Aug. 7, 2006

Dear Guests,

The two months of heat with no rain have finally given way to 6 inches of rain in the last week. The trees, grass and flowers are sighing with relief. Even so, due to the stress of drought, we are expecting an early fall with peak color by the 3rd weekend in September.

The usual summer buzz surrounds us…laughter and conversation intermingled with the activities that go hand-in-hand with kids, dogs and family vacations at the lake. We will reassemble the place in the fall.

Andrew and Zach have become great swimmers. Andrew even swam across the lake (with a support team). However, he and Zach prefer kayaking for lake transportation…to Grandma Susan’s trampoline raft! In September, Andy will take Andrew to Andy’s college Rugby Alumni reunion where Andy plans to play against the college team. He claims it was a weak team this year. I close my eyes and hope that the insurance coverage is sufficient.

Many have commented that the cabins and grounds look especially nice this year. It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint does to make everything look more attractive and organized. Last fall, our maintenance man found cone-shaped blades from a rock crusher and immediately envisioned them as campfire pits. They are easy to maintain and look fantastic. The new benches around the campfire pits allow for more space between the pit and the bench area. Campfires are a big part of summer and fall vacations – giving more of the grounds up to the campfire pits enhances the cabin experience. We even have a roofed firewood storage area now – dry firewood is important! The beach received a dump-truck load of sand. The kids have really dug in – building trenches, castles, lakes, etc. (Andrew had something in his eye. When I suggested sand he said, incredulously “How could I get sand in my eye?” Incidentally, Dr. Mom was right.)

In addition to improvements of the grounds, we have added new linoleum to cabin #3’s kitchen and new carpeting to the living rooms in cabin #12 and cabin #7. Oh, and Andy continues to water his trees – in time they will provide shade. His garden looks fantastic – much more diverse this year with only a few tomato plants and a variety of everything else.

Fall is beautiful, inexpensive and quiet time to experience the Northwoods. We hope to see you this fall or at another time during the year.

Sincerely,

Marilyn & Andy