They came, they played, and now they've gone

It's quiet again here at The Point, but it hasn't been for long. I came down to make a fire and check my email this morning and this"Insight of the Day" was in my in-box: "The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have." Leonard Nimoy What an apt thought for this day, the first after the Great Whitney Family Gathering of 2009!

Thanks to Ann & Bob Mikkelesen, our friends & neighbors at the lake,we had plenty of space for the 30+ Whitney relatives who were able to join us. It was impressive showing that included Mom, Aunt Barb, 6 of my 9 siblings, 8 of many kids of my sibs or their spouses, and multiple grandkids of my sibs. Definitely more people than have gathered for many years on Crystal Lake!

Mom had been here since the previous week-end and had some quiet days while I finished grading & we got some grocery shopping done so we would not all starve. Then first wave arrived a week ago - sister Carol, her husband Mel & granddaughter Lexi from the Twin Cities, and sister Beth & her daughter Jessica from LA. We got the happy hour venue set up and tested all the hors d' ouvres to make sure they were good enough for the rest of the gang.
Tom's youngest, Krista, and her family arrived later that evening & the event was underway!

Mary Kay, my sister from northern California, and her husband Alan arrived Friday afternoon; followed by Sarah, Heath and Judy's daughter, Kelsey, who entertained Heathster all the way up from St. Paul and is now his NBF. Once Heath arrived Mel threatened to take videos of his law professor sister-in-law babbling & making goofy noises to her grandson - I'm not sure that would ruin my credibility but it would certainly add a new dimension to my students' perception of me! Heath made some new discoveries this visit - best of all were the pine cone & plastic wine cork teethers! He tested various types - jack pine cones & colorful Seven Daughters corks were his favorites!

Saturday arrivals included brother Tom with his wife, Patty, and oldest daughter Shawna with her family Aaron & Brody; Aunt Barb from Kalamazoo, who many had not seen for many years; sister Patty & her husband Ron with two of their seven kids, Monique & Johann plus Monique's boyfriend, Peter. Tom's son Daniel rode his motorcycle up for the afternoon but had to get back by nightfall.

There was much fishing, kayaking, canoeing & Farkeling and plenty o' food for all.

We also had some great wildlife sightings - the eagles swooped & soared all week-end as the loons vigilantly guarded their nest; the beavers stayed on the other side of the lake near their lodge; the great blue heron stood watch on the point several times; Judy & I spotted a mama deer & two still-spotted fawns on the trail between The Cabin & The Point; and Al, busy watching for the perfect eagle shot, almost got bitten in the butt by this snapping turtle who we think was trying to lay her eggs in the fire pit!

From all indications, a good time was had by all and we definitely lived & learned that the more we share, the more we have! If you want to see more photos of the Great Whitney Family Gathering of 2009, check out our Picasa Web Album - the link is paseted in below. But here is a great shot to end with - Lexi having a quiet moment on the dock.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jwhitneymobile/2009FamilyGatheringThePoint?authkey=Gv1sRgCJTxrsrKqsKwnQE&feat=email#

When will it be summer?

It feels like summer is never going to come! It's been in the low 40s most mornings and once it was 36. Every summer I have come to the lake, the first weeks have been cold but somehow I seem to push that memory away and remember only the beautiful sunny summer days. I guess that's how people in MN survive - selective memory about the weather! Anyway, I know summer will come eventually and even with the cold, it's been a good couple of weeks.

Good friends Pete & Jeanine came up the week after Memorial Day and we got several projects done and had lots of fun too. Pete & I cut down two dead trees that were along the driveway and we all worked at cutting up the brush from the 7 trees we had to have taken down last fall. As a result, we have nice piles of firewood right down by the fire ring! Pete also hung the grate that Doug made for his log house and had hanging in his new house. I brought it up last summer but never figured out where to hang it. I think we found the perfect spot - on the porch of Doug's Clubhouse so you can see it when you drive up.

Sarah, Heath and Jane (Sarah's mom/Heath's other grandma) arrived for the week-end and overlapped a day with Pete & Jeanine. Plus Ann & Kitty were at the Cabin so we had a great group!







We gave the new golf cart a good workout and I'm not sure who liked it more - Jeanine or Heath! Heath loves the wind in his face and seemed fascinated by the birds at the feeder and of course, he was in seventh heaven with both of his grandmas here plus several other adults. Unfortunately, though, I think he got a bit over-stimulated on the last night and he just couldn't wind down. Check out this shot of him - Hopefully he will come to love the place as much as his Grandpa did and I do, at least till he gets to be a teenager, when I expect he'll go through the same stage we all have when we don't want to leave our friends to go to the lake.

We spotted some great wildlife since the last entry - Pete, Jeanine & I saw the regular busy beaver show when we were out paddling one evening and even heard the babies in the lodge. At the end of the lake we also saw a fox peering out at us from the shore. And one morning we saw a turkey strolling under the trees in front of the cabin and out onto the point. When he realized there was nowhere to go but in the water, he scurried back and headed through the brush on the shore to the clearing. My friend the woodchuck comes through nearly every day and tonight I saw a fox out in front of the cabin.

I was gone last week - in Phoenix to do some training - but got back last Friday and brought my mom up for the week. She likes the golf cart too but hasn't passed her driver's test on it yet. And it's been chilly and rainy for several days so I've had to put the Little Green Machine in the shop to stay warm and dry. But I expect she'll get lots of use this week-end. We are having a Whitney Family Gathering here at The Point - I'm not sure what the final count will be but six of my nine siblings will be here plus Mom, Aunt Barb and Uncle John (Dad's only sister & brother), Sarah & Heath, and quite a few second & third generation Whitneys too. I think there will be more of us than Crystal Lake has summer residents! I'll be sure to report on this week-end's festivities!