Tag Archives: Bulldog’s Beach House

The Latest 09-21-2015

September 21, 2015 Tom Vander Well Leave a comment

I’m a little late on the publishing of my Sunday Summary this week. There was a lot happening early in the week. Wendy and I were excited to finally see our yard getting graded and seeded with grass. We were thankful for a couple good rains late in the week.

The early part of the week also included a whirlwind of work that had to get done early and a business trip to northwest Iowa. On Thursday evening Wendy and I headed down to the lake with our friends Kevin and Becky. We had to drive to Kansas City and pick up Kevin at the airport as he flew in from a business meeting in Denver. We arrived at the lake near midnight.

It was a bit overcast on Friday, nevertheless we got out on the boat for a slow cruise in the morning. We headed into town in the early afternoon and went to BWW for lunch. Becky went shopping while the rest of us stayed to watch the Cubs take on the Cardinals. We were about the only people in the restaurant and the manager, Darin, came over to chat with us. One thing led to another and Kev and I found ourselves doing a “tasting” of their four hottest sauces. We were even given complimentary boneless wings with them. My digestive system is still recovering.

As usual, our weekend with Kevin and Becky revolved around food, drink and rather intense conversation lasting deep into the night. Great salmon dinner on Friday and then burgers on the grill on Saturday night. We, of course, also found time for some sun and fun. On Saturday afternoon we spent a lot of time on the dock in the sun. Becky insisted we say good-bye to summer with one last boat right. We headed in the boat to both Bulldog’s Beach House and Larrywood for some refreshment.

Sunday morning we packed up and headed home, arriving back at VW Manor around 5:00. Wendy and I unpacked and settled in to watch the Vikings beat the Lions on the DVR.

Wayfarer's Journal

2014 Annual Weekend at the Lake with the Roose’s

June 6, 2014 Tom Vander Well Leave a comment

Thunderheads over the cove. Scattered rain all week.

Our first trip to Bear Bottom this year.

Hat and sunscreen recommended (but not that hat).

Apollonia (a.k.a Polly), our quarter century old runabout 🙂

Rated for 7 passengers (but that’s squeezing ’em in)

Hard to believe it’s Friday already. Wendy and I arrived back from our week at the lake on Monday night. After Memorial Day, we worked from the lake house. Wendy and I are blessed to have jobs that we can often manage from anywhere provided we have our laptops and an internet connection. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were spent working and trying to get ahead knowing that Kevin and Becky were arriving on Thursday night.

The big news of the week came with finding and buying a cute little boat that we’ve dubbed “Apollonia” or “Polly” for short. For many years we’ve been blessed to have the use of Dad VW’s boat down at the lake. He felt it was time to sell it and so he hauled it back to Iowa last fall and sold it to a guy from Minnesota just a few weeks ago. On the way down to the lake Wendy and I talked about how hard it was going to be (especially for me, I confess) to be “on the lake” but not to be able to be “on the lake” with family and friends.

The conversation continued over the next day or two and we discussed how much we could afford (not much) and what we really needed in a boat (something small, reliable that fit on the existing life and would get us from point A to point B on the lake). A little searching on-line led us to this cute 18 foot bow rider. A quarter of a century old, the 1989 Century shows signs of age and wear, but she’s cute and feisty (and she’s red, a big plus in Wendy’s book). After negotiations, test drives, mechanical inspections, we finally got her in the water on Friday.

Kev and Beck arrived late on Thursday night (Warning to all who come to our Playhouse: trust GPS directions at your own peril). On Friday the girls headed into Osage for a little shopping while Kev and I blew up the Relaxation Station and relaxed in the sun for a while. We got the boat in the water in the late afternoon and enjoyed an amazing steak dinner before taking the boat on a moonlight cruise to Bulldog’s for a nightcap.

Saturday was Bear Bottom day. We arrived early and staked our claim at the swim up bar, though the pool is always so cold this early in the season. It was there that Becky initiated the conversation about what we would call the boat, and we landed on Apollonia/Polly in homage to Apollo the Greek god of, among other things, light, sun, healing, and the arts. We ate lunch at Bear Bottom and hung out until mid-afternoon. A day in the sun had everyone worn out and naps were in order before another fabulous evening meal. Saturday night was spent on the deck in long, meaningful conversation. I’ve always known that the Playhouse is a thin place, but Saturday night’s conversation was a powerful reminder of just how much.

Kev and Beck had to leave at zero-dark thirty to get home for family activities. Wendy and I cleaned up, finished a little work, and then headed out on the lake for a long evening cruise. On Monday we cleaned up the house and packed up for home. My folks arrived about 2:45 and we showed them the new toy grandpa has to play with (He’s already fixed the horn and replaced a broken exhaust cover. Thanks Dad!). Wendy and I hit the road for home about 3:30.

Tom's Photos

Sunset Over Lake of the Ozarks

July 12, 2013 Tom Vander Well 4 Comments

Wendy, Suzanna and I took the boat out to Bulldog’s Beach House for dinner on Wednesday night. It was a gorgeous evening and the summer sun was still intense as we began motoring for home. This was the picture I took out the back of the boat as we left the restaurant. I love the way it captured the warmth of the sun and the light off the water.