Where Did August Go??

I nearly missed August completely for making a blog entry. It was a busy month with all sorts of fun which included golf. After one afternoon of eighteen holes at Blueberry Pines, however, I have been happy to stick to the nine hole par 3 courses. At Blueberry, Ann Tague and I rented a cart and the new GPS system proved nervewracking. There's nothing like a computer screen yelling at you while you're trying to relax during your golf game.... "Move back to the cart path", "You are 31 minutes behind pace", Etc. By the last couple of holes - flashing hamburgers appeared with, "Press any button now to have your order ready for you at the clubhouse." I think I'll be walking that course from now on.
I took this photo on the 6th hole at Evergreen golf course. Glenn and I golfed with Dave and Carol P. that day and a doe and fawn at this hole weren't the least bit frightened by us. They moved a short distance into the woods and munched away, watching as we hit our tee shots.

We (CC, Glenn, and I) rode our bikes to Dorset (exactly 10 miles from the cabin) to eat at Companero's. It was hard work getting there against a strong NNW wind, but the ride home was pretty easy and the food was worth the effort. There is a new restaurant over that way at the old Chateau Paulette location called Zorba'z. We've enjoyed pizza there a couple of times this season. Those Dorset restaurants are all good. My aunt, Shirley, and I enjoyed eating at the Dorset House on our way from Duluth to Park Rapids. Later in her stay with us when my uncle, Bob, was also visiting we had excellent Italian fare at La Pasta. The photo below is of Shirley, our waitress, and Bob.

This month the Kooyer brothers & sisters had a little family gathering in Bemidji. Some of them camped and some stayed in hotel rooms, but Glenn and I just made a day trip over there for a Saturday afternoon. We enjoyed Dave's Pizzas with all of them before we drove home. Betty and Jim spent Sunday afternoon at our place. We fished from the dock, but the fish weren't biting that day. Later that week, however, I caught a pound and a half bass and two half pound sunnies off the dock. Those are the biggest sunfish I've ever caught! Shirley, Bob, Glenn, and I had fish & eggs for breakfast the next morning. Mmmm.

These next photos are of the Bemidji gathering.
The women's table,






the men's table, and...







a cute one of Dorothy and Jim.













Another August highlight was the side trip that Shirley and I made on our way from Duluth to the cabin. We traveled the "Iron Trail" stopping in Virginia, Hibbing, and at Hill Annex Mine State Park by Calumet.



















August also was nice for cookouts, campfires, stargazing, and seeing the full moon rise over the lake. There were games of cribbage and yahtzee, crossword puzzles, books to read, old movies on DVD (with Barry Fitzgerald in them) and my sweater knitting has come along nicely. There was a big (and happy) surprise earlier in the month when I attended a fancy "tea" given by LuAnne. It turned out to be more than a tea party; it was a birthday party! - for me! - a month early! It's good to celebrate often and over extended periods of time. We have two (actual) August birthdays to celebrate as the month comes to an end - Anne's (the 24th) and Adam's (the 28th).

Our most recent guests, Bill and Linda, just left a couple of hours ago. Bill and Glenn framed up the garage on one side. They did a great job.