The calendar countdown for 2024 has long since begun. It starts with an occasional hint of a rise in temperatures in January, a few more in February and a more than welcome uptick in March and early April.  I call it the “Spring Tease,” when those weather ‘hints’ trigger a surge of memories of lake seasons gone by. It can’t help but spark a smile — remembering the boat rides, your first fish, then life’ boatload of fish stories. The memories of stunning summer sunsets, a grill with a view and the gatherings of friends and family – plenty of

I love happy endings. New beginnings are even better. That’s the way I felt just before Christmas as I left the inaugural Pell City Rotary Jingle Bell 5K Run and 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk at Lakeside Park. Rotarians had just closed the chapter on the first ever run, and yes, it was quite the happy ending – more than $50,000 raised to build a new home at the St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch. But more than that, it was well on its way to beginning a new Christmas tradition around these parts – Rotary raising money for a good cause and

As I write this, we are getting ready for Boo Bash on Logan Martin. Our eye patches and pirate hats are ready, and our miniature pirates dressed head to toe – my great niece and nephew, 7-year-old twins Sophia and Charlie – are ready to set sail for trick-or-treating on the lake. Now in its second year, Boo Bash has catapulted into a lake community event of epic size and scope, and I can’t tell who’s more excited – the adults or the kids. Up and down the lake, ghosts and goblins have begun to appear as host piers ready

As summer melts into fall, and the leaves approach their seasonal change in color, you might think things on and around our lakes would slow down a bit. Not so! The number and the diversity of them all continues to amaze us. On Logan Martin, check out the God is Bigger fishing tournament Sept. 23, one of the biggest catches in tournaments around. The story behind it is nothing short of inspiring – how three words have impacted the lives of so many all around the world. Get your disco moves ready Labor Day Weekend when CEPA presents Black Jacket

This time of year, I think a lot about my dad. He loved coming to our lake place and this time of year, you’d find him parked squarely on a chair on the pier, fishing for bream and crappie and whatever else might come his way. I used to joke that the fish had to be fast to keep up with his hook. He was a bit on the impatient side. But he was patient enough to teach me how to put a worm or a minnow on a hook, despite my reluctant squeals. And he taught me how to

I have always viewed Spring as the season of new beginnings, a rebirth after cold winter weather sends me scurrying indoors for what seems an eternity. For the past month, we have had a front row seat to the annual reawakening – a colorful palette of green hues as a stunning backdrop to a vibrant mosaic of blooms all around us. Spring is one of my favorite times of year on the lake. Like Christmas, it’s all wrapped up in the anticipation of good times ahead and memories to be made. Activities build toward a growing crescendo of boats darting

I’m a ‘lifer,’ too! One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is grabbing a cup of coffee and reading Carl Wallace’s Lake Ramblings on Facebook. Back when we launched our magazine in May 2021, we did a story on him, rightly dubbing him Logan Martin’s Aristotle. (Logan Martin’s Aristotle – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine (lakelife247magazine.com) After all, he’s part philosopher, part ponderer, part storyteller and all around good guy who helps bring our lake community together. It seemed only fitting that we would launch our new publication, LakeLife 24/7®, with a story on Carl because what he capsulizes

It was just last season when our long-awaited, brand spanking new tritoon boat arrived. There was no band playing or crowd there to herald it, but make no mistake, it was quite the celebration. It had been 20 years since we bought a new boat. And I have to say ole Betsy served us well through two decades of lake seasons. But this season was a special one indeed. We’re no different than hundreds of people up and down Logan Martin and Neely Henry each year who celebrate just like we did as we welcomed our band new addition to