Hot and Humid

Wednesday August 12, 2009 Big Balsam Camp and Resort

Sandy left early this morning after one of Mikes delicious breakfast.  It’s always a fun time when she visits. 

The resort has been supper busy this week.  Every cabin is rented and it’s all one family.  Lots of relatives.  Last night they put on a talent show, it was really pretty good.  Kids and adults all participated.   Very talented family.

Mike is still working on the bathroom.  I feel so bad for him the temp was in the low 90s yesterday and very humid.  I think they are almost done with bathroom one.  The other one will have to wait until we get back.  My shoulder surgery is scheduled for Monday morning.  We hope to be gone only a few days. 

Friends and neighbors are coming Thursday with their MH for a few days.  Ken and Lee Ann make the trip up a couple of times a year.  They will have friends with that have never been to the resort.  Oh boy more farkel! 

Farkel And More Farkel

Tuesday Aug 11, 2009  Big Balsam Camp and Resort

Mike made Sandy and I french toast and maple link sausages for breakfast. Very good, the guy has a knack for cooking breakfast.

Sharon and Bob Thell stopped back this morning about 9:30 ready for more farkel.   We stopped playing about 1pm for lunch.  We had a fish fry, some crappies and sun fish that Mike and Sandy had caught the last couple of nights.  I made potato salad to go with the fish. 

We finished lunch, cleared the table and back to a couple more hours of farkel.  Sharon and Bob left about 4, they are headed to Canada for a few days. It was nice to spend some time with them, it had been years.  I think I’m farkeled out for a few days or weeks.  I won’t even tell you how much I lost. 

Mike is still working on the bathrooms.  He did take some breaks to play a little farkel with us.  His luck was as bad as mine.  Lucky we still own the MH.  

I did have some time in the evening to work on my Hardanger embroidery project.  I take out as many stitches as I put in.  It’s going to be a long project at this rate.

No sunset picture today, just Mike and Stormy relaxing after a hard day at the office. 

We Found The Lost 40

Monday August 13th Big Balsam Camp and Resort

We headed out early today to do some hiking, and to find the lost 40, which is really the lost 114 acres of 300-400 year old Red and White Pine trees.

We headed north to Big Fork MN. and stopped at Edge of Wilderness Scenic Byway monument.  We got a little history lesson for the day. 

The inside of a early house boat.

The outside of the house boat. 

The Edge Of The Wilderness has more then 1,000 lakes and one mighty river nearby.  It is the classic northwoods, fishing camping, trails, winter sports and much more.   It also contains the lost 40 our main purpose for the day.

The lost 40 is considered a unique area in the Chippewa National Forest.  Today less than 2 percent of Minnesota’s forested land is considered old growth. Due to a surveying error back in 1882 this section of forest never was cut.  It originates back to when the pilgrims came to America. 

 

 

Mike’s always trying to be funny.  In the lost 40 there is a very nice hiking trail just over a mile. We did have one problem on the hike, the horse flies.  They were so big they could have carried a human off.  Lots of flora and fauna.  I would love to post more pictures of the greenery, but I will let you off easy just a few.

 

It was a long ride and we just had to stop for refreshments on the way home.  The restaurant (bar) had a humming bird feeder outside and  had to get a shot.

We arrived back at the MH about 2 pm and our neighbor Carol came over to give me a lesson on Hardanger Embroidery, something I have always wanted to do.  Now I have my chance.  She had all the supplies for my first project.

 

Carol

Shortly after Carol left we got company.  Sandy’s sister Sharon and brother-in-law Bob Thell.  Sharon and Bob were neighbors of ours for many years.  They now spend most of their time in the Florida Keys where they have a home.  What a surprise when they pulled up.  We had dinner together and after dinner we played farkel our favorite dice game.  I think I was the big loser for the night, I lost about 4 bucks.   Sharon and Bob left about 8:30 but will be back tomorrow for lunch and more farkel. 

 

Sharon and Bob Thell

What a day, very busy but full of fun and surprises.  

A Day To Relax

Sandy made it to the lake about 6pm. She ran into road construction on the freeway just out side the cities. She was stuck in the back up for 1 1/2 hours, not a fun thing when your starting a vacation.

She and I went to Grand Rapids today to do some shopping. Just spent our time at Walmart then headed back to the lake. We tried her new GPS and took all the back roads to town, not a wrong turn there or back.

Not much happening today. Just read and sat in the shade. The temperature kept fluctuating between cool and down right warm. I would put on a shirt and take take it off. About 5pm it just plain stayed hot.

Mike worked on the men's bathroom for 2 hours this morning and took the rest of the day off. Him and Sandy did a little fishing later in the day. That was about it for our fun.

Do You Believe Two More Bathrooms.

Saturday Aug. 8th 2009. Big Balsam Camp and Resort

Mike is working on two more bathrooms.  They are the campground restrooms.  One was the women's until Mike constructed a new women’s last year.  The other is the men’s room.  Not sure how long ago they were built, but they definitely needed upgrading.

The first picture is of the men’s bathroom, the second is the old women’s bathroom, now being converted into another men’s room.  Both should be finished before we leave after Labor Day weekend.

Mike finished the women’s campground bathroom and shower last year.  It turned out really nice.  The campers just love it.

I don’t think I ever posted pictures of the fish cleaning house and the laundry rooms, all very nice facilities.

Fish cleaning house.                Laundry room, 2 washers and dryers.

There is a section in the laundry room were you can put together puzzles play cards or just wait until your wash is done.  Then there is a small book exchange area.

All the above facilities are contained in one building, the boat house.  This is also where the bait, minnows, worms, leeches and night crawlers are. 

We had a pretty good storm last night.  Not sure how much rain, but it was a good soaker.  A little thunder and lightning was happening too. 

Our son-in-law Mike sent some corn on the cob home with us, that he grows on a couple of acres in the cities.  It is just the best tasting corn.  We had it 3 nights in a row it is so good.  Sure are hoping he had more, and is sending it up with Sandy.   

My girlfriend Sandy is coming today to spend several days with us again.  Looking forward to some fun with her. 

I have to post one of Mike’s sunset pictures..

 

Back At The Lake

Thursday Aug 6th 2009  Big Balsam Camp and Resort

Mike picked me up Wed. afternoon and drove me back up to the lake.  Nice to be back in my own bed. Glad to be back in the MH.

I want to thank my friend Sandy Weis for letting me stay at her house for the 5 days I was in town.  She also loaned me her car to get to my doctor appointments.

Monday morning the doctor removed the cast from my left arm, boy did that feel good.  Then Monday evening they scheduled an MRI on my right shoulder.  Wednesday I went back to the Orthopedic Surgeon, he had the results of the MRI and I have some damage to repair.  The Surgery is scheduled for Monday the 17th of August.  It will be done arthroscopy.  The recovery should only be 6 weeks with some physical therapy.  The Doctor injected Cortisone in the shoulder to help with the pain until surgery.  It has seemed to help some.

Pretty much most of my time was doing doctor appointments, but I did get in a few fun things.  I went to a corn feed with Sandy and Gary on Sunday in Burkhardt WI.  They served over 700 dozen ears of corn and I didn’t ask how many pounds of chicken but pretty sure it had to be in the thousands of pounds.  Ran into a group of friends there I hadn’t seen in some time, that was fun catching up. 

I also had breakfast  with my dad and the Saturday morning breakfast club.  It is such a fun group of people, we always have so much to talk about. 

Mike said it was pretty quiet at the lake, fishing was good and the weather was okay.  Mostly sunny, but a little rain on and off.

Love this Airstream Travel Trailer, you enter it from the back.  The whole back opens and you can put a 4 wheeler in it, the bed folds up.  Besides the bed it has a sink and that's about it.  I believe it sells for about $24,000.  Sort of looks like a space ship.  It pulled into the campground Saturday just as Sandy and I were leaving.

A sunset Mike got a shot of while I was gone. 

A special note for Lisa and her husband.  Looking forward to meeting you, be sure to stop by and say hi. 

 

Slow Learners and Catch Of The Day

Friday July 31, 2009 Big Balsam Camp and Resort

Mike made breakfast again this morning, French Toast, and sausages. Boy was it good, and of course I ate way to much.  But that’s okay Sandy and I are going for a walk after we eat.  It was a little cloudy when we left but I promised Sandy it wouldn’t rain.   Mike was being smart and asked if we were bringing our rain gear with, I just laughed at him.  Well guess what we got wet again, not as bad as yesterday, however we were pretty drenched by the time we arrived back at the MH.  We walked 3 miles today, so nice walking without traffic and road noise.

Al and Mike went fishing in the early afternoon for about 2 1/2 hours a came back with a great catch.

Nice stringer of northern.  

Sandy wishing she had been out fishing with them.  I talked her into going into town shopping, big mistake.  She would much rather have been fishing. 

Sandy’s having quite the time getting into the boat.  Her and Mike did a little fishing later in the evening.  They came back with 2 northern and a few sunfish. 

Sandy is leaving on Saturday, she has to work the midnight shift that night.  I will be traveling back to the cities with her.  Hope to be back here Monday or Tuesday.