be adjourned.  The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:15.

Respectfully submitted,

Dora (Holly) Hayes, Secretary

Siseebakwet Stories: Toot Loves Loons

Toot Loves Loons 

By Karen Lucachick 

Tyttö, aka TOOT, aka FIRST MATE

Two (luca) Chicks

Todd and I bought our first pontoon this last spring and Tyttö aka “Toot” became the First Mate!  She loves going for what we refer to as “PonTooty” rides!  What surprised me was every time we went for a “PonTooty” ride, Toot would bark and the loons would swim right up to our pontoon, maybe out of curiosity or just being accustomed to the recreational activity on Siseebakwet.  One loon swam underneath our pontoon!  Great photo opportunities!

I titled the one photo, “Two Chicks”, because even though one chick is clearly visible in front of the two adult loons and, if you look closely, you can see a second chick behind the adult loon on the left.

One early morning, I dozed off watching TV on the couch and when I woke up, I could sense something was watching me.  I looked to my left and this eagle was perched in a tree approximately 30 feet from my deck.  Another great photo opportunity!

Probably not Toot’s Best Friend

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Have a Sugar Lake Story you’d like to share? Submit it below!

Siseebakwet Stories: A Trail to the Past

A Trail to the Past 

By Jeff Olsen 

The cabin my sister and I own on the north shore of Sugar Lake was bought by our grandparents before I was born. Growing up in Grand Rapids one of my sisters and my best thrills was visiting Grandma and Grandpa on Sugar Lake! 

My grandparents were part of a mostly retired group of couples who owned cabins near the boat landing. Past owners (from the late 50s and early 60s) included Mrs. Bell, the  Doelles, the Reynolds, Doc Parker, the Gefford's, the Bruneaus and the Albrights. My grandparents knew all of the cabin owners and when I stayed with them, they would take my sister and me to visit some of the other couples. I remember many of them having fancy dessert dishes and amazing summer treats when we would visit. 

There was a trail between the homes that fascinated me as a kid. I could go from Mrs.  Bells into the Doelle woods, where Dr. Doelle made a series of winding trails in the woods on his property, and then all the way over to the creek bordering the Albrights and the Hoene property. One summer my sister and I joined the Doelle kids to build a  bridge over a dry creek on the east side of the Doelle property. 

I thought the trails were made for me! However, decades later, this thought was shattered when I met a frequent guest of Mrs. Bell. She told me how the trails were used by neighbors to gather for cocktail parties, especially at Doc Parkers cabin. (This did not happen when my sister and I would visit our grandparents.) 

When the lodge was sold to the ski area, they put games and candy machines in the basement for winter guests. The lure of ping pong and candy led to a new discovery, a  trail up from the shoreline from the Hoene's property and over to the lodge. 

This was a well-used trail, a trail my imagination assumed was a trail used before  European settlers found Sugar Lake! To add to the intrigue, the trail had two  abandoned cottages with old metal bedframes and Life Magazines from the 40s! The  trail had high spots with beautiful overlooks at Sugar Lake and then it went across the  Norton property to the shoreside cabins and then the lodge. 

I remember how the basement of the lodge had a bar that was never in use except during the ski season and then the ping pong table and pinball machines. Our time there was brief because we needed to be home before dark. 

As years passed, the retired owners sold to families with kids close to my age who joined in the adventure of taking the trail to the lodge. On one occasion, on our way back from the lodge I needed to go to the bathroom and used an outhouse on the trail and, well, I encountered a bunch of bees. We ran back to our cabins in a gale of laughter!

Use of the trail ended as we got older and our focus shifted to other things. Yet I will always remember the trail, the fun, and the adventure of so long ago.

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Have a Sugar Lake Story you’d like to share? Submit it below!

May 2022 Board Meeting Minutes

〰️

Board Minutes

〰️ Board Minutes

The Siseebakwet Lake Association

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

May 14, 2022

Call to order:  The meeting was called to order by President Tom Huettner at 8:35 am.  In attendance at Sugar Lake Lodge were Bill Hagenbuck, Deb Hagenbuck, Gwynne Bobich, Roger Quern & Gordy Hoppe. Joining by Zoom were Tom Huettner, Abby Oxborough and Betsy Martin.  Absent Holly Hayes.  Bill took minutes in Holly’s absence.

Announcements and Correspondence:  Despite a rainy day, the Spring Road Cleanup was successful with all areas receiving coverage by at least one individual—either on Saturday or following soon after.

Agenda additions: Approvals by email during April to be recorded in May minutes

·       Water Testing 2022 ($486; Final amount TBD)

·       Northland Portables ($490; before any grant offset) - North landing handicap port-a-potty for the year 

·       Ice-Out:  Declared May 9, 2022!  Winner: Mary Lou Doherty – prize; golf at SLL including golf cart

Secretary’s Report:  Skipped.

Treasurer’s Report:  Treasurer Quern reviewed the financial status

·       Will pay Porta-Potty for 2022.

·       Checking balance:           $2,126.33

·       Savings balance:            $35.777.16

·       Income:                              $479.24

·       Expenses:                           $572.09

·       Paid last year’s water quality testing invoice/

·       Will pay Porta-Potty for 2022 after meeting.

·       Motion seconded and carried.

FY 2020/2021 Key Dates Reminder/Zoom vs. In-Person Board Meeting Discussion:

Monthly Board Meetings - Monthly Board meetings will be at Sugar Lodge at 8:30 am unless otherwise notified. 

·       June 11

·       July 17 (due to Timberman Triathlon on July 10)

·       August 13

·       September 10

·       October 22

Membership Social Events – will be at Sugar Lake Lodge as noted

Spring Meeting Brunch Sunday June 5, 12:00pm due to earlier event at SLL

·       Set up at 11:00am

·       SLL will supply scrambled eggs/toppings; plates; silver; glasses & coffee

·       Board members requested to provide a dish to make sure we have a comprehensive selection.

·       Betsy is working on a possible speaker: John Downing from the MN Sea Grant organization.

Fall Meeting/Dinner, September 4, time TBD

Committee Reports:

·       Newsletter: ready pending Betsy’s article.

·       Membership: update postponed

·       Water Quality: Bruce Erickson will conduct testing again this year; schedule has been coordinated with RMB; Bart Bergman will be joining the committee-welcome; Tom will work with Bart to get him up to speed.

·       Tom will be working with the committees to communicate his vision for 2022.

Other Discussion:

·       Bill mentioned forwarded mailings on Itasca County’s AIS Inspector recruiting, free AIS Detector training, and the Itasca Water’s Septic funding opportunity for Itasca Residents and especially Lake Residents.

·       Abby asked what the board thought about reinstating the 4th of July Fireworks and if the board could/would help.  Gordy immediately tosses a $100 bill on the table and Bill & Deb/Roger said they’d match it—hence there is interest and support.  Abby is going to lead this initiative as the GM for the lodge, next steps to see if arrangements can be made for July 4.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 am CDT when the free Zoom call terminated at the 45-minute limit.

Respectfully submitted.

Bill Hagenbuck

On behalf of Holly Hayes: Secretary