MInnesota Vacation Day 12

Zachary planned an early morning fishing trip this morning.  We were awakened at 5:45 by Zachary tapping Tim on the head through the window to the porch telling him it was time to get up!  I felt like I needed to get the dogs outside or they were going to bother me all morning, so I got up, too.  It was a mistake to take them out without a leash.  Josey wandered next door, and I fell trying to get through the brush to catch up with her.  I was in my pajamas at the time sprawled bottoms up in a pile of pine needles in the neighbors front yard.  Luckily, they aren't there right now.  By about 6:15, Tim and the boys were launched, and the dogs and I were back inside trying to sleep.  They came back with no fish around 8:30.

Eventually, I did fall back to sleep and did not wake up until Mom got a call that the new swim platform was on it's way to be delivered and she decided I had better get up.  She and I have both been wanting a replacement for the old swim platform for years now.  Finally, she just decided we should do it.  The guys told her that 2 men could carry it, but that was total baloney.  It took 4 of them (the 3 guys that delivered it, plus Tim), and they had to go down Dave and Lisa's driveway to get it to the lake.  I have no idea how we'll get it back out at the end of the summer.  They took our old fishing boat as a trade-in.  It was kind of sad to see it go.  I remember many, many fishing trips pushing that boat off the slip and jumping into the point as it floated out. 

Once they delivery guys left, the 4 Cases put on our swimsuits and pulled the dock out to somewhat deep water.  Since the kids aren't into diving, we just took it out to about 6 feet of water.  The boys played on it for at least a couple of hours, until we said they had to come in for lunch.  After lunch, everyone was pretty exhausted after getting up so early and then playing so hard. 

I convinced Tim to take me to the Ely Farmer's Market and to see the Boundary Waters Boys, a band that plays pretty much every Tuesday evening right outside the coffee shop all summer long.  A street is blocked off, and people bring their own chairs and just have a relaxing evening listening to music.  We first went to the farmer's market where I inexplicably bought a cucumber, even though we have 4 from my garden in the refrigerator already!  We then had dinner at Rock Wood (a fairly new restaurant in the old Hardee's building), ran a quick errand for gas and batteries for the depth finder, and stayed for one set of music.  My favorite song of the evening was their rendition of How Great Thou Art.

When we got back home, everyone was wiped out from the long day!