It’s about wonder and sadness this time of year. So few boats on the lake, almost all fishermen, that I feel like Jocassee is my lake again. Alone amidst such wonder is the gift of living here this time of year. And yet, so few people appreciate the latter part of November. Our boats fill at the end of October, full of people seeking the ‘peak’, and yet do not return to enjoy the afterglow of fall, when the hills fall silent and the oaks and hickories radiate a quiet golden glow. Wonder and sadness. They often go hand in hand to me.

MID-NOVEMBER WILDLIFE REPORT. The lake is down. Way down. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For one thing, we see bears along the shore (and in the trees!) when the lake is down. Not on every tour mind you, but at least once a week one of our guides reports a bear sighting. Bears meandering along the shore, bears with cubs, bears snoozing in trees. It’s all pretty cool. And BIRDS! The Jocassee winter birds are arriving daily, so expect diversity. Here’s a list of just one day spent on the lake. Common loons (of course), Ring-billed and Bonaparte’s gulls, Horned and Pied-billed grebes, Red-breasted mergansers, cormorants, one lone Great blue heron, one very docile Peregrine falcon, and lots of Kingfishers. That should go without saying around here. They’re most everywhere you go on the lake. And 3 bald eagles. Can’t forget them. ~B