Yard Work and Culinary Arts
Perfect day with a breeze from the north and temp in mid seventies.
Niki's pie from back yard apple tree.
Yard and Garden
A fine day to be outdoors.
Pax took Nik and me on the big loop walk (with a detour to SweetSpot), and along the way we enjoyed identifying a variety of invasive plants (and some nice ones, too).
Back home, it was a massive tomato harvest. Then, after noon clearing the jungle that used to be a herb garden and will now be repurposed as a plot of edible shrubs (blueberries, etc.) Then there was the cooking—zucchini/onion/tomato hot dish, grilled tomato soup, and rosemary/lime chicken. Pretty much all local and all incredibly delicious. Local musk melon with ice cream coming up for dessert.
While dining we received the following email:
Bear Alert Tonight
Hi Everyone.
There is a large black bear on Serendipity tonight...Heather Bell (#382) saw it at 8:10 on her driveway, and Mary Ellen & John Nies (#184) saw it at 8:35pm.
Elaine & Murray
St. Paul and Back
Niki here. For dinner tasty tcos with plenty of tomato.
Also, while we've been away a squatter has moved in. Racoon, fox, ground hog? Now what?
Reports of, and lingering signs of, heavy afternoon rain in Whitewater.
Hippo Birdie, Maddie
It's fantastic to be five.
A hot day. Upper 80's. And humid. Off the scale. Kudos to the partiers. Ugh, is all I can say about such weather.
Runaway Fridge
Not only a long drive but a long drive on top of no sleep—thanks to a runaway fridge. I had moved back to the bedroom in earshot of the beast, and, thinking of the coming long drive, went to bed early. But once in bed I can't help but listen, and mixed in with the surf, and the sound of rain on the roof, was the droning of the fridge. On and on it went, long past the time to shut off. On and on.
Sometime in the middle of the night I felt I'd had enough. I roused the other fridge keeper, and the two of us went at the machine hammer and tongs. Obviously the fridge had been abused the past few weeks—overstuffed and seldom closed. Which is expected. Now we shut it off. We pulled everything out. We disposed of multitudinous mostly air filled zippies that seemed to be clogging the vents, we dialed down the cold factor, and we cleaned an inch of dust off the intake grill.
Then we went back to bed. Of course I could not not listen, and after listening intently for a half an hour I heard the machine turn off. Peace at last. Except now I was too strung out to sleep, and reveille was only an hour or two away.
Back in Whitewater we found the garden prospering. At least in some ways. The tomatoes have gone bananas, and grilled tomato soup is already on the docket. The winter squash plants have expanded immodestly beyond their restraints, but the jungle is so think I can't count the fruits. I think there are not many, which proves one of two things: 1) tomatoes trump squash (sorry to use that word), or 2) squash need to be tended.
Clearing Out The Sandbox...
...taking down the swings.
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. On to autumn!
Fitting In Everything
Fun filled and action packed.
And, the most perfect possible weather.
Bonfire
Lots of wildlife.
Lot's of wildlife. Closed gentian. Loons, beaver, water snake. Jays, crows, and cormorant. Two spotted fawns. No bears.
The J family over to Providence Bay for most of the day. Until dinner time, after which a bonfire at Pinebox beach and then swimming, after sunset, off our dock..
Homeward Bound
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.
Another very successful Heliotrope cruise.
Late Summer; Laid Back
A day of doing little. Sitting some. Reading a bit. A dip in what may be water beginning its fall cool-down. But then a shoreline evening cruise aboard the Wilker, with the sun below the bluff and dusk falling by 8:30.
Crew aboard Heliotrope apparently having a fine time in the Benjamins and on Croaker.
Photo courtesy of Abby.
And Away They All Flew Like The Down of a Thistle.
The Janowiec family off on a cruise to the Benjamin's, in a lively breeze.
Furthermore, more than enough wind to spread actual thistle down far and wide, if not all the way to the islands.
Gale Force
Thirty-five knots from the west.
Good storm last night, with heavy rain. This morning what must have been a seiche, taking out part of the pier and sending various objects floating.
Over to Gore Bay for lunch, exploring, and a little grocery shopping.
And some Inuksuk building.
The Nies family was on the road heading back to Wisconsin before 6, after a wonderful week.
Bottoms Up, or Maniac Moms
What a day!
Sailing, Sailing
Day of wind on water, this time featuring Windrider and Heliotrope.
Of course, lots of jet-skiing and tubing, too. And swimming. Not to mention the catching of frogs, king fliers, and a water snake.
The main event, however, at least for the adults, might have been the the couples timed races on Windrider from the committee boat (Heliotrope at her mooring) to a windward mark (Bri's tubing tube anchored about a mile to windward off the Sandy Beach point). I will avoid posting the results of the five races, out of modesty.
Fabulous Summer Day
Sunny, almost hot, light wind, warm water. Jet-skiing, tubing, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing, swimming, jumping off the high dock, and evening fishing at the falls.
And, the traditional homemade pizza party. Many self-styled pizzas, but 13 diners, not counting four dogs, so not much in the way of leftovers.
Full House
The whole fam damily is here all at once. How fun is that?
One soggy family.
This morning the most intense thunderstorm of the year, right when the Nies fam was almost to the falls after walking up river. But by afternoon sunny and perfect for tubing.
We appreciate the younger Nies family bringing rain with them. Perhaps the fire ban will be lifted soon.
Now with the Janowiec fam here the fun has really started. At present everyone down to the dock now to see the an almost full moon sending paths of golden moonlight across the bay.
Two Days In One
Windy, rainy morning (when the ship came in), calm and sunny afternoon for swimming and tubing. The Heliotrope cruise a success, in spite of the damp return trip.
They're Off
Nies family off on a cruise.
And, prior to departure, a cooling off period.
Nice south wind.
Vacation Weather
Bright sun, now appreciated after the good rain. Poker run in the morning on both Windrider and Heliotrope. Jet-ski, tubing, swimming, and frog catching in the afternoon. And, in between, Mimi and Bubba attending the road committee meeting and pot luck.
Rain Day
First of the summer, much needed, though ill timed. A fun day nonetheless.
Lunch on Heliotrope. Grilled whitefish for dinner.