Broken Pole and Pole Dance!

Looks like little Bobby may be in trouble for catching a 18 lbs cat on his daddy's fishing pole!

WORMS GONE WILD! You ever wonder what Fishing Worms do in their spare time? Well, you won't have to any more!

Check Out my vintage style Lake, River and Bay Maps! They make really cool gifts. I have over two hundred lake, river and bay maps on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalized lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com. 

Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Personalized Canvas Lake Maps

Here's a custom lake map that I did for a customer in Arkansas. This paintings is printed on canvas and is 16x32. For a special touch, I actually hand paint/touch-up the waterfowl and other areas after printing. This makes the print pop when hanging on the wall. Oh Yeah, I hide things in the waters, but more that later. The print shown here is before touch-up.

Greers Ferry Lake is a fairly large lake, but I do all size lakes and shapes. This map turned out great and is now hanging in a lake house over looking Greers Ferry Lake. I sometimes place a star at the location of the lake house which folks really enjoy. Also, I have had folks request this poem that my wife dreamed up. I place it around the map or insert it in the map somewhere. I love the poem.

"I Love this lake, The most amazing scenes appear in its wake, The sun arises just above the shore, Giving grace and beauty to this place I adore." LKO

What do I hide in the waters of my lake painting? I hide a tiny mermaid/fish in the waters of all my lake map paintings that folks love to search for. I call my maps treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. These maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoLakes.com. 

TREASURED MAPS www.leolakes.com

As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work click 

See more at www.LeoLakes.com

Fishing at Night !

Is dumping bait overboard littering?

I bet if you are a fisherman, you've dumped your worms or bait overboard, haven't you? I know that I have. It's feeding the fish to make them become a trophy, however I wonder if this is littering and against the law? Anyway, the fish may think it's raining worms.

Check Out my vintage style Lake, River and Bay Maps! They make really cool gifts.

TREASURED MAPS www.leolakes.com

My First Cartoon of 2015!

My first cartoon of 2015, the "Fountain of Youth." I hope you find your Fountain of Youth!

Check Out my vintage style Lake, River and Bay Maps! They make really cool gifts.

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Happy New Years

A fox peed on me, sort of?

A few years ago, I wanted to find out if foxes were roaming in our woods, "the ten acre woods" as we call it. It's named from the Winnie the Pooh story, "hundred acre woods." Anyway, here's what happened, enjoy!

Yesterday, I took my bottle of Fox urine and motion detection camera 
'Critter Cam" to the ten acre woods with the goal of photographing a Red Fox. I found an ideal spot with tracks in the snow about 20 feet from a tree that would be a great place to attach Critter Cam. I placed Critter Cam on the tree, pointing to the trail. 

Thinking like a Fox, I found a small shrub that's a perfect spot for a Red Fox to hike or squat. My thinking is that Mr. Fox will be sniffing out the fake trespasser and will zero in to the shrub while Critter Cam takes the perfect photo. I very carefully took out my bottle of Fox urine also known as Fox valentine perfume, which has a handy dandy spray nozzle on top. I sprayed the small shrub like you would if you had a can of bathroom deodorizer and just finished letting off a stink bomb in your first dates, bathroom.  

Unfortunately for me, I had gloves on and some of the spray ran down the bottle. I guess you could say I Fox Peed on myself, Dang it! Well anyway, all is set, so I hiked back home. Arriving home, I open the door and was attacked by Creamy, Gray, Stormy, and Kibble our cats. Dang Fox urine! In the next few days I will check back to see if I met my goal, Red Fox photo. Cross your fingers! 

At 6:30 this morning, I awoke and took off to the woods to check Critter Cam, my motion detection camera. I have it placed on a tree near an animal trail, which I have sprayed Fox urine around with the goal of photographing a Red Fox. For EIGHT day’s I have checked critter cam. Each day nothing, except for a squirrel coming near. But today, I think, I believe, it appears, I have a photo of the critter. Not out foxed, It does look like a fox? 

I call this goal accomplished. Now for a photo of a Bobcat, do they make Bobcat pee? Also, as in earlier posts about this subject, I have learned a bunch. One, I found Fox urine to be difficult to get off, I spilled a little on me, which Ajax and Bounty wouldn't even get off. Two, it attracts cats. Our cats Gray, Smokey, Creamy and Kibble smell this stuff out no matter where I put it and go after it. Here is Creamy out in the woods smelling fox pee and interfering in my Operation Fox Photo.

Mmmm, feels good to accomplish a goal! Do you know "What's in your woods".

Not a fish was stirring, not even a carp!

I went fishing last year near Christmas and here's what happened.

Last weekend I went to one of my favorite lakes to fish and kayak. This particular lake was stocked with Rainbow Trout the day before and my goal was to catch few. This poem tells you how well the fishing trip went.

Not a fish was stirring not even a carp!

T’was the night after the Rainbows had been stocked at the lake, I went fishing to see what I might take,

The flys were hung in the tackle box with care, in hopes that a big rainbow would soon be there.

When out on the lake there arose such a clatter, I sprang up in my kayak to see what was the matter.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, a just fallen tree near a old whitetail deer.

I found not a fish was stirring, not even a carp, so I paddled my Kayak back to the park.

When I arrived home, fun was had by all, as my wife had just arrived from the mall.

That pretty much sums up my fishing trip. Apparently the trout, being new to the lake had pissed off everyone and nothing was biting.

Visit my website to see more. I have over two hundred lake, river and bay maps on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalized lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com. 

TREASURED MAPS www.leolakes.com

As you can see, my maps make a great gift. To see more of my work, click here www.LeoLakes.com. 

Remember, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream!

Happy Holidays

This has been a very busy year for us. Here's a little bit about my family. 

Sarah graduated from Davidson Academy as valedictorian in May. She then began her freshman year at Sewanee: the University of the South. She continues to be an avid runner and is currently training for her third half-marathon.

Callie has completed her final semester at Sewanee, where she is summa cum laude. She will receive a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in environmental studies. Callie will continue working at the University doing research before going to graduate school. Our cats, Gray-gray, Stormy (Fatboy), and Creamy (Tyrone) are fat and happy.

My wife, Karen teaches at Davidson Academy and I have been growing LeoLakes Treasured Maps. 

Thank You for purchasing my vintage style maps. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

TREASURED MAPS www.leolakes.com

Hopefully, make grandpa smile from ear to ear!

It seems like I'm an Elf in Santa's workshop with all the Christmas maps that are being worked on. The studio is a little messy, but enjoying it! Check-out the email that I received below. I hope I can put a big smile on grandpa's face!

"This map is for my grandpa. Please work your magic and include all of your amazing art (fish, mermaid, geese, plane, heron and eagle) that would make grandpa smile from ear to ear when he receives this for Christmas.  Also, my brother is an Apache pilot in the US Army, not sure how hard it would be for you to add a small helicopter (it can be a simple model of any kind) somewhere close to the property...if that's too much to ask for I completely understand.  Looking forward to seeing the finished product. Happy holidays to you and your family!"

Oh yeah, this is my studio during this Christmas seasons. Happy Holiday's!

If you look closely you can see fish!

I am  a fisherman, so in my vintage style maps I add fish swimming around and jumping. If you look closely you can see fish that I place in the waters for interest. I just finished this map of St Croix Island. It will be a Christmas gift for someone who has a condo on the Island. 

The birds will be hand painted (touched-up) to make them pop before shipping. Some where in the waters is a tiny hidden mermaid.

If you look closely in the picture below, you may see the fish jumping out of the water. I often place different things in the waters for folks to look for.

Visit my website to see more. I have over two hundred lake, river and bay maps on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalized lake, river or bay maps, too. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoLakes.com. 

TREASURED MAPS www.leolakes.com

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream, or at least enjoy one on your wall.