Well, it’s certainly not the weather people hope for and expect on Memorial Day weekend, but then this is Jocassee, isn’t it. It was a windy and overcast ride up the lake early this Memorial Day weekend Saturday, as I was taking some intrepid hikers uplake early. It was bumpy and even a bit cold crossing the big water of the lower lake but smoothed out quite nicely once entering the lower Toxaway channel. By the time we reached the upper Toxaway it was mirror calm. The surface of the water was covered in just the lightest film of the last of the pollen blooms for this year, giving the water an almost ghost like aura. Scattered, spent mountain laurel flower petals were scattered over the surface throughout, making the whole landscape look like a mystical Japanese landscape painting. The mountain laurel are still in rich but fading color throughout the lake, making room for the soon to come rosebay rhodo bloom. What a lovely day it is to spend on Jocassee. ~B