Meadowrook News
2024 Opening Weekend (May 2024)
The 80th Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine was, as always, a celebration of family, friends and tradition. Perfect weather and good fishing put everyone in great spirits. Friday was reserved for kids only fishing for the trophy and they did not disappoint as four different young anglers put their names on the official paper plate on the first day. But as has happened 22 previous times a Mowinski, this time Bryce, was the eventual winner. Brand new andirons forged by Chris and bottles of home brewed mead by Steve made their appearance at this Opener to the approval of everyone. The highlight for many was the first apperance of 1 year old Emma Novielli, daughter of Justin and Jenna.
2023 Deer Season (November 2023)
Deer season was a little disappointing this year as there were not many deer seen and as a result not many deer taken. This was surprising because our trail cams indicated a healthy number of deer including a number of nice bucks on our property. Deer camp this year welcomed the entire Utah Bowyer family Michael, Susan, Parker, and Kaitlyn to the festivities. Other guests were Steve, Chris, and Ben Bowyer, John and Nate Jobson, along with Rick and Scott Smith. It is a good thing the western Bowyers were here because Michael and Kaitlyn accounted for the only two deer, (both does) taken during this year's deer camp. Chris and Steve finished up the year in the extended antlerless season by each taking a doe. Better luck next year!
2023 Opening Weekend (May 2023)
The 79th Annual Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine has come and gone. It was great to gather once again with friends and family. This same group has been doing this for so long that the weekend kinda runs itself with everyone pitching in as necessary. The weather was passable. The fishing started out slow but picked up as the weekend went along. Lots of trout were caught but no really big one except Eddie who, as a Hall of Fame member, no longer qualifies for the trophy. The weekend started and ended with the traditional baseball extravaganza. Ben Bowyer caught his 17 inch brown at 11:40 on Sunday morning to edge out Bryce Mowinski who held the lead for theentir weekend.
2022 Deer Camp (November 2022)
The picture shows you the highlight of this year's deer camp. Kaitlyn bagging her first deer from the last deer blind her grandfather ever built. It was epic. Maybe not quite as epic as this tiny ten year old holding court at the dinner table that night as eight grizzled hunters listened as she told and retold her story. A tale that over time will surely include the slightly exaggerated part where Michael pushed her out the window to get a better angle. When Rob told her the best part was she didn't have to get up early the next day her reply was also epic "Yes I do, I have another tag!" Deer camp wouldn't be complete if Rob didn't shoot his yearly deer which this year was a doe from Carey's Blind. Heavy and unexpected snow put a damper on things as John and Nate Jobson could not get here from Grand Rapids and others wisely chose to leave early. We welcomed Rick and Scott Smith to their first but hopefully not last Meadowbrook Deer Camp. Steve ended the season by takig a doe from Rye Patch.
2022 Opening Weekend (May 2022)
The 78th Opener continued a great tradition for family and friends of Meadowbrook-on-the-Pine. Michael Bowyer won his third Trophy leaving him just one win short of the Hall of Fame. We welcomed three first time guests this year, Mac Stephen Bowyer (age 6 months) and recently married Justin and Jenna (Plawinski) Novielli. Beautiful weather and a delicious brisket prepared by Chris Bowyer made for a great weekend. Hall of Fame hats were presented to the existing members of the Opening Weekend Hall of Fame - Kathy (Dave) Bowyer, Ed Mowinski, Brent Mowinski, and Steve Bowyer. The hats will hang above the Hall of Fame plaque in the dining room until we reconvene next year for the 79th Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook-on-the-Pine.
Biggest Buck Taken at Meadowbrook? (November 2021)
Many many hours of sitting, watching, and hoping finally paid off for Steve Bowyer on Opening day of gun season. Many years of work establishing food plots, sanctuaries, and planned out deer blind placement all became worthwhile when this beauty stepped into view at rye patch on the morning of November 15. In a display of sportsmanship and fair play Steve fired a warning shot (probably high) to give this buck a chance to run and hide. He chose to hold his ground. Big mistake, as only one warning shot was fired. The second found it's mark and Steve had the biggest deer of his hunting life and as far as any one knows the biggest buck ever taken on the property.
Beam Installed in Summer House (August 2021)
A new beam to help support the living room ceiling has been installed. Kudos to Chris Bowyer who ordered and cut the pieces to make the installation a lot easier than we all expected. He also matched the stain perfectly. Thanks to the entire crew, Brent Rayle, Terry Anderson, Randy Adlam, Sally Adlam, Chris Bowyer and Steve Bowyer. The summer house continues to stand.
Opening Weekend Hall of Fame Established (June 2021)
The Meadowbrook Opening Weekend Hall of Fame was established after 77 Opening Weekends. Anyone who has won the Opening weekend Trophy four times gains admittance into the Hall of Fame. The first four charter members are Fred Schwarze Jr., Ed Mowinski, Dave Bowyer, and Brent Mowinski. It didn't take long for the fifth member to qualify as Steve Bowyer won for the fourth time this year thus adding his name to the Hall. A plaque recognizing the members of the Opening Weekend Hall of Fame hangs on the wall in the dining room of the summer house. Members of the hall are no longer eligible to compete in the regular trophy competition. Pictured are two of the charter members, Ed and Brent, along with Michael representing his father Dave.
77th Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook (June 2021)
This year's Opener was rescheduled to June 4-6 to allow everyone time to get vaccinated. The regular crowd was there although the Mowinskis only showed up in time for the trophy presentation photo on Sunday. This was surely the warmest Opener ever as high temperatures approached 90 degrees. Steve Bowyer won with a 19 1/2 inch brown caught early Saturday morning in Stump Hole. Old Maid's Hole was turned over to the kids for swimming and playing for most of the weekend. Hopefully next year we return to the normal first weekend in May Opener.
Spruce Trees Replanted (April 2021)
After the harvesting of the red pine last winter we needed to replant along the road and along the east fence row to establish a visual barrier. Instead of making some of us old people plant the 1000 White Spruce we hired the job out to a local crew. A good decision as they did a fast and professional job.
Painting the Guest Cabin Finished (April 2021)
A job that started last July was finally finished when the painter returned to paint the Guest Cabin. This writer hopes he is around when it is next painted so he can lobby once again for a green cabin with white trim
Red Pine Logging Operation at Meadowbrook (December 2020)
A spur of the moment harvest of red pines has been completed. The trees we harvested were planted by hand in the Spring of 1973 by this writer among others. Most of the trees harvested were the trees on the east edge of the property going up the big hill and filling the plateau. Also harvested were the trees along the north fence row as well as two other small parcels. One on the west edge near cherry tree food plot and the other along the road just west of the barnyard. Two rows of younger trees along the road east of the farmhouse were also harvested to make room for a new planting of spruce trees to serve as a visual barrier.
Opening Weekend Delayed until September (September 2020)
Well we finally held our modified for Covid 2020 Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine. It was the 76th annual event and although it was not what any of us wanted it was successful and fun for those able to attend. For everyone's safety and comfort level we limited the invitees to the core Bowyer family members. This was a difficult decision because we missed many folks who have become beloved fixtures at Opening Weekend. Ben was able to get his name on the Trophy for the first time with a very nice 17" Brown caught at First Hole early Sunday morning. The highlight of the weekend for this writer was the debut of Henry Francis Bowyer who attended his first of many Openers.
Summer House Painted (August 2020)
A long overdue job was finished this summer. Before you get excited about all of our hard work I have to tell you that we had the job done by a professional. He spent more time scraping, sanding, and prepping the house than he did actually painting. The side in the pictures had to have three coats. Hopefully the Guest cabin will be finished next spring as well.
New Raised Bow Blind at Rye Patch (July 2020)
Yup we decided we just didn't have enough deer blinds so we built another one. This time on the west side of Rye Patch. We named it "The Dark Tower". The green paint is indeed real left over Copper Verde of Meadowbrook lore. Thanks for engineer and designer Chris Bowyer, laborer Ben Bowyer, roofing specialist Willie Holmes, and laborer would be supervisor Steve Bowyer. I would like to say this is the last but of course you know better.
Deer Camp 2019 (November 2019)
Deer season 2019, as always, was a totally enjoyable experience for it's participants. Steve, Chris, and Ben Bowyer, Tom, John, and Nate Jobson, Rob and Bruce Jellison, Ed Mowinski, and Tom Carey. The weather was cold but otherwise almost perfect. Many deer but only one unfortunate legal buck was seen. Steve took this buck from the Rye Patch Blind on Opening Day. The following morning Bruce Jellison took a nice 3 1/2 year old doe at Icehouse. I would note that Rob Jellison due to his African experience knows more about staging a hunting picture than Chris and I do.
Good-Bye to the Farm House (September 2019)
Thursday September 26, 2019 was the last day for the Farm House. It was over 120 years old. It had been added onto many times over the years and was home to many Schwarze and Horan family members. This includes Earl and Betty Horan with Kathy, Jerry, Sandy, and Mike in the late 1940's. Herm and Norm along with MomMae lived there in the early 1970's when the main house was being built. Dave and Kathy Bowyer along with Kelly lived there in the early 1980's. Steve and Lisa Bowyer along with Chris and Ben called it home in the late 1980's and early 1990's. When Gram retired in the early 2000's she made her home in the farmhouse. Chris and then Katy Bowyer made it home from 2009 until 2019. It has served us well and it will be missed.
2019 Opening Weekend (May 2019)
Well we did it again by celebrating the 75th annual Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook-on-the-Pine. There was a smaller than usual crowd as Sue Hilty along with Ben and Maureen who were expecting their first baby any day and were unable to attend. Ed Mowinski won for the second consecutive year with a 21 inch Brown. At least one of us was pleased to see the old man edge out Brent's 19 1/2 incher. Along with the usual highlights this weekend was made special by the planting of trees by the next generation of cousins. Also Chris and Katy hosted many tours of their new house for family and friends. Not to be outdone Kary also opened her beautiful new house for everyone to see as well.
2018 Opening Weekend (May 2018)
The 74th Annual Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine featured, good weather, high water, big fish, old friends, and a continuation of the greatest of family traditions. Eddie Mowinski won the trophy with a 20 1/4 inch brown from Old Maid's Hole but was challenged when Chris landed a 19 incher at Log Jam and Kaitlyn netted a 17 incher at First Hole. My personal highlight was watching 75 year old Sue Hilty showing pictures of herself, (in the Meadowbrook albums), at Opening Weekend in 1948 when she was 5 years old to a slightly confused 6 year old Kaitlyn Bowyer.
Deer Season 2017 (November 2017)
This year's deer season was very slow as we saw the fewest deer in recent history. Some of this may be due to a decrease in the number of bow hunters actively hunting and remarkably bad weather for the first week of gun season. However fewer deer seems to be the general feel in the entire area. We did have a little success as Michael Bowyer harvested a doe from Rye Patch wooden ladder stand on Opening Day October 1. The only other deer taken was a doe from the Rye Patch gun blind by Ben over the Thanksgiving weekend. It is a good thing we don't measure success solely in deer harvested but in time spent in the woods with nature as well.
2017 Opening Weekend (May 2017)
A beautiful but cool weekend greeted all who attended the 73rd annual Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine. The river was a little high but good fishing awaited those prepared to brave the cold mornings. Brent Mowinski won the trophy with a 22 1/2 inch brown. It was the biggest trout he has ever landed and the second biggest to win the Opening Weekend Trophy. This was the second consecutive year when the weekend had to be moved a week later than the traditional Opener of the last Saturday in April. It was the consensus that this date change should become permanent. So until further notice Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine will be celebrated on the first Saturday in May.
New roof for Tackle Room (April 2017)
A recently discovered leaky roof called for quick action. This was a serious problem because the leak occured not far from the recently added five tap keezer. We knew this day was coming as this project has been on the to do list since 2011. Luckily, Chris, Ed. Susan, Mike, Lisa, Steve and friend Terry Anderson were able to complete the job in two days the weekend before this year's Opening Weekend. Special recognition goes to Parker and Kaitlyn who occupied themselves for most of the time their parents were on the roof.
2016 Opening Weekend (April 2016)
Perfect weather blessed th 72nd Annual Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine. To no one's surprise a Mowinski, this year Brent, won the trophy for the tenth time. Susan's parents Jerry and Terry Seifert made their first Opening Weekend and were a welcome addition. A new activity, Katy's Art Schoo; occupied childre and adults alike. By all accounts this was onew of the bes Opening Weekends ever.
Labor Day Weekend 2015 (September 2015)
We had a small crew this year so we kept the projects manageable. The wires in the Guest Cabin and on the front porch were painted to help hide them. The fire pit wood pile was restocked. A new microwave shelf was installed above the electric stove and a new plug on it's own circuit was added to alleviate the breaker problem when the toaster, coffee maker, and microwave run simultaneously. The biggest project was removing the biffy with the hope we will have a new bath house before too many years go by. Much of the old biffy's siding was saved, hopefully we can use some of it for the new biffy/shower. Thanks to our hardworking crew - Steve and Lisa Bowyer, Chris Bowyer, Katy Washburn, Ben Bowyer, and Maureen Gehbauer.
2015 Opening Weekend (April 2015)
The usual suspects arrived on Friday April 24 for the 71st annual Opening Weekend of Meadowbrook on the Pine. They were greeted by good weather and bright lights. The Summer House, Guest Cabin, and Tackle Room had all been recently rewired and many new light fixtures had been added Beer on tap also awaited guests brave enough to enter the Liar's Den. Fishing was slow and although many hours were invested few trout were caught. Michael Bowyer was the winner with a 17" Brown caught Saturday morning at Stump Hole. However this was not the most exciting thing that happened to him this weekend. On Friday he was offered and quickly accepted his new dream job with Hoyt Archery in Utah. Congratulations Michael!
Lodge, Guest Cabin, Tackle Room Rewired (April 2015)
A long overdue upgrade to Meadowbrook has been completed. Almost every wire in all three buildings has been replaced. The only exceptions are the kitchen and front porch which had relatively new wire. The breaker box has been moved from the bathroom to behind the hallway door, away from the hot water heater. Twenty seven new light fixtures have been added. There are plugs and switches every place you always wanted one. No more blindly climbing the stairs and groping for the string to turn on the light before whatever was lurking upstairs found you. Thanks to the efforts of Jerry Seifert (Susan's dad who took a week off work to come help), Terry Anderson, Chris, Michael, Susan, Kathy, Lisa, and Steve we have a safer and much better lit summer house, guest cabin, and tackle room.
2014 Opening Weekend (April 2014)
The 70th Annual Opening Weekend was memorable for all the usual reasons but also for the five new people making their first appearance at Meadowbrook. Kenn Andrews, Katy Washburn, Maureen Gehbauer, Kathleen Fraser, and Andrew Cannaert experienced their first Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine. We also had Sue Hilty and Dick Schwarze who made their first Opening Weekend appearances in the late 1940s. Not surprisingly the winner was a Mowinski. This time and for the first time it eas Bryce with an 18 3/4 inch Brown, beating out Ed by 1/2 inch.
Tackle Room Painted (September 2013)
For the fourth time in this writer's memory the tackle room has been repainted. After much prep work by Chris and Steve the crew of Michael, Susan, Ben, Lisa, Kathy, and Chris applied the first coat on Saturday. Plans for a second coat were rained out until Tuesday when Steve, Lisa, and Chris finished the job.
New Deer Blind - Ed's Shed (April 2013)
Another gun deer blind has been completed. Memorial Weekend, with the help of Chris, Ben, Mike, and Mike's friends Joe, Eric, and Eric we disassembled an old blind across the river at Stump Hole. The pieces were then ferried across Stump Hole on a canoe. Chris and Steve then reassembled the blind north and west of Cherry Tree blind. The hope is this blind will keep Eddie out of the way of the serious deer hunters.
2013 Opening Weekend (April 2013)
The 69th Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine will be long remembered for it's dramatic ending. Michael Bowyer landed an 18-1/4" Brown early Saturday morning and it held the lead until 11:40 Sunday morning when Lisa arrived from Stump Hole with a 21-1/4 " Brown. The third largest winner in Opening Weekend history. Ironically, Chris, who was fishing beside Lisa broke off a good fish just minutes before Lisa caught hers which had a second hook with a tag of line hooked in the lower lip. The weather was great and the river was in good shape. Guests of note were Mary Margaret Horan, Michael Horan, Sharon Johnson, and Rick Johnson from Florida and Georgia and Bryce Mowinski returning from North Dakota. Making their first appearance at Opening Weekend were Kaitlyn Bowyer and Brody Plawinski as well as Betty's friend Kiera Fenzel.
Ash Trees Milled into Lumber (April 2013)
The ash trees that were taken down last December were milled into lumber today. Thanks to Tim Seguin and Coe Creek Portable Sawmill, Chris now has 1200 board feet of beautiful white ash to work with. It will take at least a year to dry enough to use so for now it is stacked in the barn. Among other projects Chris intends to make new furniture for the tackle room. What a great idea.
Ash Trees Removed (December 2012)
Unfortunately the three big ash trees between the tackle room and the driveway had become infected with emerald ash borer. We had a forester out to look at them and he estimated that they would be fully dead in 5 to 7 years. We made the painful decision that they had to come down. As a result a local tree service was contacted at 2:00 pm on Tuesday December 18. He came out to look at the trees that evening. The next day his crew arrived at 9:00 am and by 5:00 pm the trees were gone. The tree farthest from the tackle room was on the ground by 9:15 and these guys didn't slow down until the last log was loaded and the last limb was chipped. We asked that he leave us 5 nice saw logs that Chris intends to have milled to use in woodworking projects.
New Bench at Log Jamb (September 2012)
The sixth and final(?) bench has been installed. Fisherman at log jam now have a nice place to sit. Thanks to all of the people that contributed to our benches. Todd & Kelly, Susan & Michael, Steve & Lisa, Chris, Ben, Kary Case, and Chris and Annie. We now have benches at Stump Hole, Old Maid's Hole, Log Jam, Sand Hole, as well as two at the fire pit. If anyone has any suggestions for another spot for a bench please let us know.
New Bridges at Sand Hole and Old Maid's Hole (August 2012)
Chris and Mike decided it was time for new bridges at Sand Hole as well as Old Maid's Hole. Into the swamp they went to get a couple of cedar trees and some cedar stakes. Once installed and staked in Michael used his chain saw to cut a flat surface on the logs and voila new bridges were ready to go. Of course Susan and Steve provided a vital support role and expert supervision.
Five New Benches Installed (May 2012)
New six foot benches have been installed at Stump Hole and Old Maid's Hole. Two four foot benches are also installed at the upper lawn fire pit. The fifth installed bench sits above Sand Hole overlooking the run up to First Hole. Two spots also sponsored include Log Jam and the path between the summer house and the main house. These will be built and installed later. Benches for your favorite spot can be sponsored for a $50 donation. So far these are the benches approved and their sponsors. Stump Hole - Steve and Chris, Old Maid's Hole - Michael & Susan, Log Jam - Lisa & Ben, Above Sand Hole - Todd & Kelly, The path between houses - Gram, Fire pit #1 - Kary Case, Fire pit #2 - Available, Sand Hole - Available. Other suggested locations will be considered and additional sponsors are welcomed.
2012 Opening Weekend (April 2012)
Another Opening Weekend has come and gone and another chance for one of us to take down Brent Mowinski has gone as well. Chris Bowyer was the early leader and we were all pulling for the upset but it was not to be. Not many good fish were landed this year as it only took a 14 1/2" brown to win the trophy. The last time a fish under 15" won was 1987. This year also featured the first ever Opening Weekend baby shower as Susan hosted the event for Kelly. While the women and Todd enjoyed the shower many of us sat at the picnic table tasting one of the 16 different Meadowbrook Brewing Company home brews. See you next year!
Deer Season 2011 (October-November 2011)
The 2011 season started out very promising. Steve saw nice bucks on October 1 and October 2. Chris took a nice 8-point with his new bow on the second day of bow season. Then things slowed down. Although deer were seen throughout bow season no more were taken. Gun season was slow at Meadowbrook and the surrounding area. Deer camp welcomed two new faces in 2011 as John and Nate Jobson joined Steve Bowyer, Ed Mowinski, Tom Jobson, Tom Carey, Bruce Rivera, and Chris Bowyer. A few nice bucks were seen but none were taken. During the Thanksgiving weekend Ben was able to harvest a doe from Dave's blind. This is getting to be an annual event for Ben, and his hunt mates, Michael and Susan.
Boperta Yew 2011 (September 2011)
Another Boperta Yew has come and gone and yes another Mowinski has won. Of course at Boperta Yew there are more Mowinskis than I care to mention. The Schwarze/Horan family had an entrant in Rob Jellison but he failed to crack the leader board. Brent won with a combined score of 53 7/8" of trout. Far from the record but a nice number just the same. Ed and Brent, remarkably, were able to find a dozen or so willing victims to join them this year making it the largest Boperta Yew ever.
Farmhouse Roof Completed- Finally (September 2011)
Well the last part of the farmhouse with an outdated roof received new shingles this weekend.. Our annual Labor Day Weekend roofing crew was at it again this year. Steve, Lisa, Chris, Ben, Jeff, Todd, Kelly, Mike, and Susan were able to strip and shingle the west facing roof on the farmhouse on Saturday. Even though the rain delayed the planned 9:00 am start until 11:00 am we were still able to finish by dinner time. Again thanks to all but a special thanks to Jeff Horan for supplying the time saving roofing nailer. This leaves only the road side roof of the tackle room without new shingles. See you next Labor Day Weekend.
New "Rob's Blind" Completed (July 2011)
The last major deer blind update for 2011 has been completed. The old Ice House deer blind and the old Rob's blind were dismantled and reconstructed into one larger two man blind. In addition it was moved about forty yards to the west and raised onto a seven foot platform. Now six of our eleven blinds can accommodate at least two hunters. Special thanks go to Chris Bowyer, Michael Bowyer, and Terry Anderson for their help on this project.
New Walk in Basement Blind at Icehouse (June 2011)
Ok it is official. The deer blind situation is out of control here at Meadowbrook. Tom Jobson's favorite blind, Ice House, wasn't big enough for both Tom and his grandson who enjoyed a day or two of hunting every Thanksgiving. If only there was a way to make the Sand Hole in ground blind work at Ice House. Necessity, being the mother of invention, led to the obvious solution. Make a walk in basement blind. Genius!! Steve added to the sand pile at Ice House and built a cement block basement. A little engineering and muscle from Terry Anderson and Chris and bingo the blind was moved to it's new foundation atop the hill at Ice House.
Pileated Woodpecker Boxes Put Up (June 2011)
As part of the habitat improvements here at Meadowbrook Chris and Steve built and put up five pileated woodpecker nesting boxes. They are at the following locations - Path to Sand Hole - Near Dave's Blind - Arrow in Tree - East Shooting Lane at Ice House - West Side of Rye Patch. An interesting note is they are filled with wood chips and as you can see from the pictures have a piece of bark over the hole to make the woodpecker believe he is making his own nest.
Mushroom Season 2011 (May 2011)
Well after a cold start we were a little worried about this year's mushroom season as no one was finding many anywhere. That all changed this week with a little rain and some warm weather. Terry Anderson and I picked 66 black mushrooms late last week. I found 64 more early this week. Today, May 12, was over the top as Terry and I found 386 black morels, mostly in the same relatively small area. No I will not tell you where. Well the beat goes on as Michael and Susan found over 50 white morels on Friday & Saturday and Lisa added 15. On Sunday May 14 Steve & Lisa picked 38 more black morels in Terry & Steve's now not so secret spot.
2011 Opening Weekend (April 2011)
Believe it or not a Mowinski was the winner of the trophy at the 67th Annual Opening Weekend at Meadowbrook on the Pine. On Thursday the river was out of control and the general consensus was it would be too high for fishing. Boy were we wrong as a number of big fish were landed and Brent Mowinski needed every inch of his 19" brown to claim his second consecutive win. The weather turned out comfortable as we dodged the predicted cold and rain. Many would say the highlight of the weekend was the coming out party of the newly established Meadowbrook Brewing Company. Seven different and delicious brews were available for our thirsty guests and somewhere over 80 home brews were consumed.
Deer Season 2010 (November 2010)
The 2010 Deer Season has ended with a total of four deer taken. After a slow start in bow season with few deer seen and an equally slow first few days of gun season where deer were seen but none taken we were beginning to get a little worried. That all changed when Rob showed up. That Friday evening Steve harvested a doe at Cherry Tree. Saturday it was all about Rob as he shot a nice 5-point at Rye Patch on Saturday morning followed by taking a good doe that evening from the same blind. Gun season wrapped up Thanksgiving Weekend with Ben Bowyer shooting a doe Saturday November 27 also from the Rye Patch blind. Following the tradition started by Michael and Susan, Ben was accompanied by Jessica who actually spotted the deer before Ben did.
Roofing the Farmhouse Labor Day 2010 (September 2010)
Over the 2010 Labor Day Weekend a crackerjack crew re-shingled the front half of the farmhouse. The following people contributed to the effort by working on the roof directly or by providing the support that kept the others working until the job was finished. Normae Bowyer, Steve Bowyer, Lisa Bowyer, Chris Bowyer, Ben Bowyer, Kathy Bowyer, Todd Plawinski, Kelly Plawinski, Michael Bowyer, Susan Bowyer, Parker Bowyer, (He wasn't much help but he kept Gram occupied and out from underfoot), Bill Plawinski, Kristie Plawinski, Jenna Plawinski, and some guy named Brad who nobody seemed to know. Special thanks goes to Jeff Horan who not only gave an honest day's work for not much pay but in addition supplied the nail gun and roofing nails that made the project much easier and faster. I tried to find a picture of Steve actually on the roof but they don't seem to exist. Imagine that!
Morel Season 2010 Wrapping Up (May 2010)
It has been a strange year for morel mushrooms. The early warmth led to high expectations but a stretch of cold weather seemed to interrupt and actually abruptly end the early black morel season. The later, bigger, and easier to find white morels, although not as prevalent as earlier years were much more prevalent than the black morels. We have picked around 100 nice white morels to date. In addition I know of about twenty just waiting their turn. This I believe will be the end of morels for this year and we will just have to wait until next year to have the satisfaction of the hunt not to mention the delicious plate fulls of fried morels that we look forward to each spring.
Opening Weekend 2010 (April 2010)
Another Opening weekend has been celebrated here at Meadowbrook on the Pine. We had the usual suspects as 19 adults and 7 children were in attendance. The weather was passable on Saturday but Sunday turned rainy and cool. There was a buzz building around the lodge as Michael & Rob were tied for the trophy heading into Sunday and a cold rain was predicted. However as we all should have known, Brent Mowinski braved the rain and cold early Sunday morning and caught the eventual winner from Stump Hole before most of us had gotten out of bed.
Spring Comes Early (April 2010)
Spring has arrived about three weeks early here at Meadowbrook. The daffodils are almost past when there are many years when they don't bloom until after Opening Weekend. We have trees flowering and when you arrive at the Opener don't be surprised if we actually have leaves on the trees. We have had three 80 degree days already this spring. Don't worry though we are planning for 45 and cloudy for Opening Weekend. The river is in perfect condition for fishing so hopefully there will be no major rains leading up to the big weekend.
Deer Wintering Well (February 2010)
The deer seem to be doing fine so far this winter. The snow and temperatures have been moderate and a late January thaw made food accessible. We do however have five or six deer who have taken a liking to the sunflower seeds meant for the birds. Initially they came only at night. Then they began showing up during the day. Lately they have been bedding near by so they don't have as far to go to get a snack. Chris has named one very easily recognizable deer Darryl. Don't ask me why Darryl but he has a very unique face. In addition there is a buck with scars on his hind quarters that correspond exactly with a spike horn Chris saw this fall with an arrow in his back. We believe he is a survivor.
Pileated Woodpeckers Arrive (January 2010)
Pileated Woodpeckers return!! When winter hits and the suet is put out we anxiously await the return of the pileated woodpeckers. For a week or so we only saw one at a time but on December 30 we saw a pair on the same tree. We are hoping to duplicate or exceed the three at one time we saw last year.
Winter Arrives at Meadowbrook (November 2009)
Meadowbrook woke up Thanksgiving morning to the first snowfall of the year. As if on que our turkeys showed up just as we were putting their cousin into the oven. He was delicious!
Deer Season 2009 (October - November 2009)
Deer season is wrapping up in Northern Michigan and there isn't much to report. Buck sightings have been few and far between. Bow hunting was a slight success with Michael Bowyer taking home a nice doe on October 2nd. Not as many deer as anticipated were seen for the gun season opener on November 15. Family and friends present included Steve, Chris, and Ben Bowyer, Rob Jellison, Tom Carey, Ed and Brent Mowinski, and Tom Jobson. Ben was able to shoot a nice doe at rye patch on November 15th. As of November 27 only one shootable buck has been sighted. The regular gun season ended with Ben's doe the only deer taken. Ah but Muzzleloader season starts Friday December 11. Ah but Muzzleloader season ended with no deer taken. There's always next year.
New Brick BBQ Built (July 2009)
We have a new BBQ! Thanks to the genius and hard work of Chris Bowyer not to mention the advanced level of supervision provided by Steve Bowyer, we can now grill in style! The BBQ had it's debut on August 8th when Chris Bowyer entertained a group of friends from Michigan State. We encourage all future guests to bring a bag of charcoal and try the new BBQ.