Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 19
We woke up, ate a quick breakfast, and started painting. Tim and I worked from morning until 2PM. Now, our portion of the painting is done. We spent all afternoon swimming. We saw a duck with babies swimming near our shore. Four babies went under our slip, then the mother duck started to make a fuss. Three babies came out! I was so worried that the turtle we've seen ate the duckling, but about 30 seconds later the little guy came streaking out from under the slip. A bit later, we saw a bald eagle swoop down and grab a fish from the lake. It landed on Picnic Island (or Bug Island or Goober Island, if you prefer) and stayed for quite some time. Tim and I took a short canoe ride and got a closer look. Then, we went over to the bay near the railroad tracks and saw what was either a baby beaver, or more likely a muskrat. We came back to fix metts and perogies for dinner. It was a quiet evening of cornhole and sitting outside watching the sunset. Again, we watched Olympic coverage the rest of the evening.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 18
Monday was a simple, easy day that involved a lot of reading, a visit at the Knapp's (which started with an invitation for Zachary to teach them how to play Oh Heck), a late afternoon swim, and dinner of pot roast. After dinner, Jeremy, Tim, and I went out fishing. Jeremy caught a tiny bass (so small I was willing to take it off the hook without gloves or a pliers), and Tim caught a fishing pole. That's right. He reeled in the lure first and then pulled in the line, rod, and reel behind it. The kids were ridiculously excited about it - cracking up and yelling in their excitment. Zachary sent emails about it to several people. We've been wrapping up each evening by watching Olympic coverage.
The boys' new discovery is crushing rocks. They find small, interesting rocks and crush them with larger rocks. They think they might find something valuable. It keeps them occupied, so I'm not going to tell them otherwise.
The boys' new discovery is crushing rocks. They find small, interesting rocks and crush them with larger rocks. They think they might find something valuable. It keeps them occupied, so I'm not going to tell them otherwise.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 17
Today was another work day, thanks in large part to Zachary's late-night vomit session all over his room, the hall, and the bathroom. We had been thinking about going to church in Ely, but we made a trip to the laundromat instead. Tim and I took Zachary along as a small penance for not making it to the toilet, even though he was still awake when he got sick and had no reason not be able to get there in time. I can't even say how awful the cleanup was on this one. One AM is not a good time to face something like that!
We were home for lunch, then Tim and I started working on installing the new cabinet doors in the bathroom. The cabin is not the least bit plumb, so this was a bigger job than we had expected it to be.
After 3:30, we were finally done and headed down to the lake to swim. Jeremy and Lydia worked on an action adventure movie, which they had me film. Zachary stayed inside and did sudoku puzzles. Dinner was a yummy pasta casserole. After dinner, Tim and I went outside to watch a storm come in. When things started looking really dicey, we came back in to the cabin, only to see it start hailing. We had a hailstorm that lasted a good 20 minutes. It was crazy to see the hail splashing into the lake. When it was over, the skies cleared right away. The kids went outside and had a ball playing with the ice.
We were home for lunch, then Tim and I started working on installing the new cabinet doors in the bathroom. The cabin is not the least bit plumb, so this was a bigger job than we had expected it to be.
After 3:30, we were finally done and headed down to the lake to swim. Jeremy and Lydia worked on an action adventure movie, which they had me film. Zachary stayed inside and did sudoku puzzles. Dinner was a yummy pasta casserole. After dinner, Tim and I went outside to watch a storm come in. When things started looking really dicey, we came back in to the cabin, only to see it start hailing. We had a hailstorm that lasted a good 20 minutes. It was crazy to see the hail splashing into the lake. When it was over, the skies cleared right away. The kids went outside and had a ball playing with the ice.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 16
Today was a working day at the cabin. Mom and I made a trip to the dump and to Tower for some bait, paint, and groceries. When we got back home, Tim was already wiping down the front of the cabin to start painting. I helped a little with the wiping then began painting the lower part (everything I could reach without a ladder). Tim had to run back into Tower to exchange the paint, then he came back and started painting the eaves. I moved on to using the step ladder, first on the porch, saving Tim from painting a short section of eaves by doing it myself. I then moved the step ladder to the ground, and I was able to paint about 2/3 up. Despite that, I ran out of work well before Tim did, and he worked up to dinner, took a short break, and worked for another 2 hours to finish up. When he was done, he was absolutely covered in white paint.
The boys played with Lydia most of the afternoon. They swam for a very short time at our dock, but they were frustrated that we wouldn't let them swim past the end of the dock unless we were down there. (We were keeping an eye on them from the cabin, but not closely enough for swimming.) So, most of the swimming happened at the Knapp's cabin. They stayed there until dinnertime, when I went and brought them back home. Mom had made barbequed ribs. She also made a blueberry pie, which we ate after all the painting was done.
I swam for a little while while Tim was finishing up. I did not manage to clean all of the paint off of myself in the process, though. The light was so pretty that I went and got my 50mm lens and the boys - I forced them to sit through me taking photos for a while. By that time, Tim was done and ready to swim. I sat at the dock with him while he spent a few cold minutes in the water!
We all watched some Olympic coverage until WAY too late into the night.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 15
Another near-perfect day here at the lake. This morning's breakfast (which, by lasting until after 10AM almost became lunch) was blueberry-buttermilk pancakes from scratch. After breakfast, I went down to the dock to watch Tim and the boys have some lake time. Mom, Zachary, and I headed out to the Blueberry Festival around 12:45. As always during blueberry festival weekend, Ely was PACKED. I dropped my passengers off at the park and found a parking spot about 7 blocks away. By the time I got back to them, Zachary had a route planned based on the vendors he wanted to see (3 places: one with jam, one with blueberry pop, and one with blueberry scones). At some point during our tour of craft booths, we took a break for cheese curds (me), a corn dog (Zach), and a roast beef sandwich (Mom). DEEE-lish. I bought the children's book One Dog and a Canoe. The author's mother apparently lives on Eaglesnest. I'm pretty sure I've seen her books at book fair. I also bought a Boundary Waters Boys CD. Zachary picked out blueberry scone mix, and he decided to buy a pvc-pipe bow and arrow set for Jeremy. He was beyond excited to give it to his brother. What an awesome thing that bringing something to Jeremy would make him so excited.
When we arrived back at the cabin, there was a note that Tim and Jeremy were fishing with Lydia. Tim said they caught a mess of sunfish! They came in when they saw us so that the three kids could go swimming. This time, they swam off of the Knapp's dock. This meant much running down the dock and jumping in, as the lake is about 6 feet deep at the end of their dock (compared to <2 feet at the end of ours). I LOVED watching them, and even though the Knapps were keeping a close eye, I stayed in the water and on our floating dock and just enjoyed watching them.
They didn't come home until dinner time. Tonight's meal was tacos. We watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony during dinner - a special treat, as the TV is almost never on during dinner at the cabin. We get our TV over air, so there was some fading in and out. Tim, Josey, Zachary, and I went fishing at the sunken island after dinner. Tim put me in charge of driving the boat for some reason. On our way home, we gave the wheel to Zachary, who took us on a ride around our end of the lake. He really enjoyed driving the boat, and even got us back to the dock in one piece.
While we were fishing, Jeremy practiced with his bow and arrow. Grandma even let him shoot it down the hall into his bedroom in the cabin after it was time to come inside. We ended the night with a game of Oh Heck and watching the end of today's Olympic coverage.
When we arrived back at the cabin, there was a note that Tim and Jeremy were fishing with Lydia. Tim said they caught a mess of sunfish! They came in when they saw us so that the three kids could go swimming. This time, they swam off of the Knapp's dock. This meant much running down the dock and jumping in, as the lake is about 6 feet deep at the end of their dock (compared to <2 feet at the end of ours). I LOVED watching them, and even though the Knapps were keeping a close eye, I stayed in the water and on our floating dock and just enjoyed watching them.
They didn't come home until dinner time. Tonight's meal was tacos. We watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony during dinner - a special treat, as the TV is almost never on during dinner at the cabin. We get our TV over air, so there was some fading in and out. Tim, Josey, Zachary, and I went fishing at the sunken island after dinner. Tim put me in charge of driving the boat for some reason. On our way home, we gave the wheel to Zachary, who took us on a ride around our end of the lake. He really enjoyed driving the boat, and even got us back to the dock in one piece.
While we were fishing, Jeremy practiced with his bow and arrow. Grandma even let him shoot it down the hall into his bedroom in the cabin after it was time to come inside. We ended the night with a game of Oh Heck and watching the end of today's Olympic coverage.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 14
My passion for this place is clearly partly about the water - the pristine, clear, cool lake. The wildlife that makes this beautiful spot home. But it's nights like this that I'm reminded it may be even more about the sky - the beautiful expanse of sky that changes day by day and even hour by hour. Today started off overcast then cleared up. We had a beautiful late morning and early afternoon of blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds. Then, bit by bit the sky turned grey. Then a sudden, strong thunderstorm. Now this evening, there is sprinkling rain, but the lake is perfectly calm. The sun just barely peeked through around sunset, so that there was a rainbow right over the cabin, and the rain on the trees glistened like diamonds. I feel so keenly connected to God's creation all around me here.
I had a huge pile of laundry to put away this morning after neglecting it yesterday.The boys went swimming and paddleboating. I swam a little and watched as Tim put Goober on the floating dock and rowed off in the dinghy for some fishing. The boys got tired of listening to him bark, so they "rescued" him in the paddle boat. After lunchtime, Jeremy walked over to Knapps to invite Lydia to play. The two of them swam for a bit. Lydia kept asking when Zachary was going to come out. Eventually he did, and he did great. They swam over to her place for another sauna. My favorite was watching Lydia row the boys all over the lake in the dinghy. Also, on the long swim from our dock to theirs, Jeremy and Lydia talked the entire time. It must have taken a lot of energy to swim and keep up a full tilt conversation as they went!
Soon, it was overcast, and they all came in for a snack. The boys taught Lydia to play Oh Heck. Then, it was time for her to go home. Zachary fixed last night's bass for part of dinner. There wasn't enough for all of us, so Mom made chicken roll ups, too. After dinner, we drove across the road to the firehouse (it was still raining and we don't have an umbrella!) for an ice cream social. Again, the boys saw Lydia. I love that they have someone to play with and hang out with while they're here.
When we arrived home, Zachary and I went outside to watch the beautiful sky. It was so pretty in every direction that Zachary said he wished he had eyes on the back of his head. We are now thinking about what card game to play this evening!
I had a huge pile of laundry to put away this morning after neglecting it yesterday.The boys went swimming and paddleboating. I swam a little and watched as Tim put Goober on the floating dock and rowed off in the dinghy for some fishing. The boys got tired of listening to him bark, so they "rescued" him in the paddle boat. After lunchtime, Jeremy walked over to Knapps to invite Lydia to play. The two of them swam for a bit. Lydia kept asking when Zachary was going to come out. Eventually he did, and he did great. They swam over to her place for another sauna. My favorite was watching Lydia row the boys all over the lake in the dinghy. Also, on the long swim from our dock to theirs, Jeremy and Lydia talked the entire time. It must have taken a lot of energy to swim and keep up a full tilt conversation as they went!
Soon, it was overcast, and they all came in for a snack. The boys taught Lydia to play Oh Heck. Then, it was time for her to go home. Zachary fixed last night's bass for part of dinner. There wasn't enough for all of us, so Mom made chicken roll ups, too. After dinner, we drove across the road to the firehouse (it was still raining and we don't have an umbrella!) for an ice cream social. Again, the boys saw Lydia. I love that they have someone to play with and hang out with while they're here.
When we arrived home, Zachary and I went outside to watch the beautiful sky. It was so pretty in every direction that Zachary said he wished he had eyes on the back of his head. We are now thinking about what card game to play this evening!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 13
As I write this evening, I can't help but be reminded of just how blessed I am. To think that I get to spend three weeks with my family in this beautiful wilderness! My thoughts are with our dear Loveland Elementary librarian, Trisha, today as she anticipates a big day for her family tomorrow. Her six year old daughter Becca will be undergoing a life saving bone marrow transplant tomorrow at noon. Just two days ago, Becca lost her first tooth. How hard that this sweet first had to happen in a hospital room during such a sad time. I am overwhelmed to think about what her family is going through just for the hope of happy days to come. Please, if you read this, pray for the Kniskern family for healing and hope and happiness. Also pray for the 21 year old young man who is donating the bone marrow.
OKAY -
Our day was fun-filled as usual, even though for Mom and I it involved a trip to the VERY BUSY Ely Speed Wash. This morning, it was almost chilly and still overcast after a night of rain. Zachary decided to make us French Toast out of one of the loaves of french bread he had picked out at the Farmer's Market last night. Our internet access was down all morning, so we couldn't look up the Alton Brown French Toast recipe he's made before. He used the recipe from his Star Wars cookbook instead, still using some of the techniques he learned from Alton Brown. I like the way he's generalizing what he knows and not just following the recipe exactly down to the last detail. Breakfast was AMAZING. He's a very good cook! Each boy had about 6 (small) slices of French Toast each with a different topping. A big hit was topping it with the strawberry rhubard jelly from the farmer's market.
Mom and I left for the laudromat at about 11:30. I may not have ever seen it so crowded. We had to wait for an open dryer. We also made a quick trip into the IGA, and we were back at the cabin by 2:30. Just after we arrived back, the Knapp's (2 cabins down) granddaughter, Lydia, called and asked if the boys wanted to play. They changed into their (newly washed!) swimsuits and headed over to her place. The three of them took a sauna together (!) then came over to our cabin and Lydia rowed the dinghy to the new floating dock. They had a great time jumping in, pushing each other in, and swimming under the dock. Several trips back and forth to the sauna were made - by dinghy, paddle boat, and swimming. Zachary did tire a little of the company and went in just before Lydia was called home for dinner. Jeremy walked her home. Zachary lasted a couple of hours, though, which I thought was pretty good.
We had hamburgers, pasta salad, and Mom's awesome homemade vegetable soup for dinner. After dinner, the lake was perfectly calm and the clouds were just clearing up (it was overcast almost all day). I felt the need to get in the lake and swim, even if it was just for a few minutes. I've been in the lake every day but one that we've been here. It's one of my favorite things about being here.
It was about 7:30 or so when Tim, Jeremy, Goober, and I went out fishing. It was a perfect night for casting, which was why we only took one boy. While we were gone, Lydia came over and asked to play with Zachary. They played a math game on the computer. Mom said he was a great host and did a great job playing with her. I'm so proud of him!
Right before we were ready to head in, Tim caught a 1 3/4 pound smallmouth bass. He didn't want to keep it. He never does. Jeremy talked him into it, so the deal was that Tim would kill it and I would clean it. I did about 3/4 of the fish cleaning. I didn't feel like I was quite as successful with the bass as I was with the 2 sunfish from last week, but it wasn't too awful.
It was a long, busy day, and I'm grateful for every moment of it!
OKAY -
Our day was fun-filled as usual, even though for Mom and I it involved a trip to the VERY BUSY Ely Speed Wash. This morning, it was almost chilly and still overcast after a night of rain. Zachary decided to make us French Toast out of one of the loaves of french bread he had picked out at the Farmer's Market last night. Our internet access was down all morning, so we couldn't look up the Alton Brown French Toast recipe he's made before. He used the recipe from his Star Wars cookbook instead, still using some of the techniques he learned from Alton Brown. I like the way he's generalizing what he knows and not just following the recipe exactly down to the last detail. Breakfast was AMAZING. He's a very good cook! Each boy had about 6 (small) slices of French Toast each with a different topping. A big hit was topping it with the strawberry rhubard jelly from the farmer's market.
Mom and I left for the laudromat at about 11:30. I may not have ever seen it so crowded. We had to wait for an open dryer. We also made a quick trip into the IGA, and we were back at the cabin by 2:30. Just after we arrived back, the Knapp's (2 cabins down) granddaughter, Lydia, called and asked if the boys wanted to play. They changed into their (newly washed!) swimsuits and headed over to her place. The three of them took a sauna together (!) then came over to our cabin and Lydia rowed the dinghy to the new floating dock. They had a great time jumping in, pushing each other in, and swimming under the dock. Several trips back and forth to the sauna were made - by dinghy, paddle boat, and swimming. Zachary did tire a little of the company and went in just before Lydia was called home for dinner. Jeremy walked her home. Zachary lasted a couple of hours, though, which I thought was pretty good.
We had hamburgers, pasta salad, and Mom's awesome homemade vegetable soup for dinner. After dinner, the lake was perfectly calm and the clouds were just clearing up (it was overcast almost all day). I felt the need to get in the lake and swim, even if it was just for a few minutes. I've been in the lake every day but one that we've been here. It's one of my favorite things about being here.
It was about 7:30 or so when Tim, Jeremy, Goober, and I went out fishing. It was a perfect night for casting, which was why we only took one boy. While we were gone, Lydia came over and asked to play with Zachary. They played a math game on the computer. Mom said he was a great host and did a great job playing with her. I'm so proud of him!
Right before we were ready to head in, Tim caught a 1 3/4 pound smallmouth bass. He didn't want to keep it. He never does. Jeremy talked him into it, so the deal was that Tim would kill it and I would clean it. I did about 3/4 of the fish cleaning. I didn't feel like I was quite as successful with the bass as I was with the 2 sunfish from last week, but it wasn't too awful.
It was a long, busy day, and I'm grateful for every moment of it!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
MInnesota Vacation Day 12
Zachary planned an early morning fishing trip this morning. We were awakened at 5:45 by Zachary tapping Tim on the head through the window to the porch telling him it was time to get up! I felt like I needed to get the dogs outside or they were going to bother me all morning, so I got up, too. It was a mistake to take them out without a leash. Josey wandered next door, and I fell trying to get through the brush to catch up with her. I was in my pajamas at the time sprawled bottoms up in a pile of pine needles in the neighbors front yard. Luckily, they aren't there right now. By about 6:15, Tim and the boys were launched, and the dogs and I were back inside trying to sleep. They came back with no fish around 8:30.
Eventually, I did fall back to sleep and did not wake up until Mom got a call that the new swim platform was on it's way to be delivered and she decided I had better get up. She and I have both been wanting a replacement for the old swim platform for years now. Finally, she just decided we should do it. The guys told her that 2 men could carry it, but that was total baloney. It took 4 of them (the 3 guys that delivered it, plus Tim), and they had to go down Dave and Lisa's driveway to get it to the lake. I have no idea how we'll get it back out at the end of the summer. They took our old fishing boat as a trade-in. It was kind of sad to see it go. I remember many, many fishing trips pushing that boat off the slip and jumping into the point as it floated out.
Once they delivery guys left, the 4 Cases put on our swimsuits and pulled the dock out to somewhat deep water. Since the kids aren't into diving, we just took it out to about 6 feet of water. The boys played on it for at least a couple of hours, until we said they had to come in for lunch. After lunch, everyone was pretty exhausted after getting up so early and then playing so hard.
I convinced Tim to take me to the Ely Farmer's Market and to see the Boundary Waters Boys, a band that plays pretty much every Tuesday evening right outside the coffee shop all summer long. A street is blocked off, and people bring their own chairs and just have a relaxing evening listening to music. We first went to the farmer's market where I inexplicably bought a cucumber, even though we have 4 from my garden in the refrigerator already! We then had dinner at Rock Wood (a fairly new restaurant in the old Hardee's building), ran a quick errand for gas and batteries for the depth finder, and stayed for one set of music. My favorite song of the evening was their rendition of How Great Thou Art.
When we got back home, everyone was wiped out from the long day!
Eventually, I did fall back to sleep and did not wake up until Mom got a call that the new swim platform was on it's way to be delivered and she decided I had better get up. She and I have both been wanting a replacement for the old swim platform for years now. Finally, she just decided we should do it. The guys told her that 2 men could carry it, but that was total baloney. It took 4 of them (the 3 guys that delivered it, plus Tim), and they had to go down Dave and Lisa's driveway to get it to the lake. I have no idea how we'll get it back out at the end of the summer. They took our old fishing boat as a trade-in. It was kind of sad to see it go. I remember many, many fishing trips pushing that boat off the slip and jumping into the point as it floated out.
Once they delivery guys left, the 4 Cases put on our swimsuits and pulled the dock out to somewhat deep water. Since the kids aren't into diving, we just took it out to about 6 feet of water. The boys played on it for at least a couple of hours, until we said they had to come in for lunch. After lunch, everyone was pretty exhausted after getting up so early and then playing so hard.
I convinced Tim to take me to the Ely Farmer's Market and to see the Boundary Waters Boys, a band that plays pretty much every Tuesday evening right outside the coffee shop all summer long. A street is blocked off, and people bring their own chairs and just have a relaxing evening listening to music. We first went to the farmer's market where I inexplicably bought a cucumber, even though we have 4 from my garden in the refrigerator already! We then had dinner at Rock Wood (a fairly new restaurant in the old Hardee's building), ran a quick errand for gas and batteries for the depth finder, and stayed for one set of music. My favorite song of the evening was their rendition of How Great Thou Art.
When we got back home, everyone was wiped out from the long day!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 11
This morning, Tim and I worked on prepping and staining the new doors he built for the bathroom closets. They will replace white formica covered doors that Grandpa Strohm built when he put in the bathroom when I was 7 years old! Jeremy and I walked the dogs on our property across the street. After lunch, we all went swimming. Tim is right back to dog training. This year he's leaving Josey alone and trying to get Goober interested in swimming. It's not going so well.
After a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, we took the boys and Goober fishing. Each boy caught a small rock bass, but nothing we could keep. The boys were determined to come home and watch the Tonight Show. Ever since we let them watch a compilation of the Tonight Show from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, they've been obsessed.
After a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, we took the boys and Goober fishing. Each boy caught a small rock bass, but nothing we could keep. The boys were determined to come home and watch the Tonight Show. Ever since we let them watch a compilation of the Tonight Show from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, they've been obsessed.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Minnesota Vacaton Day 10
Tim wasted no time getting down to business at the lake. We all slept in a bit, but he managed to take the dogs for a walk, get the motor on the boat, take the boys out for a quick boat ride, and go swimming all before lunch. When he first went down to the lake, Tim called us down to see something. There was a deer SWIMMING in the MIDDLE of the lake. It was so fast that by the time Jeremy, Mom, and I got down there, it had gotten to shore and climbed out!
After lunch, we went on a geocaching adventure at Soudan Underground Mine State Park. We still had the GPS we borrowed from them to go geocaching at Bearhead. Goober got to go with us! We wound up going through the woods a little more than we would have needed to - Jeremy called it his most extreme hike ever. Maybe it was just the quarter Tim promised to whichever kid found the cache, but the kids seemed to have a good time. They especially liked the ice cream we went out for afterward! We tried to stop at "Soudan's Only Store." It's off the main road, and I've never been there before. The only problem was that even though the store was open, the ice cream counter was closed! We didn't understand why they couldn't just uncover the tub of ice cream and scoop some out. Anyhow, it was just as well, because much to Zachary's delight the cones at Vermillion Food and Fuel in Tower were HUGE. Still, there's something about buying an ice cream cone in the same spot you get your leeches that grosses me out a little.
On our way home, we had a bigger adventure than we had intended to. We drove back to the public landing on Lake 2, and on the way back I somehow convinced Tim to go down Six Mile Lake Road. Even though there's a private drive sign, there's also a stop sign AND a street sign AND it was on the GPS. So, off we drive in our MINIVAN, onto a road that was probably meant for an ATV. It wasn't until we were were about 2/3 of the way down the road that it got really bad and we're starting hearing loud bangs of rocks on unknowable things underneath the van. We had a mile left to go on that road. Tim actually had to get out and move large branches away from the road. And no cell phones in the car. Yikes! Even the kids were getting a little worried. We did get back home. They're never going to let me forget asking to drive down that road.
Zachary and I did a little reading while Tim took Jeremy out in the canoe for a little fishing. The sky was turning ominously dark and strange. We went in for dinner - Mom fixed a great ham dinner with baked sweet potatoes and salads. I love the fact that my kids will finally eat salad!
Things had cleared up enough after dinner to go back out fishing, this time with all four of us plus Goober in the boat. There was a beautiful rainbow over the lake. We didn't catch anything, and we started to hear thunder. So, we headed BACK to the cabin.
We rounded out the night by playing a new card game that Tim had read about in a book - 31. It's a little like our old standby, Penny in the Pot.
After lunch, we went on a geocaching adventure at Soudan Underground Mine State Park. We still had the GPS we borrowed from them to go geocaching at Bearhead. Goober got to go with us! We wound up going through the woods a little more than we would have needed to - Jeremy called it his most extreme hike ever. Maybe it was just the quarter Tim promised to whichever kid found the cache, but the kids seemed to have a good time. They especially liked the ice cream we went out for afterward! We tried to stop at "Soudan's Only Store." It's off the main road, and I've never been there before. The only problem was that even though the store was open, the ice cream counter was closed! We didn't understand why they couldn't just uncover the tub of ice cream and scoop some out. Anyhow, it was just as well, because much to Zachary's delight the cones at Vermillion Food and Fuel in Tower were HUGE. Still, there's something about buying an ice cream cone in the same spot you get your leeches that grosses me out a little.
On our way home, we had a bigger adventure than we had intended to. We drove back to the public landing on Lake 2, and on the way back I somehow convinced Tim to go down Six Mile Lake Road. Even though there's a private drive sign, there's also a stop sign AND a street sign AND it was on the GPS. So, off we drive in our MINIVAN, onto a road that was probably meant for an ATV. It wasn't until we were were about 2/3 of the way down the road that it got really bad and we're starting hearing loud bangs of rocks on unknowable things underneath the van. We had a mile left to go on that road. Tim actually had to get out and move large branches away from the road. And no cell phones in the car. Yikes! Even the kids were getting a little worried. We did get back home. They're never going to let me forget asking to drive down that road.
Zachary and I did a little reading while Tim took Jeremy out in the canoe for a little fishing. The sky was turning ominously dark and strange. We went in for dinner - Mom fixed a great ham dinner with baked sweet potatoes and salads. I love the fact that my kids will finally eat salad!
Things had cleared up enough after dinner to go back out fishing, this time with all four of us plus Goober in the boat. There was a beautiful rainbow over the lake. We didn't catch anything, and we started to hear thunder. So, we headed BACK to the cabin.
We rounded out the night by playing a new card game that Tim had read about in a book - 31. It's a little like our old standby, Penny in the Pot.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 9
I'm feeling much better today and currently trying to kill time waiting for Tim and the dogs to arrive.
Again, we've had a day of adventures. Believe it or not, it started with a trip to the dump! Since I have a GPS unit checked out from Soudan State Park, I wanted to make sure they weren't having a geocaching class today. Online, I discovered there was a special "Heritage Days" event going on at the park. After making our pilgrimage to the dump, we stopped in to see what was going on. There were several people there doing demonstrations. There were 2 men making stone tools. They showed the boys how striking the sharp edges with an iron piece will create a spark. Then, the park naturalist showed us all sorts of different animal skins - wolf, coyote, 2 kinds of foxes, squirrel, mink, raccoon, bobcat, beaver, skunk, otter, weasel, and rabbit. He really spent a lot of time with the boys, and they seemed to enjoy it and learn a little, too.
We then headed down to Jeremy's absolute favorite part of the day, a free archery lesson. All three of us tried it (I even manage to land a few arrows on the target), but Jeremy was in love. He is now thinking of ways to make money, and trying to figure out how much it costs to buy a compound bow.
We still need to buy some leeches in Tower, and by the time we got back to the cabin, it was after 3PM. Another meal off-schedule, which doesn't make Mom very happy.
The lake is absolutely hopping today, with people fishing, riding on rafts behind jet-skis, paddleboating, and everything else. Our afternoon swim was interrupted by 2 little boys fishing out of a paddleboat - they stayed right around our docks for awhile. There were no adults with them, but eventually a mom did SWIM out to them to tell them to stay away from people who are swimming while they have fishing lines in the water. No kidding! My boys probably feel unlucky, because I will probably not ever give them that much freedom!
We stayed in the water until 7 or so. Jeremy has taken to making running leaps off of the dock singing, "I believe I can fly!" It's too bad the water is only 2 feet deep where he lands. He doesn't seem to care much, though.
Mom ate dinner early, but the boys and I ate late, and I let them watch an Olympic special on NBC while they ate. Then, Jeremy made gingersnaps to give Tim when he arrives. We expect him within an hour or so.
Again, we've had a day of adventures. Believe it or not, it started with a trip to the dump! Since I have a GPS unit checked out from Soudan State Park, I wanted to make sure they weren't having a geocaching class today. Online, I discovered there was a special "Heritage Days" event going on at the park. After making our pilgrimage to the dump, we stopped in to see what was going on. There were several people there doing demonstrations. There were 2 men making stone tools. They showed the boys how striking the sharp edges with an iron piece will create a spark. Then, the park naturalist showed us all sorts of different animal skins - wolf, coyote, 2 kinds of foxes, squirrel, mink, raccoon, bobcat, beaver, skunk, otter, weasel, and rabbit. He really spent a lot of time with the boys, and they seemed to enjoy it and learn a little, too.
We then headed down to Jeremy's absolute favorite part of the day, a free archery lesson. All three of us tried it (I even manage to land a few arrows on the target), but Jeremy was in love. He is now thinking of ways to make money, and trying to figure out how much it costs to buy a compound bow.
We still need to buy some leeches in Tower, and by the time we got back to the cabin, it was after 3PM. Another meal off-schedule, which doesn't make Mom very happy.
The lake is absolutely hopping today, with people fishing, riding on rafts behind jet-skis, paddleboating, and everything else. Our afternoon swim was interrupted by 2 little boys fishing out of a paddleboat - they stayed right around our docks for awhile. There were no adults with them, but eventually a mom did SWIM out to them to tell them to stay away from people who are swimming while they have fishing lines in the water. No kidding! My boys probably feel unlucky, because I will probably not ever give them that much freedom!
We stayed in the water until 7 or so. Jeremy has taken to making running leaps off of the dock singing, "I believe I can fly!" It's too bad the water is only 2 feet deep where he lands. He doesn't seem to care much, though.
Mom ate dinner early, but the boys and I ate late, and I let them watch an Olympic special on NBC while they ate. Then, Jeremy made gingersnaps to give Tim when he arrives. We expect him within an hour or so.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 8
We are doing terrible things to our schedule while we're up here. The boys were up pretty late again last night, and they really slept in today. When we get home, we have just a few short weeks to get back to reality. We had another morning of reading and hanging out.
I have been reading about the Minnesota State Parks System's Geocaching programs for a few years now, and we finally tried it out. They loan out GPS units for free. We had to go to Soudan Park to get it, but that's still a good deal. On our way back to the cabin, we stopped at a dock store to look at floating swim platforms. The store wasn't open, but the price tag on the one we were looking at was $869 - a major disappointment, because we don't want to spend that much!
We came back for lunch, then I took the boys to Bearhead for our first geocaching adventure. The rangers had some trouble getting the unit programmed, so I didn't feel so silly for not being able to figure it out myself. After getting it set up, we followed the thing to 3 different stations (one leading to another) and found the cache. The boys seemed to like it okay. We'll probably try the one at Soudan, too. It was VERY hot, especially for up here, and that didn't help. When we got home, Jeremy and I got our swimsuits on right away and got in the lake. Zachary was not far behind us. The swimming didn't last for long - a storm blew in and drove us out of the lake.
The kids watched a Johnny Carson dvd while Mom and I fixed beef lo mein for dinner. They were laughing pretty hard at several points. After dinner, the rain cleared up, so Jeremy and I tried another fishing trip in the canoe. The lake was glassy smooth, but there was a strange sky - everything was very hazy, and you could tell some weather was coming. Sure enough, we started to hear some rumbles of thunder. Thankfully, Jeremy caught 2 sunfish that were ok sized but not big enough to eat before we had to go in. The sky was unbelievably beautiful - such a strange mix of orange clouds, pure white puffy clouds, blue sky, and ominous looking sky in some directions. Suddenly, it was raining again, then pouring. Then it stopped again. Right now, the lake is smooth and beautiful.
We're having a great time, but I would not be good at this single-parent thing long term. I'm so happy to have Tim arriving tomorrow. We've missed him!
I have been reading about the Minnesota State Parks System's Geocaching programs for a few years now, and we finally tried it out. They loan out GPS units for free. We had to go to Soudan Park to get it, but that's still a good deal. On our way back to the cabin, we stopped at a dock store to look at floating swim platforms. The store wasn't open, but the price tag on the one we were looking at was $869 - a major disappointment, because we don't want to spend that much!
We came back for lunch, then I took the boys to Bearhead for our first geocaching adventure. The rangers had some trouble getting the unit programmed, so I didn't feel so silly for not being able to figure it out myself. After getting it set up, we followed the thing to 3 different stations (one leading to another) and found the cache. The boys seemed to like it okay. We'll probably try the one at Soudan, too. It was VERY hot, especially for up here, and that didn't help. When we got home, Jeremy and I got our swimsuits on right away and got in the lake. Zachary was not far behind us. The swimming didn't last for long - a storm blew in and drove us out of the lake.
The kids watched a Johnny Carson dvd while Mom and I fixed beef lo mein for dinner. They were laughing pretty hard at several points. After dinner, the rain cleared up, so Jeremy and I tried another fishing trip in the canoe. The lake was glassy smooth, but there was a strange sky - everything was very hazy, and you could tell some weather was coming. Sure enough, we started to hear some rumbles of thunder. Thankfully, Jeremy caught 2 sunfish that were ok sized but not big enough to eat before we had to go in. The sky was unbelievably beautiful - such a strange mix of orange clouds, pure white puffy clouds, blue sky, and ominous looking sky in some directions. Suddenly, it was raining again, then pouring. Then it stopped again. Right now, the lake is smooth and beautiful.
We're having a great time, but I would not be good at this single-parent thing long term. I'm so happy to have Tim arriving tomorrow. We've missed him!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 7
Wow - today was a true day of rest and relaxation. Perfect lake weather here today: sunny, a tad breezy, not too hot. Unfortunately, I have had a sore throat. I think it's allergy related. My eyes are itchy and am a little sneezy. I don't really feel bad, so I'm pretty confident that I don't have strep like I did when I was here last year.
SO, I let the kids do a lot of reading and even let them get their DSis out for the first time since we've been here. I sat outside and read for a while this morning. For lunch, Zachary made us Dark Side Salsa from the Star Wars cookbook. Very yummy! We also had a salad and black beans and rice. It was our main meal for the day. That was a big mess to clean up.
After lunch, I actually took a nap. I stayed up WAY to late last night, and I thought my lack of sleep may not be helping with the sore throat.
We've been in the lake every day but yesterday. Late afternoon, swimming was in order! We pumped up the big inflatable "teeter totter" to use in the lake. If it weren't so hard to get the boys up on it, it might be more fun!
Dinner was leftovers and a hodge podge of using things up. After dinner, it was Jeremy's turn to go out fishing. Unfortunately, it was just windy enough that there was no chance I could paddle the canoe AND deal with worms and fish on my own. So, he had to fish off of the end of the dock. I can't wait for Tim to get here and put the motor on the boat.
Zachary played Yahtzee and Scrabble with Grandma while Jeremy fished.
Jeremy had his first shower in a week tonight! They have been in the lake plenty, but they REALLY needed soap and shampoo!
SO, I let the kids do a lot of reading and even let them get their DSis out for the first time since we've been here. I sat outside and read for a while this morning. For lunch, Zachary made us Dark Side Salsa from the Star Wars cookbook. Very yummy! We also had a salad and black beans and rice. It was our main meal for the day. That was a big mess to clean up.
After lunch, I actually took a nap. I stayed up WAY to late last night, and I thought my lack of sleep may not be helping with the sore throat.
We've been in the lake every day but yesterday. Late afternoon, swimming was in order! We pumped up the big inflatable "teeter totter" to use in the lake. If it weren't so hard to get the boys up on it, it might be more fun!
Dinner was leftovers and a hodge podge of using things up. After dinner, it was Jeremy's turn to go out fishing. Unfortunately, it was just windy enough that there was no chance I could paddle the canoe AND deal with worms and fish on my own. So, he had to fish off of the end of the dock. I can't wait for Tim to get here and put the motor on the boat.
Zachary played Yahtzee and Scrabble with Grandma while Jeremy fished.
Jeremy had his first shower in a week tonight! They have been in the lake plenty, but they REALLY needed soap and shampoo!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 6
Wow. I'm almost too tired to write at all today! We were up later than planned, but still managed to be out the door, picnic in the cooler by 9:45 AM. Our day started in Chisolm at the Minnesota Discover Center (once known as Ironworld). The entrance to the place is underwhelming to say the least, so we were pleasantly surprised that there was plenty to see and do once on the grounds. There is a small cabin displaying lots of information about the Civillian Conservation Corps in Minnesota. Another building was a museum dealing mostly with the mining industry, its effects on the area (both on the terrain and the towns that sprung up), and innovation in general. A small storybooks come alive type area was not of interest to my boys, but it would have been neat when they were younger. Mom and I enjoyed a display of old-fashioned toy pedal cars.
We had our picnic lunch then took a ride on a trolley. The Mesaba Railroad had an electric trolley that ran in the Chisolm and Hibbing area in the early 1900s. Our ride took us around the property so that we overlooked several abandoned open pit mines. They have all filled in with water and are now lakes over 300 feet deep. What was most striking is that the terrain was drastically altered by the mines but by no means feels barren or spoiled. Less than 60 years after the mines closed in the area, it is covered with forests and lakes.
The trolley also brought us to an area with several restored buildings and early mining equipment, mostly from the early 1900s. There was a train depot, a bunkhouse (that would have been used by railroad men), and boardinghouse (for single miners), and a location home (a miner's family would have lived in the 425 square foot house, possibly with boarders as well). When the mine got too large, the location homes would have been demolished or sold and moved. The mines often expanded to take over the site where people were living, and they would just move to families to a new area. The boys were able to climb into a steam shovel, and there was an original water tower and some other equipment on site as well. During World War II, 75% of the iron ore needed for the war effort came from Minnesota's Iron Range.
The last leg of the trolley journey took us past the huge Iron Man statue erected in 1976. It's the 3rd largest free standing statue in the US. Iron Man is wearing a hard hat that used to light up. It was struck by lightning and had to be replace so many times that they decided to stop replacing the light in the hard hat!
When the trolley got back, the boys and I left Mom to rest at the front building and explored more of the grounds. We were able to see a very small cabin that would have been lived in by a single man living a solitary lifestyle in the woods. We then moved to a homestead display. In this area, the boys learned a bit about what it mean to be a homesteader in Minnesota, saw a wooden Finnish-style sauna, and visited a homestead from the late 1800s. Inside, a woman was showing kids how to make a toy from a button and string and displaying yarn she had spun herself and dyed with flowers and other natural dyes. Out back, she had a fire going with a pot full of deep yellow dye made from marigolds. She talked to us for quite some time about the homesteading lifestyle. Children often had shoes made out of birch bark - they didn't last long. In the winter, shoes were made of rabbit skin - They would skin the rabbit, sew one end of the "tube" of skin shut, and turn them inside out for shoes! It seems no wonder that a large percentage of Finnish immigrants (something like 30%) went back to Finland.
I especially enjoyed seeing different kinds of buildings (a sod covered hut, a small food storage building with a living roof, and more). There were several nice overlooks in the Discovery Center, too.
After we left the Discovery Center, we drove into downtown Chisolm and saw the Minnesota Museum of Mining. We chose to save that for another day!
On our way back towards the cabin, we stopped in Evelyth to see the Leonidis Overlook. It sits on a huge hill of discarded mining rubble. You can look over another mine, and you are actually higher than the Evelyth water tower. I also made it a point to see the Big Stick. There's not much to say about the Big Stick. I almost drove by it, but thankfully Zachary saved us by catching sight of it and sending me back around the block. It's a huge hockey stick and puck. That's all there is to the Big Stick. We think we may start a new Case Family Odyssey of searcing for oversized sporting equipment all over the U.S. We already know where to find a Big Bat!
On a whim, we also decided to check out an overlook in Virginia, MN. We drive past it every year on our way up. I honestly thought it was a tourist trap thing every time I drove by, but it's a free area operated by the Chamber of Commerce. There is an awesome view of an old open pit mine, and also of a mine that is currently in operation. We saw several huge (and I do mean huge) dump trucks being filled and sent up the hill to the processing area. We even talked to a retired miner who was just hanging out watching the mining operation. I'm so glad we stopped there.
We did not get back to the cabin until 7:15 PM - way past our dinner time! We had yesterday's fish that we had to prepare. So, mom made the fish, and I made a squash, rice, and orzo dish out of some of the CSA squash that we brought up in the cooler. Zachary was extremely helpful cleaning up after dinner. He washed most of the dishes (which is a VERY slow process for him!) and was just really pleasant and cooperative tonight. Jeremy fell asleep before dinner, but he was able to be roused with the promise of fresh-caught fish fixed by Grandma!
We are all pretty wiped out after our long and fun day on the Iron Range.
We had our picnic lunch then took a ride on a trolley. The Mesaba Railroad had an electric trolley that ran in the Chisolm and Hibbing area in the early 1900s. Our ride took us around the property so that we overlooked several abandoned open pit mines. They have all filled in with water and are now lakes over 300 feet deep. What was most striking is that the terrain was drastically altered by the mines but by no means feels barren or spoiled. Less than 60 years after the mines closed in the area, it is covered with forests and lakes.
The trolley also brought us to an area with several restored buildings and early mining equipment, mostly from the early 1900s. There was a train depot, a bunkhouse (that would have been used by railroad men), and boardinghouse (for single miners), and a location home (a miner's family would have lived in the 425 square foot house, possibly with boarders as well). When the mine got too large, the location homes would have been demolished or sold and moved. The mines often expanded to take over the site where people were living, and they would just move to families to a new area. The boys were able to climb into a steam shovel, and there was an original water tower and some other equipment on site as well. During World War II, 75% of the iron ore needed for the war effort came from Minnesota's Iron Range.
The last leg of the trolley journey took us past the huge Iron Man statue erected in 1976. It's the 3rd largest free standing statue in the US. Iron Man is wearing a hard hat that used to light up. It was struck by lightning and had to be replace so many times that they decided to stop replacing the light in the hard hat!
When the trolley got back, the boys and I left Mom to rest at the front building and explored more of the grounds. We were able to see a very small cabin that would have been lived in by a single man living a solitary lifestyle in the woods. We then moved to a homestead display. In this area, the boys learned a bit about what it mean to be a homesteader in Minnesota, saw a wooden Finnish-style sauna, and visited a homestead from the late 1800s. Inside, a woman was showing kids how to make a toy from a button and string and displaying yarn she had spun herself and dyed with flowers and other natural dyes. Out back, she had a fire going with a pot full of deep yellow dye made from marigolds. She talked to us for quite some time about the homesteading lifestyle. Children often had shoes made out of birch bark - they didn't last long. In the winter, shoes were made of rabbit skin - They would skin the rabbit, sew one end of the "tube" of skin shut, and turn them inside out for shoes! It seems no wonder that a large percentage of Finnish immigrants (something like 30%) went back to Finland.
I especially enjoyed seeing different kinds of buildings (a sod covered hut, a small food storage building with a living roof, and more). There were several nice overlooks in the Discovery Center, too.
After we left the Discovery Center, we drove into downtown Chisolm and saw the Minnesota Museum of Mining. We chose to save that for another day!
On our way back towards the cabin, we stopped in Evelyth to see the Leonidis Overlook. It sits on a huge hill of discarded mining rubble. You can look over another mine, and you are actually higher than the Evelyth water tower. I also made it a point to see the Big Stick. There's not much to say about the Big Stick. I almost drove by it, but thankfully Zachary saved us by catching sight of it and sending me back around the block. It's a huge hockey stick and puck. That's all there is to the Big Stick. We think we may start a new Case Family Odyssey of searcing for oversized sporting equipment all over the U.S. We already know where to find a Big Bat!
On a whim, we also decided to check out an overlook in Virginia, MN. We drive past it every year on our way up. I honestly thought it was a tourist trap thing every time I drove by, but it's a free area operated by the Chamber of Commerce. There is an awesome view of an old open pit mine, and also of a mine that is currently in operation. We saw several huge (and I do mean huge) dump trucks being filled and sent up the hill to the processing area. We even talked to a retired miner who was just hanging out watching the mining operation. I'm so glad we stopped there.
We did not get back to the cabin until 7:15 PM - way past our dinner time! We had yesterday's fish that we had to prepare. So, mom made the fish, and I made a squash, rice, and orzo dish out of some of the CSA squash that we brought up in the cooler. Zachary was extremely helpful cleaning up after dinner. He washed most of the dishes (which is a VERY slow process for him!) and was just really pleasant and cooperative tonight. Jeremy fell asleep before dinner, but he was able to be roused with the promise of fresh-caught fish fixed by Grandma!
We are all pretty wiped out after our long and fun day on the Iron Range.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 5
So, I've not been sleeping in as much as I usually do at the lake, because I'm sleeping on the porch - windows on every side provide plenty of light to help nudge me out of bed in the morning. I can't say that it worked today, though. I slept until nearly 9AM. Zachary had a big project planned for morning - he wanted to make another recipe. This time it was breakfast tarts. Breakfast tarts looked more like dessert to me, but considering it's vacation I gave in and let him make them. They're pretty much just 2 layers of pie crust with some jelly in between. Tasty, but not very healthy! The boy had fun, though, and he even half-heartedly helped clean up.
The morning was devoted to catching up on the blog and getting some photos posted, because people had been asking (believe it or not). We also planned a day trip for tomorrow to Minnesota Discover Center in Chisolm. Again, Zachary spent the morning reading (he's on to the 3rd book of the 2nd Warriors series), and Jeremy played solitaire. I then forced the kids to go out in the canoe with me.
The last time I went out in the canoe without another adult was about 3 years ago. Zachary was unable or unwilling (or both) to paddle. It did not end well. I was pretty sure my lack of control as far as steering was due to the weight differential between the two ends of the canoe. This time, in addition to having a nice, calm lake, I put both boys in the bow, and I sat in back. I had no problems whatsoever maneuvering. Yay, me. When we got back, I let them go out in the paddle boat, but they didn't get too far - they were arguing about steering and got frustrated, I think.
We found some really cool animal remains. I picked up a small bit of bone that I thought was a claw, and it turned out to be a jawbone with 2 huge pointy teeth and a bunch of tiny teeth. We're still trying to figure out what it was.
Mom wanted to change the filter on the water pump, so I tried to help. We couldn't get the thing unscrewed to get the old one out. Lucky Joyce and Vaughn Knapp picked just that moment to come visiting, and Vaughn helped me by pushing some secret button to release the pressure. OK - the button was red and plainly visible, but I didn't know what it was for!
We had a nice visit with Joyce and Vaughn. We are excited that their granddaughter, Lydia, will be up in a week. Jeremy loved playing with her when he came up with Grandma 3 years ago.
After lunch (the festival of leftovers), I took Jeremy to Bearhead State Park. We bought a pass and got information on Geocaching. They have several caches in the park, but they no longer have a free GPS to loan out. We will have to get one from Soudan Park if we want to try it out.
When we got back, the boys were more than ready for swimming. When the 3 of got in the lake, I noticed a small snapping turtle - it was head first inside a cement block that we've been using for a step. I first noticed its tail sticking out. It was pretty docile, and it stayed there the entire 2-3 hours we were in the water. While the boys swam, I tried my hand at paddling on my own. I stacked up the floatation cushion that were in the boathouse in the center of the canoe and used them as seat. I didn't want to sit on the bottom of the canoe, because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to read to paddle. It worked pretty well, and I was able to paddle from dock to dock and get around without too much trouble. I did see another snapping turtle on a large log that the neighbors have in the water. I couldn't stray too far because I had to keep a close watch on the boys in the water. They don't really do too much swimming - they pretty much stayed in the very shallow water and floated on the inflatable alligator and the inner tube. I swam for a while, too. While in the water, Zachary got my attention to point out a loon swimming not 10 yards away from me. Not long after that, several ducks flew by. One of them was about 3 feet from my head. Of course I didn't have my glasses on either time!
We eventually went up to start dinner. The boys decided to fix their mussels tonight, and they wisely agreed that preparing three would be plenty. We brought them up to the cabin, and I had the boys scrub them. The things are odd - you think they're just docile little things, but then they spit some lump of something out or something. When we were scrubbing them, one squirted water at us!
Mom fixed fried chicken for the actual dinner part of dinner. I have to admit I'm a fan of my mom's fried chicken. When I was a kid I didn't like it. In fact, I remember a huge dinner at the cabin where I was so proud of myself because I never took any chicken and no one noticed. (If they had, I'm sure I would have been required to eat at least one piece). Anyhow, that's no longer a problem for me. The boys ate their mussels and acted like they liked them. They looked extremely unappetizing to me, and I can't believe the kids actually ate them.
After dinner, I took Zachary out fishing in the canoe. (Jeremy will get a turn tomorrow night). I wasn't sure how it would go, but we did just fine. At first I was sort of letting him troll, but then I just took us to the weed beds near the cabin. Not long after putting my own line in I caugh a really nice sunfish. It's been a long time since I've caught a sunfish that was more than a tiny little thing. We kept it. Then I caught another much smaller one. Again, we kept it - mostly because Zachary wanted to. Finally, I gave him my pole. He caught 2 fish of his own. The first completely swallowed the hook and was dead by the time we got home. The second was tiny and flipped itself off the hook before he got it in the boat. I was glad he caught a fish, but not happy about the hook swallowing part.
I was especially unhappy that he convinced me to clean the little sucker. Once I had cleaned his, I decided to go ahead and do my bigger one, too. (We had put it in the live box so we could decide what to do with it.) It was NOT dead when I brought it up to the cabin. I had to use Uncle Don's trusty metal pipe to beat the thing senseless. That is the WORST. So, now we have 4 tiny sunfish fillets waiting to be cooked for dinner (or at least an appetizer) tomorrow night. When all was said and done I felt like I needed a shower and a drink! It was 10:30 by that time, and I was more than ready to call it a night!
The morning was devoted to catching up on the blog and getting some photos posted, because people had been asking (believe it or not). We also planned a day trip for tomorrow to Minnesota Discover Center in Chisolm. Again, Zachary spent the morning reading (he's on to the 3rd book of the 2nd Warriors series), and Jeremy played solitaire. I then forced the kids to go out in the canoe with me.
The last time I went out in the canoe without another adult was about 3 years ago. Zachary was unable or unwilling (or both) to paddle. It did not end well. I was pretty sure my lack of control as far as steering was due to the weight differential between the two ends of the canoe. This time, in addition to having a nice, calm lake, I put both boys in the bow, and I sat in back. I had no problems whatsoever maneuvering. Yay, me. When we got back, I let them go out in the paddle boat, but they didn't get too far - they were arguing about steering and got frustrated, I think.
We found some really cool animal remains. I picked up a small bit of bone that I thought was a claw, and it turned out to be a jawbone with 2 huge pointy teeth and a bunch of tiny teeth. We're still trying to figure out what it was.
Mom wanted to change the filter on the water pump, so I tried to help. We couldn't get the thing unscrewed to get the old one out. Lucky Joyce and Vaughn Knapp picked just that moment to come visiting, and Vaughn helped me by pushing some secret button to release the pressure. OK - the button was red and plainly visible, but I didn't know what it was for!
We had a nice visit with Joyce and Vaughn. We are excited that their granddaughter, Lydia, will be up in a week. Jeremy loved playing with her when he came up with Grandma 3 years ago.
After lunch (the festival of leftovers), I took Jeremy to Bearhead State Park. We bought a pass and got information on Geocaching. They have several caches in the park, but they no longer have a free GPS to loan out. We will have to get one from Soudan Park if we want to try it out.
When we got back, the boys were more than ready for swimming. When the 3 of got in the lake, I noticed a small snapping turtle - it was head first inside a cement block that we've been using for a step. I first noticed its tail sticking out. It was pretty docile, and it stayed there the entire 2-3 hours we were in the water. While the boys swam, I tried my hand at paddling on my own. I stacked up the floatation cushion that were in the boathouse in the center of the canoe and used them as seat. I didn't want to sit on the bottom of the canoe, because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to read to paddle. It worked pretty well, and I was able to paddle from dock to dock and get around without too much trouble. I did see another snapping turtle on a large log that the neighbors have in the water. I couldn't stray too far because I had to keep a close watch on the boys in the water. They don't really do too much swimming - they pretty much stayed in the very shallow water and floated on the inflatable alligator and the inner tube. I swam for a while, too. While in the water, Zachary got my attention to point out a loon swimming not 10 yards away from me. Not long after that, several ducks flew by. One of them was about 3 feet from my head. Of course I didn't have my glasses on either time!
We eventually went up to start dinner. The boys decided to fix their mussels tonight, and they wisely agreed that preparing three would be plenty. We brought them up to the cabin, and I had the boys scrub them. The things are odd - you think they're just docile little things, but then they spit some lump of something out or something. When we were scrubbing them, one squirted water at us!
Mom fixed fried chicken for the actual dinner part of dinner. I have to admit I'm a fan of my mom's fried chicken. When I was a kid I didn't like it. In fact, I remember a huge dinner at the cabin where I was so proud of myself because I never took any chicken and no one noticed. (If they had, I'm sure I would have been required to eat at least one piece). Anyhow, that's no longer a problem for me. The boys ate their mussels and acted like they liked them. They looked extremely unappetizing to me, and I can't believe the kids actually ate them.
After dinner, I took Zachary out fishing in the canoe. (Jeremy will get a turn tomorrow night). I wasn't sure how it would go, but we did just fine. At first I was sort of letting him troll, but then I just took us to the weed beds near the cabin. Not long after putting my own line in I caugh a really nice sunfish. It's been a long time since I've caught a sunfish that was more than a tiny little thing. We kept it. Then I caught another much smaller one. Again, we kept it - mostly because Zachary wanted to. Finally, I gave him my pole. He caught 2 fish of his own. The first completely swallowed the hook and was dead by the time we got home. The second was tiny and flipped itself off the hook before he got it in the boat. I was glad he caught a fish, but not happy about the hook swallowing part.
I was especially unhappy that he convinced me to clean the little sucker. Once I had cleaned his, I decided to go ahead and do my bigger one, too. (We had put it in the live box so we could decide what to do with it.) It was NOT dead when I brought it up to the cabin. I had to use Uncle Don's trusty metal pipe to beat the thing senseless. That is the WORST. So, now we have 4 tiny sunfish fillets waiting to be cooked for dinner (or at least an appetizer) tomorrow night. When all was said and done I felt like I needed a shower and a drink! It was 10:30 by that time, and I was more than ready to call it a night!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 4
We've had another long and fun day at the lake. We started the morning kind of lazily, waiting for the person from the phone company to hook up our internet connection. Yay! The boys and I read (Zachary is reading Warriors The New Prophecy, Book 2 and Jeremy is reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School). Mom worked on our grocery list. I went down to the boathouse to look for our fishing license from last year, and I stayed down at the lake just relaxing and watching the world go by until Jeremy came down to get me. Mom wanted me up at the cabin because the phone company guy was here.
Once we were set up with an internet connection, we left for town. Okay, okay - I did check facebook and email before I would even considering leaving! Driving along 128 just before Armstrong Lake, we saw a grouse walk across the road. I have seen one in the woods before, but never out in the open like that.
On Pam and Vince's recommendation, we went to Stony Ridge Resort Cafe for lunch. It's right by Semer's Park on Shagawa Lake. The restaurant is not much to look at, and the prices are a bit steep, but OH MY THE HAMBURGERS! Zachary and I split a burger, and Grandma and Jeremy split one, too. I have probably never had a hamburger that delicious. Crazy good. Ridiculously good. Probably even worth the $50 we spent on a meal of two hamburgers with 3 sodas and the included side of homemade chips.
At Zups Zachary had his own cart, which he filled with everything he needs to make the recipes he's planning. Total cost was only about $20, so I guess it was worth it. We bought a family fishing license while we were in town. It's $12 more than the married couple 2 week license, and we'll be able to fish the entire time we're here, so I guess that's not bad. We also made a stop a the old Pamida, which just reopened under a new name after a week of being closed to transition. There was almost nothing in the store - it was sort of eerie and depressing to be in!
When we got home, the boys and I got the canoe out from under the cabin. That's the first time I've been the one to go into the crawl space to pull it out. Totally not my favorite thing, but I managed. It was way too windy on the lake for me to try to take the canoe out (the last time I took it out with a kid on a windy day I wound up getting IN the water to walk us back!). So, we swam ALL afternoon. The boys were in the lake for four hours. I spent some time in the lake and some time sitting in the shallows reading. The boys made up a two forms of "karate" called Tae Kwon Soak and Kung Wet which involved lots of splashing and flailing around. I'm just glad they found a way to occupy their time. They also played on some of the water toys I had blown up. My favorite is the big alligator! In more wildlife news, I saw a bald eagle circling just a couple of times while we were out swimming. It was back behind the cabin, and I was the only one who saw it.
Finally, at about 6:15, we went inside to start dinner. Zachary planned and help make create-your-own pizzas. YUM. Jeremy's pizza was loaded with cheese, cheese, and more cheese, plus olives and pepperoni. Zachary's was more conventional, with normal quantities of cheese, pepperoni, and ham.
Zachary made 2 creations from the Star Wars cookbook tonight - 2 different kinds of Java Jive milkshakes. One was banana chocolate (for Mom, me, and himself). The other was peanut butter vanilla (for Jeremy). The boy IS a good cook.
After dinner, Jeremy finished the book he started this morning (Sideways Stories from Wayside School). Now, Jeremy is playing solitaire while Zachary
plays UNO on my kindle.
GREAT DAY!
Once we were set up with an internet connection, we left for town. Okay, okay - I did check facebook and email before I would even considering leaving! Driving along 128 just before Armstrong Lake, we saw a grouse walk across the road. I have seen one in the woods before, but never out in the open like that.
On Pam and Vince's recommendation, we went to Stony Ridge Resort Cafe for lunch. It's right by Semer's Park on Shagawa Lake. The restaurant is not much to look at, and the prices are a bit steep, but OH MY THE HAMBURGERS! Zachary and I split a burger, and Grandma and Jeremy split one, too. I have probably never had a hamburger that delicious. Crazy good. Ridiculously good. Probably even worth the $50 we spent on a meal of two hamburgers with 3 sodas and the included side of homemade chips.
At Zups Zachary had his own cart, which he filled with everything he needs to make the recipes he's planning. Total cost was only about $20, so I guess it was worth it. We bought a family fishing license while we were in town. It's $12 more than the married couple 2 week license, and we'll be able to fish the entire time we're here, so I guess that's not bad. We also made a stop a the old Pamida, which just reopened under a new name after a week of being closed to transition. There was almost nothing in the store - it was sort of eerie and depressing to be in!
When we got home, the boys and I got the canoe out from under the cabin. That's the first time I've been the one to go into the crawl space to pull it out. Totally not my favorite thing, but I managed. It was way too windy on the lake for me to try to take the canoe out (the last time I took it out with a kid on a windy day I wound up getting IN the water to walk us back!). So, we swam ALL afternoon. The boys were in the lake for four hours. I spent some time in the lake and some time sitting in the shallows reading. The boys made up a two forms of "karate" called Tae Kwon Soak and Kung Wet which involved lots of splashing and flailing around. I'm just glad they found a way to occupy their time. They also played on some of the water toys I had blown up. My favorite is the big alligator! In more wildlife news, I saw a bald eagle circling just a couple of times while we were out swimming. It was back behind the cabin, and I was the only one who saw it.
Finally, at about 6:15, we went inside to start dinner. Zachary planned and help make create-your-own pizzas. YUM. Jeremy's pizza was loaded with cheese, cheese, and more cheese, plus olives and pepperoni. Zachary's was more conventional, with normal quantities of cheese, pepperoni, and ham.
Zachary made 2 creations from the Star Wars cookbook tonight - 2 different kinds of Java Jive milkshakes. One was banana chocolate (for Mom, me, and himself). The other was peanut butter vanilla (for Jeremy). The boy IS a good cook.
After dinner, Jeremy finished the book he started this morning (Sideways Stories from Wayside School). Now, Jeremy is playing solitaire while Zachary
plays UNO on my kindle.
GREAT DAY!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 3
Because I’m sleeping on the porch, I woke up pretty early. It’s probably a good thing – I could sleep all morning if given the chance. Mom fixed egg sandwiches for breakfast. I had the kids read for a while so that I could unpack suitcases and hang up our clothes. Often, our days flow so that I work in the morning and we play in the afternoon. This morning, the work seemed to get done pretty quickly. Jeremy spent some of the morning working on a 3D puzzle of the US Capitol that he found in the closet. Thankfully, I convinced him to leave some of the pieces that were already together, because it is hard enough as it is.
The boys were anxious to start fishing. I sent them off to find worms. They only managed to find 2 – one with my help and one with Grandma’s assistance. I finally got their poles ready, and both of them fished off of the end of the dock for maybe a half hour. Nobody caught anything, so they quickly got bored of it and went out in the paddleboat instead. We went in for lunch, then they changed into their swimsuits. They stayed in the water a couple of hours, at least. They had heard me talking about Dave Fries gathering mussels and having them for dinner. They had started collecting some from the paddleboat with a net before lunch. Now they were in full swing, using their snorkeling gear to dive down and pick them up with their hands. They got 18 of them, and they are now sitting in the live box waiting for us to clean them and cook them up. Ugh. I’m not looking forward to that process!
In other wildlife news, we saw a snapping turtle swimming near our dock in the afternoon, and I saw it again this evening. That is not my favorite thing.
We came in from swimming to fix dinner. The boys read some more. Mom and I made pasta and tomatoes, swiss chard, and a ham steak. Zachary helped me do dishes tonight. He did a great job! Jeremy wanted to play cards, so Grandma taught him to play solitaire. The evening is calm and overcast, so Zachary and I went out on the paddleboat. We didn’t get quite to coop point before it started to rain, so we came back.
Zachary is currently planning meals and snacks for us from the Star Wars cookbooks. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us this week!
The boys were anxious to start fishing. I sent them off to find worms. They only managed to find 2 – one with my help and one with Grandma’s assistance. I finally got their poles ready, and both of them fished off of the end of the dock for maybe a half hour. Nobody caught anything, so they quickly got bored of it and went out in the paddleboat instead. We went in for lunch, then they changed into their swimsuits. They stayed in the water a couple of hours, at least. They had heard me talking about Dave Fries gathering mussels and having them for dinner. They had started collecting some from the paddleboat with a net before lunch. Now they were in full swing, using their snorkeling gear to dive down and pick them up with their hands. They got 18 of them, and they are now sitting in the live box waiting for us to clean them and cook them up. Ugh. I’m not looking forward to that process!
In other wildlife news, we saw a snapping turtle swimming near our dock in the afternoon, and I saw it again this evening. That is not my favorite thing.
We came in from swimming to fix dinner. The boys read some more. Mom and I made pasta and tomatoes, swiss chard, and a ham steak. Zachary helped me do dishes tonight. He did a great job! Jeremy wanted to play cards, so Grandma taught him to play solitaire. The evening is calm and overcast, so Zachary and I went out on the paddleboat. We didn’t get quite to coop point before it started to rain, so we came back.
Zachary is currently planning meals and snacks for us from the Star Wars cookbooks. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us this week!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 2
After a great night sleep, we woke the boys to head off for our second day of car travel. We hadn’t made it to any cheese store in Madison, so we stopped in at our old standby, Humbird Cheese, right by the highway in Tomah. About 12 years ago, they tore down the old building that we stopped at at least once each year (sometimes we stopped on our way up AND back). The woman that was working had been there for over 30 years, so we talked to her for a bit about our memories of the old tasting room. Even though we had barely any space left in the car (besides in our laps!), we bought some cheese.
Our next stop was Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls. We squeezed into the last tour that was available before noon. As we were waiting for the tour, we found out the plant wasn’t even in production that day! We considered leaving, which Jeremy was fervently in favor of. We finally decided to take the tour anyway. Jeremy had gotten his hopes up that we could leave, and when the tour was starting, he announced to everyone around him that this was his worst day ever. The tour was okay, but not nearly as interesting as it would have been on a day that the bottling was happening. I did get 3 of my 4 samples of beer. I tried Summer Shandy (silly, because I’m well aquainted with that one!), Leinie’s Original, and a combination of their dark beer and a wheat beer (very tasty!). Mom tried 2 samples, and the boys got some root beer.
The tour guide told us about a restaurant called the Fill In Station. Her endorsement of the fried cheese curds clinched it for us. The curds were amazing, and my wild rice soup was good, too. It did take a long time, so we were very anxious to get on the road. It suddenly seemed that there was a long way to go. Mom drove from Chippewa Falls to Duluth, then I took over after a stop at Starbucks. We stopped at Zups in Tower for milk, bread, and eggs. After all that, we arrived at the cabin around 6 PM. The cabin was sweltering hot when we walked in. The boys were a big help unloading the car. It wasn’t too horrible, and I was able to dig their swimsuits out so that we could get in the lake. Mom actually got in, too, which shows how hot it was! The thermometer by the boathouse read 90 degrees at 7:30 PM. The boys took a small ride in the paddleboat. Since we didn’t have the right life vests out yet, they had to stay by the dock. We all went in after 8PM to fix BLTs for dinner. After dinner we played Pinochle, and everyone went to bed.
Our next stop was Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls. We squeezed into the last tour that was available before noon. As we were waiting for the tour, we found out the plant wasn’t even in production that day! We considered leaving, which Jeremy was fervently in favor of. We finally decided to take the tour anyway. Jeremy had gotten his hopes up that we could leave, and when the tour was starting, he announced to everyone around him that this was his worst day ever. The tour was okay, but not nearly as interesting as it would have been on a day that the bottling was happening. I did get 3 of my 4 samples of beer. I tried Summer Shandy (silly, because I’m well aquainted with that one!), Leinie’s Original, and a combination of their dark beer and a wheat beer (very tasty!). Mom tried 2 samples, and the boys got some root beer.
The tour guide told us about a restaurant called the Fill In Station. Her endorsement of the fried cheese curds clinched it for us. The curds were amazing, and my wild rice soup was good, too. It did take a long time, so we were very anxious to get on the road. It suddenly seemed that there was a long way to go. Mom drove from Chippewa Falls to Duluth, then I took over after a stop at Starbucks. We stopped at Zups in Tower for milk, bread, and eggs. After all that, we arrived at the cabin around 6 PM. The cabin was sweltering hot when we walked in. The boys were a big help unloading the car. It wasn’t too horrible, and I was able to dig their swimsuits out so that we could get in the lake. Mom actually got in, too, which shows how hot it was! The thermometer by the boathouse read 90 degrees at 7:30 PM. The boys took a small ride in the paddleboat. Since we didn’t have the right life vests out yet, they had to stay by the dock. We all went in after 8PM to fix BLTs for dinner. After dinner we played Pinochle, and everyone went to bed.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Minnesota Vacation Day 1
We struck out from Loveland on Friday morning at 7 AM. Mom drove for an hour or so, but then I took over for 3 ½ hours. She drove one more time, and I took the wheel to take us into Madison and find the statehouse. The boys used the car time to do a little reading, watch some Mythbusters and Looney Toons, and listen to the start of Anne of Green Gables.
We parked just a couple of blocks away from the statehouse. What a beautiful building! It is definitely more striking from the outside than Ohio’s statehouse (the only other one we’ve visited so far). Streets approach it from 8 different directions. The approach we took by foot was probably not the best – trees, while pretty, blocked our view of the dome. We arrived just after a tour began, so the attendants at the desk sent us to catch up with them. We missed just a few minutes in the governor’s meeting room. Through the tour, there was no mention and not even much hinting at all of the controversy in Wisconsin right now. Unlike the time we went to the Ohio Statehouse, we did not catch a glimpse of the governor. He’s probably keeping a low profile right now! Besides an ornately decorated governor’s meeting room, we saw the chamber in which the state supreme court meets and both the house and senate meeting rooms. They felt smaller than the corresponding rooms in the Ohio statehouse, and the entire building, while beautiful and ornate, did not feel as old as Ohio’s statehouse. Indeed, it was build around 1911, while the statehouse in Columbus was built in the late 1800s. During the tour, our guide asked if any kids had a guess as to the number of light bulbs in the building. Jeremy raised his hand. He gave his shrugging “I don’t know but I’ll give it stab” look as the word “a million” almost escaped his lips. I saw him change his mind, and he said, “fifty thousand.” He was only 10,000 too high! He received a round of applause and was very proud of himself. After the tour, we took the elevator to the fourth floor and climbed a few more flights of steps to an outdoor observation area. Grandma stayed below for that one. I always love to get a view of any city I visit from above.
We were starting to get very hungry, so based on some advice from friends back home and directions from an extremely friendly and helpful parking attendant, we made our way to Ella’s Deli. There’s really no way to describe the place. The food was pretty good, but the place itself was wild! There are antique style animatronic figures and toys (mostly made by the owner and a friend) all over the place. There’s a carousel outside, and the ice cream sundae over pound cake that we had for dessert was out of this world.
From Madison, it was a pretty easy drive to Tomah, where we stayed at the Microtel Inn. Having never stayed at that chain before, I was concerned. It turned out to be a nice place. As we were settling into our room, Ice Age 2 came on TV, and we all snuggled in bed and watch. Some of us made it further into the movie than others – I was asleep before it was half over!
We parked just a couple of blocks away from the statehouse. What a beautiful building! It is definitely more striking from the outside than Ohio’s statehouse (the only other one we’ve visited so far). Streets approach it from 8 different directions. The approach we took by foot was probably not the best – trees, while pretty, blocked our view of the dome. We arrived just after a tour began, so the attendants at the desk sent us to catch up with them. We missed just a few minutes in the governor’s meeting room. Through the tour, there was no mention and not even much hinting at all of the controversy in Wisconsin right now. Unlike the time we went to the Ohio Statehouse, we did not catch a glimpse of the governor. He’s probably keeping a low profile right now! Besides an ornately decorated governor’s meeting room, we saw the chamber in which the state supreme court meets and both the house and senate meeting rooms. They felt smaller than the corresponding rooms in the Ohio statehouse, and the entire building, while beautiful and ornate, did not feel as old as Ohio’s statehouse. Indeed, it was build around 1911, while the statehouse in Columbus was built in the late 1800s. During the tour, our guide asked if any kids had a guess as to the number of light bulbs in the building. Jeremy raised his hand. He gave his shrugging “I don’t know but I’ll give it stab” look as the word “a million” almost escaped his lips. I saw him change his mind, and he said, “fifty thousand.” He was only 10,000 too high! He received a round of applause and was very proud of himself. After the tour, we took the elevator to the fourth floor and climbed a few more flights of steps to an outdoor observation area. Grandma stayed below for that one. I always love to get a view of any city I visit from above.
We were starting to get very hungry, so based on some advice from friends back home and directions from an extremely friendly and helpful parking attendant, we made our way to Ella’s Deli. There’s really no way to describe the place. The food was pretty good, but the place itself was wild! There are antique style animatronic figures and toys (mostly made by the owner and a friend) all over the place. There’s a carousel outside, and the ice cream sundae over pound cake that we had for dessert was out of this world.
From Madison, it was a pretty easy drive to Tomah, where we stayed at the Microtel Inn. Having never stayed at that chain before, I was concerned. It turned out to be a nice place. As we were settling into our room, Ice Age 2 came on TV, and we all snuggled in bed and watch. Some of us made it further into the movie than others – I was asleep before it was half over!
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