A DAY WITH LITTLE RAIN!

GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE! AND WE ARE OFF AND WALKING. YES JAKE TOO. BUT WE DID HEAR ABOUT IT. "WHY CAN'T WE PARK CLOSER?"

WE HIT OSWALD'S BEAR CAMP, WHERE ALL THE GOOD BEARS GO FOR FUN. ONLY SAW ONE MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN TWO BEARS. WELL THE BIGGER ONE WON OUT, AND GOT TO CONTROL THE FENCE LINE WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE FED THEM. AND AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW, NICK HAD THEM EATING OUT OF HIS HAND, AND I THINK JAKE GOT A KISS, OR MAYBE IT WAS JUST A SNIFF! ANYWAY WE MADE IT OUT WITH ALL OUR BODY PARTS STILL ATTACHED AND WORKING.

THEN WE HEADED UP TO THE BIG LAKE AND HAD A PICNIC LUNCH ON THE BEACH AND WE WERE JOINED BY A FEW HUNDRED FLYS, THE BITING KIND. AFTER ENJOYING THEIR COMPANY FOR OUR LUNCH BREAK (AND I DO THINK THAT FIGURE IS A LOWBALL), WE LET THEM FOLLOW US ALONG THE SHORE AS WE SKIPPED ROCKS AND POCKETED SOME OF THOSE NEAT LOOKING ONES. THERE WERE A COUPLE BIG ONES THAT HAD TO BE PUT IN A BAG. WE LOADED UP AND HEADED TO GRAND MARAIS, WITH 30-40 OF OUR NEW FRIENDS(THE FLYS) IN THE CAR. OH YES, JAKES WET PANTS WERE HUNG OUT THE PASSAGERS WINDOW TO TRY TO GET THEM TO DRY, MY BACK SEAT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!

NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE ALL MADE IT BACK AND WE DID LEAVE MOST OF OUR NEW FRIENDS, TO LOOK FOR OTHER MEALS. WE THINK JAKE SMASHED THE LAST ONE ON THE WINDOW OF THE CAR AS A WARNING FOR ANY OTHERS THAT WOULD THINK ABOUT ENTERING. OH YES, WE DID GET SOME RAIN ALONG THE WAY. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, "INTO EVERYONE'S LIFE, A LITTLE RAIN MUST FALL." SO KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE THE WATER AND ENJOY THE COOL BREEZE. :+)

TIME WITH GRAMPS STARTS

LOOK OUT U.P. ! GRAMPS IS LOOSE WITH HIS TWO GRANDSONS. MET SARAH IN BIG MAC CITY THURSDAY TO PICK UP THE BOYS AND A HALF HOUR INTO THE TRIP THEY SAW THEIR FIRST FOX RUNNING ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD JUST NORTH OF TROUT LAKE. WE GOT UP HERE, DISPITE THE FOG, IN RECORD TIME. DIDN'T HIT A DEER OR ANYTHING.

WE SURVIVED FRIDAY, WITH NO BROKEN BONES OR EYES PUT OUT, AND NOW ARE RESTING UP FOR SATURDAY'S BIG REUNION. OH YES, WE HAD THE BIGEST FIREWORKS DISPLAY THAT GRAMPS HAS EVER PUT ON. GETTING INTO THE BIGGER STUFF. HHEEEEEHEEEEEE OR SHOULD I SAY WEEEEE WEEEEEEE! KEEP YOUR FUSES DRY AND THE SHOW WILL GO ON.

A WALK IN THE FIELD

TOOK A WALK TODAY TO SEE WHAT WAS BLOOMING. AND FOUND A COUPLE MOSSES THAT HAD NEAT FLOWERS ON THEM. AND ALSO FOUND ONE OF MY ANNUAL DELIGHTS. OH YES I WAS ON MY WAY TO GET AN ICE CREAM CONE. OF COURSE IT WAS BETWEEN RAIN SHOWERS.

WELL FINAL PLANS ARE LINED UP FOR A EXCITING WEEK, BOTH NICK AND JAKE ARE COMING UP TO SPEND SOME TIME DOING HARD LABOR!! I JUST HOPE THEY ARE IN SHAPE TO HANLDE KEEPING UP WITH GRAMPS. IF NOT, THEY MAY BE BUG FOOD, YOU KNOW THOSE BLOOD SUCKERS THAT FLY AROUND LICKING THEIR CHOPS. THEY LIKE CITY KIDS!

WELL ENJOY THE PICS AND HOPE I HAVE TIME TO UPDATE THIS NEXT WEEK.

WHAT A WEEK!

WHAT A WEEK. ON THE ROAD AGAIN FOR MORE BIRTHDAYS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A CANDLE AT! FIRST IT WAS GABE'S PARTY, THAN CAKE WITH STEVE AND LAST AN EARLY WISHES FOR RONDA.

WE ALSO WENT TO THE HARRY POTTER NEW MOVIE AND I CAME OUT WITH A BIG BUCKET OF POPCORN AND ONE LARGE DRINK CRAMMED INTO MY BELLY. SORRY NO PICTURE OF THAT. OH YES, THE MOVIE WAS GOOD ALSO AND HARRY IS STILL ALIVE.

HAD A SPLASH OF A TIME AT THE MOTEL POOL AND ROOM SERVICE WAS CATERED BY A GOOD LOOKING GUY, NAMED BILL. HE HAS GOOD TASTE FOR A TREE HUGGER!

WE WERE TO EARLY FOR SWEET CORN AT JENNY AND STEVE'S. BUT THE GIRLS WILL NOW BE CATCHING THEIR DREAMS!

STOPPED IN MT. PLEASANT AND GOT 4 DOOR PRIZES, 2 FOR THE BEDROOMS, ONE FOR COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET, AND A BI-FOLD WITH LITTLE VENTS.

NOW THAT WAS ONE GREAT TRIP, BUT IT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH SEEING A BUNCH OF BABY ELK. WHAT MORE COULD ONE ASK FOR. WELL MAYBE A BBQ WITH JACK AND RICA, BUT THERE WASN'T TIME. MAYBE NEXT TRIP ALL.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD, BECAUSE NICK AND JAKE WILL BE COMING DOWN THE ROAD SOON AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN THAN!! MAYBE WE NEED A BIRDS EYE VIEW! TAKE CARE ALL.

HALF WAY MARK

HOLLY UNDERWEAR BATMAN! SUMMER IS HALF OVER AND IF THE SECOND HALF IS AS GOOD AS THE FIRST HALF, IT WILL BE ONE GREAT SUMMER.

AFTER THE BARS CLOSED THE OTHER NIGHT, I WAS ON MY WAY BACK TO MY DEN, AND JUST NORTH OF GERMFASK, A SUPER BRIGHT SHOOTING STAR SHOT ACROSS THE SKY, HEADING FOR THE BIG LAKE. IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I HAVE SEEN ONE SO BIG AND THE TAIL SO LONG. IT MUST OF SCARED A BIG BUCK, BECAUSE IT RAN ACROSS THE ROAD JUST AHEAD OF ME, AS MY EYES RETURNED TO THE ROAD. OH WELL, MAYBE SOME STEAKS NEXT TIME!

HAD A BUNCH OF COOK OUTS AT HILLBILLY HEAVEN THIS WEEK. FISH (PERCH AND THOSE LITTLE THINGS), CHICKEN AND ALL THE SIDE DISHES WITH GRAM'S CARROLLS APPLE PIE, SORRY DIDN'T GET A PIC.

SENT STEVE A BIRTHDAY CARD WITH BUTTERCUP TALKING ABOUT THE BENIFITS OF RUNNING. AND SINCE HE IS SO HIGH ON MY LIST, I PLAN ON SHARING SOME CAKE WITH HIM SOON.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, KEEP YOUR ROLLER IN THE PAINT!

ONE WORM, BUNCHES OF FISH, NAP TIME

TUESDAY WAS AN AMAZING DAY, WENT TO HILLBILLY HEAVEN TO RELAX AND DO SOME FISHING AND FORGOT THE WORMS. NOW I COULD OF RAN OUT AND BOUGHT SOME BUT I DECIDED TO DIG SOME IN THE WOODS. I GOT 1 (ONE) NIGHT CRAWLER, BUT IT WAS A MAGIC ONE. WE CAUGHT 37 PERCH WITH THAT SUPER CRAWLER. I THINK I CAUGHT THE MOST AND CADENCE CAME IN A CLOSE SECOND.

NOW WHILE WE WERE WORKING HARD PULLING IN THE FISH, NANA AND LANA WERE RELAXING TO THE MAX.

WENT BACK LATER, JUST BEFORE DARK AND ONLY CAUGHT ONE KEEPER SMALLMOUTH BASS.

REMEMBER, IT'S NOT THE SIZE OF THE WORM, IT'S HOW YOU USE IT!!

FLOWERS, FIREWORKS,PARADES AND MORE

WELL MY FLOWERS ARE NOT IN THE NUMBERS AS I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST, BUT I SPENT ALOT LESS TIME THIS YEAR WITH ALL THE OTHER EVENTS GOING ON.

THE ONE THING THAT IS GOOD TO SEE, IS THE TRAFFIC THAT STARTED TO SHOW UP ON JULY 2, A THURSDAY, AND IT DIDN'T STOP SINCE THAN. IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING SOME TRAVELING AND VISITING THIS SUMMER. AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WATCHING THE FIREWORKS AT THE BEAR DEN, WAS ONE HAPPY GROUP.

NOW TO TOP THINGS OFF, OUR FLOAT, IN THE PARADE, TOOK FIRST PLACE IN THE NEWBERRY PARADE. THAT WAS WORTH 100 BIG ONES!!

THE MEETING AT HILLBILLY HEAVEN WENT EXTREMLY WELL, WITH EVERYONE LEAVING WITH GOOD FEELINGS, EXCEPT ONE MEMBER. BUT LIKE THEY SAY "YOU CAN'T PLEASE ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME."

WELL KEEP YOUR HEAD ON YOUR SHOLDERS AND CRAP WON'T HAPPEN!