New Years 2012

So far this vacation has been absolutely wonderful--well except for two days of a stomach bug for myself but I'm better today thank goodness! A lot of laughs, relaxation, visits to the grandparents, visiting my father's grave, and just being lazy. Yep, lazy! What a concept.

P and I were just discussing how there's only five days left and it just put a sour taste in my mouth. The thought of him going back to work, the kids going back to school, and my computer becoming a permanent fixture on my lap everyday...yuk. So, I'm not going to think of that.

As I anticipate the coming New Year, I think back to the last year. It's been a tough year for us...lots of things breaking--cars, boat motors, fishing poles, water mains, water heaters, deck doors..all within just a few months. How resilient we all are to these dumb things..how we all manage to get over that hump each and every time something puts a halt on our progress to better things.

Ahh, the human spirit. I speak of it a lot. The ability to laugh things off, the ability to learn, grow, and adjust accordingly. The ability to bounce back. If there is one thing about most of us it's that we don't look back and dwell but we move forward and use that past as a step. If a person dwells they only live in their own pool of sorrow and become a victim and frankly that in and of itself is a sad thing.

What is New Years? Why is it such a big to-do? Frankly, I don't really know. It's just another day with a new number much like a birthday..another year older, another way to confuse me if I have to write out the date on a check or some form...resolutions are made, great things expected, but in the end, after January 30 we are all adjusted to the new year by then, doing taxes, and life goes on just like last year. Some get new jobs, others get married or divorced, have babies, lose weight, quit smoking, we all age another year but in the end it's just life moving on.

For me, it's relishing the moments I have with those I love, with friends I've made, cherishing milestones of my children and grandson, and simply enjoying another day to live and breathe. Each day is a new beginning for myself--anticipating what that day will bring. Maybe I'm not one to plan ahead and make a regimented schedule of how my life will be by the next year. That's just not my style. One day at a time is more my style. All I can say is that I know I'll be fishing, playing golf, and continuing my schooling next year while seeking out a job. These are the only things I know but they are not resolutions, they are those things I have to do to grow and enjoy my life with my family and friends.

Yeah, holidays make me a scrooge at times. Generally I'm a Christmas scrooge but this year there was much to be thankful for and a general peace surrounding the holiday. New Years? Well...to all those out there that do in fact find this day to be a new start I wish you all the best of luck in your resolutions, hope that the New Year brings you everything you hope, and that everyone stays safe and sound in their celebration of those bigger and better things! For myself? I will resolve to not be such a scrooge next year but yeah, that is yet to be seen. ;0)~

Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!

Another trip been and gone...

Hmmmm....ok, had another weekend vacation up at the North Shore last weekend thanks to our very dear friends M and F! That vacation was so needed and so much fun!!!! We spent most of it being absolutely lazy and boring...playing Jenga, or Farkle, and watching movies..sitting around. We did get out the first day we were up there so M could browse some shops and stopped at Iona's Beach and froze our butts off. M built a 'Jenga' tower out of rock which turned out pretty cool as you can see from the pics.


We were hoping for the November Gales but unfortunately we weren't blessed with that. On Saturday there was some decent waves but I do have to say, we were once again lucky with the weather we had. It's bitter sweet really...we want those humungous waves to crash to the shore but with that comes cold bitter winds. We had beautiful weather--sunny, a bit warmer for that area, and pleasant--a slight nip but man, for the middle of November who is complaining. I can't say there is really a reason to complain as far as weather goes up there--it goes one way or the other but either way there is something to enjoy!



F made us dinner on Saturday--this absolutely positively scrumptious scallop meal that I swear some day I am going to make for us! Damn that is SO good not to mention his garlic bread is out of this world. We were delinquents a lot, throwing responsibility to the side for much of the weekend--went to the pool and hot tub for a little while, danced and sang, and a rare treat, P brought his guitar up and more singing was done, drank too much, laughed more than I have in weeks, and just breathed for a change. It was definitely a really great time with some great friends.



Now P and I sit and look at the pictures and discuss how we tried so hard to get angel hair on the waves, or how this face is funny or that face is funny. I do love taking pics. I am fortunate enough to have acquired a 'new' used digital 35 mm recently so we snapped photos to our hearts content. I think all told there was about 350 pics.



Oh gosh I forgot about the beaver....the day we were out and about there was a beaver casually eating the bark off a few branches below the bridge we stood on. The four of us stood and watched that thing for a very long time...quite boring yet intriguing in some strange way. After all, it just stood there and gnawed and gnawed as we watched. What is it about seeing critters in the wild that mesmerizes people? Anyway, there was ice on the water there so we got to experience something pretty cool....the beaver FINALLY finished its bark and had to move on. I love the tails on those things and so badly wanted to get a picture of it but that beaver was being very stubborn .... I thought maybe I could get a pic of it as it jumped off the rock it stood on but waaaah, it didn't happen.

We stood there and watched the air bubbles rise from beneath the surface of that ice trying to follow it as it swam. And then it came closer to the surface and 'pop'...it's head broke through the ice next to another branch. I snapped that pic you see here and laughed because it was a bit comical. Then it was gone and again we followed the air bubbles...the other photo is of it swimming under the water into the tunnel...Did I mention the water clarity up there was incredible? Yeah...the picture gives you a good idea actually.



Anyway....enjoy the pics ... we're home again and it is currently snowing out! How depressing! P and I almost dared the weather yesterday for one last hurrah on the golf course but unfortunately other things came up that took precedence. Damn...it's time to hibernate again!
Have a great night all!

Vacation 2011 (Long post)

Vacations come and go so quickly...that must be because they are so relaxing and enjoyable. Last week we took our annual week long vacation at the cabin we've been going to for four years now. The weather, once again, was absolutely stunning. Sunny and warm all week long with one night of rain but I have to say the fishing was WAY better! Oh and the friends were exceptional as well.

We met some people there three years ago from Chicago. They are the funnest, kindest, and most caring and giving people we have met in a long time. They have kids the same age as our kids, the adults are our age and we all enjoy the same things including golf, fishing, and cribbage. How does that happen? Next year we may actually try to find a new resort but they won't go unless we go and vice versa. They even want to find a way to get together around Christmas to spend some time together......that may just happen!

Our youngest daughter is really good friends with their daughter and a couple of the sons there. She cried when we left--that was difficult. Each year it seems to get harder and harder to say good bye to them for all of us. Our boy is good friends with a boy who lives in Ireland most of the year but they're able to email and chat on Facebook as well. P and I get along really well with all the adults and we all just have a great time together.

Anyway, the fishing....holy cow!!! The bass were insanely big...it was very rare to catch one under three pounds and when they were biting it was like a feeding frenzy! One morning I caught five huge fish...all in the 4-5 lb. range..Pat caught a few smaller ones. That morning was phenomenal and one we won't soon forget. After that, the rest of the week was pretty much full of bass! Both P's arm and my arm are a bit sore from all the fights--it was seriously a trip to remember. The pic of P is one he said, "ok, its time for this" and he asked if I was ready to snap the pic...this is what he did. That was the day of big fish for us obviou



Our friends even learned how to bass fish--that upset our son quite a bit since they were his northern companions. The first year they came up they brought home over 40 northerns. This year, they caught a good amount of bass and northern for some meals and seemed very happy with their week as well. Our boy caught his usual 5 lb. northern and then a 7 lb. northern and a few smaller ones. He refuses to bass fish with us but it seems that when he is he catches some of thee largest fish. The photo below is a five lb bass I caught; I saw the mouth on this thing and wondered if my fist could fit inside of it...from the looks of it it did. Soon after I pulled my hand out the fish flopped a bit and spit out a sunny that was in the process of being digested---it was disgusting to say the least.


Of course when we got home the next day the child had to go to his secret spot down by the river to fish some more. We got a couple texts from him a couple hours later..one a picture the other one said, "I just caught a 15lb. 40-inch musky!" I looked at the photo and sure enough, the kid is holding this fish that is nearly as long as him and the best part is it was a musky!!! His dream fish and the one that he has only watched videos of others catching. I nearly cried with joy for that child!




Before our trip we were reeling from all the things that kept happening to us or our things---broken water pipes, broken this, broken that---two nights before we were going to leave for our trip we had another thing break on us....not a good one either. P and I said if things continued to happen we were going to cancel our vacation because for some reason it seemed we were not supposed to go this year--our boat motors both broke and well...the other thing:

My truck that hauls the boat.

Umm, yeah, Thursday night we decided to get some air in the front tire because P was going to take that to work while I ran all over with the car--gas is cheaper that way. So, after P got the air, he hit a bump in the road on the way home and all the sudden there was this awful clunking noise. P asked if that was us and I said I thought it was so we pulled over. We couldn't see anything--it was dark not to mention finding anything like that is not easy since it wasn't completely broken.

So, yeah, we decided that on Friday I would follow P to the garage, we'd drop off the truck, I'd take P to work, then I would run all over the cities and get the errands done and hopefully be done by 1 so I could pick him up. Great....that all went great until we got the call that our truck was basically undriveable for this vacation and needed to be repaired. The leaf spring busted...

Ok, well, we then decided that we would call the guy who has been so good to us about trading this car for that car, etc to see if he had something. He did..another Durango...and it was in much better shape than our other one although, we soon learned that was not to be the case. Happy with our decision to trade in the black beast for something nearly as comparable I drove it home and it seemed solid..except for some reason I swore it was pulling to the right a bit.

Well, I got home safe and sound and we had to run to the fishing store to get some last minute baits and line before we started packing up for our trip the next morning. We had to run up the hill to do another errand and on our way back down we hit the stop light--P stopped and all the sudden the drivers side front wheel started smoking. People were pointing at the 'new' truck while we sat in traffic praying that the motor wasn't on fire or something.

Good grief will it ever end????? So P was finally able to turn off the main road and drove it up closer to home before he got out to see.....there was no fire but a ton of smoke was pouring out. P immediately called the guy and told him what was going on and was informed that the caliper may have frozen shut rubbing against the tire...we needed to get it in the following morning to have it looked at. Honestly, P and I were so close to saying just forget the vacation by this time....

Our night was ruined, we ran our errand, came home and neither of us even felt like packing because we had NO idea what this would mean.

Morning comes, we bring the truck back and wait. And wait, and wait, and wait for nearly three hours. During this time the garage door on the garage broke--it was stuck shut so we couldnt' get the truck in there until P and the guy figured out a way to get it to open. The other guy shows up to tear the truck apart and discovered that the front brakes were fubar! We needed to replace the brakes or drive a truck twice the size and twice the gas hog....after some phone calls and some considering the owner of the shop decided he would pick up the tab for the brakes since we had only driven this vehicle for under 30 minutes before this happened.....as I said before, he has been great to us.

So yeah, we ran two hours over the time we wanted to leave to head to the cabin but in all honesty that is a small price to pay for what could have been. Our trip was great although there was one other horrible thing that occurred the second to the last day that nearly made me break down in tears....I got my hook caught in a tree after a fish dragged me in there..P being the wonderful guy drove the boat back into this tree and I told him he could just cut the line and I would re-tie..no big deal. But he could see my worm and was determined to get it. Well, that determination cost him his most cherished fishing pole--the boat was being pulled deeper and deeper into this tree and P forgot about his pole because he was so determined to salvage my bait....all the sudden this was this sound like a twig snapping and P miserably said, "Oh no! Oh God no!".......it was heartbreaking! He was devastated and sat quiet for nearly a half hour before he picked up his pole to look at it.....but thankfully he is able to replace it for cheaper than what we purchased it for....

I think our luck is going to continue to challenge us for a bit. P and I decided to do one last golfing trip before we trudge back to our routine tomorrow...during our game, my phone rings. It was our son. I picked it up and he was upset...his bike had gotten stolen from his fishing spot by two kids. I never heard such anger in that very patient boys voice--his friend tried to chase them down but they were long gone. B wanted to know if he should call the cops...oh yes, hang up with me now and call them immediately.

Long story short, my golf game improved because of the punks out there that steal things and how I wanted to kick their asses. About an hour later P's phone rang--it was the cops--he found B's bike...hallelujah!

So despite all this crap that continues to occur, the great golf game I had, all the fish we caught, the beautiful weather we had, the visits from our older kids over our vacation, our great friends and all the fun we had, we both work now,.....all of these positives far outweigh the negative. The best I can say it bring it on cuz no matter how horrible things might get or might be....our family is safe and healthy..we are able to laugh and love and enjoy those around us and we have each other to hug and comfort when things get hard! Spooner 2011 will long be remembered as a challenging yet great year to be us!

2nd trip to the Great Lake Superior

So last year we went up to the North Shore around this time of year with some great friends and we had 70 degree, sunny, beautiful weather. We just returned from that same trip today and had the complete opposite. The weather wasn't horrid...in the 40's on Saturday, sunny, and the lake was calm but yesterday? Oh my!

We awoke to rain/snow, and wind. I'm not 100% sure what the temp was but it certainly wasn't 70...I would say maybe upper 20's to mid 30's but who cared! It was that wind that set the mood for the day. By 9:30am we all pretty much knew the lake was going to be spectacular and it was. We went out earlier in the day to check out the situation and P saw a wet clay and rock trail down to a cove area that was level with the smashing waves and said he was going later....I was of course all for it--him and I live for days like that on Lake Superior. And I must say it was so worth the slips and slides and wet foot I got.

I'm not really sure what time we took the trip down but what I do know is it was slippery, loud, and amazing!!! We--P, F, and I,--got down to the rocky ground below and were stopped in our tracks...the waves were right in front of us! Crashing into the rocks and the point to our right...they must have been 6-7 feet high and were rolling in fast and hard! The noise was deafening. Pictures were taken, and then we moved on...around a little corner into another cove where a flat rock juts out that we had been watching all morning from the window to gauge the intensity of the waves. It was that rock that provided the most amusement from where I stood...

P and F were standing on this rock while I stood back watching. The rock is quite a few feet higher than the water so the water was slamming into the side of it creating that spray only large waves can create. Some of the splashes were above their heads and at times they had to move quite quickly to escape a Superior shower of ice water! I stood there laughing and then I suddenly realized just how high those splashes were getting. The waves seemed to be quite a bit larger than when we first got there about 1/2 hour before. I looked over to the first cove we were in and saw how high the water was coming up the rocks....and then at the tiny narrow trail we took to get to the spot we were in....water was lapping up on the trail.

Yeah, I got nervous and just wanted to get back to where we came down the hill. Of course the guys said I was being silly and we would be fine...probably right but the element of caution in me won....F said we could find another way up but that way looked pretty steep and was very icy...if it were all that muddy clay I wouldn't have thought twice actually...it was the steepness but mostly the ice.....our choices to reach the ground that held the condo we were in were pretty limited .... hmmmm.

The thought of having to get wet wasn't really something I wanted to do considering the water temp and the air and the only option up from the spot we were at was ice....we could have made it up but it would have been interesting to say the least.....but I really didn't want to leave either! I could have stayed there all day long! And I did ultimately decide that if the guys thought they would find a way out of that spot and help me out then screw it, so I stood watching them for a bit longer and then maybe ten minutes later they came off the rock. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen on Lake Superior!

Obviously we made it out but getting around that little corner to the other cove was a race for me....the waves were coming fast and water was continuing to splash up on the trail so I panicked and tried to beat it...probably didn't need to...but I ended up getting my foot wet..not from the waves of course but from a dumb puddle of standing water..and then stepped on a sloped wet rock that I thought was just wet but there was a thin coat of ice on it and yeah, well, I slipped....that's what I get! But it was so damn worth it!

We went down later that evening one last time to get a look to see if the waves were bigger....and they seemed to be about 8 feet high and rolling in faster than before. The noise was insane and all I could think about was how powerful these small waves are...imagine that of a tsunami. That lake was angry last night....it was something I won't soon forget! I have a ton of pictures but of course they're on film so it will be awhile before I get them posted but I am excited to get them.

The rest of the weekend was filled with many laughs, strange conversations, and really, really, good food cooked by F. Can't remember when I ate so much in three days! We're hoping to make that trip again next year around the same time. So far the memories of good friends and great scenery have made this a trip I hope we can do a for a long time as a group! Hopefully I'll have pictures to post real soon....until then, we're home now and we must decompress and get back to reality. Could be a very stressful week ahead but I really hope not.....

My Sweet Stella

Before I tackle another week of homework I decided it was a good moment to babble! Our household has been visited by 'the bug'. I've been sick since last Wednesday beginning with a sore throat, aches, chills, and fever and am now battling the cold from hell.

Our son took ill last night with 101 fever and the headache from hell and is home today nursing himself back to health. His head still hurts and has been running a fever all day. P hasn't been feeling like himself today but on the bright side, our daughter is finally over her sickness. So, our luck from whatever this bug is has run out.

I tend to believe this little 'gift' was left by our WeeMan who's visit here was so sweet. I knew I was going to get his cold because I just couldn't resist his fishy kisses and his generosity of sharing his food with me. I was a bad Oma.

So that little guy is going to be two in a couple days already. Man time goes fast. I was treated to a phone call from our daughter last night with him rattling off all sorts of words...I love it when they start to talk fluently...There's nothing quite like the pronunciation of specific words and their sweet little voices. But I have to add, by those teenage years when they've mastered the art of 'witty' remarks and 'jabs' that hit in the gut I wish they were back to being infants!

In other news, I'm on the hunt for another kitten!!! We have Stella--oh sweet, sweet Stella. NOT! She's quite a cat these days. She gets really bored around here and wants attention many days I sit here in the peace and quiet doing my homework.

I have a laptop that I choose to use a mouse with because I just hate the mouse pad thing on the laptop. If it's because she knows the name of that device is 'mouse' or if she's just being a shit, I will never know! I won't be paying much attention and all the sudden she comes in for the attack, teeth bared, claws out and attacks my hand with everything she's got! Good grief, I try to get her off my hand and it only makes matters worse! She wraps her paws around my wrist and continues with her gnawing and steel grip. I move my arm around and she moves with it only getting a better grip. This continues for as long as my threshold for pain can last--usually about 30 seconds before I grab her and yell at her and put her on the floor. She usually looks at me with these very angry eyes and sighs.

Don't get me wrong..I absolutely adore this cat. She's a beautiful little thing and as cats go, very unique in the way most cats are. She so badly wants to sleep in our room at night...I want her to but P will always say, "Awww, really???" He knows she's 'satan' cat because for some reason she LOVES to attack his feet and legs when she's in our room. Never mine, even if I wiggle them--yeah, she'll come after mine but immediately pounces on P's. After so many grumbles and sighs I know it's time to throw her into the hallway and ban her from our room for the night. I then lay there and silently hang my lip because Stella sits outside our doorway mewing to come back in. Breaks my heart!

The other day our son was playing with her. He decided to trap her under an empty clothes basket to see what she would do....well, instead of sitting there the whole time glaring at him she opted to cram her nose in one of the holes on the side and proceeded to move the basket across the floor. She did this for awhile, throwing it up in the air a couple times on her way to a pair of shoes. Once at the shoes, she pushed her nose through a hole again and threw the basket up and forward so it landed on the shoes and she quickly scooted out from the trap. That smarty-cat problem solved her way right out of that...now if only I could get her to understand English she might very well learn to talk!

I believe I've mentioned before how she destroys our house on some nights out of boredom...pictures behind the tv, empty aluminum cans all over, things knocked in the fish tank...we seriously have to cat proof this house from all her antics! The other day I went in our bedroom to watch tv and it wasn't working...she had knocked the dvd player off the top of it and somehow disconnected one of the cords.

I used to think the kids were such a handful but now I'm rethinking that. I need a playmate for this little menace! Each time I look at her messes I think of her name and the meaning behind that choice....the urge to open the fridge to pull out a Stella having to clean up after her...oh my!

Tonight she's terrorizing the printer as our daughter prints out homework, then onto those printed out papers to bite them and claw holes in them, then to the cords on the Wii to bat them around...oh the joys of having an 8 month old kitten..almost as much fun as having our little WeeMan around!

Now, I'm off to watch a movie with my hubby..Spy Games, haven't seen that in ages. But I think I like the idea of cuddling up with him better than the movie anyway..have a great night all.....

Edgar

Well today P and I released squirrel number five. I lovingly call him/her Edgar. No significance, that's just the name I thought of when I saw how fat it was! I do believe P should make a living out of this since it seems that we're catching every squirrel in the area now. At least that gawd-awful scratching has ceased over my head as I sit here by myself doing homework everyday.

It's so funny watching these critters scurry off! They literally run for their lives the second that little cage door opens and usually seek shelter in pine trees. I don't have to go along but do enjoy watching the event not to mention there's just something about the act of catching them and setting them free to live somewhere else. Yes, I'm an animal lover so just shoot me--not the squirrels. Yeah, I get grief for my big heart when it comes to animals but I must admit I do have my limits.

Like the ducks that killed our pet chicken or the rooster that attacked our children every time they went outside. They had to go and it was good shooting practice for P. He hated doing it but reminded himself the damage they were doing and that was probably the moment he pulled the trigger...I mean come on, we had three girls who refused to go outside on beautiful summer days because that dumb rooster would jump up on their backs....and those ducks? Nasty cusses and that's all I will say about that.

Yeah, I do draw the line on some things...but others? Heck, we're going to have a 4 3/4 lb. largemouth hanging on our wall in the near future. Why? Well, it swallowed my hook and ultimately ended up floating a few feet from the boat about 10 minutes after we let it go. Neither P or I had the heart to cut this beautiful creature up and have it for dinner so we froze it and took it to the taxidermist about 6 months ago. How pathetic is that? That's not a trophy fish by any means but as bass go....

Anyway, we sit here waiting for a fresh snow cover so we can check for fresh squirrel tracks leading to our roof. They must know it's going to snow because with each new snowfall we have caught another right before the storm...the squirrels must be loading up on food to go hide through the storm and what better place than a strategically placed squirrel trap with plenty of bird food and no escape......

Ms. Griswold has found herself displaced

Well, after a few weeks of P trying to find ways to rid our ceiling of the god-awful scratching, ripping up of insulation, and ceiling panels being knocked out we broke down and purchased this nifty little cage.

A borrowed .22 didn't do the trick because of course it seemed the second P had possession of this the squirrels became scarce...except for the destruction they were causing in the ceiling. But thanks to our friends for their effort to help us rid our home of this critter.
























It was then we decided we best research on the internet other ways in which to get rid of this creature. I was sitting here one day doing my homework and just above my head I heard the scratching and could just imagine the destruction in progress...that was pretty much the last straw.

Messing with an unused room is one thing but moving throughout the main living area...egads! I certainly didn't want to run around the house all day banging on the ceiling with the broom which is what I've been doing the last couple weeks.

So we bought this cage and made a tasty treat of apples with peanut butter and bird seed sprinkled on top and within 2 days we had our first little critter. P drove that thing 15 miles away to ensure it would never return.

Well...insulation was still falling from the ceiling and scratching was occurring in the living room--we had not solved the problem and figured that little critter was just an offspring since it wasn't nearly as big as those we'd been seeing scurrying all over the back yard. So trap number two was set two days ago.

Again, that tasty treat of apple, peanut butter and seed. P went up to check on it and one half of the apple was gone and the door to the trap was shut, but no squirrel. So he reset it with the remaining apple. A few hours later the apple went missing and the trap never triggered. So then, he made another treat but only half this time....the next morning, the apple was still there but the cage was tipped on it's front end with the door still open. After two more attempts we learned that this smarty pants must have been reaching in through the cage and attempting to get that apple because the trap was tripped but there were marks on that apple suggesting this crafty critter was attempting to eat the bait through the cage... somehow it seemed to know the game.

On a side note, when we had that .22 here we noticed how the squirrels would act as if they were in a war zone...they would scurry behind a tree or the pole to the bird feeder and peek out at us and make a bee-line to their next cover. One even had a hole dug next to the bird feeder that it jumped into and peeked it's head out at me as I stood there wishing I had a gun. Why? Because once it pulled itself from the hole it ran immediately to it's access point to the roof.

Ms. Griswold is her given name. We've lovingly named this squirrel after the Christmas Vacation movie because...well, just because. So anyway, it got to the point the P was not going to reward this menace with more juicy treats for nothing so he resorted to just dumping birdseed in the cage, surrounding it with snow so Ms. Griswold had to physically enter...oh, and he filled a milk jug with water to place on top so that sneaky little thing wouldn't tip the cage.

This morning? Success! There she was in all her frantic fear scratching, struggling to free herself, trapped. So we took the kids and we set her free 15 miles away in a different direction and she gave us a look and quickly but casually scurried away into a pine tree. As she jumped onto the trunk of the tree she stopped and looked back at us.

Now, we have one left we think, one of Ms. Griswold's offspring that was caught up by the cage when P went to check this morning. We really hope that will end this adventure. Next spring will be a busy one fixing up the damage and cursing these animals.

The great north woods; nothing better!

Ahhhh, a nice relaxing weekend spent deep in the northern part of Minnesota! What more could we ask for? More smallies like the one I'm holding would have been perfect but the fishing..as I've said before has been pretty spotty this summer.

This little fella weighed three lbs. I caught a couple of two pounders, and some other small ones. I chuckle when I see this pic only because I have such a goofy look...what is that? But then I hate pics.

Oh my handsome hubby didn't have nearly the luck I was having with the smallies. He caught a few two pounders but by our last day he was pretty disappointed; after all, the lake we were on is a trophy small mouth lake =( .

On our last morning we wanted to use up the rest of the minnows before we headed out in hopes we would catch one last fish for the road. I caught another small mouth weighing in at about two pounds. Pat on the other hand had his rod on the dock and was doing something and his rod started to take off....he had no idea his bobber had disappeared. After what he thought was a fight with a small mouth, to his surprise this long northern saw him on that dock and took off! It gave him a great fight while I was running all over trying to get a net. We didn't have any of our tackle or anything so we estimated this snake weighed upwards of 4 1/2 lbs. And look at that little shit eater on his face! He's smirking not only because of the catch but also because he got to show it off to three very awe struck little boys who were aspiring fisherman!

It was a really fantastic weekend. We went camping. The drive took us seven hours on the way up and it went along the North Shore for most of it. Him and I were both so anxious to get out of here that we did something that we haven't done since we were amateur campers. Forgot a TON of things. Pillows, chairs, and even worse, the bag with all our shower stuff! There were a few other minor things but nothing as valuable as those things we forgot!

We had to make four or five stops on the way up just to shop! Of course we wanted to give the truck a rest but at least two of those stops could have been avoided....we laughed and chalked it up to being so excited to fish and camp and just to get away together!

On the last leg of the journey we turned off the main road onto the Gunflint Trail. Upon seeing the scenery and oohing and ahhing over the amazing beauty, a couple of little fox scurrying down the side of the road, I stopped and thought for a moment. Bears, moose oh my. I looked at Pat and said, "Lets turn around now!" Of course I was kidding but neither of us had ever camped so deep in the woods before. Of course he was telling me the moose were worse than the bear...nervous ninny kicking in I had five minutes of regret for the choice of destination! But man, it was just too pretty to worry about all that!

We set up camp like we had done it just yesterday. It was getting dark by the time we got there so that was a challenge. We were both starving, frustrated that it was getting dark so soon, we still wanted to get the boat in the water, and exhausted from the long drive. But when it was all done, we ate, sat and had a beer and then attempted to find our way around the very dark campground. We found the bathroom and I forgot to mention we grabbed our fishing poles because we wanted to fish off the dock since it was too dark to go explore in the boat.

The act of fishing was my only reason for fishing...put a pole in my hands, a beer at my side and a dock to sit on and I find myself in a place I found great comfort in as a child. Never did I expect to catch anything. Well, I did but was so shocked at the fight of that pig that I barely set the hook and when I got it to the dock, I was afraid to pull it out of the water. I must confess, I've always, always had a quirk about fishing at night. Anyway, just when I was mustering the nerve to pull this unfamiliar fish from the water it shook the hook and escaped. I was secretly relieved which I later admitted to Pat but that was the first official small mouth bass of the weekend. It was probably two to three lbs but I will never know for certain. Over the weekend I soon got over that quirk after catching a couple more at night.

There definitely is something to be said for the fight a smallmouth bass puts up! It's every fisherman's dream. A two pounder fights as great as a five pound large mouth and the smallies are a much denser fish and well? I certainly would love it if we could find some more of those little monsters!!! They were a fun fish to fight!

It was tough to leave that last day. Thankfully the weather sucked where we were at..windy, raining off and on. The temp was ok but cloudy and icky always makes it so much easier to come home. Although after we got in Duluth, the weather was worse. It was 89 degrees in Duluth--unheard of! It was miserable! But with two hours left before we got home, the temps barely mattered. The time spent at a beautiful place with a great husband is more than I could have ever asked for!

A big THANK YOU to our friends T and J for introducing us to this place! The dock is the place!!!!!! lol

Memories being made more and more

Where did the week go?! Neither P or I can get our mind around that one. Yep, we're home already but it seems like just yesterday I was so stressed out and frantically trying to get everything done!

Ho hum.

Well, we did actually have a beautiful week. We had a couple days of on and off rain with last evening being one of those torrential downpours that we've seen so much of over the last month. However, the one day it rained we went on a road trip and trekked around a small quaint little tourist town and window shopped under the awnings as the sprinkles came down..we got our morning and evening fishing in as well as one hell of a night of partying with the neighbors and a night none of us will ever forget!

Last night, well, we finished up with dinner two hours earlier than usual for the week and were all going to head out for our last evening of fishing...as soon as we got all the food and stuff cleaned up down came the rain. There were distant rumblings but this rainfall was spectacular. All the kids at the resort were running in the mud puddles, the older ones jumped in the lake and the neighbor and myself went fishing as the rain hindered our view five feet in front of us. Needless to say, my raincoat couldn't withstand the force of that rain and I ended up standing in the rain fishing. And for what? Nothing! Raindrops on the end of my pole and drowning my bobber. It was sooooo worth it!

The rest of the week we had windy days with sun on and off and capri and t-shirt weather. I cannot complain considering the weather we had the week before.

Now fishing was less than wonderful. Our neighbors are a big group consisting of five adults and six kids...last year they went home with sinful amounts of northern while we were catching bass and learning a new fishing technique. This year...hmmm. The fish either died in a freeze over the winter, they were hiding or they shrunk. Oh, we caught fish...a few two pound bass, some northern over two pounds, and P even caught some crappie. P also caught a 4 1/2 pound bass, I caught a 3 1/2 pounder and a three pounder...but other than those, the bass were not much bigger than a pound or two. Our neighbors couldn't bring in much more than tiny little bass and northern all darn week! Fishing has been pretty spotty this season. We're really hoping next year will bring back some of those lunkers. Although...

Our 11-year old boy. Man is that kid a fisherman or what?!!!!! This child LOVES northern fishing. I cannot stress the word 'LOVES' enough! He lives to catch one of those pigs. Remember last year he caught the 5 1/2 pounder? Well, I have a tale or two for you!

The first morning we took him out with us he was complaining because P and I were bass fishing. He wanted to northern fish! We told him he could do just that on the other side of the boat where the water was deeper. He wasn't convinced....he thinks we have to fish in 20-feet of water to find those things. Remember too, last year he caught his biggest fish off the dock....

Ok, so, finally he decided to put on a lure that P and I originally used to bass fish with a couple years ago and quickly discovered it not only caught bass but northern as well. He tossed it out for about 30-minutes or so and got hit. Lets just say he pulled in a lunker--a five pound northern that put up one hell of a fight.

If that wasn't enough, then second day there he threw a sucker minnow on his ultra light pole and casted off the end of the dock. P and I were sitting on the other dock this time when we hear him say, "Oh crap!!!" and he came running to the dock, picked up his pole and his ultra light was bent all the way to the handle. He pulled and fought and we quick stepped it to his dock as we heard the neighbors and the other boys ooohing and awwwing over the size of this northern on the end of our son's line.

The younger boys were instructed to quickly get a net which they did. They scooped up what seemed like an endless length of northern flesh and oh shit, it quickly slid out a hole that was created by the northerns weight. At this point, P quickly jumped in our boat as we all anticipated this thing shaking the hook and swimming to his home chuckling at the circus us humans were putting on. My bubble was beginning to burst when that fish fell back in the water thinking it would wriggle it's way out of this situation it got itself into! Northerns are notorious for wrapping around anchor ropes and dock posts and whatever other obstruction they can find and quickly shaking that hook out! Doggonit was all I could think!

So P searched for this thing after he grabbed the net and it was heading underneath our boat and in my mind the idea of actually getting a good look at this fish was fading.....Then I heard, "there it is! it's under the dock, hurry up, hurry up, scoop it up!!!!" That net was in the water like lightening and P successfully hoisted that pig out of the water!

Seven pounds and 32-inches of succulent meat waiting to be cleaned and frozen for a nice sit down dinner! Yes, our boy caught a seven pound northern off the end of the dock. The best part? He put his pole down to mess around with his buddy. He had no idea there was even anything messing with his minnow...just suddenly heard his pole moving and caught it in time to land what became not only the biggest catch of our vacation but also the largest fish anyone in our family has caught so far. He beat his father's record of a 6 1/2 pound bass. Now the two squabble over the species and who has the biggest in each species but for our boy and myself? Rubbing in the words 'seven pounds' brings huge shit eaters to our faces and we snicker each time we remind P that he's not in the lead anymore!

I think the most surprising and exciting event of the week was our 15-year old daughter. She HATES to fish..she won't even touch a plastic worm! We did however get her to come out in the boat with us a couple times. This of course was only because P and I promised she wouldn't have to touch anything...she only had to fish!

She casted her cute little pink Rapala for a bit but was seeing no action while P and I were getting hits and catching fish so she decided to fish like us. Using those worms with a Texas rig she began to feel the twitches..she would give the tiniest squeal of excitement with each twitch...and then she got hit hard. Her squeals quickly turned to nervous excitement.

She was dragged into the lily pads on the first one and lost the fish. After we got her casted back in the same spot she was hit again. I was sitting next to her and each time she got caught up in the lily pads I would yank on her line so she was sure to keep that fish on the hook...in the process I wound up breaking the tip of the pole but I didn't care! I wanted her to catch that fish SO bad! And she did! It was a two pound bass and she was as proud of that thing as a six year old child on Christmas morning! The pole I broke just happened to be my second pole for spinner baits but I still don't care that it broke! The joy in seeing our daughter get so excited was worth more than any old pole that can be replaced!

Our vacation for next year is scheduled and again coincides with our neighbors trip. The kids have friends that go there as do P and I and they are a great group of people! We're all looking very forward to next year's trip; hopeful that the fishing will be better but more hopeful for good fun and good friends! It's really different to go to a resort and be greeted with hugs and hand shakes and people so genuinely happy to see us. While it was very hard to say good bye to everyone, the knowledge that we'll all stay connected throughout the next year leaves us all feeling that we're creating some really great moments in our history. Here's to some really wonderful memories being made in each of our lives!

One for the road!

Why is the week before a vacation always so stressful?

P is bogged down at work and anxious to get the hell out of here. I'm cramming in two weeks worth of homework amounting to two 30+ problem assignments, a quiz, research of historical mathematicians, 4 other assignments, over 190 other math problems, and participation in my discussion forum that's required. That's why! Oh, and after I write this and finish up the very last two assignments for this week and next week, I have to start with the laundry, cleaning the house, making grocery lists, go shopping, packing, and at the end of all of that collapsing! It's a good week! That's what I have to keep telling myself...

I've wanted to put up a post all week but have literally been buried in homework since Sunday and since Sunday I haven't gotten to bed before 3:00am. I'm a bit exhausted but the excitement is kicking in and nixing all that fru-fru stuff!

I'm happy to say that I'm very close to done and looking so forward to just enjoying my computer with the background noise of the washing machine and dishwasher! Of course that will be short lived because I'll have to pack and make sure the kids have everything and that my shopping list includes all that we'll need so we don't have to run to the store every other day.

I looked at the weather this morning for the place we're going and have to say, we might have ourselves one hell of a beautiful week minus one day. Temps will be in the 70's and the sun is shining in those little animated pictures. If we have beautiful weather I will have to screech like a hoot owl because that would mean three years in a row! What more could we hope for!

Right now the anticipation is just killing us. Normally our weeks just fly by but this one is going at a slower pace it seems. I guess in one sense I'm relieved for that because it gives both P and I the time to get our work done but man...get here already Saturday!

Ok, I'm procrastinating. I have to finish my homework so I can do other work tomorrow......and there will be lots of it I'm sure! Hope everyone has a great week!

Indescribable

Before I dive into my homework I just have to gush about what an amazing weekend we had! The weather god was definitely looking down on us, F and M were just as into the whole scenic thing as we are, we had smoked white fish and trout for the first time...mmmmmmmmmm, drank too much, (said 'sorry' way too much, lol) walked the trails of hell way too much, laughed a ton, got serious some....can't wait to do it all again.

Oh, I forgot to mention the place we stayed was amazing. I think my most favorite part was the view from the master bedroom....two HUGE windows from floor to ceiling that took up two corners and looked out at Lake Superior...God what a great thing to look at when you wake up....my second favorite was the fireplace...**sigh** it was beautiful.

We spent quite a bit of time on our feet on Saturday. We were told there would be a lot of walking...haha, little did any of us realize that we'd bitten off more than we could chew. By the end of Saturday we were all whining like a bunch of babies...except F was pretty quiet...hmm. But we were all just sacks of potatoes. We went to the hot tub for I don't know how long and oohed and aahed about how great it felt on our very sore limbs.

But those sore limbs were so worth it. We saw a couple of the most beautiful waterfalls--Pat and I go up north as often as we can but we don't always venture off the 'tourist paths' and see what lies behind all this other beautiful stuff. I don't think we'll be so 'touristy' from now on when it comes to the North Shore.

We were also introduced to smoked fish. In all honesty, I had my worries that I would gag but lo and behold it was amazing; so much so that we brought some home with us. The white fish....holy guacamole! I told everyone it tasted like chicken but it really tastes like summer sausage or some sort of sausage. Hard to explain.

The picture above is the view from our townhouse we stayed in....that was taken on Sunday morning, the lake was calm, the sun was shining like it had it's brights on, and we sat out on the deck and drank coffee before we had to do the dreaded packing up, showers, and the long journey home....The weekend was relaxing and memorable. We're looking forward to doing it again and we are definitely planning on it...it's really nice to have some people in our lives we can be ourselves with and do what we like to do with them....in this case, get our butts outside and enjoy nature. Thanks F and M for a really, really great weekend!

A little rest and relaxation on the horizon

Time once again for our family vacation. We're leaving on Saturday and returning the following. It's been a very interesting summer, the first half packed with soccer and the last half very quiet yet busy.

We're looking forward to the overload on fishing and the overload on quiet. We will only have two kids with us this year so that will be a strange new experience, hasn't been just 4 of us in 14 years...and then it was the two older girls. Amazing how much Pat and I have changed over the years in our parenting. All those things that seemed so dangerous or scary are now things we take in stride.

Our two younger kids are growing up in a different time, with different rules yet still the same. We're much more laid back and less paranoid about this or that....Of course the older two believe that the younger two are just spoiled and get their way...its just so hard to explain the logic behind it all and the only thing I can tell them is when you have more than one child they will know what I mean. They just look at me, roll their eyes and sigh. I now understand why my own siblings think I was spoiled......but they will never understand that I wasn't, just grew up at a different time in my folks parental journey.

Anyway, hopefully nothing significant will happen in this messed up world while we're away. Our older two girls are going to try to come up for a visit which would be great, would love that! Their significant others both love to fish, the wee grandbaby will be with and a day with all of us would be welcome....but if they don't, they don't.

Hope everyone has a great week.....

Mpls./St. Paul Airport, day of departure

(picture courtesy of: MPR News )

Ok, we are settled in at home now...unfortunately. But that means a few posts and pictures of our trip!

I have to say, not traveling since 1993 by plane, our airport adventure proved to be VERY frustrating and a really bad way to wake up in the morning the day we left. And who would think that at 5:30 in the morning the airport would be so busy and hectic. Guess I don't get out much! Anyway......

We awoke at 4:30am and got to the airport by about 5:20am. Because our flight information told us to arrive at least 2 hours early, we figured this would be plenty of time. Hell, an hour early would have been plenty the way we were herded around like cattle there. And impatience? Holy cow, some of those airport employees are downright nasty!

So, we got to this 'foreign' place and had e-tickets with NOT a clue how to get an actual ticket in our hands. Well, because the mode there is rush rush rush, it seemed that no one had the time to actually tell us what to do. One lady told us to put in our drivers license number, the machine said 'confirmation' number but the slip of paper we were told to print out had a variety of names for a variety of numbers and the machine had no option to put in the drivers license.

So we stood at this machine and some guy walked by and we flagged him down and he was kind enough to point to the exact number that we were to put in...or maybe it was a lady? I don't know, I was half asleep and so lost in this whole morning shuffle that I just can't even remember those who took a second of their time to help those of us who never travel. And I know, they don't know we don't travel a lot but if I were to see someone looking around, flailing arms, shrugging, looking a little exasperated, and most importantly...holding up the line, I guess I would think that perhaps they might need some help figuring something out? But that's just me, I'm an observer. And I would like to point out that when we were asking for help, directions were very vague so it wasn't like we weren't trying to get some assistance as well. Once we were given this information, that whole process went very smooth and quick...about 10 minutes all told?

Next it was the security check in! Oh my god, I was trying to read sign after sign after sign, in small print, to figure out what we needed to do. Pat was getting rushed along by the guy sitting on his butt yelling at everyone to hurry as the guy casually checked id's and tickets. I seriously thought Pat was gonna pop him one because already, the tension was building.

In the meantime, I'm digging in my carry-on trying to get everything out that needs to be out (according to the signs), Pat was telling me I don't need to do this or that, I'm asking him what we need to have out, my hands were full and I had a ticket and my drivers license in the other hand hanging on to them for dear life while this line is moving like a conveyor belt. There was NO time to breathe here, it was moving along like highway traffic in this place.

So, we got to the check point and it's more rush rush rush.....put your stuff in this bin, take off your shoes, take off your jackets, empty your pockets, pick up that lap top and take it out of the bag, put everything in your hands into the bins. Needless to say, I was starting to break out in a sweat due to the intensity of the pace these workers were making us keep. We got through security fine EXCEPT when they told me to throw everything in the bin, that meant my license and my boarding pass. Because we were being rushed through so fast, I didn't feel like I had the time to put these things in a safer place and since I couldn't cram them in my pocket because we had to empty them, that meant I had to throw them in the bin with the baggies of toiletries and shoes and purse and film and camera, and, and, and. When I put them in there I swore they were on top with the other boarding passes.

Once the bins came through the other side we started to quickly grab our stuff. Pat then asked in a frantic voice, "LeAnn, where's your other boarding pass???????" ....my boarding pass was missing, not my license, just my boarding pass! As we raced to get all our stuff back in the carry on bags, Pat's computer back in it's bag, jackets on, shoes on, we were searching high and low for this pass...it was no where!

Finally, finally a KIND person who was working at the end of the belt asked us if everything was ok. I practically screamed at her that NO, EVERYTHING WAS NOT OK. But I refrained, after all, it was only 6 in the morning or so and I hadn't had my coffee and I only felt completely out of my element...why yell and make matters worse. So this lady, who barely spoke English was told that we lost one of the 4 boarding passes we had..it went through the machine in a bin and poof, it was just gone! Her response was to just stand there and look at us and shrug....

Man, it was hell for me because I KNEW I put that pass right on top, under my license, next to my wallet. We didn't know if they would allow us to print another, the idea of having to go through all that crap AGAIN was a dreadful and very irritating thought, and seriously, we only had the dumb thing not 2 minutes earlier, what the hell happened to it! Could the morning have gotten any more frantic!

We looked, we tore our pockets apart all over, we tore our carry on bags apart, I tore my purse apart even though there was nothing in it, I tore my wallet apart....shit!!!! Pat was less than pleased yelling at me, I was yelling at him...it was your typical comedy half hour in the airport.....and all the while I was thinking, I know I threw that thing in the bin because I was told to put everything in the bin by the security people...

Now remember, I said this lady was kind...I didn't think that at first because of her reaction when I told her what was going on because frankly, I didn't think she gave a damn, that she was just as insensitive to those of us who NEVER travel and wrote us off as the idiots we probably looked like. I pretty much had given up on getting help from ANY of those 8 or 10 people who work in this area because none of them really seemed to care and I was near tears. Suddenly with my back turned, helplessness and the unknown engulfing every fiber of me, there was a light, frantic tapping on my left shoulder...I turned and there was this kind, barely English speaking woman looking at me with huge eyes and pointing.

There, underneath the x-ray machine was a white slip of paper, upside down..she pushed me along and kept wagging her pointing finger at the slip of paper...and the relief that washed over me was so intense I cannot even tell you. Then I got a pang of nervousness cuz what if it wasn't my boarding pass, then what....but I stopped my thought process and went an picked it up. There like a big flashing neon black light was my name in the upper corner.

I thanked this woman so many times and wanted to hug her but thought that would be a little inappropriate not to mention I would have security guards cuffing me or something.

Once we made it through that chaos we breathed a HUGE sigh and said, "We made it!" and walked on in shock at how much things have changed since we'd last went on an airplane. We ended up at our gate an hour earlier than we needed to be and this was after we got coffee and went to the bathroom. All told, the fiasco of entering into the airport took us about 20 minutes or so? But while it's happening it's funny how it seems to take an eternity.

Once we sat, I realized how out of breath I was, how hot and perturbed I was, and just how I pray to god that the rest of this stuff would be less frantic and crazy. Just really not a great way to start out a day, especially before the rooster crows!

Next to come....getting on that airplane!

Home again

We arrived home from one of the most memorable trips yet..well since France...and since it's the ONLY trip away from the state in the last 16 years I suppose memorable it will be.

Will be bringing my films in tomorrow to get the pics to post but man, those mental pictures and sounds will be around for awhile. I can still hear the sound of that bell from the cable cars ringing in my ears and the noise of all the people and the echos of all the music, and the noise of car horns and cars racing around the streets....one would think that living in the area that we live in that those things would be the last thing that I would relish!

Oh, just so much to talk about but it's pretty late now and I'm sure I'll be posting about things in the next few days. Until then................

Just checking in.....

Still in San Francisco, this place is SO amazing! Beautiful architecture, tons to do but I would have to say the best is people watching. A lot of interesting people here.

Just wanted to check in quick before I head to Chinatown to take some more pictures. Already gone through 5 rolls of film and that's conserving. We're taking a tour this evening with Pat's seminar called Night in the City. We've already been to most of the places but since we leave tomorrow we figured it would be a great end of the trip event.

Hope all are doing wonderful and will post more once we get back on MN turf....have a great day all, I know I am!

Feeling a bit blue....

We're home.......why do things have to end?

Yes, we had a fantastic little vacation...relaxing, lazy, laid back, and fun. It's always so hard to come back to reality because those moments spent doing something completely out of the ordinary will soon just be but a memory. While I like memories and all, living in those moments ..... well, it's hard to describe but I'm sure many can relate.

Oh, I did get my mixer and made mashed potatoes. I want to just go mix something now that we're home again but MUST------DO-------HOMEWORK! Yeah, nice homework eh---sitting here writing a post. Hey, I've only been working on a 12 page accounting problem for the last 7 hours, give me a moment to savor the last few days and babble. And I have reason to celebrate!!!! I understood the accounting problem and it even balanced out! Woooohoooooo.......

Ok, this moment is chalked up in the short term memory banks. I do have to get back to the books now and catch up on a day that I missed....back to the old routine.

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and congrats. I will be back sometime....in the future?

Home again...

It seems that no matter how much a vacation is anticipated and how long one week away from home seems like an eternity of anticipation...a week is just not enough. Yes, we have been and gone on our vacation already and I'm sad.

The weather was absolutely wonderful...mid to upper 70's all week with only a little bit of rain and a lake that is much bigger than I thought it would be. The cabin was spacious and exactly what we've been searching for and the fishing wasn't super spectacular but it was decent. There's a little lagoon thingy and a decent beach for the kids to enjoy and the distance from town to the cabin was perfect. So, after a week of mulling it over, Pat and I have decided that this is the one that we'll return to year after year from now on. You see, I've been looking for that perfect place that suits our family for many years. We've tried distant places and we've tried ones practically out our back door but they just didn't feel right.

So, enough about the cabin...the vacation. What a beautiful lake. We weren't able to explore all of it due to it's size but it was literally right out our door just off the patio. Our son truly took advantage of the unlimited fishing opportunities he had all week and caught himself northern, bass, perch, sunnies and bullheads. He fished pretty much every waking minute taking long enough to eat and go to the bathroom.

Our daughters lounged around a lot on the patio reading, staring at the lake or just napping. They too enjoyed some fishing and were graced with some sizeable fish. Our oldest had her boyfriend up for a day and him, Pat and our daughter went out fishing at 6:00am. the best part of that is that her boyfriend has never really fished before he met our daughter and they only just recently bought fishing poles. The boyfriend hooked onto a 2 pound northern and a rather large bass which he lost. Needless to say, he has the itch and has grown to love fishing.

Me? Well, I caught a couple of decent northern...a 2 1/2 pounder and a 3 pounder and then there was the 'pig' as we have all called him. I lost him but that northern was large....he gave me a great fight, Pat and I got him to the boat and he had dragged out so much line that he was deep down in the water. By the time I was able to finally reel him in, the fish had shaken the hook out of it's mouth and is still swimming in that lake laughing at me....I lost a brand new lure, another spinner bait and about 3 others were destroyed by northerns...those nasty cusses but man are they fun to fight. Overall, my fishing excursions were satisfying.

Pat too had a good week fishing. He got to enjoy many more outtings as he is the captain of the rather small fishing boat..I refuse to drive that thing. He latched onto a northern that must have been close to 5-6 pounds and then others that ranged in weight from 2-4 pounds. We did catch some bass but not much to brag about. All the same, they were fun to fight. Ahhhh, fishing..such a relaxing thing to do with a little excitement thrown in every now and then.

So, for excitement.....our son spent much of his time fishing in this little lagoon....it was choked with lily pads and looked disgustingly mucky. He of course didn't care, he was catching sunfish left and right. So on the day the grandparents came to visit he was again fishing and I hear...oh, he fell in. I turned to look and theres our boy covered in mud and weeds and his pole was like a big weed it was so full of yuck. Turns out though that our son didn't fall in...he was trying to walk to the other side of the foot bridge; in the water. He stepped in, took a couple more steps and sunk in up to his ears in muck. Thankfully I didn't see this happen because I was freaked out enough with the 'what if' factor. While it's funny to think about now, that could have proved to be something a little more serious. He could have sunk in over his head in that muck...oh, I'm just a massive 'freak out' person.....

More excitement.....Pat and I were coming in from a 4 hour fishing outting on our last morning there. I waved to the kids as we passed in front of the cabin, made faces, etc and just as we were coming in to the turn to get into the lagoon I was shocked to see a speed boat come flying past the tip of the boat, probably about 10-15 feet off of where I was sitting. Following was a water skiier.....this idiot had come in between us and the shore...the shore was about 40 feet off the bow of our boat. Can you say Holy S***???? Again, that freak out what if scenario is still playing through my head....Pat and I could have been hit, that skier could have been outside of the wake and could have hit the side of our boat, our kids could have seen a horrible thing happen to their parents. Our cabin was that close to the water btw....I told Pat today that if I would have been driving our boat that day I would have went right to that dock and pitched a holy fit. Irresponsible boater alert...NEVER pass another boater on the INSIDE...always go around. If Pat had turned our boat a few seconds sooner, there's no telling what may have been that morning and I'm just grateful that we are all safe.

So the vacation was a great success and one that I really wasn't ready to give up just yet. Waking up at 5:00 in the morning for the first three mornings was glorious...the water was like glass, the sun had yet to wake and the birds just coming to life....what more can a person ask while drinking a hot cup of coffee and breathing in the fresh air of a crisp dewy morning.

Camping Trip 2007

Short and sweet was the yearly camping trip. However, we only scheduled a short trip so we could enjoy some time at home with the kids.

Our first full day there our good friend/family member Boz came for a visit to do some fishing with us. It was really nice to have company there, he fits right in with our family. Of course, I talked to him about as much as I normally do-sorry Boz, I was just too into my crosswords to pay much attention to you. You know, focusing on the vacation and all....hehe.

So anyway, we were told by the park ranger to go by some rapids and to fish in the little pools all over. Beautiful, beautiful scenery on the Kettle River....mmmmmm, mmmmm. Rocks everywhere, ones that we could walk on to get nearly across the river. And it's a pretty wide river.

But we had to watch our step because some of them were sludged with really slippery mud/muck. Which, unfortunately, I discovered.

Freshly showered for our fishing trip, traipsing over the rocks, enjoying the music of the river it was like the needle on a record album scraped it's sound into my beautiful moment. Figures the fishing spots there were sparse so we were all going to move down a bit. I was trying to make my way back to shore, found a nice flat rock but I hesitated a moment...hmmm, was that just dried up or what.

Well, I went to test for stability and suddenly found my knee slamming into the muck and onto a very solid surface, that was underneath that dry looking moss on top. Many of the dry rocks looked much the same as this and were not slippery at all. I didn't have a chance at saving myself from that fall...I was doomed from the moment my foot touched it.

When I say my knee slammed into this rock, I mean slammed. I feared that perhaps I had cracked it or something. And Pat told me later in the trip that he heard me smack that rock and he was about 75 feet down that river with quite a lot of racket coming off the rapids. That alone shocked me...I was really hoping no one had seen my acrobats. No one saw me fall but it was heard.

I got up and my freshly showered legs were COVERED in mud, my knee was throbbing like crazy and there was blood seeping through the mud. My clothes were also full of mud, from the splash created by my fall, on this rock that was about as big as a large family size pizza. Ugh. Not a good way to start our vacation but oh well. What can I do.

Aside from being a gimp for a few days and having a contusion the size of an egg on my knee, things went pretty well. I also got stung by a bee in my armpit, slammed my other knee on the corner of the picnic table and had a midnight shower from a rainstorm but overall...the trip was nice.

We did catch some really nice small mouth bass in that river and I also caught a walleye. Soldier girl caught a northern just as we were going to move to a new spot. Unfortunately, Boz missed out on the secret fishing spot! We found it the next day and were reeling in all kinds of fish...those that I just mentioned above.

It was quite funny really. Boz was in denial, refused to believe that there may be fish in that river. So, he didn't fish, he just watched. Our son was the first to latch on to something and there after was all she wrote! Boz was no longer in denial and finally decided to pick up his pole and throw in a line....but he was too late. By the time he had done that, all the fish in that little pool had been caught. So he went home fishless.

We didn't have any serious animal antics...a few garter snakes for our son to oooh and awww over...OH there was some animals. Chipmunks! I have never seen so many in one place. There must have been about 20-30 of them gathering acorns and packing them away for the winter. I squatted on the sidewalk for nearly an hour just watching them. My toes were nearly run over too many times to count as they got just inches from us.

I watched in awe as these tiny little things went about their business. I was actually counting how many acorns they would pack in their cheeks before they scuttled off into the woods...10 acorns, it was like they knew how many they were counting out.

Some would run up the oak tree and all the sudden acorns would be falling to the ground. They were knocking them down, would quick run down the tree to the place they knocked them and quickly collect. It was so intriguing to watch this.

We had a horrible night of rain which I mentioned briefly above..my midnight shower. It poured most of the night, thunder, lightening, wind. Storms in tents. But I must say, all that seam sealing we did a couple years ago and scotch guarding paid off!!! Our tent was nearly dry the next morning! Pat and I were pretty excited about that. To some that might sound somewhat ridiculous but until you wake up in puddles of water, you won't understand our excitement. Oh, we didn't seal the rain shield, we have so many seams on that 8 man tent the we figured all our work on the main structure would be more than enough. Wrong......but a little water doesn't hurt, it's just a little cold when you're in a dead sleep and suddenly feel it on your face or in your ear.

We had a great trip. We're home now, our daughter is home, and life is back to chaos. I started school this week...man, am I overwhelmed right now. But that will change once I get into the routine, I know.

So, on that note, time for me to find something to gripe about......whatever will it be?

She's home, she's home, she's home!!!!!

Our little soldier is home!!!! It's funny how much we missed her here. I mean obvously we knew that we would miss her but to the extent that we did, well, that was a little surprising. Geez, that must sound a little cold and callous.

She was supposed to fly in on Friday but as I said in my previous post, the weather was none to cooperative. So Friday was a dreary, dismal night for all of us in this house. I was at work for much of the night but was kept updated through text messages and messages on my machine. Each call caused me to become more and more cranky and depressed because I was so looking forward to holding my little girl in my arms again. That wasn't going to happen on Friday.

I slept horrible that night because we had no idea when she would be coming in. I woke up at 7:30 that morning, started running errands to pick up the last things for camping, there was a message from our girl that they were still delayed and that she would call.... :0( I was just a snit! Frustrated because we had no idea how the day was going to play out, what the weather was going to do, if we were going to end up camping our first night without her...

11:00, 12:00, 1:00, still no word. We were all getting a little depressed, antsy, confused. We had no idea...FINALLY at about 1:30 my cell phone rings and I leapt over bins, sleeping bags, duffel bags to answer it as quickly as I could...sounds pretty pathetic huh.

I no more then say 'hello' and I hear...."MOMMY, I'M HOME!" on the other end. She was in the cities sitting at the airport! What the heck, we had no idea, it would take a whole hour to get there, ugh but she was home!

On the way there I couldn't stop smiling, I was bouncing up and down on my seat, we were making jokes about how we would greet her deciding that Titanic would be the theme..."I'll never let go...Look, it's a plane...." Needless to say, we were all on cloud nine and the moods that plagued us for days trying to figure out when she would be home had dissipated into the clouds that created all this emotional garbage.

We saw her, all dressed in her uniform sitting with a couple of friends...what a strange sight to see. She ran to her siblings and they all nearly fell over as they crashed into each other and they hugged for what seemed like 20 minutes.

My eyes stung as I took in the sight of my 4 kids together again. Pat stood off to my right watching as I struggled to get pictures of this homecoming. She then ran to him and again, the embrace was beyond words. And I stood there sad because I was the last in line...selfish little old me wanted to grab that girl and hold on for dear life!

Finally it was my turn and the hug was monumental and the air went out of me as I was finally able to hold her in my arms again. Wow, can't say that I've ever had that experience to this magnitude.

Needless to say, we got home, packed for camping and I will get back to that after I run an errand with Pat. But our little girl is home and she's not such a little girl anymore....

R & R just around the corner!

Yippeeeee! It's that time of year again! We're heading off for camping.

Our little soldier girl will be arriving home today...hopefully. She was supposed to be home yesterday but the weather wasn't very cooperative! Doggonit! But we have to pick her up from the airport, come home and pack for our vacation.

So, I am just letting all know that I'm going to be quiet for a few days....hehe.

Lots to do this morning, errands to run, things to pack so on that note, you all have a wonderful week and will more then likely come home to report on the adventures of this camping trip!

Take care.....