Lake Martin Magazine

A carved board nailed up on the northwest side of the island identifies this minor landmark on Lake Martin. It says simply, “Uncle Bob Island.” No explanation. Not even a possessive “apostrophe s” on the end of Bob, as most English students would expect. And that leads to the obvious questions: “Is there an Uncle Bob?”, “If so, Bob who?” and “Is it really Bob’s island?”

If you see a large hawk around Lake Martin this time of year, there’s a good chance it’s a red-tailed hawk. There’s also a good chance you can’t tell. Red-tailed hawks are the most common hawk in North America and they are most often seen in the Lake Martin area during the winter months, when northern birds head to warmer climates.

The Oak Ridge Boys’ William Lee Golden grew up in Brewton, Ala. These days, he lives just outside of Nashville in Hendersonville, Tenn. – when he’s not touring with the “Boys” of course. But sitting on his sister Lanette’s dock on Lake Martin, the renowned mountain man – who helped put the “giddy up” in the band’s No. 1 single “Elvira” 30 years ago – looks right at home.

Since its inception in 1990, Children’s Harbor has maintained one very simple mission: “to help children and families through the treacherous and troubled waters in which they sometimes find themselves.” That mission was nearly shattered the night of April 27, 2011, when an EF-4 tornado ripped through the Lake Martin campus, damaging multiple buildings, destroying more than 500 trees and causing more than $1 million in damage.

Though this fall marks the 200th anniversary of Native American Shawnee leader Tecumseh’s visit to east central Alabama, many people in the area still debate what actually occurred on his visit to the South. Born in March 1768 in Ohio, Tecumseh was exposed to warfare his entire life and watched his family deal with the often bloody conflicts between white settlers and Native Americans.

Lake Martin’s winter pool will officially be three feet higher this year. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order on Nov. 23 approving Alabama Power Company’s request for a drought-based temporary amendment for the Martin Project.

Jim Ray was born in Birmingham and was raised in Selma, Ala. Jim and his brother Carl lived at the United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) where his parents served as house parents for a number of years.

2012 should be a great season in the world of wake sports. The innovation in the products being debuted this year is very impressive, to say the least. If you didn’t make it to Orlando for Surf Expo, definitely try to go next year. The amount of information you’ll get is mind-boggling, but you can always give your brain a break and walk over and watch someone rail riding on the 2.0 cable right in the middle of the trade show hall.

Warning, this is not your average selfish Christmas list. My list is purely altruistic; it is for the ultimate benefit of the Lake Martin real estate market. I want to make us more competitive with other second home markets. Remember, our competition is not with other local businesses, but with other second home markets like Highlands, North Carolina, Hilton Head or Key Largo.

A couple of months ago I was headed to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic near Houston. It’s not uncommon for a buddy to call me up to talk fishing and the call was a welcome interruption to the monotony of the 11-hour drive to Lake Conroe.