Day 29 (July 21): Welcome to Wisconsin
Dear Reader,
The last time we talked, our family had recently arrived in Duluth, Minnesota. I'll have another post for you soon about how these past two weeks have gone but today offers a good snapshot of a happy summer day. In fact, today is the kind of day Elise hoped for when we decided the first phase of this adventure would be a summer from her childhood.
This was our first (of about a dozen) full days staying in a cabin on Spider Lake near Iron River, Wisconsin. The cabin is exceptional and perfectly suited to our family. There are three bedrooms, each with a queen-sized bed. You wouldn't know that from tonight's sleeping arrangements, though, since there are four kids "camping" in "tents" of their own construction in the living/dining room. There wasn't much time for the kids to enjoy it, though, because they collapsed onto their pillows after this terrific day.
37% of their energy went into fishing. On one hand, we started off catching a fish on each of our first two casts. On the other hand, each fish was hardly larger than the worm it was attempting to devour. You see, the cabin is equipped with an assortment of child-appropriate fishing rods, lures, tools of the fishing trade, and a location close enough to the "C-Store" to include a container of nightcrawlers in our shopping list.
51% of their energy went into other non-fishing, water-based activities. There is a floating, anchored, foam "lily pad" that is about 6 x 20 feet. There is a pontoon boat. There is a canoe. There is a retired dingy with an electric outboard motor ideal for an 11-year old captain.
Of the remaining 12%, a lot went into eating cookies, watching Mulan for the second time in 24 hours and building the aforementioned forts in the living room. They wasted a bit too much on whining for my taste. I believe we suffered neither sunburn nor bug bites today. We ate burgers and corn for dinner.
If you know, or can imagine, Elise's dedication to a cabin on a lake, then today is Exhibit A in the affirmative argument for this plan. 12 hours of pure and intense activity, most of it cooperative. Hopefully 12 hours of pure and intense sleep so that we can do it again tomorrow. There's not a lot of photographic evidence, on account of I don't believe our phones are really water "proof," even briefly.
The last time we talked, our family had recently arrived in Duluth, Minnesota. I'll have another post for you soon about how these past two weeks have gone but today offers a good snapshot of a happy summer day. In fact, today is the kind of day Elise hoped for when we decided the first phase of this adventure would be a summer from her childhood.
This was our first (of about a dozen) full days staying in a cabin on Spider Lake near Iron River, Wisconsin. The cabin is exceptional and perfectly suited to our family. There are three bedrooms, each with a queen-sized bed. You wouldn't know that from tonight's sleeping arrangements, though, since there are four kids "camping" in "tents" of their own construction in the living/dining room. There wasn't much time for the kids to enjoy it, though, because they collapsed onto their pillows after this terrific day.
37% of their energy went into fishing. On one hand, we started off catching a fish on each of our first two casts. On the other hand, each fish was hardly larger than the worm it was attempting to devour. You see, the cabin is equipped with an assortment of child-appropriate fishing rods, lures, tools of the fishing trade, and a location close enough to the "C-Store" to include a container of nightcrawlers in our shopping list.
51% of their energy went into other non-fishing, water-based activities. There is a floating, anchored, foam "lily pad" that is about 6 x 20 feet. There is a pontoon boat. There is a canoe. There is a retired dingy with an electric outboard motor ideal for an 11-year old captain.
Of the remaining 12%, a lot went into eating cookies, watching Mulan for the second time in 24 hours and building the aforementioned forts in the living room. They wasted a bit too much on whining for my taste. I believe we suffered neither sunburn nor bug bites today. We ate burgers and corn for dinner.
If you know, or can imagine, Elise's dedication to a cabin on a lake, then today is Exhibit A in the affirmative argument for this plan. 12 hours of pure and intense activity, most of it cooperative. Hopefully 12 hours of pure and intense sleep so that we can do it again tomorrow. There's not a lot of photographic evidence, on account of I don't believe our phones are really water "proof," even briefly.
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| No hook, no problem. Casting is fun itself. |
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| Captain Cate operating the retired dingy |
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| If you come in from swimming/boating, apparently it's more important to get right back to fort building before getting dressed. |
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| Angle of Repose, Wisconsin lake style |
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| Ali's Corollary: Give me steering wheel or give me death! |
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| All smiles for Elise on a boat on a lake. |
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| Jon attempting to dive off the lily pad. |
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