Chris and I have a bit of cabin fever. Mother Nature dumped a bit more snow on us last week and I am trying to not complain but doggone it—-I am tired of the fluffy white stuff. Thank goodness it almost all melted off in 24 hours and we are supposed to experience a bit warmer temperatures this week. Not a minute too soon.
We had to get out of the house. We didn’t want to venture too far but wanted to go do something outside so we headed out after consulting Oddball Iowa–A Guide to Some Really Strange Places written by Jerome Pohlen .We headed off to Crystal Lake—population around 250 as of the 2010 census. Not exactly a metropolis but there is one thing that the locals are proud of—-their World’s Largest Bullhead.
That is a heck of a big fish, right? Bullhead catfish are not the prettiest fish or the most tasty—they are bottom dwellers and not too tasty but easy to catch which makes me think they might not be the brightest fish in the lake. Regardless, the locals are proud of their bullheads and erected a 12 foot from snout to tail structure to honor this prominent fish.
Most bullheads are brown and yellow but this one is green and yellow and sports 3 foot whiskers. Fun and odd, yes.
I took the chance to snap a few photos in the surrounding area and managed to spy a couple of lingering ice fishermen hanging on for some last of the season fishing.
When we were walking back to the car we spied a non-ice fisherman trying his luck at snagging something for dinner.
All he caught while we watched was the elusive “leaf fish” and Chris asked him what the size limit on that was. Always the jokester.
A few other pictures to round out our little much needed jaunt.
Of course this little trip out involved eating. Chris spied a little diner in Britt when we drove by so we headed back to grab a bite at the Heartland Diner in the heart of Britt. Yum. Great food, great prices, and the entire diner atmosphere that the hubby loves complete with locals who added a bit of texture to the experience. And yes—we shared the coconut cream pie and ate it before our tenderloin sandwiches arrived. After all—life is short. Eat dessert first.
