A couple of reviews

Posted by Greybeard on Jun 28th, 2011 in Local, News and weather, Shootist | 0 comments

I haven’t had a lot to say (publicly) for a few months now,  so today a little change up.   This morning we drove south about 30 miles to RIFENBARK ARMORY, LLC ,  to meet Scott,  and drop off my Benelli Nova.    If you’ve read back posts,  you know that this Benelli 20 gauge pump,  has been nothing but trouble since I bought it new last year.  It’s shoots good,  IF you can get it to load a shell,  rather that spit them out the bottom of the gun.

After sending it back to Benelli and waiting weeks for it to be repaired,  it came back with the same problem.     I called Benelli again,  and they said to send it in again………,     I balked at this idea and found Scott at Rifenbark Armory.   Scott is confident that there’s not a lot wrong with the gun,  it just needs a little tweakings,   “bending and duct tape” as he put’s it.

Anyway,  Scott now has the gun at his very nicely laid out shop,  and I should be hearing from him in about a week,  at which time,  I’ll complete this review.   That’s Rifenbark Armory,  LLC.  Gunsmithing and Firearms manufacturing.  989-879-3067 near Pinconning,  Michigan,  just off I-75.

On the tripp back from the Armory,  we came through Pinconning and stopped for lunch, at the Third Street Station,  (Deli, Bar, and Catering).   Third Street Station,  is a jewel of Pinconning.   The owners maintain the place as they would a well loved home.   It’s nicely detailed inside and out,  and the food is great.  I’d recommend the “Third Street Club” on Cibatta bread,  but the menu is quite large as noted on the above link.   They have a banquet room that is open to all customers when not in use,  that can hold quite a large group,  and an outside patio with a barbeque grill.    They offer  a fair selection of beers and wines,  (though,  no Guiness is on the menu)  :-(

Bottom line,   Third Street Station,  on M-13 in Pinconning, Michigan.  If your driving north and feel hungry, thirsty,  or just want to take a comfortable bread,  Third Street is the place for you.  989-879-1236

Mini Fishing report

Posted by Greybeard on May 9th, 2011 in Fishing, Local | 0 comments

The river AuGres  has settled down a bit now,  and even cleared up a bit.  Today we watched a couple of boats trolling up river (against the current),  and saw them take a number of nice Walleye.    Guess I’m going to have to get with the program and get a boat in the water!!

Flooding: Mini Report

Posted by Greybeard on Apr 28th, 2011 in Fishing, Local, News and weather | 0 comments

Well,  I hear the Rifle river is 3.5 feet over flood stage,  but I haven’t been down that way to see it.    The Au Gres River is, in my humble opinion,  about 18 inches below flood stage.  That meaning,  if the river comes up 18 inches more,  it will flood the City Campground.   That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t flooded out into the farm fields up river,   I’m fairly sure it has.

The current,  measured by driving along side the river in my car is between 7 and 9 miles per hour.    There’s a lot of boiling currents,  log’s and debris,  coming down river.

Saginaw Bay,,, is ugly.   Massive clouds of coffee with creme colored water.  The only places the water isn’t very very muddy,  are the small bays along the shoreline,  that don’t have rivers or creeks running into them.  And the wind is whipping up some nasty brown waves.

On shore,  EVERYTHING is wet.  Just about every yard in town is now a small lake.   There’s actually a new 18 acre lake right next to my house,  with depths nearing 3 feet.

And still,  the water levels in Saginaw Bay continue to fall???????????????????????????

Where’s the water going, part two

Posted by Greybeard on Apr 12th, 2011 in Fishing, Local, News and weather | 0 comments

After yesterday’s post asking where the water in the Great Lakes if going,   today I here a news report stating that FEMA is redrawing their floodplain maps.   It seems that this is a co-conspiracy with the Insurance companies.   It seems that the inland lakes and rivers are flooding nearly every year for the past few years,  costing the insurance companies a ton of money for repairs.

Someone please explain this phenomenon to me?   Inland,  we’re getting flooding and very high water levels,  while at the same time,  Saginaw Bay looks like a bath tub with the drain plug pulled.

Where is the water going????

Posted by Greybeard on Apr 11th, 2011 in Fishing, Local, News and weather | 0 comments

Where is the water in the Great Lakes going?  Specifically in Saginaw Bay?    On the river  3/4 mile of so from the Bay we see the river going down and down.   The water daily inching away from the seawalls.   This,   while up river they’re getting flooding rains,  and snowmelt.   Yesterday we took a ride out to the boat launch and on out to the river’s mouth.   It’s a very depressing sight!   MUD, and more MUD.

I can’t help but think that someone knows what’s going on.   Last year they dredged the river up to the  ”port of refuge“,  so boats could get in during bad weather.   They dredged it to six feet starting from the water level last summer.   Right now,  it’s at about 4 feet!  and if they hadn’t dredged last year,  there would be sections right now that would be less than 1 foot!

All the rivers are boiling water into the Bay,  and still,  it’s going down!

WHERE IS OUR WATER GOING????