Some cottage pictures from this past week.

A few pics from the July 4th extended weekend up north.
A number of Wisconsin lakes still feel like Canadian shield lakes.

Jesse and Andrea meet a camel near Lakewood.

This camel was unusually friendly.

Kim wants to take him home.

Turtle pancake...the end.

Some recent cottage visits

Still Life with Nature's Medicine

Is it really the 3rd, and almost the 4th, of July already? I mean is it really? Truly this is one of the seemingly fastest moving summers in memory. We've made up our minds that this year we are no longer going to be putting in the 85-hour work weeks, and we're going to take those days that we're closed for some hopefully quality "up north" time for ourselves. The aromas of pine, campfire and wet earth combine with the sounds of crickets, loons and bullfrogs to make us feel the way God intended human beings to feel. Sleep is more peaceful and the days more adventurous. Hell, the beer even tastes better.

Made that bench out of an three tiered branch and weathered board.

Here are a few pics from the last couple of "weekends" (weekends for us run from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday evening).

If I'd run across this old gal a month later she'd be dinner.
But it was egg laying time and out of season.

A couple of odd ducks at the Shawano Park beach.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Another day in the pines.

Cheyenne making smores.

We hit the cottage again this past Monday and Tuesday. Even more gorgeous out than the week before. Kim worked on her mosaic mirror. I field tested the hammock. The girls did some painting and walking. We took a walk down a trail through the woods, afternoon sunlight streaming through the trees at an angle, and hundreds of shiny little black dragonflies fluttering up from the ground ahead of us as we walked, shimmering in the warm sunlight. A very cool scene.

King for a day.

Two beautiful days in the northwoods

Last Sunday Kim and I took off for my parent's cottage outside of Cecil, near Shawano for a couple of days of R&R. We needed to mellow out from the junk from the week before concerning a crummy story about the shop in the local paper and we needed to outline our summer plan of attack for Stumpjack. I also wanted to do a little art work and painting and Kim wanted to start a new mosaic.

Leinies 1888 Bock and a La Vieja Habana

Laying some wood

It was a wonderful 2½ days. The weather was great, with Tuesday morning hitting around 70°. We took a couple of good long walks each day and my knee handled it well, which was a relief. Experimented with some breakfast pizza recipes for consideration at the Stump, made some awesome hamburgers, and enjoyed some mighty fine beer.
Doing some painting while enjoying a Crystal Springs Honey Ale and a 5 Vegas Series 'A' cigar. The ale is a delicious homebrew courtesy of friend Brian Jensen...although there is some question as to how good a friend he really is since he only gave me one bottle of his brew. Not to worry, Brian, I'll give you an opportunity to rectify this woeful disparity. Click the image to enlarge.