| Dear Friends,
 As pictured , Andy and the boys backpacked several miles into the Rainbow Lakes Wilderness Area. They set up camp, skinny dipped, built a fire, cooked hot dogs and s'mores and attempted to sleep in a two-man tent. Did I mention that Misty went on the trip? Every time they heard a loon the boys asked "What's That?!" and the dog shifted positions to lie on top of someone else's head. Later they learned that a wolf pack had attacked hunting dogs in that area. When confronted with this alarming news, Andy's clueless response was "so that's why we didn't see anybody else."
Both boys are doing well in school (Zach 1st and Andrew 5th). If not, technically speaking, enjoying school they accept it stoically. Board games occasionally break into fist fights, but little blood is shed.
Most people with kids must wonder, as I do, how we have produced genetic material that could never make our forefather's western migration in a Conestoga wagon. As I hovered over my tea kettle one morning chanting "boil", Zach wandered, half dressed, into the kitchen. He pouted about "draggily" pants and fancy sweaters. I growled until he retreated to put on some clothes. A caffeine-induced stream of consciousness flooded my brain - he wanted me to take his jeans, which had dried stiffly, to the dry cleaners!
Drew completed his 12th Birkie this winter. The guys he does this with are eyeing one another in hopes that someone in the group will opt for the Kortelopet. No one wants to be the first to scale down to the half-race, but they are all dreaming of it. I have found that being over half-way to age 90 is a little daunting. In an effort to convince myself that the number doesn't really matter (yeah, right), I participated in a distance event - swimming from Bayfield to Madeline Island. Wrapped in neoprene, 22 other ward patients and I raced, stroked and/or floated across the 2.1 miles. I am still beaming.
We continue to work on the cabins and grounds. The flooring in cabins #3, #6 and #7 is being replaced. Cabin #10 is receiving a new kitchen countertop and sink. We are upgrading the electric and propane lines to cabins #1, #2, #3 and #4. We became aware of this required maintenance when the electricity stopped working in these cabins two days before hunting season started. Andy left phone messages all over town looking for Al, the electrician. Al received the message at the coffee shop/convenience store and was at the lodge by noon. There is a small-town beauty to this system of communication.
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season and happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Marilyn and Andy
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