How can it be that I haven't posted for almost a week? It's been busy here at The Point and there is lots of news to report! But first, I want to let everyone know that the furry visitor of last week was a woodchuck- as identified by two Heaths and long-time Crystal Lake resident and good friend, Ann Mikkelsen! Thanks for all the suggestions about what it might be - here's a link with a great photo that is unmistakably my visitor! http://ed.fnal.gov/entry_exhibits/woodchuck/woodchuck.html

So what have I been up to?? I'll try to summarize . . . here goes!

On Friday afternoon, Pete, Tracy & the kids arrived and late that evening Ann finally rolled in for the long week-end. We had lots of fun and got lots done - Saturday and Sunday were cool but sunny so we could be outside and on or near the lake almost all day. There's nothing better than Memorial Day Week-end at the lake!

On Saturday, Pete and I went to get the golf cart I had planned to give Doug for Christmas last year. We picked a cute green one with a tan canopy - it has two seats and lights for night driving. Since I spent lots of the week-end learning how to drive it and testing its utility, I didn't take any photos but I'll post some soon so all can see. I really want it to have a name - and it should have some connection to Doug's old Green Monster - the truck he had converted into his giant roving tool box that sat in our driveway or the driveway at his jobsite for all the years he worked up here near the lake. We had names for lots of Doug's vehicles and equipment - BobbieJean was the bobcat; and Doug's Puddleboat is the miniature platform fishing boat Doug used to cruise the shoreline of the lake. Submit suggestions for her/his name - I know we'll find the right name if we just open up to all the good suggestions! So far, the suggestions include - The Mini-Green Monster; and the Little Green Truckster. Let us hear your ideas so we can find just the right name.

Pete & Tracy brought up their rototiller & lots of seeds and by 10 a.m. Saturday, Pete had the soil in Doug's garden all turned over. And that's all we needed to mobilize the garden crew - Tracy & Bella helped weed around the edges and in the raised bed; then Ann & I went to a local nursery on our way back from dropping off the trailer we borrowed to haul the golf cart home and got seedling tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant and lots of herbs. It took several shifts to get everything "in" due to rainshowers and tired muscles but by the time Ann left on Monday, the garden was done and we had hauled 5 loads of woodchips from her cabin to the garden using the new workhorse of a golf cart. Check out how it looks -

Of course there was good food on the grill; marshmallows and eventually, smores, by the fire; and much Farkeling and Quiddlering in the evenings. We all had a chance to show our skills (or luck) - Bella was definitely the most enthusiastic "roller"; Steven the best scorekeeper; and Alexandra the best all around player!
We also had a couple of slips into the lake & at least one episode of swimming in underwear - that's what we do at the lake!

On Sunday we had our annual lake association picnic and we drove up the road in our new "ride" without anyone hearing us come. The kids went to the picnic with Ann & I and Pete & Tracy got a break for a change! The good news is that the kids met a new friend - Zev, the grandson of neighbors a few cabins down the lake. Having friends at the lake is a MN phenomenon everyone should experience - it's like a whole new world for all concerned. The bonus for Alex and Steven was that Zev's grandparents have a hot tub so they got an invite to hang out there.

Ann & I had happy hours at her cabin - the first night in the cabin; the second night on the pontoon boat. We felt obligated to find some way to use the Havana Club rum they brought back from Mexico. We could use a little help from our friends though - does anyone have good recipes for daiquiris or mojitos?

We had some great bird and wildlife sightings - I've added them to our list but they are worth a special mention - Indigo Bunting at the feeder; Great Blue Heron; plus the regulars. Bella also spotted the ( or another) woodchuck over in the woodpile near the Clubhouse and there is evidence that one or more of them have made a home for themselves under the porch of the Clubhouse.
Pete and Bella got Doug's Puddleboat running and got in a little fishing - they caught some nice sunnies but let them all go so they can grow bigger. And it goes without saying that the mosquitos made their presence known - so what else is new?




Monday the weather was not so nice - cold, windy, cloudy and misty - so not much to do. So Pete and the gang left about noon;
Ann and I finished hauling woodchips to the garden and she left by 3 p.m. So it was quiet Monday evening and I got into a cleaning binge - shaking rugs, vaccuuming, dusting, and washing windows. On Tuesday, I got laundry started and got the internet service started in the Clubhouse before heading to Brainerd to meet friends Karen & Ellie and Karen's two sisters for lunch. Brainerd is one fo the "big" towns (5,000 people or more) nearby - big enough to have a Target store! I did some shopping and then headed back to finish my cleaning before Pete and Jeanine to arrived today, Wednesday. Where does the time go???

We had tea before I took Pete & Jeanine over to the Clubhouse to "check in" and meet the "soon-to-be-named green golf cart" and then made dinner, after which we had time for a paddle around the lake to see who/what was stirring. As you might expect, the eagles did their Shriner manveurs across the east end of the lake and the beavers were busy at their lodge across the lake - but we did not expect to see a teenaged whitetail wandering out on the point near the public access, a brilliant scarlet tanager in the limbs of a popple tree on the south side of the lake, and a red fox gazing out at us on the eastern shore of the lake. It was definitely a bonus paddle this evening. And as Pete & Jeanine were getting on the golf cart to go back to the Clubhouse, this is what I saw -a>

I look forward to hearing your suggestions for naming the golf cart and also recipes for rum drinks. We need all the help we can get here at The Point!

Guest Book

For years, we have had a Guest Book that we try to remind friends to use when they come to visit but when I looked at it the other night, I saw that the last entry was in 2003. And I happen to know that we have had many visitors since then. So I will try to remind folks to leave a message there but just in case, I decided to try making an electronic version of it too.

I think it will work if everyone who comes to visit this summer posts a comment to this blog entry. And if it gets buried underneath later entries, I think I can move it up the list or I can just create a new one.

Here's to being more diligent about including visitor comments in the Chronicle of The Point!

Fire & Visitor Report

The last two days have been interesting ones here on The Point! For those who haven't been here, the cabin is literally on a point and I can see water from almost any window. The views are wonderful but the downside is that no matter which way the wind is blowing (literally, not figuratively), it hits the point. And it has been windy!

Yesterday morning after my walk I started a fire by the lake to get rid of burnable trash and I ended up scrounging the shoreline for deadwood & windfall. I found a cute little white pine seedling that has started growing near the shore. The new little life reminded me of Heath and it's survival instinct reminded me of Doug. So I decided that I am going to move it out to the base of the point, where Doug always tossed out his minnow trap and would walk each morning to see what he had caught. It will be able to grow up safely there and maybe it can become one of the places where the eagles can rest. And so it seems only appropriate we start calling the point - Heath Point!

Because of the wind, I stayed by the fire for about two hours and then decided it was safe to go in. After responding to work email, I went to the post office to get my forwarding order straightened out and then went on to Park Rapids (about 15 miles west) to get bottled water & some other things for the Clubhouse. I got a little more work done, had dinner, and because it seemed like the wind had died down, I went back down to the lake to burn some more of what I had picked up in the morning. No sooner had I started the fire than the wind picked up and whipped it into quite a blaze!




As you can see, the sky to the south was dark but looking northwest, there were beautiful pastels above the silhouettes of the trees.






When I finally came in, it was nearly time for the news and I could still see the fire burning. I was wakened by the wind several times during the night and realized I was a bit anxious about the lingering fire, so next time I will douse it with some water, just to be safe. When I got up this morning, and till about 3 p.m. today, I could see smoke curling up from the fire pit - and the wind is still swirling!

Today I have had lots of visitors - some regulars and a couple of new ones! It seems that a large family of goldfinches (I've counted up to 10 at times) is having a reunion at the bird feeders. I had to refill the big feeder today and the little buggers are diving at any chickadees and nuthatches that dare to come near. They aren't so brave, however, when the rose breasted grosbeak and blue jay stop by! I had my first sighting of a hummingbird today too - he seems to like the hanging pot of impatiens I got in town yesterday - I thought that might get his attention! And my other visitor was a mammal - ermine or mink, I think. See what you think -

Click on these photos to get a closer view. How bold is this - he walked right up the step to the font door?!

And so ends my first full week here on Heath Point!

1st Kayak Tour & More

Today it finally got above 40 degrees and the wind died down so I decided to venture out in my kayak for the first time. I waited till after CBS Sunday Morning & the news show that comes after it. But then I spent an hour meandering along the shoreline to see who/what was happening. I saw a few mud turtles sunning on logs or rocks; the little shore birds that I think are referred to as "peeps"; the mergansers who were lounging in the bays across the lake; some downy woodpeckers flitting between trees; and all under the watchful eyes of the eagle who was swooping above. Check out the mergansers - click on the photo to make it bigger!



After I got back, I had a visit from long-time friend, Dean Mikkelson, who was returning from a camping outing with friends at a remote campsite near here. He was not frozen but was looking forward to a shower. We remarked about what a spot this is - even if it is not warm!


After lunch I went over to my new office in the Clubhouse - have to get those briefs graded. I decided to take a couple of photos of the place as my prizes in between briefs. I got three done so here are the two photos - how's this for a work space???

And because there was still a chill in the place, I started up the woodstove to warm it up.

So I have a good place work - thanks to the Dougster and Kelsey, who is storing her stuff here, and tomorrow I'll try to get an earlier start on the grading so I can finish one class before the week-end.

It's still sunny and it's nearly 7 p.m. - I have a Skype session planned so have to get ready. This is the life!

When will it be summer?

Summer is definitely not here yet! Yesterday when I went out for a morning walk, it was 31 degrees and there was snow-cone like ice on the edge of the lake so I donned a headband, gloves and polar fleece and set out! I decided to walk to the west - all the way down Frostbite Road. No one else is "at the lake" yet except for two house of "year-round" folks so it's quiet - just me and the birds, squirrels and waterfowl. On my walk, I spotted crows & a wood thrush - same family as the robin - so the birds want it to be spring too!



In the afternoon, the sun finally decided to appear so I went down to the lake to start a fire while I had the chance. I knew Becky would be disappointed if the whole week went by without one fire! For some reason, there is a blanket of pine needles from the front door of the cabin to the lakeshore. So I raked an area about 5 ft around the fire circle and piled them in the middle with a couple of logs on top and I got a great blaze going- Beckster, you would be proud of me! And I sat for a solo happy hour by the lake with the fire - very peaceful! Knowing I would need prrof of my work, I decided to take a few photos with the auto-shoot function on my camera. Many of you know I have wonderful photos of snow or trees or just a blur from my various adventures - but the current digital cameras are wonderful! So the photo at the beginning of this post is one of my first happy hour fire by the lake - summer or not!



The lake is not sure what to do - the wind shifts are confusing and the showers sprinkle throughout the day. I decided today to got to town to check the mail and pay the property taxes - both important tasks in their own right! While I was gone, our friend Tom Rosch played "dock fairy" and got the little dock rolled in so I can tether my kayak; and the Fed Ex guy brought the boxes shipped from the law school and from Allen. What a treat to get back from town to find files of work and a 4-pack of wine from Georgia!

Phone calls from my Aunt Barb (in Kalamazoo) and Ann (neighbor at the lake but stranded by work in Mpls.) to let me know about plans to visit and to check up on how I am doing were the highlight of my evening. It doesn't take much to make my day!


But to top it all off, I saw a rose breasted grosbeak at the feeder and the mergansers swam around the point while I was on the phone. I forgot to mention that Ann's cousin & our long-time friend, Dean Mikkelson, stopped by this morning on his way to a campsite in the Chippewa National Forest. There are so many good folks who share the history of this place that we call The Point! And it has changed so much in the nearly 15 years we have had it! But here's the view from where I sit . . . till my next post!

Settling In

I decided to do this blog to chronicle my first summer alone at the lake. I had to do this at some point and as it turned out, my first summer off since Doug died is also a summer when Darlene is off traveling. So I will report in by blogging rather than sending long email reports. That way, folks can check in on me when they want to.

I arrived in MN on Saturday, 5/9/09, in the evening and went straight to Damon & Sarah's so I could see Heath before bedtime. He seemed surprised to see me in 3D since we have only been seeing each other on Skype since they came to visit in December. He is now 8 months old and definitely the cutest, happiest baby I have known since Damon!

We had a great Mother's Day dinner at Jane & Charlie's (Sarah's mom & dad) and then went back to Damon & Sarah's for some Quiddler practice. Then I went to spend the night at Carol & Mel's so I'd be close to the car repair place that had ordered the fan relay my car was scheduled to have replaced on Monday morning. Then I hit the road for the lake and Karen Wilson left their house in time to meet me when I arrived. We got the cabin opened with only a small hitch - the GFI circuit for the bathroom was off and I needed some coaching from Pete Barr to get it turned back on. Karen brought food for dinner and I stopped at Morey's for some herring so we had a great dinner on the grill, cleaned the bird feeds, inspected the work the beavers have been doing on my property next door and hit the hay early.

Tuesday morning our plan to go down to the lake for a morning fire had to be changed due to rain - I forgot that it rains in MN, especially in the spring. So we just had our coffee inside and Karen headed back to Brainerd. I spent the day unpacking, surveying the Clubhouse, and going into town for the mail & supplies. Ann called to check up on me and as we were talking, an adult and juvenile eagle swooped down in front of the front window and headed over to the island. As you know, Doug is resting in his Eagle bentwood box here in the cabin but I believe his spirit lives in the eagles that nest here on Crystal Lake. And it seems as though he has found a younger buddy to hang out with this year! I also had a pair of common mergansers swim by in the evening and the great blue heron passed by on his way to the bay on my property next door. It got really windy late in the day so after dinner, I hunkered down and watched the one CBS channel we get before going to bed.

This morning it was windy but sunny so I went out for a walk and came back for breakfast. Then I got the bird feeder out but the birds have been sticking close to their nests rather than looking for feeders! After a couple of hours trying to catch up on email, I headed to the Clubhouse with my boxes of photo projects and started tyring to figure out an arrangement that will work for my summer office. Being in that space is hard because it was supposed to be Doug's getaway, and now it will be mine. So I will have to claim it cautiously and expect to have crying times like I did this afternoon. I picture all the times I would walk over to see what he was working on or to take him food, since he would never stop to eat.

The great discovery of the day was that among the things my niece Kelsey is storing in the huge warehouse-like building of which the Clubhouse is a little corner, I found a dining room table, a coffee table, some end tables and a desk chair that I can put to use rather than have them stacked in storage. So I put together the table, cleaned cabinets & countertops, unpacked the photos I plan to organize and made a list of all the things I need to get to make it a comfortable workspace and extra sleeping space. It was a productive day!

As evening came, it started raining so I decided not to grill my dinner. Now it is dusk - the wind is blowing the rain across the lake and onto the windows. So as I look out to the south, the evergreen boughs are in constant motion and I am ready for some tea and then plan to finish my book - The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson. I started it in January and had only read about 50 pages before I got on the plan last Saturday. Now I have only 30 pages left and I am hoping to make better time as I work my way through the stack of books I sent so I can read them this summer.

I look forward to the summer and visits from many of you!