But, Back to Mark Buehrle Got Us Drenched-- Part 3: We Get All Wet

I had to stop for a day on the drenched chroncicles to write about Mark Buehrle's next pitching outing which got exciting as well.  Imagine pitching back-to-back perfect games.  Well, it didn't happen, but wow, wouldn't that have been something!

To set the story, we had remained at Chopper's (bar and grill) up on Channel Lake in Antioch, Illinois, to see if Burehrle would get the perfect game despite knowing that a nasty storm was blowing in.  (We were in our boat, School's Out... Forever!)  Had we left in the 8th inning, we might have made it home, but we stayed.  Hey, how often do you get the chance to see a perfect game?

It hadn't started raining yet, but there was plenty of lightning and thunder off in the distance and getting closer.

We, (Kevin, Kelly, Liz and myself) decided to make a run for it.  We left and walked rapidly to the boat, cast off and started on our way.  It started  drizzling about half way to the Illinois Route 173 bridge and got steadily harder until a downpour.  (At this time we decided we probably should have just stayed at Chopper's.  But, too late.)  

The wind also picked up as well.  We ended up taking cover under the bridge until the worst had passed over about fifteen minutes later.  The rain let up some, but was still coming down enough to soak us pretty well on the rest of our way home.

So, as you can see, it was all Mark Buehrle's fault we got drenched.

And, he never apologized.

Thanks A Lot, Mark.  --RoadWet

Mark Buehrle Got Us All Drenched-- Part 1

I remember July 23, 2009,very well.  We were out with our friends Kevin and Kelly in our boat that day and cruising the Chain O' Lakes here in northeastern Illinois.  And, it was a perfect day in the morning and part way through the afternoon, but we had warnings of a major storm hitting the area around mid-afternoon.

We were all the way up in the upper lakes and we decided to stop at one more place called Chopper's on Channel Lake in Antioch before heading home before the storm hit.  We were going to have just a drink and be on our way.  

The White Sox game was on and I was kind of watching it until I saw a stat that here in the 7th inning, the Sox pitcher, Mark Buehrle,  had not given up a hit.  Even better than that, no Tampa Bay batter had reached base.  In other words, A PERFECT GAME!!  

Well, a perfect game is just something I had to see, especially since the one I was at back in 1983 where the Tiger pitcher, Milt Wilcox,  had a perfect game until Jerry Hairston pinch hit a single with two outs in the 9th to blow my chance of being in attendance at a perfect game.  (To see their pictures and read about this game, go to my Down Da Road I Go blog.  By the way, even though I am a Sox fan, I was pulling all the way for Wilcox.)

Well, we would just have to stay and watch.   Storm or no storm.

Tomorrow.  --Cooter

By the way, congratulations to Mr. White Sox, Minnie Minoso, who was indcted into baseball's Hall of Fame today.  It's about time.

Looking Back at the Old Puppet Bar in Fox Lake

This place sure meant a lot to me back in the 1980s as I was starting my deejay business and this was one of the first places I had a regular job from 1982 to 1988 or so.  If it was still open and owned by Joe Gates, I might very well still be deejaying there,  I had some mighty good times.

At the Fox Lake Historical Society meeting on March 19th, a man brought in a book for the 75th anniversary of the Fox Lake Fire Department printed in 1983.  He passed it around and I quickly leafed through it and, guess what, I found an ad from the old Puppet Bar (actual name Eagle Point Park).

The ad had some prices which I found of particular interest.

Friday Fish Fry was $3.95 in 1983.

On Wednesdays you could get AUCE bbq ribs, crab legs, shrimp, soup, potatoes and salad bar for $7.95.

And, it mentioned that it was shown on the "Real People" TV show.

I found out about this place when I saw it on that TV show.

I know my buddy Frank will like this.  Right Frank?

I Think I Could Afford to Eat There.  --RoadPuppet

Illinois' Chain of Lakes-- Part 14: Boating and Bars

Growth continued with the return of servicemen from World War II looking for affordable housing.  the area became middle class communities with residents often commuting to jobs in Chicago and other suburbs for work.

The major tourism era was over, but a whole lot of people still came to the Chain area on the weekends to enjoy its recreation, especially boating.  Fox Lake at one time was known to have the most bars per capita of any place in the United States.  there are far fewer of them today.

A Great Place to Enjoy Life,  --CootBoat

Illinois' Chain of Lakes-- Part 9: Boating on the Chain

Navigation on the Chain of Lakes from Lake Catherine all the way down to Pistakee Lake (as well as the Fox River from Pistakee Lake to Algonquin), is a favorite summertime activity for thousands.  And, there are sure a lot of boats out on the water on the weekends.  We rarely go out on the weekends, preferring the much smaller crowd during the week.  But we have always been lucky as we were teachers so had summers off.

It was actually a part-time job that I had that got us into boating.  I did not grow up with boats as have many of the kids on the Chain.  I always thought owning a boat was a huge waste of money.  (Well, it sure isn't cheap!)

However, back in 1982, I started a deejay business and played many gigs at Neptune's Cove on Fox Lake and Eagle Point Park (the Puppet Bar, so named for the many puppets that sprang into movement when one particular polka was played) on Pistakee Lake.

Those boaters were having so much fun, I finally decided to get a boat and have had one ever since 1985.  We are now on our third boat, but I imagine this one will be my last one.

DaCootBoat

Illinois' Chain of Lakes-- Part 7: Result of the Melting of the Wisconsin Glacier

The Chain of Lakes is the result of the melting of the Wisconsin Glacier, which left a unique landscape in northern Illinois.  The Fox River winds its way southward from Wisconsin, through Antioch, Illinois, and then it connects a series of lakes, 15 in all.  (The river eventually runs into the Illinois River and on to the Mississippi.)

These lakes, collectively known as the Chain of Lakes, or Chain O' Lakes, cover more than 7,000 acres of water and includes 500 miles of total shoreline (50 miles of river shoreline from where it enters Illinois down to Algonquin where a dam with no locks impedes boat traffic beyond it.  There is a dam south of McHenry, Illinois, which has locks.

The Chain of Lakes Waterway Agency oversees its use and maintenance.  This is a big job as the area has more boat usage per acre than any other inland waterway system in the United States.  I have even heard that it is the second busiest only to the Intercoastal Waterway.

--CootChain

Illinois' Chain of Lakes-- Part 6: Aye, It's the Boating Life for Me

AUGUST 8, MONDAY

We boated over to Stormy Monday on Fox lake and were happy to find that they had a happy hour from 5-7 with $1.50 domestic bottles, $2.50 imports and $1 Miller High Lifes.  This place used to be a huge hangout for us back when it was Costello's Pub & Grub for many years, but not so often anymore.

We got our Chain Crawl passport stamped here.

We then drove the car over to Half-Times in Johnsburg, close to the Fox River for half price appetizers and $1 20 ounce draft and then to Sunnyside.

AUGUST 9, TUESDAY

I went boating around Fox Lake and Mineola Bay and then drove to Woodstock, Illinois, (not on the Chain but not too far away from it) to see a movie, enjoy the historic 1850s square (where the movie "Groundhog Day" was filmed.  met some friends at Papa G's on the  for dinner and then went to the McHenry County Civil War Round Table.

Like I said, Plenty to Do Here.  --CootChain

Illinois' Chain of Lakes-- Part 1: Enjoy It

From the June 29, 2016,  Hi-Liter (Lake County, Illinois) "The Chain of Lakes: Enjoying summertime on the water" by Sandra Landen Machaj.

I can sure agree with that.  We have been boating now ever since 1985, when we bought out first boat, a 1979 Imperial.  Then we got a 1990 Four Winns and have had a 2003 Bayliner since then.  I always though owning a boat would be a stupid thing to do until I started deejaying at various places on the Chain of Lakes and seeing how much fun the folks were having.

"It's summertime and the living is easy.  It's a time to kick back and enjoy the great outdoors.  Fishing (well, not us), boating and swimming become the priorities of the day as the temperatures rise.

"What better place to be than along the Fox River and the many lakes that a part of the Chain O' Lakes?  The Fox River enters Illinois at Antioch and meanders through L:ake County, through the Chain O' Lakes and into McHenry County before it continues to make its way on its own down to the Illinois River.

--CootBoat

Fox Lake/Grant Township Historical Society Meeting March 21, 2015-- Part 1

History of the Chain of Lakes.

Sports Clubs of the late 1800s/early 1900s located in the Chain of Lakes in Illinois often became hotels as in the case of the Waltonian, Mineola, Last Resort and Columbia Hotel.

This last one began in 1887 as the Columbian Pleasure Club, but that had a different meaning from what we might expect a pleasure club to be today.  In 1896, the Columbian Pleasure Club had a big fire which burned down two large dorms where a concrete home now sits near the Gateway House near Electric harbor bar and motel. and the channel leading to petite Lake from Fox Lake.

I always love these little tidbits of lost history, especially since we do so much boating on the Chain of Lakes.

--DaCoot

Pulled the Boat Out on Monday

This past Monday, we pulled the boat out of the water and took it over to the marina to be winterized and have the bottom cleaned.  It was a nice day with temps in the 70s and with the rest of the week expected to get quite a bit wetter and colder with temps in the upper 40s.

We were able to get out on the boat 45 times (we keep count).  We figure we need to get out at least 40 times a season to make all the money we spend on boating worth it.  This was one of the coldest, worst weather summers we remember in our thirty years of boating.

Some More of That Global _____ I Suppose.  Only It "Ain't" That Warm!!  --RoadDog

Fox Lake Fireworks-- Part 5: The Chain of Lakes' Beer Can Bridge and the High Side

"The Route 12 train trestle bridge (where the accident took place,)  also has its own idiosyncrasies, not far from the viewing perch, with a southern opening called 'beer can bridge." and a northern opening called 'the high side.'  The latter access  let taller ships (boats) pass between the lakes, by means of a revolving turret, which spun the train track section to an east-west direction."  It would be termed a swing bridge.

Actually, the two bridges on north and south sides connect the island in the middle of the them.  Beer Can Bridge is low and for decades boaters have placed beer cans on its under supports, hence the name Beer Can Bridge.  After particularly windy times, there was all sorts of clunking and clacking as beer cans blown down into the water bumped into each other.

Sadly, today many of the boaters place beer bottles on the struts.  You don't want to be under then when they fall.

Bring back the Cans!!  --Cooter