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.

2010

4/9/10

 Opened the cabin today – One of the earliest openings that I can remember. We are trying to get some time in up here before we leave for Oregon. It is 65 and sunny. Much warmer outside than in the cabin which has retained it's winter chill.

The pump started without problems this year, but the toilet is leaking. At least we can wait until tomorrow to head into town to get a part for it as the leak is not bad. The wood stove is working hard to warm up the interior before the sun goes down. No luck in lighting the gas heater yet.  It always takes a long time to bleed off the air in the system. 

It will be quiet here this weekend. No TV or Internet. No neighbors - only a few folks in the 4 season cabins across the lake. I have already heard one boat on the lake and someone has a dock out already.  I can't wait to use my new fishing pole, but we need help getting the dock in.  Two old folks can't do it alone.

The road in  is not rutted this year and there is very little water behind the garage. No water in the ditches.  I read that there is a drought in central Minnesota.  The lake is low for early spring.  Hopefully we will have rain soon.

The little blue spruce that we took from Dad's front yard and replanted have done well over the winter.  I gave them both a good long drink of water.  The daffodils in the garden are already 4" tall and then day lillies are up.  I raked all the leaves off the garden - hopefully the weather will stay mild so that the baby plants don't freeze, but the alternative is mold. 

It is an early year for the wildlife as well.  How do they all know that the lakes are no longer frozen?  The loons are back on the lake already along with a bunch of little coots.  The flock of Canada geese are circling.  I hope they move on as usual since they are such messy birds.  We heard the owl hooting in the woods last night (warm enough to have the window cracked open).  The otter was walking around on the shore far down on the beach.  When the big blue heron returns I will know that it is really Waukenabo season.

I walked in the woods - no muddy spots - and then sat and watched the sun set.  There is no place else on earth that gives me such peace.  Summer at the cabin!

5/1/10

We arrived at the cabin on a Saturday after hosting Rick's ski club Friday night.  There was a lot more life on Appeldorn beach when we arrived.  The Dorr men were cleaning out their garage prior to having a new pad put under it.  Kevin and Sandy were putting out their yard swing and cleaning the leaves out of the raspberry bushes.  Mike and Lisa were back from Minneapolis. 

I checked the rain gauge but no rain had fallen in the several days that we were home so I put the sprinkler on the new trees again.  The lake is down still more.  This early in the year there is no algae, but it will go to record lows unless the rains come.  Fortunately the ice went out without leaving a huge hump in front so readying the beach for grandchildren will not be difficult.

I was going to take pictures but forgot to bring the camera.  Too much going on the last few weeks.  I bought new rugs and futon covers so the living area looks pretty nice.  It will be good to cushion the floor a little more with Kellen and Bennett both spending a lot of time sitting and playing.  I decided on black for the futon cover so that dirty fingerprints wouldn't show.

Rick got the bunkroom in the garage sanded and skimcoated again.  Should be ready for painting on opening weekend.  He says we have to dig all around the base of the foundation and waterproof it before we can paint the floor so we are further from being ready to use it than I thought. 

The days were warm, but the nights still quite chilly so I fired up the wood stove each morning - 27 last night.  The daffodills are up as well as the day lillies.  Everything is at least 2 weeks early this year.  I plan to plant some flowers in the front bed when we get back for opening.  It's nice that we got an early start this year since we will be gone for 6 weeks of summer.

5/15/10

I must do some fishing this weekend after waiting months to sit out on a peaceful lake and watch the sun go down.  I am counting my blessings after a peaceful night listening to the loons and the owl and waking to a perfect sunny morning with baby geese swimming on the lake.

5/18/10

We still don't have our pontoon in because we haven't had the muscle to get the boat lift in.  Rick is working on getting wheels on the lift so that the two of us can push it into the lake.  The word is that the fish are not biting, anyway.

Our rain gauge says that almost 3" of rain has fallen since our last trip up.  There was lots of rain at home too.  The lake is up a bit although still very low for May.  The mosquitos have hatched with the wet weather and we have to get more propane for the mosquito magnets to keep up with them.

Barb and Chris are here so we had our first late afternoon beers on the deck.  Then a perfect summer sunset.  The loons are very active.  We saw a sliver of moon.  Then a very dark and quiet night with only the owls hooting. 

The weather is warm - 75 during the day and not so cold at night.  The raspberry bushes need pruning and the lawn needs mowing.  It is good to work outside.  Barb has raked the beach and I got part of ours done but am tired after doing the pruning and the mowing.

Rick figured that the set of wheels on the front end of the boat lift needs to be put on a pipe so they can be removed once it is in the water or we won't be able to slide the pontoon onto the lift.  It is a very temporary arrangement.  The two of us old folks managed to lift up one end and slide the wheels on.  Then we pushed  the lift into place near the end of the dock and had to get the wheels back out again.  Rick lifted it up and I got pretty wet trying to grab the wheels out from under the legs of the lift.  Laurel and Hardy time!  After changing clothes and some hot tea we were very satisfied with our work

Rick's cold has gone to his chest and he is coughing all the time.   He isn't getting much done and is frustrated over the constant coughing and tiredness.  Time to head home and see the doc.

5/27/10

The closest I get to Heaven is Lake Waukenabo on a summer evening.

5/29/10

Weather was predicted to be perfect and we were excited that both kids and their children joining us for the weekend. The lake is still clear of weeds and perfect for swimming and wading for the babies.

We started the weekend by picking up the 5th Wheel and hauling it from our storage spot. It wasn't ready for summer yet so we had to drain the antifreeze, clean the tanks and fill with water. We would have to do this before going to Oregon anyway so we just got a jump on getting ready for that trip.

Matt and Amanda and the kids decided to stay in the trailer because Carter has become difficult in getting to sleep for his nap and bedtime. Jenn, Arik and Kellen are in the back bedroom - This may be the last year he will be able to fit in the crib to do that. We are bursting at the seams. Time to finish the bunkhouse.

The lake has maintained its gain in water level from the early-May rains. Things are looking very good in my garden except for the little spruce that seems to have taken a turn for the worse.

Lucky me. I had all my children and grandchildren around the table for supper at the cabin. Jenn couldn't eat much with a sore mouth from dental work. Kellen is teething and wanted only milk, Bennett spit up his cereal and Carter had 2nd helpings after insisting he didn't want anything. Still it is a blessing to all be together.

5/30/10

It was a hot, very summery day. More like the 4th of July than Memorial Day. We had a great breakfast and then some folks went into town while Kellen, Jenn and I went into the water. Kellen is working on 2 teeth and is clingy, wants only milk and needs long naps. Poor baby, hopefully the teeth will come through and he will feel better. He did enjoy the water and time playing with Emilie's baby, Charlize. The water is pretty chilly but warming in the sun.

Carter did not want to go to sleep in trailer and kept his parents up until 1. Then Bennett, who is having a growth spurt, decided to eat every few hours. Matt and Amanda are pretty tired. I remember those days of small children and wishing very much for a good night's sleep.

We had a quiet afternoon with both Carter and Kellen taking 4 hour naps. Spent some time chatting with Richie and his family and new grandchild, Ella. She is a month younger than Bennett but much more petite. Very blond to Bennett's dark hair and olive complexion.

After naps both Carter and Kellen had a great time playing in the water and in the sprinkler. They are so cute in the bathing suits although Carter seemed to be losing his a lot of the time.

Lucky me. I had all my children and grandchildren around the table for supper at the cabin. Jenn couldn't eat much with a sore mouth from dental work. Kellen is teething and wanted only milk, Bennett spit up his cereal and Carter had 2nd helpings after insisting he didn't want anything. Still it is a blessing to all be together.

After our great grilled chicken dinner we sent the kids off to bed. Quiet night.

6/1/10
The babies slept in this morning and so did their parents - lots of playtime in the sun and water must have worn them out. The weather today is cooler and grey. We decided to take the kids for a boat ride before the rain. Bennett fell asleep but Kellen and Carter had a great time taking turns steering the boat and sitting in front watching the waves.
Our afternoon was quiet as we got ready for a potluck with the Appeldorn Beach neighbors. The kids chased each other around the cabin and then took naps. The day was still cloudy so we decided to have an indoor picnic.
We usually have a big picnic on the 4th of July, but many of us will not be around for it this year so we had a Memorial Day potluck instead. It was fun to see the new babies check each other out and catch up on everyone's winter.
Two neighbors are quite sick with cancer. This may be the last year that we enjoy their company. We are all getting older. The realization brought an intensity to the celebration.

6/7/10

We are spending the weekend with very old friends - Bob and Charlotte. They arrived just a few hours after we did, in time for supper. It was a beautiful day so we had all the windows open to warm up the cabin.

Saturday dawned with a sunshine so we took a tour of the lake on the pontoon. Sally and her boys are up working on emptying their garage so that a new pad can be poured.

Late morning, Charlotte and I went into Aitkin for some shopping. The little fabric store has been upgraded and now carries quilt patterns and cotton. Char bought a nice quilt book for us to browse through all afternoon. We also stopped at Great River Gardens and got some colelus to brighten the front garden. We took a little rest after lunch and then planted the flowers.

Another nice evening with a great bottle of wine and some old movies.

Sunday started out quite foggy. Char and I walked to the bridge and looked at wildflowers. RIck and Bob went out to wash the trailer but were driven in by several big rainfalls. After lunch we drove to Emily to do a little more shopping and then said goodbye to Bob and Char.

Rick managed to finish washing the trailer between rainfall and we settled in for another movie.

After working on the inside of the trailer on Monday we seem to be about ready to hit the road in two weeks. We just need to rid Rick of his bad cough.

8/7/10
Well we have mowed the back 40, pulled weeds, and scared away the varmints eating the raspberries.  This is the cabin after a few weeks of leaving it to the sun and rain.  It is good to be here again, but wow, the lake has come up and so did the grass. BLT's, fresh corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake for dinner.  Then out onto the lake for some crappie fishing.  It's summer in Minnesota.  I love it.

8/8/10
New fishing pole (thanks for the Christmas present, Mark) caught some of the biggest sunfish ever. MMMM. Can't wait for a fish dinner.

9/5/10
Dock and boat floating in a pink mist. Very chilly air and still warm lake at sunrise. I love the cabin.

9/6/10
The leaves are turning, the kids have gone home, the north wind is blowing, and we are at the cabin all alone. Peace and quiet are sometimes over-rated. It was a grand weekend with friends and family.

9/29/10
It is a glorious Lake Waukenabo fall evening. Scent of wood smoke in the air, red and gold leaves drifting down onto the breezeway path, red squirrels racing up the pine trees with acorns, and the sound of waves driven by the west wind. Only a few weeks left before we close up until spring.

10/10/10
Closing the cabin this weekend. So hard to do when the weather is so perfect, but we had snow just one week later last year. 

10/12/10
The beautiful October morning that made me wish we could stay at the cabin longer has suddenly turned into a cold thunderstorm. That's more like it, Mother Nature. Now I can go home without regret.