2018

4/24/18

We drove to Aitkin to meet with a closing company who will draw up the new deeds for splitting property with Mark and Sally.  We should be notified of a closing date and then perhaps finish the split.  After the meeting we drove to the cabin to put stakes in to mark where the cabin will be moved according to the requirements of the variance.  The big snowfall last weekend in Apple Valley didn’t seem to have hit Aitkin.  The road to the cabins was clear of snow, although pretty soft.  The cabin looked good – without any mouse invasion. Ice is still on the lake, but not much new hump.

We went back to Aitkin to stop at the courthouse to check on the latest permit application for the remodel.  We were told we had to have the design for the foundation approved by a board.  The first step was an online application process, then review, then a board meeting.  The application had to be in by 4:30 in order to get on the agenda for the May board meeting.  We went to the library to use a computer and scanner to get the application in on time.  It looks like we met the deadline and did the proper paperwork (and $700) as we are on the May agenda.
5/3/18
The weekend is supposed to be very warm so we came up to open the cabin.  The road has dried out a lot and the ice is off the lake.  Water is really high, though, and we are lucky to have put in the riprap or most of our front yard would be washed away.

Everything went really well – the sun is warm, the pump, heater, water heater, refrigerator, and WIFI all worked right away.  There were almost no flies or beetles in the cabin to clean up.  By 4 pm we were watching the little diving ducks and sipping some wine.  Perfect cabin opening.

5/4/18

I forget how much cleaning needs to be done when we open.  I washed out the refrigerator and tidied the cupboards yesterday.  The sink, washbowl, tub and toilet all needed to be cleaned from the anti-freeze and winter dust.  At least there were no dead mice floating in the toilet.  Now everything is vacuumed and dusted, stuff put away that we brought from home, beds made, and wood stove cleaned out.  

The guy who put in a new sewer for Mark and us came today to write up a bid for putting in two tanks for the blue cabin and leveling the old foundation when we move the cabin.  He also is willing to tear down and haul away the garage.  This is a big relief and will get us going on moving the cabin.  It won’t actually be any more expensive than renting a bobcat and a big garbage tub.

Arik and Kellen come tonight to help empty out the garage before it is torn down.  We can't get most things out of it until Mark comes to take out his boat and other stuff from the shed that was destroyed by trees.

5/5/18 
The garage is cleaned out and the dock is in.  I'm so happy that we have the lift put in by Stevo's service now.  It is way too much for the guys to manage.   It's great to have the front yard free of dock pieces so we can have a good view of the lake.  Kellen has been busy identifying the water birds and determining whether the Great Blue Heron or the Trumpter Swan is the bigger bird.

2015

9/4/15
The weather is still very warm and the lake is gummy with algae.  Rick is working on putting up the wood ceiling in the bathroom.  It is very putzy work as he is trying to get the boards perfect so that we don't need any trim pieces to hide the ends.

We are meeting with Sally and Steve to try and finalize the division of the property left to us all by Grandma Aagot and Grandpa Walter.  The various segments are so different in size, location, and value and Aitkin County now has many rules about how a segment can and cannot be further divided.  We have been working out a solution over the past 9 years and may finally be ready to formalize our agreements.  Then it is up to my children and grandchildren to decide what to do with their share.  I will have done my part!

Our other project for the weekend is to move everything away from the beach so that it can be landscaped and rocks added to slow down the continuous erosion of the shoreline.  We have lost 4 feet in the past 8 years.  It won't be as attrative as a nice, sandy shoreline, but at least the lake won't be lapping at our cabin foundation in a few years.

I hate to see the summer end.  Each year it seems shorter.  This is my favorite place on earth.

2014

5/23/14
Blue sky, clear water, sandy beach, warm weather. What's missing? The pontoon boat and some kids with sand pails. Stay tuned, they will be on the beach by this time tomorrow. Summer at the cabin. Life is wonderful!

7/4/14
We spent last weekend with Cheryl and Mia, Arik and Kellen.  The weather was warm and the lake is still very clear of weeds after a late ice out.  This was a bitter sweet weekend since it was last year that Jennifer had her last fun weekend with all of us.  After she went home from the cabin she was in a downhill spiral until her death in October.  Despite the memories of last year, this was a fun time for all of us.  After the weekend Arik, Cheryl and Mia went home and Kellen stayed at the cabin with us.  He said he missed his Dad, but was very busy outdoors.  He really enjoys playing in the sand and the lake, running up and down the road and picking wild flowers.  The mosquitos are very bad this year and he told me that he had an itch in his leg armpit (behind his knee).  He is so funny.

2013

     5/13/13
This has been a late spring with lots of late April and May snowfalls.  We are heading off to Colorado right after Memorial Day so we decided to chance the leftover snow and open the cabin on Opening Fishing Weekend.  Most reports were that the lakes were still iced over and that there would be no fishing in most of northern Minnesota.  The Governor may have to put his line in through a hole in the ice.
     We were a bit nervous that the road into the cabin would have snow drifts still on it.  However, as we drove north we saw no snow and the trees were leafed out a bit even as we got to Mille Lacs which was still mostly iced over.  By Aitkin there was still no snow anywhere and budding trees.  We were very lucky to find that there was no snow on the road in and some sun sneaking through the clouds.
    The lake is quite high again and has really pushed up onto the shore again.  It heaved up under the cement pad where we used to have a fire grate.  Maybe we will finally get rid of the concrete as it is all broken up.  The dock was also pushed back a bit, but looks undamaged.  We always pull it in farther that we think we need to and are always happy that we have done so.
    There were lots of pussy willows in bloom on the way in and the daffodills are up in the garden.  We got the gas furnace started right up and the water running quickly as well.  The cabin looks great and warmed up quickly.  For once we got the phone and internet set up soon enough that they both work without a problem.  It did not take much time at all to settle in.
   With the sunshine and a south wind the ice on the lake began moving around and soon there were huge cracks and channels all accross the lake.  I think the ice will be out by tomorrow and we will see fishermen on the lake for Opening.
   It is great to be back up here again and so peaceful.  There are already some ducks walking on the ice, but no loons yet.

2012

4/14/12
Lucky stars - Twin size quilt for cabin beds.

4/19/12
There is no better place than my wonderful lake. Ahhhhh. I am so happy that it is cabin time again.  The loons and the woodpeckers are back to Lake Waukenabo. The sky is blue, the lake is calm, I've got some coffee in my favorite cup and the wood stove is cranking out warmth. I must be in heaven.

4/20/12

After a very warm March it is only in the low 50's for our first 2012 visit to the cabin.  The lake is very high and the ice ridge is even higher.  This year the ice even moved the old concrete slab that the firepit used to be on.  I have never seen the ice push up so high!  We are lucky that we moved the dock in so far and put the legs up.  As it is the ice pushed up hard enough to move the dock pieces back a few feet.

The tree in Mark's deck is mostly dead from wood pecker activity.  There are branches and hunks of bark all over the back yard.  Fortunately the tree did not come down on our decks.  Looks like a tree trimming will be necessary this summer.

All is good in our cabin except for the gas heater which would not light.  Same as last year.  We are becoming friends with the repairman. The wood stove eventually warmed up the whole cabin and we are comfortable now.  It takes about 8 hours to get the floor, walls and furniture to completely warm up.  No problems at all with getting the water turned on.  It is so nice not to have to put the pump into the well house each year.  However, we still have really lousy water pressure.  It takes about 20 minutes to fill up the tub enough for a bath.

Mark and Joyce are coming up tonight.  I love to have them here to spend time with.  Last year we had the first dock out on the lake, but we have been beat to the punch by a few folks this year.  It will be a chore to get it in due to the super high ice pushed up bank.  I should get my exercise in today digging the bank down.

Rich Salzbrenner died just a couple weeks ago.  I will surely miss him this summer.  There are so few folks left from my father's generation and now we are losing friends from my lake generation.  It seems like Mike Sweeter should be walking around here with his dog, Amanda's dad should be out fishing on the dock, Ed Collins should be sitting out in front of his cabin painting, and my Mom should be sitting on the porch reading.  They are all so close to me here at Waukenabo.  Perhaps this is heaven!

5/9/12
Off to the cabin for a working weekend to finish the trim on the tin ceiling. Always good to get projects finished. Then time to deal with the huge ice hump between the cabin and the beach and get the boat in the water - YEAH!

5/10/12
Sunny, warm and so quiet that I can hear the bees buzzing and the baby ducklings peeping. Mid-week at Lake Waukenabo and all is peaceful. Today I powerwash the deck.

5/11/12
In two days I have seen a bald eagle just overhead, a kingfisher diving for minnows, two blue herons standing on the dock, and now a pair of trumpeter swans floating just 5 feet off shore, snacking on the aquatic plants. I am also happy not to see the Canada geese who thought the dock was a nice place to rest last year and left their calling cards all over the dock.

5/12/12
I look at my beautful cabin and so appreciate the skill and talent of my grandfather, father, husband, brother and now my sons who buit and now remodeled it. I see my sisters-in-law pounding nails and varnishing windows and paneling. I look at old pictures of my parents friends and family who cut down the oak trees in our back woods to have them sawed into the boards which framed the cabin. I think of my friends and family who spent long hours one hot summer building our addition. And i look out on my lake and see a peaceful morning - and am so thankful that i see this again as i have seen it every year for 64 years.

5/14/12
Great fishing weekend - lots of projects completed, socializing with old friends, and a boatful of sunfish. Then, the best, a yummy dinner with my dear family. Thanks, kids, it was a great Mother's Day celebration. You are the BEST!

5/24/12

Trumpeter swans still visiting our lake. Isn't it late in the year for them to be migrating? They have been here for a month.

5/27/12
Kellen is in his third set of clothes for the day. He is having a GREAT Lake Waukenabo day!

6/21/12

Pontoon floated to shore and was caught by a neighbor and tied to a tree on shore. We had to move the lift way closer to shore to get it to where we could keep the boat on it without floating away. Most of the boats along our shoreline floated off their lifts too.

2011

4/21/11

Sunny, but chilly, today as we get ready to open the cabin. Waukenabo here we come

The ice is going out. 46 degrees, south wind, the pump works. Hello spring we're opening.

4/22/11

It has been a long, cold winter and may be too early to open the cabin but we are heading off on an RV trip and decided to get the cabin open before we leave. Much of Mille Lacs lake was still covered in ice as was Waukenabo. Lots of ducks swimming in the open water near shore, though.

It is amazing to me that it takes so little effort these days to get the cabin functioning after a long winter. I started a fire in the wood stove to get the chill off and Rick got the water running. I loaded food into my really clean fridge and cupboards. In half an hour we were walking around admiring the lake. Both the phone and Internet are working this year. Unfortunately I forgot the Roku box at home so we will be limited to DVDs on the TV.

The weather was sort of overcast but a south wind was blowing out of the woods. The ice pack was about 10 yards off shore. We relaxed in the cabin and started to work on getting the heater going. It is a long run from the tank behind Mark's cabin and always is a long chore. Rick tried off and on for a couple hours before he decided he needs to call the gas company for repairs.

The lake is very high and there is a fair amount of water behind the road. Lots of coots and wood ducks swimming in the open water. The loon is nearby as well making lots of mating calls. It is very quiet up here. It looks like Lisa has not been here all winter. Very strange not to be greeted by Mike and Gabby. I keep waiting for them to appear on the deck.

As usual the peace and quiet of the cabin have relaxed me. It will be a nice break before a busy week with Carter and Bennett and then a busy time on the road in our RV.

the cabin.

The ice is out completely on Lake Waukenabo. Lots of beautiful wood ducks and coots swimming in the really high water. Cool outside this morning but warm and cozy in the cabin with our wood stove keeping us toasty. Spring at the cabin. I am in heaven.

4/23/11

Got the dock in today - first one on the lake. Wonderful campfire and sunset tonight. Beautiful.

4/24/11

Happy Easter from lake Waukenabo. The sun is bright, the loons are calling and the coffee is on. Have a joyous day, everyone.

5/29/11

Peaceful, soul renewing Sunday morning at Waukenabo. I have been coming to this place for 63 years - parents and grandparents are gone, but their spirits are with me here.

5/30/11

This is a day to remember our loved ones who have left us. The cabin always holds memories of my Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles. These are such good memories. I hope that I will leave my footprints here too. The spirits of many of cabin friends are with us too - I think so much of Sandy's folks - the Collin's. Her dad died the same week that Max did and we both ended up at the cabin shortly afterward to give ourselves time to reflect.

We are just back from a 3 week RV trip. During that time Rick's cousin Carolyn died in her nursing home. Two days after our return Jenn's father, Bob died. It is good to savor the time that we have together and enjoy our time at the cabin.

Lisa Sweeter is back working on her cabin with some old friends. I still think that I will see her husband Mike throwing the ball for Gabby. Barb and Chris, Sally and Steve, Sandy and Kevin and Renee and Richie are all here this weekend. It is almost like 4th of July. RIchie is weaker than ever, but still with us. Each time we see him is a blessing.

We have been working on many small projects to be ready for summer. Fixing the screening on the deck gates, firing up the Mosquito Magnet, and getting the boat in the water. We went to Grand Rapids and bought materials to finish the ceiling in the bunkhouse. It will be nice to have that finished and usable.

It has been raining and cool, but it is great to be here relaxing. Life has been busy. It is nice to move at a slower pace.  The drizzle came, the weekend visitors left. All is quiet at Waukenabo except for the woodpeckers working on Mark's cabin and the loons looking for a mate.

5/31/11
Just pruned the dead wood out of the raspberry bushes. Looking forward to lots of delicious red berries this summer.

6/1/11
I have spent the weekend appreciating the beautiful woodwork my husband Rick has done on our cabin. He is so talented.

6/9/11
It was windy and blue yesterday.My Mom's spirit is very close to me when it is a true "Lake Waukenabo" day with lots of sun and wind. Those are my favorite days here too - the wind blows the mosquitoes into the woods and makes the whole lake sparkle.

6/10/11
This is Grandpa Walter's day. I honor him for having the foresight to buy this land at Lake Waukenabo, for helping to build the cabin I enjoy all summer, for teaching me how to fish, pick berries, and to love the plants, trees, birds, frogs, crickets and all that is part of being a kid at the cabin. You were the best Grandpa!

6/30/11
Carter and I spent a delightful hour in the lake. Cool and beautiful. I seem to be quite sandy now, however.

7/2/11
Temp 72, humidity 60, lovely breeze from the WNW, clear sky, my family nearby. This is a perfect Waukenabo day. I want to capture it in a hundred jars and save it to open midwinter when I can't remember the perfection of summer at the cabin.

7/6/11
Loons calling but no little boys talking to me. It is a quiet day at the cabin. So nice to be able to share it with my brother and joyce. What a perfect holiday.

7/7/11
Did i do anything today? Oh, that's right, i'm at the cabin. I'm on waukenabo time.  Still getting over a bad case of Swimmer's Itch.  Poor Carter had it too.  Bad Grandma played in the hot shallow water with him and didn't get all the bugs washed off.

7/8/11
We traveled the Great River Road from Palisade to Grand Rapids. Old Man River is still very high. Beautiful Minnesota North country off the beaten path. Another perfect day.

8/13/11
We have Traveled far and wide but nothing is as beautiful as a morning at Lake Waukenabo.

9/1/11
I must remember on those cold winter days how much I hate humidity like today. However, as the sun is getting low and I can see Grandpa and the boys playing in the sand I know that I will miss this time at the cabin. I am so blessed.

9/3/11
Picking late summer raspberries for a raspberry rum cooler. mmmmmmmmmm.

9/24/11
Great last boat ride for the summer and now it is safely in the garage. Where did my summer go?

10/24/11
The cabin is closed for the winter and the RV is winterized, so now we have no worries about frozen pipes. But I feel like Carter who had to be pulled out of the cabin crying -" I don't want to go home I want to stay at the cabin!" I don't want it to be winter.