Posts Tagged ‘family’
Sawing Ironwood
A tree in our woods has been leaning over one of our footpaths for more than a week. Each morning, Cyndie and I check with each other for opinions on whether or not it is leaning a little more. It had a good number of long, thin branches tangling with surrounding trees and many tall, skinny trees that got bent over as the leaner came down, so I was in no hurry to do anything about it.
Recent winds brought it close enough down that it had become too hard to ignore.
Our kids visited on Sunday, and during halftime of the Vikings game, Julian and I went out to soak up some of that hot sunshine. I took him down to see the fallen tree and spontaneously decided to see if I could pull free the bent-over trees it had caught on its slow descent toward the ground. When that resulted in success, we then took a shot at helping the leaner to come down the rest of the way.
It was a dramatic enough change that I knew Cyndie would be shocked, so I told Julian we weren’t going to say anything about what we had accomplished and wait to see what kind of reaction we’d get.
While we were back in the house, up in the loft watching the second half of the football game, I received the following image via text from Cyndie on the floor below us:
I reacted with utter surprise and asked when that could have happened. She and Elysa knew it was recent since they had been out on the trails earlier and it wasn’t down. Then Julian and I let them know what we had done.
Yesterday, I used a handsaw to trim off all the small branches. Even though I soon discovered it was really dense wood, I ended up cutting everything necessary to clear it off the trail without resorting to the chainsaw.
I had my suspicions about what kind of tree it was, but I asked Cyndie to take a picture of the bark with her plant ID app to see what came up. American Hophornbeam, also called Ironwood because of how hard it is. Ironwood trees are scattered throughout our woods, but they can be hard to notice. It seems like they hide in plain sight by looking unremarkable.
For 25 years, we lived on Ironwood Court, but I never had a clue about ironwood trees until we moved here.
Most often, it seems that I end up figuring out that I’m dealing with ironwood when I start cutting into it. For a guy who really likes trees, I can sometimes be surprisingly oblivious when it comes to identifying them.
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Bales Delivery
We were told to expect delivery of a load of hay bales by 7:30 a.m. That meant getting ourselves going a little earlier than usual. Asher didn’t mind one bit and happily darted into the semi-dark woods to see if any straggling raccoons hadn’t made it back to their daytime hiding spots up in our trees.
Wisps of fog rolled around the lowest points of the terrain, giving the predawn atmosphere a mystical feel. We had enlisted the help of my sister’s grandson, Drew (making him my grand-nephew, but that doesn’t roll off the tongue), a student at nearby UWRF, to help toss bales. He had to drive through patches of that same fog to get here, with the added challenge of the sun showing up right at eye level.
The next to arrive was Tom, one of the founders of This Old Horse, followed soon after by Paul, the farmer bringing hay all the way from up north near Hayward.
Many hands made for light work, and in no time we had a little over 150 bales stacked on pallets in the hay shed.
When the work was done, Light came over to thank Tom for making sure the horses always have all their needs taken care of. We now feel the satisfaction of knowing there is a good reserve of hay in the shed for whatever the coming months throw our way in terms of weather.
I don’t recall if I’ve written about it yet, but it sounds like everything is proceeding on schedule with a plan for our friend and nearby resident, Michelle, to adopt Mia before the end of this month. Tom talked with Cyndie about the possibility of bringing another horse to replace Mia and keep our herd number at four. It doesn’t sound like he had a specific horse in mind yet, but they are giving it thought.
We are thrilled for both Mia and Michelle. They developed an instant bond on the first day they encountered each other here. We anticipate some initial objections from the horses upon her removal. Horses can be uncomfortable with the change of having their herd separated. We’ll strive to assure them there is no need to be concerned.
With the job of stacking hay behind us, Cyndie and I took a relaxing walk with Asher through the woods and then came back to the horses to hang out. I brought a book and sat outside the fence while Cyndie enjoyed an extended interaction with Mia.
We scored another glorious fall day with temperatures in the 70s (F). I’m not complaining, but I can’t help shaking a feeling that this nice weather is a symptom of the much bigger problem caused by short-sighted human behaviors. I sense that climate scientists know this feeling well.
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Grooving Was
While 60-some thousand football fans were cheering for their team in the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis yesterday, Cyndie and I made our way to meet her brother, Ben, to see Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble at the Dakota just a short distance away.
Talk about first-rate, top-notch, professional musicianship. We were treated to a performance of their version of the Grateful Dead’s “Blues for Allah” album, which was definitely grooving.
After the show, we hung around long enough to express our appreciation for the show directly to the very approachable Don Was.
It’s not every day that I get to hobnob with a person of his caliber of professional music industry experience.
It brought back memories of my days as a rock and roll journalist at the end of the last century. That feels like a lifetime ago now.
Don Was is a musician, bassist, record producer, musical director, film composer, documentary filmmaker, and radio host, as well as president of the American jazz label, Blue Note Records. He has won 6 Grammy Awards for his work as a record producer, working with a wide variety of artists, including Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Wayne Shorter, Kris Kristofferson, Iggy Pop, The B-52s, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Garth Brooks, and Ryan Adams.
With the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Don Was has released an album titled “Groove in the Face of Adversity.” As the theme of their current tour, it is a way they are bringing joy, comfort, and understanding in deeply troubled times.
And a joyful groove they did provide.
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Birthniversary Day!
Happy Birthday to Julian!
Happy 45th Anniversary to John and Cyndie!
A special amount of love cascades every year on this date, September 19. We are greatly blessed. Thank you to all our family and friends who have supported us over the years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you!
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No Sooner
No sooner had I returned to my precious home and I’m spending a night in Victoria, MN, at Cyndie’s brother’s house. It made the most logistical sense. After getting the majority of the mowing done on my first day home, I spent yesterday morning trying to clean my bike and camping gear before it was time to dash to the Cities for a grand birthday event planned by Cyndie and her siblings for their mom.
They rarely do anything small, so the guest list was no less than 100 for an afternoon soirée that included a live band and enough appetizers to feed more than twice the revelers in attendance. This morning, a family brunch is occurring in Victoria, so I left my car in Bloomington, MN, to travel with Cyndie (and all the foodstuffs she prepared in advance) to sleep at her brother’s house.
There was a momentary panic last night when the cooler with the egg bake and caramel rolls looked like my tent in the flash flood due to melted ice, but it appears the water damage was limited to the packaging and not the food.
The horses are being tended to by one of our trusty hires from the nearby University of Wisconsin, River Falls, for last night’s and this morning’s feedings. Asher has been granted his own retreat at his trainer’s kennel to give Cyndie one less thing to manage around the weekend events.
I’m feeling a little like a soldier trying to return to the world. My mind is still with my four comrades entrenched in the struggles to survive harsh elements in an unfamiliar place. It’s a different frame of reference when you have to pedal your way in extreme heat for extended miles to reach a destination.
Finding myself suddenly in a bustling social situation of ease and luxury feels rather incongruent.
Standing among the horses and rubbing up against them yesterday morning took a lot less effort.
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Temporary Relief
In the predawn hours yesterday morning, I emerged from a deep sleep to notice the sound of raindrops landing on surfaces. I then dropped back into the best of early-morning snoozing, hearing the blessed chorus of a prolonged shower of life-giving water in the back of my mind.
This morning, it was nice to see two raincoats hanging on the coat rack inside the front door.
One of our rain gauges collected a half-inch; the other, less so. Certainly better than nothing, but really only a tease of what is needed for the health of everything growing outdoors.
It’s not often that I find myself drawn to taking a picture of water flowing out of the downspout. It made me a really happy guy in the moment.
Elysa came for a sleepover yesterday and captured a shot of Asher and me showing our joy over the refreshing rain has carried into this morning.
I’m not asking for much. Just a rain shower every so often to lighten the mood. A little comic relief from the ongoing struggles of enduring all the catastrophic events happening on a cooking planet.
It’s important to smile while you can.
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Dryer Still
And somehow we have arrived at the 25th day of August in 2026. I don’t feel like I’ve been waiting a lifetime to reach this day, but it has taken my entire life to get here. Yet, it’s just another day. A Tuesday. Whatever.
We paid a lot of money to fill Cyndie’s car with gas in Hayward and made our way home without incident yesterday, despite needing to navigate our way through three construction projects. We found the land at home even drier than it was when we left, Asher in good spirits, and the horses looking healthy and content.
We had a fabulous time over the weekend with Cyndie’s brother, Steve, and her mom. Steve was able to take Marie home, which allowed us to drive directly to our place. As much as we appreciate settling into our usual environs and routines, we were already feeling a little sorry last night about the absence of the extra atmosphere of fun that permeated the last four days.
Maybe Marie was noticing the same thing, as she phoned just after we finished dinner to report she wasn’t feeling 100%. Out of an abundance of caution, Cyndie opted to grab her favorite pillows and head to Bloomington to offer support and extend the pleasure of being together for one more day.
Asher and I will be running things at home this morning.
It’s tough to see everything so dry around here, but it does reduce the amount of mowing that I need to do.
Somehow, the plum trees have found enough moisture to produce a fair amount of good-looking fruit. More power to ‘em. I suspect we will be collecting fruit soon for Cyndie to can or use in some baked goodies. We’ll need to collect them before thirsty birds or critters go after the fruit simply for hydration.
I’m counting down the days until we receive the next measurable precipitation. May it arrive sooner than anyone is expecting.
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Lunch Cruise
Saturday at the lake was so incredibly pleasant that we opted for a pontoon ride across the hardly-round Round Lake to visit The Dock Bar and Grill. It’s a place folks up here have been talking about a lot this year, but none of us had been yet. Great burgers and pizza, they said. Marie had a burger, but Cyndie chose the broasted chicken, Steve went for brats, and I ordered the fish sandwich. We’ll have to go back another time to judge the pizza.
As Steve navigated away from our boat lift, the water was calm.
Out on the open water, conditions were a lot choppier.
Cyndie wanted to take a picture of Steve and me with the massive mounted moose head in the background.
“Let me get one without your silly expression,” she said.
I removed my glasses and told Steve to sit up straight and suck in his gut!
Somehow, this made his bicep muscle incredibly well-developed. Look at the guns on this guy!
Is there any question why I have so much fun hanging out with this family? Laughter is the foundation of pretty much every situation occurring at any given time.
It can make it difficult for me to focus on writing a blog post from beginning to end. That, and the fact that some scrumptious breakfast is usually being served and I’m called to the table.
Right now, I need to go have Cyndie’s French toast, bacon, and fruit to fuel myself for our next adventure.
Maybe the next activity will be something worth writing about. Our Sunday is wide open.
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Classic Wildwood
We are up at the lake again. Imagine that. Cyndie rode up with our friend, Melissa, last Tuesday for a quiet two-day respite in the magnificent surroundings of northern Wisconsin. On Thursday, I drove to the Cities to pick up Cyndie’s mom, Marie, and brought her up for the weekend.
Adding to the classic Wildwood Lodge Club vibe, Cyndie’s brother, Steve, showed up for the weekend as well, on his way back from Chicago, where he had been visiting his kids.
The clouds of hummingbirds have been consuming quarts of sugar water at an unbelievable rate.
Another classic Wildwood flying creature visited us in the sunroom in broad daylight while Steve and I were talking. Out of nowhere, a bat was suddenly flying circles around the room. I jumped up and closed the double doors to the house, and Steve moved to open the sliding door to the deck.
The silly flying mouse didn’t figure it out on its own, so Cyndie showed up with a broom and helped shoo it out the door. Just like the good old days.
While I was working on the website for my high school class reunion next summer, I could hear the speedboat, driven by Steve, pulling tubers and skiers for repeated laps. That’s a Wildwood tradition if there ever was one.
Topping off the day in the most precious of Wildwood style, while the four of us were sitting on the deck, Cyndie and Marie in the middle of a game of CrossCrib, members of the Whitlocks next door (plus one guest) came up to join us. Soon, our group expanded to include one of the Wrights, and an impromptu cocktail party was born. That eventually led to a full-on dinner party.
How does that work?
Well, one of the secrets is that Cyndie had prepared dinner for the four of us by cooking all of the chicken on hand. There were more than enough mini potatoes, and we broke corn cobs in half. An already prepared elote corn salad was contributed by the Whitlocks, and we had a perfect summer feast on the deck over the lake.
Stories flowed from both deep in the past and the retelling of the events of the day. This amazing Wildwood community celebrated its 60th anniversary in July. Yesterday was a great demonstration of how vibrant and rewarding it still is.
It’s a priceless version of what the term “going to the lake” means to people in our part of the world. There are differing versions, but anyone who has experienced Wildwood Lodge Club tends to agree that what we’ve got here stands out as worth any effort to maintain.
It truly is a classic.
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Happiness Is
Happiness is: getting multiple piles of compost tossed, watered down, and reshaped for further processing and able to be ignored for days.
Happiness is: getting the tall green grass mowed while minimizing driving over the brittle, roasted portions everywhere else.
Happiness is: finding a new use for a teapot that the house sitter accidentally let boil dry, leaving it damaged beyond repair. (!)
Happiness is: seeing our dog meandering near me as I mowed while Cyndie is on dog watch and witnessing him suddenly sprint off in her direction when he heard the beeping tone on his e-collar indicating Cyndie was calling for him. Good dog!
Happiness is: sending an interesting article to Julian via text and receiving an even more interesting article from him in response.
Happiness is: hearing Elysa checking in with Cyndie over the phone and knowing she will be getting herself up to the lake place over the weekend.
Happiness is: group texting where one message reaches everyone successfully, regardless of where they may be.
Happiness is: having an air-conditioned home for relief after laboring for hours in high heat.
Happiness is: the sound of laughter from Cyndie on a phone call with her brothers.
Happiness is: being able to accept an overnight invitation to visit friends out of town.
Happiness is: receiving a positive rsvp to an invitation sent to old friends for them to come for a visit to Wintervale.
Happiness is: hearing a rare cut I don’t recognize from one of my long-time favorite singer-songwriters.
Happiness is: succeeding in manipulating pre-formatted website software into something that aligns with our sensibilities.
Happiness is: something that can be cultivated with intentional effort if a person puts their mind to it.
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