Saturday, June 21, 2014

Settled in at Ham Lake MN

Our departure from Goose Island was not as smooth as we usually enjoy.  Normally we have everything packed up the night before and it takes very little time to unhook and go.  However, since it rained the night before (yet again) all the stuff Left Brain so diligently arranged on the picnic table was wet, so it had to wait until the morning to be stowed away.

Things were not as "ship shape" as we would have liked.

But thankfully the morning was dry and we were able to proceed with extracting boards and leveling pads from the ground where they had sunk in.  After a messy period of time everything was on board and we went to dump the tanks and hit the highway.

This time of year in the Midwest brings two things, mosquitoes and construction, both of which are equally annoying.  It was not a relaxing drive northward to our new home and I was glad Left Brain was doing all of it while I knitted away.

When we pulled into our campsite we had a bit of a panic when we saw a large white barrier.  Oh no!  Did we have to park somewhere else for a period of time and then move again....I hate it when that happens.  But we panicked too quickly and our expressions of concern turned into smiles when we read the greetings from our family.


We were quickly greeted by our neighbors, Jim and Kathy, who "live next door" during this part of our sojourn.  They were quick to greet us and then disappear, since as full-timers themselves they know how eager we are to get everything set up and put away before we can relax.


Kathy did come back over briefly with lemonades for us to sip on while working on the set up.  

Are these great neighbors or what!  

Not only did she provide beverages but they had insisted on preparing our supper that night.

After the set up was done both inside and out, we showered and then sat outside to enjoy the cool breeze while they were busy getting our meal ready. It felt so good to be welcomed and pampered upon our arrival.


A new configuration for the kitties to explore and enjoy

Soon we got the supper call and wandered over to a scrumptious meal of chicken, pork chops, potatoes, a vegetable dish, bread and watermelon slices.  Even better than this gastronomical treat was the sharing of stories and laughter as we began to catch up with each other.

After a couple hours of visiting we both felt the fatigue of the day catching up with us, and so with both our hearts and our bellies full we returned to See-More for some cat cuddling and relaxing.

It's so good to be back in our Minnesota Home.

Long Live the Queen of Ham Lake

4 comments:

  1. How wonderful to have such a warm welcome!

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  2. What a great welcome!!! This looks like a nice spot, and your neighbors sound super! My goodness, the kitty cat tent city has certainly grown. They must really have a lot of fun in it with so much room to run around. Enjoy your new "home" and have a wonderful day. Hugs, Edna B.

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  3. Are Jim and Kathy friends that you met on the road? You do lead a wonderful, eventfull and heartwarming life. As do your cats ... good grief. Soon you are going to have to rent two spaces to accomodate the kitty park. Do they really run through the whole thing? I picture George sleeping as close to the door as possible and never moving. Gracie, on the other hand, probably makes good use of it.

    Heading north sounds like good planning to me ... cooler, right? At least cooler than it would be if you headed back this way. MN. is such a beautiful state and if you love nature it is all there to behold. My neighbor told me if I stick a Downy softener sheet in my pocket (so it hangs out a little) the mosquitos won't bother me. So far it has worked except the one time when I went out in the yard with sandels on and they all attacked my ankles. Apparently the magic doesn't reach the ground. Maybe if you put a few out on your picnic table you could accomplish the same thing ... just a thought.

    I went to a Raptor Program and the people had roasted a whole pig ... the menu was much like yours: pork, potatoes, corn on the cob and various salads. The pork was actually juicy (I find most pork to be dry now days ... not sure why). Anyway your lovely little welcoming meal sounded so good to me. Lucky you. I asked and you didn't answer ... what happened to the dolls? I never saw another post on the finished product. Is it me ... or didn't you post them. I would love to see them so either send me back through your posts or post them so we can all see your wonderful handywork ... please :) All for now, Queen of Kittyland ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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