Fiddling for Worms........

What is a fiddler worm? I didn't know at the tender age of 10, but fiddler worms is what my dad and uncle told me and my cousin that we would be hunting. I thought, this must be a joke like the time they took us "snipe hunting" with a bag and a stick.......

Anyway, we were off in our red 57 Chevolet Station Wagon headed to somewhere near the Tennessee/Alabama line. 

The car finally stopped on a country road near a hill loaded with cedar trees. We all piled out of the wagon. I assumed that I would hear fiddle music but only heard birds. Thank God, I didn't hear "banjo music", if you know what I mean... 

My dad told us to look for rocks about the size of a dinner plate and about an 1" or 2" thick. I'm thinking  what do we do with rocks, dig for worms. The good thing, there were plenty of rocks about the size that he described, because cedar trees normally grow near limestone in thin soil, so there were plenty of rocks. We carried three or four rocks up the hill and I noticed that there were many cedar stumps about 2-3 inch in diameter and were sawed off about two feet from the ground. 

My dad said "Okay, its' time to fiddle up some worms".  "Grab a rock and bring it over to this cedar stump". "Now watch me". He took the rock and lifted on top of the stump and began moving it back and forth, kind of like you're playing a fiddle. Humm.....I'm thinking this is interesting.....is this a joke? 

After about 5 minutes of fiddling, worms began to appear all around the stump. It was amazing! They were everywhere, wiggling in the leaf litter. 

We begin to pick up the worms "like picking blackberries". We ended up with nearly a hundred fat, shiny, red worms. It wasn't long that we all piled back in the 57 chevy and headed to our favorite fishing hole. Interestingly, we only went fiddle worm hunting, once. I think this was something that they must have done when they were a kid and thought that it would be cool for us to experience. I must say, it was a special time and I always remember fiddling for worms........ 


Hey, paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com for a beautiful lake, river, or bay map by me. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Lake House idea, Beautiful map of the lake

I just finished this beautiful family heirloom lake map of Logan Martin Lake. It's canvas and framed in barnwood. Check-out the Canadian Geese, they actually look like they are flying over the lake. 

After printing, I come back and high light the waterfowl to bring them to life. In all of my lake prints, I hide a tiny mermaid and a few fish. Folks love to search for them. 

Here is a recent comment from one of my customers: 

"Hi Larry, I received the maps yesterday and they are beautiful.  Thank you for shipping them so quickly. I’m sure the folks I give them to will treasure them.

Thanks again, Evelyn"

Makes a great Christmas Gift for the Lake House! 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. Here's what makes my maps so interesting.

• I hide a few fish and even a tiny mermaid in the waters of my lakes. They're hard to find, but if you look close you will see them. Folks just love'm especially the kids. You might even think they move around overtime.
• I call my maps Treasured Maps because every treasure has a Ruby and so do my maps, each have a Red Ruby Meridian.
• You will find no road names, county, or state lines on my maps. I have found that folks enjoy traveling the roads with their eyes, while trying to get their bearing. I call this the "Leo Lakes gaze."
• I add a vintage plane flying over my maps to signify an adventure to your treasured lake, river, or bay.
• You will find wildlife in all my maps. These signify the natural beauty of your treasured lake, river or bay. I use wildlife that is common to the subject lake, such as Canadian Geese, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagles and others.
• Did you know that you can always tell if its morning or evening on a Leo Lakes map? Just look at the shadows cast by the wildlife, is the shadow on the east or west? If it's on the west, then it’s morning time. Oh yeah, I have had folks tell me that they change through the day, but don't believe them.

If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoMaps.com.

Lake Christmas Christen

I worked hard to come up with a clever ad for my maps. Here's the results "Hanging a Leo Lakes Treasured Map in a lake house, is like christening a boat with a bottle of champagne!" Think about it! If you have a lake house, then you should have a nice decor map of the lake that the lake house is located on, right? 

Hey, got an idea, make it a Christmas Christen at the lake house! 

Check-out what customers say:
"The  map looks great! Thanks so much.  We are visiting my brother this weekend at Lake Chautauqua and I know it will be a great addition to their new lake house.  Are you able to do waterways that are not listed.  My husband and I own a cottage on a lake in Maine and would love a picture like this."

"Larry, We  hung the map above our bed at the lake house. We absolutely love it.  We have a water ski headboard and the map works perfectly. Plan to enjoy it many years to come!

Anyway, paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. 

Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. Also, you can personalize your lake map with a star where your lake house is located.  I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, lake house. Add beauty with lake cabin decor, lake decor, lake cottage decor, or buy as a lake gift. Order soon to avoid the rush! Makes the best 2017 Christmas Gift.

As you can see, my lake maps make a great gift.  Orders pick-up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Remember: "Hanging a Leo Lakes Treasured Map in a lake house, is like christening a boat with a bottle of champagne!" 

Humor for the lake house

Here's a little Christmas Lake Humor that I have come up with. Did you know that it's only 100 days until Christmas?

I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps makes the best 2017 Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders pick-up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

How to Christen a Lake House?

The only way to christens a lake house is with a Leo Lakes Treasured Map hanging on the wall. Yep, check out my clever ad. I worked pretty hard on this and I think that it came out nice! Anyway, check-out my beautiful lake, river and bay maps.

My 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. 

I have maps of Lake Champlain, Lewis Smith Lake, Lake Tahoe, Lake Sinclair, Norfork Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lake Bob Sandlin, Lake Conroe, Lake Winnebago and many others. Oh yeah, I hide a tiny mermaid in the waters of all my maps that folks love to search for. Find out more interesting facts about my treasured maps by going to LeoMaps.com. 

Oh yeah, this is part of my studio, "here a map, there a map, everywhere a map, map!" 

Lake House Decor Maps

"My Husband loved the map". That's what I like to hear from a satisfied customer. I shipped this map of Lake Murray a few weeks ago to a lady that was giving it as a gift to her husband. They are building a lake house on Lake Murray. Here's a few photo of the Lake Murray map.

Customer Email 7/19/17- Leo, My husband loved the map. He thought the fishing spots were really cool. Can't wait to get the house completed so we can hang it.....Its great…thanks again!(Lake Murray)

I add local waterfowl flying over the lake to add interest to the map. As you can see, The shadows of the geese give the map depth. 

Did you know that most of my customers are women? Yes, they are! They buy the maps for their husband or themselves.  

Float over to my website, LeoLakes.com. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. Also, you can personalize your lake map with a star where your lake house is located.  I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. Order soon to avoid the rush!

All maps, 16x32 size and above, come with a Certificate of Authenticity, a poem, and a sheet covering interesting facts about your LeoLakes Decor Map. Here's the wonderful lake poem that my wife wrote about lakes, rivers, and bays.

"As I look over this beloved waterscape, The most amazing scenes appear in its wake, The sun arises above the shore, Giving grace and beauty to this place that I adore."  

My map in a magazine

I made the centerfold, my first! Here's the story. This publication called me and asked if they could use one of my maps in their magazine. Of course, I said yes and believe it or not, they used it as the centerfold. Now I can say, I was in a centerfold, sort of...oh yeah, my wife is jealous!     

Anyway, do you need a great gift for the lake house, lake lover, or fisherman, check-out my treasured decor maps. Here is a recent comment from one of my customers: 

"Hi Larry, I received the maps yesterday and they are beautiful.  Thank you for shipping them so quickly. I’m sure the folks I give them to will treasure them. Thanks again, Evelyn"

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 LeoMaps.com.

Water Ski Headboard and Leo Lakes Map!

Water Ski Headboard and a Leo Lakes Map....Customers often send me photos of their maps after they hang them. Take a look at this map hanging over a "Water Ski Headboard." What a great Idea!

Here's what the customer said....We purchased a Lake Sinclair print from you several years ago. We framed it in rustic white barn wood with a variegated red matte.  It hangs above our bed at the lake house. We absolutely love it.  You can see the top of our water ski headboard. Plan to enjoy it many years to come!

Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. Also, you can personalize your lake map with a star where your lake house is located.  I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. Order soon to avoid the rush!

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders pick-up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

"Hanging a Leo Lakes Treasured Map in a lake house, is like christening a boat with a bottle of champagne!" 

Lake Clown Photo...

Wow, I was walking on a trail near a lake the other day taking photos and I felt like someone was watching me.

If you look closely, real closely, you may see the clown or am I paranoid? Oh Yea, Paddle over to my website, LEOLAKES.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps makes the best 2016 Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders pick-up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Vintage style Lake Maps

Click to Enlarge

I have been painting vintage style river, lake, and bay maps for the last six years. I call them treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. Leo Lakes vintage style maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. 

I painted this custom lake map of Long Lake located in Wisconsin. Long Lake is located in Washburn County and is 3,300 acres in size. It's name is true to its length, being 19 miles long. The lake was carved out by glaciers millions of years ago. It's a beautiful clear lake with miles of undeveloped shoreline, pristine bays and nice gravel beaches. 

Not only are walleyes common, but large and small mouth bass, crappie, blue gill, and northern pike are too. You will find much wildlife/waterfowl around the lake such as eagles, osprey, cranes, otter, beaver and my favorite, loons. In fact, I added a couple of loons on the map along with fish, canadian Geese, and an osprey. Interesting, I always hide a tiny mermaid to the waters of all my lake map paintings that folks love to search for. 

If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoLakes.com. Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream.

  

Lake Decor Maps with personal touch!

I have often been asked by folks if I can add the tail number of their plane to the plane on the map. The answer is of course, see an example of the plane below. It sure adds a nice personal touch to the map.

Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Stormy the studio cat

This is Stormy the studio cat. He loves to run around in the studio looking for trouble. I caught him laying on a map and I think he knows he's in big time trouble, check-out that face. Well, it looks like he's going to kitty time out for a while, banned from the studio!  

Paddle over to my website, LEOLAKES.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Music Note Hidden in Old Hickory Lake Map

Can you find it? I hide a tiny music note in the Old Hickory Lake Decor Map because there are so many music folks that live or lived near this lake.... such as Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton etc... 

Paddle over to my website, LEOLAKES.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Custom Map

I've been working on a custom map of Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan Canada for Arctic Lodges. Before I paint a lake map, I do a little research to become familiar with the area. 

Boy, did I find some interesting stuff about this area. I found this to be a really cool and captivating place. First off, Arctic Lodge has been around for a long time, in fact since 1950. It has some of the top fishing in Canada and has first class accommodations.  Did you know that a monster lives in the lake, Santa travels over it during Christmas, and a meteorite created a huge bay in this lake? More about this later.

Reindeer Lake is located in the northeast of Saskatchewan and is a big lake, 140 miles long and 37 miles wide. The lake has over 5,000 islands of all sizes to explore. Amazingly, in Deep Bay Crater where a meteorite hit 140 million years ago, the water depth is 720 feet deep. Oh yeah, local legend has it that a monster lives in the bay and pulls animals through the ice during winter. No ice fishing for me! 

Did you know that NORAD use to track Santa's trip across North America and Reindeer Lake was a featured location on Christmas Night as Santa flew over. Learn more about Reindeer Lake at arcticlodges.com.  

Hey, my maps make a great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house owner. 

Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Lake Humor

My Friday's Lake humor cartoon. Well I thought it was funny!

Check out my vintage style lake, river and bay maps. Makes Great Christmas Gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house owner. 

Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Osprey Dive

I was lucky to capture a few photos of this Osprey flying over Lemon Bay in Florida. This guy or gal has all the latest gear and years of experience to catch a fish. Above the water, the Osprey spots a fish, dives down with its talons ready to tag a fish.  

As I watched, the Osprey maneuvered into a full dive. The Osprey hit the water with a big splash. Amazing what an impact! They're really are tough birds.

Out of the water, but an unsuccessful fishing trip. That was a lot of work with out a meal to show for it.

Later in the day, I did capture a photo of the Osprey on a pole with his catch. Amazingly the fish was still flopping around, but the Osprey had him with those sharp talons. This is certainly fresh sushi. 

Paddle over to my website, LEOLAKES.com I do custom and personalizes lake, river and bay maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lakes waters, which make the maps even more interesting. 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. Makes great Christmas gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house owner. 

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