Two weeks ago I wrote about my schedule putting the newspaper together.
Last week I was on vacation.
I left on Saturday for Hill City, Minnesota. My two best friends are Kyle and his wife, Anastasiia. Kyle’s parents own the Blue Moon Resort located on Hill Lake. Three or four times over the last handful of summers, Kyle, Anastasiia, and a group of our friends have made trips to this resort. This time, rather than a sort of “large-group” trip, it was we three close friends and other members of Kyle’s family.
During the four-hour car ride northward, I had two stops to make. First, I stopped to see Blain Nelson. Blain had called me on Friday and wanted to arrange for a memorial ad for Jody who passed away a year ago. I stopped to get that taken care of, and, after a nice visit with Blain, was off again.
My next stop was at the National Camera Exchange in Golden Valley: Every camera I have ever bought has come from this company. I was particularly pleased with a purchase I made last year; I got a great camera at a great price. However, at the time I could not afford the lens I really wanted because it was $2,400–more than the cost of the camera.
Fast forward one year: I thought I would stop by again and see if the price might have come down a bit. It had. Besides that, the store had a used piece of the type I wanted. Even used, this lens cost more than any other piece of photography equipment I have ever purchased, but it was worth it. I do love taking pictures.
After I had acquired my new camera a year ago, the Steele County Times sports editor asked me what camera he should purchase. I made no suggestion, but let him see and use my camera briefly during a basketball game. He made the same purchase I did, but splurged for the lens I finally purchased this time around.
And now, one of the sports reporters for APG Media, which includes the Owatonna People’s Press and the Waseca County News has also upgraded his camera and lens. Like me and the Steele County Times, he purchased a Sony and the 7200 lens. He, however, asked Johnnie, the Steele County sports editor, what he should get.
I guess you could call me a trend setter.
From there I finally continued on to Blue Moon.
I arrived before Anastasiia and Kyle, but that was okay. Dylan was sitting by the bonfire playing music on his guitar. Dylan is Kyle’s youngest brother and he sings beautifully and plays the guitar well. We also have the same taste in music, so I really enjoy listening to Dylan play. His final song for the night was one of my favorites, by Whiskey Myers, a country band. He didn’t know it was one of my favorites.
Sunday was spent enjoying one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had, prepared by Mamma Fett, Kyle’s mom. It was quiche (thick eggs and vegetables in a pie crust) alongside a graham cracker, pepper, and bacon dessert.
Dinner was one of the best soups I’ve ever had alongside pulled pork, which had been smoked for more than 12 hours. An evening pontoon ride was followed by some late night… adventures. Kyle, Dylan and I took the resort’s Ranger for a nighttime ride up some trails along a nearby mountain trail. It was a late, but exciting evening.
Dylan didn’t feel the best Monday after such a late night, so he stayed home. He missed out on some more of the best food of my life. Kyle smoked a brisket for 12 hours, which we enjoyed after everyone else had gone to bed, because, well, it was supposed to be done by dinner time. It wasn’t.
I worked most of Monday, so I was happy to enjoy the evening with some great conversation and company with Kyle and Anastasiia. The midnight brisket was also excellent.
Tuesday was spent enjoying the Twins game following a run to Grand Rapids Target. (Target, I’m told, is Anastasiia’s happy place.)
For the first time in my life, I have seen the Minnesota Twins win a playoff game.
Following the game, I sped over to Akeley, Minnesota to meet editor Deb, who I was to accompany to Baudette on Wednesday. Baudette is in the Northwest Angle, not far from Lake of the Woods.
More work to assure Tuesday’s paper would be printed. Then, after a 2.5-hour drive, I was standing next to Lake of the Woods. With Deb delivered to her teaching conference, I decided to spend the last two hours of daylight sightseeing at Zippel Bay State Park. It was beautiful, and, thanks to the time of year, empty. I had a giant piece of national history all to myself.
Taking advantage of the privilege, I walked more than a mile along the shore. Standing on a slight rise roughly 15 feet above the water, I decided to take a picture of a spectacular sunset over the lake. I reached forward with my cell phone and–in a moment of dismay I will remember for a long time–watched my iPhone slip from my fingers and fall downward out of sight. Racing down to retrieve it, I could see it had miraculously landed on a rocky ledge rather than in the water–and face up besides, so the face was undamaged.
Now the challenge was to navigate the rocks and water to reclaim it. I tried to stay dry, I really did. After all, it was after sunset and I was more than a mile away from my vehicle. But wet rocks may as well be coated in oil, and so my feet slipped out from under me and in I went. Who knows, if there had been a current, I could have been swept all the way to Canada. Turns out, a person should pay attention to signs that say, “Caution, unsafe footing.”
After falling in, I had no trouble gliding over to the tiny ledge, one foot above the water, which my phone somehow, miraculously landed on, undamaged.
Aside from my pride, and ego, and a bruised leg, I successfully survived Lake of the Woods.
It was breathtaking. The view, not the bruise on my leg.
On Thursday, Deb demanded I bring her, in the rain, back to Zippel Bay to see the Lake for herself. Of course.
I’ll spare the part of the story where we ended up with my truck halfway down a road intended for horses. Ask Deb about it. She did move a tree out of the way.
From Zippel Bay, we left for Akeley before our return to Southern Minnesota planned for Friday. (I had to be back for football after all, to test out my camera.)
On the way back, I saw a sign for Itasca State Park. After some quick math, I turned right and headed that way.
We arrived, and by the Grace of God, the rain stopped and the sun came out the moment my truck entered the park.
I can now say I’ve seen the headwaters of the Mississippi.
And I did so without dropping my phone or almost drowning.
After Itasca, Deb and I stopped for dinner at Pizza Ranch in Park Rapids.
This Pizza Ranch wasn’t much of a Pizza Ranch, but it did have a bowling alley.
I discovered the bowling alley because one must pass it on the way to the bathroom.
A mother and her young son were the only ones bowling in this half-lit, marginally functional bowling alley/Pizza Ranch.
As I spoke with the owner of the establishment, he told me his wife had died, and none of the family was interested in helping him run the place. It was just him and one employee holding things together. He let Deb and me bowl a game for $10.
After some swearing, the employee got the electronic scoring machine to turn on.
Then the competition began. I jumped ahead to an early lead, but the outlook remained uncertain down to the final throw.
After nearly bowling a strike, I was robbed of a spare, coming away with 9 points in my final frame. This put me ahead of Deb by 8.
After a gutter ball by Deb on her first toss, I was feeling pretty good.
Until her next toss stayed true. Nine pins fell–along with my hopes, dreams and ego.
At least I didn’t break my phone, fall in a lake, or God forbid, almost crash my truck.
Debating what quote to end my column with this week, I think I’ll use one of my own.
“Good writing should read smoothly and flow freely.”
Here’s to more adventures.