It's really going to happen...

Sometimes big events seem like they are so far off that they will never happen, but then there are little signs that make them real.  We had one of those today...

End of the summer fun!

We took advantage of the beautiful day today to take the boat out on the lake.  I gathered some of my favorite crew and we got to work...

Gassing up the boat...

Launching it...

Fishing from it...

Riding in it...

And then, since they did such a nice job, I let them eat...

what a great day!

Test run

On our way home today we ran a test run of Kristin's classes, dorm and the city of River Falls.  We got to know the buildings in which she will have her classes, the dorm where she will lay her head, and the town where she will have fun.  It's a beautiful and friendly place, and they will love Kristin!

Also, after more than a year of looking, Kristin decided on a guitar!  She has become a pretty good player, but even more than that, a guitar offers her a way to express the music she loves so well...it's great that she will have one for college.

Death Cab

I didn't know what this was either, but anyone who is hip knows that Death Cab For Cutie is a great alternative band...Kristin's favorite.  I gave her tickets for a concert for graduation, and this is the weekend!

Kristin chose to bring Aly as her guest so we made our way up to St Paul for the big event.  On the way we stopped for lunch and met a friend...

we HAD to stop and see Crystal cave...

then on to St Paul, where we enjoyed some of the sites before the concert.

Who knows what will happen today!?

Kitty

Our poor Kitty is getting so old...all he wants is a dark, quiet place to rest, and I always seem to be bothering him by turning on a light or something.  Here was his response to me yesterday...

My friend and I are getting closer

Our muskrat neighbor and I are getting lots more comfortable with each other...

Lost canyon earns its name

Today I hiked lost canyon, took a wrong turn, and well...got lost! 

 But what a beautiful place to be lost for a while!  As you can probably guess by the presence of this post, I made my way back.  All in all a great day!

Kristin the cuddler

There are few people I know who love to cuddle more than Kristin...

A happy ending to a very awful beginning

Okay, so all summer long when I go out to use the blower to clean up the yard (yes, I am a lazy, leaf-blower user) a mouse flies out of the front of the blower when I start it up.  Yes, I know it sounds weird, and the first few times it freaked me out, but after a couple of times, the mouse and I seemed to come to a tentative understanding.

Today, though, besides just one mouse, these little ones also flew out as well!  They were tiny and newborn and all alone as the mother ran off! 

I couldn't think of anything to do but leave them there and pray that the mom would come back for them...and she did!! 

Yay!  Now, what am I going to do for the rest of the summer when I want to use the blower?  I think I'll go back to the broom...

Shy neighbors

On my regular walking loop I pass a small pond and I often see this little guy.  He usually disappears under the water before I can snap a photo, but today I was quicker than him!  Twice!  (I hope you can see that he is a muskrat...)

How caterpillars deal with Wisconsin storms

I always wondered how bugs kept from drowning during some of our sudden summer storms, and today one of my little buggy friends showed me the trick!

Here is the impending storm...

And here is the little bug's solution!

Raspberry jam season!

Kristin and I made our annual trip to pick raspberries today.  The berries were great (as usual!)

 
and we saw a new friend as well...

Then came the cooking...

And finally the results...yum!

Kristin's last day of freedom

Today was Kristin's last day without work before she goes off to college, so I asked her what she wanted to do.  Her answer, take Jane and go to Sheboygan for a cheeseburger at Gosse's!

We filled the day with a great walk on the beach and dunes...

The desired cheeseburger for lunch...

Picked up Grandma and took her to the bookworm gardens (where the organizers have designed an interactive garden for each book)...

Can you guess which book this is?

And stopped for ice cream at one of the 100 best ice cream shops in the USA on the way home...

I'm full!

Future ride?

Kristin and I saw this great car for sale the other day and wondered whether or not it was meant to be her ride after finishing her college career.  Anyone want to weigh in with an opinion?

Perfect Summer Weather...

Even the cat has been enjoying this perfect summer weather...

Bald Bluff

I found this beautiful trail today and enjoyed it fully!

A lovely night

Thanks to the kindness of one of my students in accepting a last minute babysitting gig, we got to go out with Dave and Patty last night. They took us to a great place on the lake where we laughed and ate and even had a bunny visit us!

A day at the fair!

We love the state fair!  Kristin and I have gone very year since she was a baby and this year was no exception.  We each took a friend and had a ball...