LAKE HOUSE FAMILY REUNION, PART TWO

It’s a common belief that one human year is the equivalent of seven for your dog.

Sometimes I think it’s the same for family vacations; one day of a family reunion is like a week back at home.

You see, we’re now two-thirds through our vacation in Land O ‘Lakes, and the last three days were the final days as an extended group.

Before returns to California and Massachucetts, there was a lot of fun to be had.

Let’s start with ice cream — lots of it.

Celebratory birthday cakes. We were celebrating a total of three July birthdays, so we needed to make enough for a crowd.

The first one was a butter pecan with caramel sauce and the second featured Moose Tracks ice cream with hot fudge and both with the Cool Whip and mandatory M and M toppings.

Fancy? No. Delicious? Alarmingly so.

God bless homemade ice cream cakes — and a lack of lactose-intolerant beneficiaries.

The biggest commercial draw in tiny Land O’Lakes is the local Dari-Maid — a place that has been around for decades and draws people from all over the North Woods area. Seeing that it is just a 5 minute drive from the cabin, I think we got there every day, either after lunch or dinner.

Yes, daily.

Sometimes a dipped cone, other times a milkshake, and others always seemed to go for a Turtle Sundae but most of us usually got a flurry — a thick concoction (think Blizzard from DQ) with your choice of add-ins.

Having eaten five of them this week, I think I can say with confidence that the one with both Butterfingers and Snickers blended in (with a dash of malt) is the very best.

Every time we go my folks recognize someone — a neighbor, an old friend from a couple lakes over, or maybe even someone they know from grade school outside Chicago. The cabin  we are in has been in the family for almost a hundred years, so there is a lot of history and connections in this little town.

What better way to catch up than with a flurry.

And no, the last couple days with my sister and brother and families wasn’t just about ice cream.

Games continued unabated.

I taught my youngest nephew Christian how to play black jack, to me one of life’s greatest skills — right up there with learning how to drive and how to make the perfect roast chicken.

And happily our visit coincided with the Annual Garage Sale in town.

Almost all of us jumped in the car and started to go off in search of treasures– and visiting some pretty cute places along the way.

Over the next few hours we probably hit one or two group sales and five or six private sales, the best ones occurring at some of the beautiful houses along the various lakes. We all seemed to find something that appealed– 45 records for my nephew, old electronics for my son (I can’t dream why he wants it but he never wants anything so I couldn’t resist), an antique railroad tie for someone else, and an adorable bottle carrier for my sister.

I have four similar ones at home so I couldn’t resist getting her one, too.

I ended up with a couple things I loved. I bought at this house a large enamel pot with a lid — perfect for bringing a big pot of chili or stew to a friends house — or transport ears of steamed corn for a picnic (yes, I am not above taking buttered cobs somewhere al fresco to enjoy).

While I was at it, I picked up a couple other things as well. I am grateful I found a jar picker upper; it seems like every time I make individual pot de cremes I try to use a hot pad and I either smoosh them trying to retrieve them from the hot water or burn myself.

I love it when I can solve some of the little annoyances in my life.

I also bought this sterling silver charm bracelot at a gorgeous home on a lake about ten minute away from me. I found it so poignant: five little charms, presumably each commemorating another child’s birthday, some engraved on both sides, some on just the one.

(I will send along pics of all of this when I can.)

And finally, there was lots and lots of time on the water.

We had so little time left, and we wanted to make the most of it.

Some of the time it was so tranquil on the lake that you could see straight through to the bottom of the shallower parts.

In one area there is a collapsed raft, and it’s rumored that one year an adult drowned right near here.

It was  a bit mysterious with a dollop of spooky. Of course the kids were mesmerized by it.

We all took turns kayaking around the lake, and we were rewarded with eagle, hawk, loon and duck sightings, and one of the kids swore he saw a snapping turtle at the water’s edge.

Sometimes a storm would pass through, and we’d all go squealing off to the boat house to find shelter before we’d get drenched.

Last time we were here lightning hit a tree not six feet from the sleeping porch where all the kids slept, and to this day we still talk about it — and look to the sky and wonder if lightning does indeed strike twice at the same spot.

Just take a look at those raindrops — the biggest ones I have seen in my entire life.

It had been bright and sunny not thirty minutes before, then this.

And then before we knew it, it was time to go.

I learned right then and there that there are different ways to say goodbye.

Girls go right in.

Saying goodbye is the pits, especially when the very nearness of someone fills you with so much joy.

And when it is just boys saying goodbye, sometimes it is just easier to roughhouse and go caveman when it comes to a difficult parting.

So thank you Kennedys and Meyers — you are already much missed. We will never forget our treasured time together.

We miss you terribly but are doing much of the same things with Tootsie and Bubbles — just on a far smaller scale. We are also doing what we can do to keep Dari Maid afloat.

Here’s to the next family reunion!