Friday, September 30, 2011

It's TCM Time

Soon, Amy and I will be heading up to the TCM expo to pick up some TC10 packets (ourselves and for others). I love the excitement of a marathon expo. Glad I'm just running the 10 mile, though. LOTS of Team R.E.D. folks will be running 10 and then standing at mile 26 to cheer on the marathoners. Sounds like a beautiful weather weekend.

Backing up ... Wednesday night was book club. I made a blueberry peach pie.


It was a hit. I brought home about a 1" slice which made Matt happy. I really should make another one for him. Anyway, Jay Furst's (P-B editor) was at book club and they'd recently been rating berry pies in SE Minnesota. She said mine would have made the list. :-) Anyway, everyone seemed to enjoy it. I actually got the book read (The Heretic's Daughter). It was very dark, about the Salem witch trials. We had good discussion though. That was a shameful part of our country's history.

Last night Matt and I joined the TriRochester folks at Glynner's.



If you're interested in running on Saturday morning, Lana is gathering some folks to run 8 to 10 miles beginning at Brothers at 7 AM. All are welcome to join them.

Yesterday, I ran 7.15 but my legs felt tired. So today I swam and lifted and haven't run yet. Might not. (It's 9:42 AM and I haven't even had breakfast yet. Tummy is bothering me again.) Tomorrow ... rest day.

Just made some chocolate chip pecan cookies for the going away party tonight. I think I finally made a batch without mishap (too much flour, no baking soda, forgetting to set the timer). Hoorah!!


Well, that' it. Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dedication

Yesterday evening, the sign at Brooklawn Park in Byron was dedicated in memory of our dear, and dearly missed friend, Paul Melby.


The gathering was called on short notice but the crowd was HUGE. The biggest turnout I'd ever seen for a Team R.E.D. event.



Not surprising as Paul was so well liked and was everybody's friend. A big highlight of the evening for me was as I was walking to the park from my car, Madi and Carson Melby came running over yelling "Renee!" And Carlson asked if I brought cookies. "Yup!" I said. He asked if he could have one. I assured him that after the gathering was over he could have a cookie. I explained to them that there were two kinds to choose from so of course, they all wanted two!! And two they got.

Carson, Anna, cousin #1, Madi, cousin #2
It was a very special night. And guess what? I actually won something. Tom O' had 3 Bear's Den gift cards to be given away. First we had a stare down. I won against Sara Ryan. Then rock/paper/scissors, which I won against Roger. Then ... a Harvey Wallbanger drink mixing contest, with style points included.  I had no idea what to put in there other than orange juice and I thought some vodka. I also threw in some triple sec and whiskey. :-) Guess what? I won!! Thanks to everyone that voted for me. :-)

Just returned from a 40.01 mile bike ride. This had to be one of the most perfect days for a ride that we've had all year. So enjoyed every mile. Negligible wind, partly cloudy. Just wonderful. (I have to say though, that I got lots of bugs in my face, though!) 10 other bikers out there. Can't say I recognized any of them. Two gals riding together knew me but I'm very bad at recognizing anyone on a bike. Sorry gals!! Morning workout: lift, 1 hour swim, 6.06 mile run. Yesterday I ran my 13.26 mile hill route. I just love that workout. 12 repeats of Lenwood Dr and I tried to keep miles 8 to 12 at 7 to 7:30 pace. One thing I always do the first time up Lenwood is kick all the black walnuts out of the way. Stepping on those things coming down is like stepping on ball bearings ... not good! Now I HAVE to taper for the weekend.

Congrats to everyone that got in the Boston Marathon for 2012!! I opted out for next year. After looking at the accepted qualification times, all three of my marathons last year would have gotten me in which makes me happy. I'm running Napa Valley in March so hopefully I'll be training with those of you running BoMa. :-)

Well, my ride for book club will be here momentarily. Have a wonderful early fall evening.  Good night.

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Power of Words

This morning I went to the pool for a swim. First, I went into the fitness center to lift and there I encountered my buddy Jack who will be 86 years young next month. Jack is a little hard of hearing, which you'd certainly expect at age 86. I think Jack is amazing and I told him as much this morning. When I tell him that, he always kind of "pooh poohs" the comment but I think it makes him happy. I asked him if he was going to swim today (I had to "freestyle" my arms to get him to understand) and he said he was, after he'd ridden the bike for 30 minutes. And he always swims freestyle, with a pull buoy, for a whole hour. This is his M/W/F routine each week after driving in from St. Charles. THAT's why I think he's amazing. And, he's a sweet man. Later in the pool, I was swimming in the lane next to Jack and he motioned me over. He had some very nice things to say to me. Just his two little sentences made me feel so good. It was a great way to start my day. So ... thank you Jack. You are amazing.

A few other words that made me happy ... "These are the best cookies EVER." "This pie was one of the best I have ever, I mean EVER, tasted in my pie eating life. 5 Stars!" "Thanks again for the cookies. They were fantastic and they won a blue ribbon among the discriminating palates of my kids. My younger son had suggested that you sell them at the Farmer's Market as they are much better than the current 'cookie lady's' cookies!" You all brought a little sunshine to my cloudy weekend and I thank you.
 
And, I got in a 5.10 mile run. Considering I ran more than 28 miles this weekend, my legs felt good. I think I'll do my hill workout tomorrow, swim and lift (no legs) on Wed and Fri, run a few miles on Thursday and take Saturday off in preparation for TC10 on Sunday.

Yesterday 6 or so of us ran a preview of the Lace-Up half marathon route. Basically it's the same as last year but going out a little farther on the Mayowood trail and only circling Silver Lake once (hoorah!). It came out to 12.70 miles from the north drive of Mayo H.S. back to that spot, so John will tweak it a little bit to hit 13.1 miles and we'll be good to go. BTW: Our committee is now a few people short. If anyone would like to join us, please email John. We'd love to have you join us.

Then I fnished my baking and it was off to Pine Island for the "PI Ride". There were some last minute cancellations and some of the "maybes" didn't show, but there were 6 riders (I did NOT ride) and a total of 15 eaters. Thank you Millie for keeping me company. :-)


There was plenty o'food to go around. None of the raspberry pie pie made it home. But I did have 2 pieces of blueberry left for Matt which was his only request. He loved it. Still have some peach cookie cobbler left. Thanks to everyone who participated!! I didn't do a very good job of taking photos. I don't think I got any good ones of Paul T, Zach and friend, Paige ...







The only downside was that I got stung on my right little finger by a "bee" ... actually a yellow jacket or wasp or whatever. I don't know my "bees." And it REALLY hurt. The whole finger got all red and swollen like an overstuffed sausage. I couldn't bend it at all. And it still hurts today, but the swelling and pain are lessening.

I have a busy week. Tonight, home. Tomorrow: dedication of Melby/Brookhaven Park in Byron. 6 PM. (All are invited, with a 5.5 mile CC run followed by social time at The Bear's Den.) Wednesday: Book Club. Finished The Heretic's Daughter this afternoon. What a dark story, but I finally finished a book club book so I'm proud of myself. Thursday: TriRochester at Glynner's at 6 PM. (All are invited). Also, Team R.E.D. will be gathering somewhere (see http://byronteamred.blogspot.com/) for details. (All are invited). Friday: A Going Away party. Saturday: I'd best get to bed early for TC10 bright and early Sunday.

Time to fix supper. Until next time ...

My new Facebook profile pic ... me as a youngster

Thanks For Your Time

I received the following via email from my stepmom Ada, and liked it enough that I wanted to share it. I think there's a tie-in to the quote from Aibileen from The Help: "You is kind. You is smart. You is important."

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way.. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.

There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days..
"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you.. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway , Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly..

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read.. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett . It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
2. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
3. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
4. You mean the world to someone.
5. If not for you, someone may not be living.
6. You are special and unique.
7. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
9. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
10. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
11. Always remember the compliments you received... Forget about the rude remarks.
12 . Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy.
13. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Godspeed



I just returned from the visitation for Jason Stevens. So very sad. The family had arranged a display of running memorabelia ... his spikes, letter jacket (CC captain, Big 9 scholar, all-conference), awards, even his asics trainers with a little dirt on them. So powerful. Thus, I'm going to leave the rest of my day for tomorrow's post.

Godspeed Jason.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

What's New?

Well ... not too much really. That can be good. That can be bad.

My day started with a 15.06 mile run with a few speedier miles thrown in. A good workout. Love these temps for running. I wouldn't mind some sunshine and 70 degrees for later in the day, though. Jeff, Trevor, Dan and Andy received (finally!) their promised cookies for finishing first in the relay division of the Med-City Marathon. Enjoy guys ... and so sorry for the delay. No excuse. I just didn't get it done.


My handyman and his helper were over this afternoon removing wallpaper in the kitchen. I do NOT like those white walls. As soon as they finish, I will start painting. Same color as the family room since the walls run right into each other. A nice neutral beige-y color. I thought about the brick red that's on the fireplace wall (I really like color) but ... I'm supposed to be "neutralizing". Humph.

Spent some of the afternoon reading my book for book club on Wednesday ... The Heretic's Daughter. It's set in the late 1600s and has to do with witches near Salem, Mass. Not what I'd usually read, but I'm giving it a go.

I also started pie baking for the PI Ride tomorrow afternoon. I parbaked a shell for Raspberry Cream and made the blueberry this evening. Tomorrow, I'm making Peach Cookie Cobbler. I think I'll do that instead of peach pie as it uses up more peaches and is a little healthier. I've got a lug of peaches to use up.


Supper was some pesto tortellini combined with some leftovers from the fridge and a chiffonade of fresh basil. Tasty if I do say so myself. And a salad of course.



Guess what? I now have a wallet to match my super fun zebra purse. Love it.


Don't forget ... Sunday morning at Mayo H.S. at 7:30 at the north doors. A preview of the proposed LUABC course. Join us!!

Good night.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Slow Day

Not much on the news front today ... 10 mile run this morning. Very pleasant temps. Then went to pick 6 more pints of raspberries, stopped at the apple orchard for some chestnut crab apples and winter squash, Super America for $3.49/gallon gas :-), HyVee for a few things for Sunday and finally JCPenney to redeem some coupons on some fantastic deals. When I got home, my handyman David was here removing the kitchen wallpaper which means it'll soon be time to paint. He said the paper was tough to remove. Well, it's been on the walls for 20 years with no edges peeling up, so I guess the glue was pretty strong. I can't remember if it was prepasted or not, but a kitchen is a bugger of a room to paper ...

Tomorrow AM, I guess I will run at the RAC. Sunday, I will run a preview of the LUABC course at Mayo HS at 7:30 (south doors ... door 6). All are welcome to join us, then we'll go out for coffee/breakfast afterwards. Then ... the PI ride. :-) Sounds like beautiful weather coming up. Should make for some nice colors on the leaves.

Sorry there were no photos today. Just one of those kind of days.

Good night.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

"You is kind. You is smart. You is important."

For those of you that have read and/or watched The Help, you most likely recognize those words. What a powerful story. I read the book and many times a movie based on a book disappoints. Though there were some liberties taken with the story, the movie was still excellent and it brought tears to both my eyes and Amy's. Like I said on Facebook, I want to be just as strong as Aibileen and Minnie when I grow up. It was so well cast. Thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Yesterday was an emotional day. I'd learned of two friends that experienced heartbreaking losses in their immediate families and they were on my mind all day, and all night actually. I slept very lightly and fitfully. It's been on the news and in the papers, so the names are not secret. I'd exchanged two emails with Shaun on Tuesday and life with him was very much normal. Until the tragedy at midnight. My heart just breaks for this family and another. Life is so fragile.

Yesterday morning, I discovered I'd lost a filling on a top tooth so this afternoon found me at the dentist having it replaced. The novocaine is still wearing off. I tried drinking ... and water dribbled all over the right side of my face. But that shall pass, and the tooth looks and feels great. My tongue is MUCH happier now. It just wouldn't leave that tooth alone. :-)

The numbers are changing slightly for my "PI" ride on Sunday, but the menu is in place I believe. The pies shall be: peach, blueberry, cherry and raspberry cream. The route has changed too (from the Treadman course to something else ... PI ride route) thanks to Pattie Ekman knowing that the snowmobile races were taking place in Douglas on Sunday. Thank you Pattie!!

Workouts: Tuesday was run 4 or 5 (can't remember), lift, swim an hour. Today (recovery) was run 6, lift, swim an hour. Lovely morning today. Yesterday (terribly windy) was run 13.25 and what a workout. I ran my Merrihills loop and did 12 repeats of Lenwood Dr. It's .10 mile up and just the right steepness. The last two repeats were just for fun. :-) And because my legs didn't feel trashed. And because I had the time. I was able to squeeze another 1.25 miles into this workout this week. Hoorah!! So I went home going counterclockwise "around the hill" and up Folwell Drive. I ran 7 to 8 minute pace for miles 8 to 12 (except when stopped for traffic) so it was a strength and stamina workout. Loved it. But it felt good to recover today, too.

Well, there's a lockbox on my front door now. That was an emotional moment yesterday too, signing the listing agreement with Re/Max. But it's what I have to do. Tomorrow, the wallpaper in the kitchen and dining room are being removed and then I need to paint.

Well,  need to remove all the window coverings, switch plates, etc. before tomorrow so I'd best get busy.

Until next time ........

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Off Day

Today was an off day in several ways. First, my normal schedule just got all discombobulated. I wasn't scheduled to work so I slept in. Then finally decided to go to the Y to lift and swim (and I drove because it was raining). After lifting, I looked in my backpack and thought I'd forgotten my goggles and cap hanging on the laundry room door, where I usually hang them to dry.


Well, I got home and saw only the cap hanging there. It turns out the goggles WERE in my bag as well as a spare cap. Drat. I decided to eat breakfast, get a few things done, and then run down to swim at 11 which I did. My legs really needed an off day today. One thing I wanted to get done was make some cookies for my friend Nancy which I did. I forgot to set the timer for the first pan. Drat. But I checked on them before they burned. Then after swimming, I ate the first half of the sandwich I didn't eat this weekend and purchased at Nelson Bros. at the Clearwater truck stop on I-94. I just love their sandwiches, especially on the multigrain bread. Anyway, half a sandwich is a good-sized meal.


Even after a couple of days in the fridge it was still delicious. And I have the other half for tomorrow's lunch. Then it turns out I did need to go into work for a while. When I pulled in the driveway coming home I noticed that the hydrangeas are really beautiful right now.


I cut a few stems to bring inside. I was contemplating running with the Tuesday night trail runners at Willow Reservoir this evening, but my legs just didn't have any more miles in them today so I decided to let them rest. I want to run a good hill workout in the morning, rain or no rain.

I picked up these socks at Scheel's in St. Cloud on Saturday. I just thought they were perfectly "me".


As of tomorrow, my house will be on the market. It's such a royal pain to keep it showable all the time. But I gotta do what I gotta do. I'm listing it with ReMax.

Plans are shaping up nicely for the "PI" ride on Sunday afternoon. The weather looks absolutely perfect. We'll ride the Treadman course (forward or backward ... your choice) starting in Pine Island. So far, there will be 18 of us there. I'm supplying homemade pies. So far, this is my plan ... some sort of apple (traditional or streusel), peach, cherry and raspberry cream. And of course, there will be cookies.

Well, back to reading Runner's World. I'm so far behind on magazines it's not even funny. Pretty soon they will be relevant again, though. I'll be reading winter 2010 issues and it will be winter 2011. :-)

Good night.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Food Coma, Part II

Just a note about today ... ran my hill loop through the Merrihills Dr SW neighborhood but didn't run hill repeats. It was nice to have some energy by the time I got to Merrihills, Hillside Ln, Crest Ln. I took the long way home and ended up with just over 12 miles. Late this afternoon I took a bike ride before having to leave to volunteer at Community Food Response. I rode 15 miles out (just past Oxbow Park, through Salem Corners) before turning around.


Nice ride, enjoyed the sunshine, but there was definitely some wind from the W/NW. Bumped my average speed by .9 mph going back. 30.10 miles total. Tomorrow AM, I'll hit the pool to give my legs a little rest. If I have the energy, I'll join the TNT (Tuesday Night Trails) crew at the Willow Creek Reservoir at 6 bells.

So ... back to the weekend's food coma. Sunday morning brought a passing shower which ended JUST as we set out for the 12+ mile hill run from Rick's cabin.

Gary, Deb, Wanda, Jodi, Rick

Jay, Donnie, Gary, Rick, Deb, Wanda (background ... Cindy, Paul)
This run is a great workout. Rick advertised it as having 7 hills. I beg to differ ... I say there's more!! The hilliest sections are in the second half. I missed one of the last turns and stopped to ponder things ... then backtracked and looked for footprints on the gravel/sand road (which I found). 12.65 miles total. GREAT workout. Especially following 20 on Saturday morning. The run was followed by ... you guessed it. More delicious food. Rick prepared breakfast burritos which were delicious. (I'm thinking about doing them for my breakfast run on the 15th. All are welcome to join in the fun, whether or not you run.)


Jodi, Wanda, Rick, Pat

The Spread


Donnie and Gary

Cindy, Jay, Allison, Buddy

I was hungry!!

Kathy and Deb

Wanda, Donnie, Jodi, Kathy, Cindy

Allison, Rick, Pat, Jay, Wanda, Kathy, Cindy

Connie, Gary, Deb, Matt, Buddy, Mark
Paul, Deb, Wanda


Soon, too soon, it was time for me to head home. And as is almost ALWAYS the case, a traffic backup of about 20 miles that ended in Rogers (FOR NO APPARENT REASON). Cost me about an hour. The ONLY thing out of the ordinary in the vicinity of where the speed picked up (above 5-20 mph) were what looked like a STS crew picking up trash in the ditch. These delays heading toward the cities on 94 on a Sunday (or out of the cities on a Friday) are soooooo frustrating.

I got home about 2:45 and had to leave for our pizza extravaganza at Jay and Joan's at about 3:45. It's an annual get together with my Cooking Light group and guests. And so much fun. And so delicious. The rain certainly put a damper on things as we couldn't enjoy their beautiful yard and patio, but the pizza was delicious as we assembled and ate it inside their beautiful home.










Well, that brings you up to date on my weekend food coma. Good thing I skipped lunch both Saturday and Sunday. :-)

Good night all.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Food Coma

No kidding. Thank heavens I've also been running quite a bit, but I'm not sure which way the balance scale would tip in the calorie deficeit v. calorie excess world. But it's been a very enjoyable couple of days despite crummy weather. Left Friday evening for Donnie and Cindy's in St. Cloud and arrived about 9:30. Then it was up bright and early to meet Jodi at 6:00 AM for a long run. The official start time for the breakfast run is 8:00, but many if not most of them front load miles and many are done at 8:00, stay for the photo, then take off.


This group of people are just the GREATEST ... so much fun to be around, so welcoming, so kind. There just aren't enough superlatives to describe them. Jodi (back, very tall and skinny and blonde (and fast!), white shirt) and I ran the Sauk Rapids bridge loop (5.5'ish miles) then added on another 10 minutes out, 10 minutes back to get back by 7:00 to meet Cindy (front, bright shoeslaces). Amy was out there too and joined us (front, far left). We picked up Rick (neon yellow shirt) on the back side of the loop and stretched the loop out to highway 23/Division before going back for the photo ...


Pat Ross, official (and unofficial) SCRR photographer

and another (the third) bridge loop.





I decided to stretch this one out to the SCSU campus and ended up running with Beth ...


a triathlete who started running with the River Runners this summer to improve her running. Very nice gal and familiar with St. Cloud which was good as I would have gotten lost. But once we exited the SCSU campus and took the bridge over toward Munsinger Gardens, I was on familiar territory. The first part of the Earth Day Half Marathon runs through this neighborhood. It's very pretty and right on the river.


Then a bunch of us gathered inside the Ace for breakfast.

From lower left ... Cindy, Adam, Rick, Bob, Kathy, Dave, Deb, Pat, Paul, Gary

From lower left ... Mark, Donnie, Beth, Al, Tim, Anita, Cindy

Gary, Jodi, Mark

Whoa Mark!! Did you eat all that??

I'd run 20.00 miles on just a 90-calorie granola bar and half a bottled of G2 (and some water) and was HUNGRY. So I had oatmeal AND one pancake. I could have gotten by without the pancake, but I ate it anyway. :-)


Fun (and lots o'cookies) was had by all. Then I went back to Donnie & Cindy's for a shower then hit a few stores but unfortunately didn't do much to stimulate the economy. I did pick up a swimsuit for lap swimming at Scheel's. Mine is getting a little thin. Stopped at ... EnduRUNce (running store), Revolution (bike shop), Scheel's, Cash Wise (for salad for supper), Byerly's (for their free seasonal cookbook), Big Apple Bagels (they only had a few bagels, maybe 3 to 5, so I skipped it). Decided not to go to Gruber's (quilt shop) or Crafts Direct as I'd end up spending money on stuff I didn't really need. Then I headed west on 94 up to Freeport and St. Rosa and eventually Little Birch Lake to meet up with Rick, Ron, Bonnie, Gary, Paul and eventually Jay, Donnie and Cindy for a relaxing afternoon, delicious supper and finally a good night's sleep at Rick's beautiful lake home.


We saw the sun for about 3 minutes this weekend :-0

The Grillmeister :-)

Gary, Paul, Ron, Bonnie, Rick

Our delicious meal

Rick and Gary ... the cleanup crew


Jay and his prize cookies (for winning a 10K)

Paul, Cindy, Donnie
And the rest is To Be Continued as I am very tired. Good night all.