For the past 15+ years, in the same shallow location in Haller Lake, a male largemouth bass has made a nest. This nest is usually flat, round, and cleared of most debris right down to a smooth surface underwater. After the female lays thousands of yellow/orange eggs in the nest, the fry hatch in 2-5 days, depending on the water temperature. Last year, when looking into a shallow, sunlit area of the lake, I saw thousands of these comma sized- newly hatched fish swimming all together in a school. As I leaned closer to see them, a large male appeared under them to discourage me from getting too close. Apparently, the males protect the young for several weeks after the fry hatch. Largemouth bass are carnivorous, freshwater fish that mainly eat insects and fish (including each other). They've also been known to eat frogs, salamanders, worms, snakes and mice. After their young are more than an inch long, they will eat them, too. They've been known to live for up to 20 years! Late A...

Dolma or Dolmades Submitted by Randy Harkness My mother, Doris, grew grapes, and the leaves were the foundation of this Middle Eastern recipe.   No heritage in our family.   She simply liked international cuisine.

  I'm Jeff Silverman, the HLCC's new web gardener. You may reach me via E-mail at jeffsilverm@gmail.com .  At the moment, I have two agenda items: Learn how the website, blog, E-mail, and whatever databases HLCC has works Do a security audit - which I will try to get done by the next board meeting. If you have any good ideas of what you want me to do, then please let me know.  If you have any bad ideas, then let me know about them as well: I do stand up comedy in my spare time and I am always looking for new material. Thank you   Jeff

 

  As a teen floating around the Lake on my all-wood paddleboard I made in the 1960s, I couldn’t help but notice the many flowering lily beds tucked on shorelines.  The bright green pads fashioned as designer plates looked stunning against multi-colored full-open flowers.  Add blue dragonflies whizzing about to get the full effect. R. C. Byers, an early Haller Lake pioneer dating to 1910s, was known as the “lily man” not to mention he built his own cabin, cleared land, and replanted trees, shrubs and…25 varieties of  lilies .  A story appeared in Sunset magazine “The Lily Grower of Haller Lake” claiming his status.  Our own Shawn MacPherson’s aunt, Anne Segale, said her local kids would sell Mr. Byers  lilies  at Pike Place Market. Today many Lake homeowners have the coveted  lilies , well, perhaps some are coveted.  They spread from Byers' shorefront to around the Lake over 100 years.  It’s a tedious job to clear  lilies  ...

  Shou Sugi Ban Garden Beds: A Backyard Experiment in Burnt Beauty Walking around the Haller Lake neighborhood, it’s hard not to be inspired. So many beautifully maintained gardens and thoughtful landscaping—each one a small expression of creativity and care. After countless walks soaking in the sights, I couldn’t shake the urge to create a little garden nook of my own. Last year, I finally decided to take on the project. Designing a garden can be overwhelming. There are so many factors to consider. Some questions are well-documented—like understanding your soil, sunlight, and microclimate. Others, not so much: Should I build raised beds or plant directly in the ground? What material should I use—wood, metal, concrete, stone? And what size should the beds be? My garden journey started small, and honestly, with a bit of luck. I stumbled upon some 4” x 8” Douglas Fir beams on sale and, on a whim, decided that wooden raised beds sounded just right. I bought them—and then… did nothing....