Speaking of Sports

By John Fragodt, Sports Reporter

I love living on the lake!  And, every day when I look out onto the lake, I feel Blessed.

Growing up, we did have a cabin on Camp Lake, but we didn’t go there much and when we did, it had a very steep hill going down to the lake so it was very dangerous.  There were also always a lot of woodticks around, the lake was terrible for swimming and it seemed like the only good fishing on the lake was for bullheads . . . and I hated bullheads at the time.

Our family sold the cabin before I was a teenager so for most of my high school years and beyond, I forgot about lake living and only went to a lake a few times a year (usually Lake Linka, Minnewaska or Pelican).  

In the meantime, the Chippewa River became our newest playground and the kids and I would take a kayak ride (or just float) down the river many times each summer.

Six years ago, we decided that we would try buying a lake cabin on Lake Pelican where my son’s in-laws had bought a cabin recently.  It took only a few weeks and we had a cabin picked out and by the end of the summer, we had bought ourselves a lake cabin.

At first, I thought it would be great to be up there only on the weekends, but after a few weeks, I wanted to be there all the time.  And so, we put our house up for sale in Benson and it took only a few months and we had it sold.  Now, I couldn’t think of any place I’d rather be than at the lake.

The lake is always changing, it provides me with great views all year and it gives me numerous entertainment options like swimming, boating, kayaking, paddleboarding or cross-country skiing.

Even when it turns cold and I become hurried in trying to get some tasks done before the snow arrives (like taking out the dock), I enjoy the peace and solitude of living on the lake and I try to be patient, knowing that before long, the signs of spring will begin to appear again and we can start thinking of spring and summer.

That’s when I really love living on the lake!