A year at Gordy's Pier

I'm full of cliches.
One of which is "I've been everywhere twice".

Semi-true. The rock and roll has taken me all over the globe. Lucky for me
the second time I got a better look at things. The other half of my personally
generated cliche is "...but Lake Geneva is the only place I've ever missed."

More specifically Fontana, Wisconsin on the west end of Geneva Lake. I could go
on and on about Lake Geneva, Fontana, Chucks (the benchmark of Wisconsin taverns)
but that would detract from just looking at the lake.



You can read the history of Gordy's on their site.
Gordy the man was responsible for the little marina that blossomed and also a bar named Chucks a few doors down.

A little over a year ago one of my lake buddies David McPherson let me know that Gordy's had a 24 Hour Webcam
up in the office pointed at the lake. It became an instant personal favorite. I could see the lake. I could see what kind of
weather they were having. I could occasionally even see somebody I knew.

I'd check it all the time, especially in the morning. I'd check it before I called my Dad.
Some people thought it was nuts for me to keep an eye on the webcam.
But a lot of people liked to follow along to the posts at Facebook.

Well, I found a link that anybody (you don't have to be signed up to Facebook) can use to see one whole year of pics grabbed from
Gordy's Webcam. Open the link then to go from picture to picture just click on the
picture itself. A lot happens in a year at the lake.

Link to a year of pics from Gordy's Webcam

My Father's Obituary w info

My father Melton Sterling Ambel died at his home in Fontana, Wisconsin this Wednesday Sept 8, 2010 at 6:15pm.


Melton S. Ambel, 82, of Naples, FL and formerly of Batavia, IL, died in his summer home in Fontana, WI on September 8, 2010 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Melt was born in Aurora, IL to Melton and Augusta Ambel. As a child, he enjoyed playing the saxophone in the East Aurora High School band. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served in the Korean War. Melt founded Chapple West, Inc. , a pre-engineered building franchise which he owned for over 40 years. He had many hobbies and interests including love of art and music, sailing, skiing and golf. A stroke of luck seemed to follow him (two “holes-in-one”), but Melt worked hard at everything he did; including all the great friendships that he made over the years. He attended the Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church in Naples, FL and was a member of both Pelican Marsh and Big Foot Country Clubs.

Melt was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Eileen Hilderbrand and Anita Fitzgerald. He is survived by his caring wife of 54 years, Carylsue (Covert) Ambel, son Eric (Mary Lee) Ambel, daughter Sarah (Brad) Hecht, grand-daughter Emily Freiny and step-grandchildren Taylor and Mallory Hecht, god- daughter Sarah Kinnally Hunt, nephews Rick, Tom, David Fitzgerald, Mike and Tim Hilderbrand and niece Susie Hilderbrand. Family and friends can rest assured that Melt will be waiting for them in Heaven with a glass of red wine and cigar in hand.

Visitation will be held at Toynton Funeral Home, 328 Kenosha St., Walworth, WI on September 15, 2010 from 4:00-8:00 P.M. Memorial service will be held at Fontana Community Church, 275 Kinzie Ave., Fontana, WI on September 16th at 11:00 A.M. In lieu of flowers and because of Melt’s love for children and Lake Geneva, a memorial fund has been established at Holiday Home Camp for economically disadvantaged/at-risk-youth (P.O. Box 10, Williams Bay, WI 53191).


Obit by Sarah Hecht, Photo by Eric Ambel