Skip to main content

Closing Up the Cottage: Peak Color Edition

The kids had off from school and we hadn't been anywhere in awhile so to the cottage it was.

The colors along the way were peaking.  


First we picked up a new bike for Meadow in River Falls.

Well, new to us. You know we don't buy many things brand new.

Theo was super excited to see G.G. and Grandpa at the cottage.

We always pass this store in Catawba and I've always been curious what it looks like inside. I finally looked it up on Google Maps earlier this week and saw they have bulk candy. Since the kids did really well at their Parent Teacher Conferences, they deserved a treat.


They did indeed have candy.

Grab bags, random holiday candy, and lots more.

We'll be back.


Meadow was supposed to make breakfast but dad took over.

Unfortunately I was getting over a bad cough and the weather was a lot cooler this year.

I don't think that stopped us from having fun. And Cold? It was perfect fall weather.

I've been wanting to take the kids to the children's museum but it seems like every time we have a chance to go someone in our household is sick. 

Meadow did get to try out her new bike. We really should have got her one this spring.


She's so cute.


Meanwhile Theo and I played on the big swing.


And even got him to go inside the tree house.

I went on a walk to hopefully clear out my lungs.

The water level was really low.

IDK. I guess it hadn't quite rebounded from the summer drought despite the rainy fall.

Before bringing in the dock I said we should go on one last boat ride.

Theo and I picked the front. While on land it was the perfect temperature, it was quite chilly on a boat ride.  


Hi us.





I don't know the last time we didn't miss peak color.



Of course Theo was a little nut throughout our boat ride.


I love the cottages that are right on the water.

I'd hate it if all the cottages disrupted the shoreline, but a good one looks so perfect.  





Grandpa thought we should fish a bit before heading back.





We were hardly back when grandpa suggested we go fishing one last time this year. Theo even tagged along.


Theo was great casting and retrieving just like grandpa and papa. He borrowed one of his cousins big kid poles.

Of course grandpa was the only one who caught a thing.


A natural.



Theo wanted to watch the fish being filleted. He didn't realize how bloody they get.

Mmmm...straight from the lake.

Meadow finished knitting her first scarf.

Saturday was cold and rainy. It turned into Crafterday. Theo and Grandpa worked on building a dump truck together. While I worked on crocheting a ghost pillow.




After watching some old home movies the rain finally let up.

The real reason we came up. Taking out the dock.

Are you saying we need to paint the dock?

Somehow we lugged the pontoon lift back to shore. Grandpa rigged a cable to his bobcat, so we didn't have to push completely by hand.

We finished up the too short weekend with some pumpkin carving.

These kids are still afraid of touching the guts.






G.G was impressed by Meadow's kitty pumpkin.

A cat for Meadow, of course, and a pumpkin with a lot of eyes for Theo.

Good job kiddos and grandpa.

Even Meadow helped with chores before we left.

We'd be leaving soon. Ha. See you for Northwood's NYE, Three Lakes.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Brooke Turns 40, We Return to the Riverside Cabin at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

This year is my 40th birthday. We originally thought we'd go to Mackinac Island and also played with the idea of going to Montreal. With a spring break trip coming up we settled on a cabin on the Gunflint Trail. The Gunflint Trail is one of our favorite spots in Minnesota. So, why not? We'd also decided to go on another campervan/RV relocation adventure at the end of the month. So don't act like I don't treat my honey. On our drive up we stopped at Tobie's to get cinnamon bread for french toast.  Just like a few years back we stopped at Hungry Hippie Tacos in Duluth. I feel like we have to document whenever these kids get along as it's a rarity these days.  We got the frybread tacos, but the kids stuck with the corn tortilla options. We brought along our projector and stopped at Blake's house to steal his internet to download videos. Once we got to Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and unloaded our stuff, we crossed the river to explore the trails briefly. Our feet ...

A 39th Birthday Cottage Visit and Ice Skating "The Glide" in Boulder Junction

Back at the cottage for my (early) birthday weekend. Where else would I go for my birthday? I'm a simple man. Grandpa cleared a rink and a little loop for us. Theo just wanted dig in the snow. Meanwhile Meadow and I went cross country skiing on the Anvil Ski Trail. Meadow said she would only go with me if we did a trail with hills. We hiked this a few years ago and it was quite hilly.  She was an old pro on the hills while I wiped out.  We didn't make it too far as Meadow complained her boots were too tight. I made her check the fit a few weeks ago and she claimed they were fine... Was a beautiful trail in the Nicolet National Forest.

Backcountry Camping with Kids in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Day 1  Back in May I stumbled upon Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I had no idea there was a National Park in North Dakota and that it was the northern end of the Badlands. Usually our summer vacations coincide with Scott's work trips. Since he didn't have any this summer I thought we should take advantage of actually taking a vacation. What, my workcations are always classics? I suppose a second real vacation this year wouldn't hurt. We definitely have more time than normal. As long as we took Covid-19  precautions and avoided people. We finally settled on a time to go. Blake joined us so we borrowed our dad's van so we could ride together. Scott had just driven from Michigan the day before. Blake had met my parents in Wisconsin to get the van and then drove from Duluth to pick us up. I offered to drive since I literally only drive twice a month.  I was still pretty tired from a long drive home. Since we were near Fergus Falls we had to stop by the abandoned state ho...