The Lake Today

Editor’s Note: Ray Speckman, co-owner of Emme’s Attic in Versailles, enjoys Lake Area history. The first Wednesday of every month, he will deliver some fun facts, unique stories and interesting information about historic places, occurrences and anecdotes relating to the Lake of the Ozarks and mid-Missouri. Enjoy this new addition and guest column in The Lake Today’s Splash section.

After a decade and a half away from Camp Bagnell, and Ozark Daze on KOMU-TV, the pages of The Vacation News and airways of KFRU, I have been reincarnated.

‘Tis the same fella, only in an older wrapper, with stories about people, places and things I have visited, enjoyed (sometimes), and love to share.

Let’s talk about winter in the Lake Area.

With the holidays passed, the roar of the boats on the Lake muffled, the dormant grass and barren trees, it is to some easy to get the winter blahs with only sports fans having a short window of activity as the Super Bowl approaches.

There was a time when living at the robin’s nest hamlet of Bagnell, nestled in the valley of the Osage River that the Speckmans’ enjoyed the specialness of winter happenings, most notably the arrival of the wintering Bald Eagles.

Those magnificent birds could be frequently seen feeding below the dam on the river and down river also. I can recall the to-the-death-tanglements as warring eagles would lock their talons and plummet toward Mother Earth before one or both would release their grip and fly away to nest in a tree.

I recall them finding plentiful food on the government mandated continual water release from the lake into the river, the main reason for that majestic birds return.

And when the rare sustained zero temperatures froze the lake with only a small opening in the center, the eagles and gulls would gather to catch the unwary fish that swam too close to the edges of the water. The eagles, being scavengers in nature, would wait until the gulls would snatch a fish meal and then assert their dominance and feast on the catch of the gulls.

And then the snow when it fell, sometimes following ice that while treacherous made the area a winter wonderland of startling beauty.

Now, with wife Marti gone after fighting bravely against the hoard of cancer soldiers that invaded her, I find myself drawn back to the area after a sojourn of experiences. With Joyce Mitchell, also a widow, we cohabit, travel and enjoy life all the time enjoying a little destination gift/jewelry/antique and wine shop in Versailles, Emme’s Attic. Some would say, of course, we live in sin, but past life errors make this arrangement for us the most comfortable and certainly enjoyable.

With Joyce, new vistas are being discovered, new people are encountered and life is good.

One of our new discoveries is The Switzler House, a cottage bed and breakfast in the most charming and picturesque village of Arrow Rock. For more informaiton, visit www.switzlerhouse.com.

Many times in the past (that is a time Joyce and I dub BJ-before Joyce) and now after Joyce (AJ), that town has been visited and enjoyed.

In the BJ period I had discovered a specialness about that place, the people and the shops, restaurants and bed and breakfasts.

In the AJ period, we have revisited Arrow Rock, and enjoyed the Lyceum Theater and the bountiful and pleasant bed and breakfasts.

We discovered a recently renovated Bed and Breakfast cottage there, the Switzler House. Summer or winter, it is a relaxing destination.

We admit to being friends with the hospitable owners, Sandy and Marty Selby. But then we are friends with most all of the other bed and breakfast innkeepers in Arrow Rock.

Without degrading any of the other fine Inn’s of Arrow Rock, we hooked up with Sandy and Marty for a give-away promotion for our shop in Versailles.

The Switzler House is billed (and has a wonderful web site), as a place of “primitive charm and first-class hospitality.” That is an absolute truth.

The one bedroom, two-bath cottage is homey, filled with primitive antiques with a large kitchen area looking into a wooded area of downtown Arrow Rock. For the visitor there is fresh treats made by Sandy awaiting and a relaxing time is a certainty.

Even in the winter with snow falling gently and enjoying a peaceful book, listening to music or even watching the dreaded television, the Switzler House is inviting. As Joyce said, during our last stay there: “It doesn’t get any better than this,” as we lounged after breakfast in our robes in the living room.

So come by and see us. I have had lots of old friends stop by and have enjoyed rehashing the memories when there wasn’t a stoplight to be seen in the Lake Area nor a chain restaurant or store and was an avenue Cheers-like when everyone knew your name.

And you will get to meet Joyce, as classy, loyal and sincere lady as there is.

Ray Speckman can be reached by stopping by Emme’s Attic, emailing rayspeckman@emmesannex.com, visiting www.emmesattic.net or on Facebook.