Peg and Roland

Our friends, Peg and Roland, have been with us for the last few days. On their way here, they stopped in Lansing to do some trout fishing and caught five nice Rainbows, which they prepared for dinner for us the evening they arrived. One of the best guest-prepared meals ever! They stuffed them with capers, onions, lemon juice, and other secret ingredients and then broiled them. Really good! To top it off, Roland was celebrating his birthday that day, so Kathie had prepared a birthday peach pie for him. She presented it with a candle, and we sang the usual song, for which, I suppose, we now owe some royalties to someone.

On Saturday, we decided to drive to Duluth for a portion of the day. Roland had not been around Lake Superior previously. I had also just learned of a highly recommended Wisconsin state park called Pattison State Park, about which you can learn more by clicking here. Since it was more-or-less on the way to Duluth, we decided to stop there first. What a treat it was! The falls, of which there are two, were spectacular. The geological history was fascinating, and the story about the involvement of the Civilian Conservation Corps in preserving the park was also very interesting. Nearly 100 years ago, the park and falls would have been lost to a hydroelectric plan on the Black River were it not for the efforts of Martin Pattison who quietly bought the land and donated it to the state for preservation and the memory of his spouse.

At the south end of the park is 31-foot tall Little Manitou Falls.

Big Manitou Falls is at the north end and cascades some 165 feet or so to the gorge below. This is the 4th highest water fall east of the Rocky Mountains.

All of us loved seeing these natural features, along with the sounds and the other scenery.

A couple of crazy "Sense girls" clowned around on a foot bridge which is near the "inter-falls lake" just above the bigger falls. ("Sense girls" as in members of the Sense and Centsability Investment Club, members of which will be convening here with us for the next few days.)

Yesterday, we did a good bit of fishing, although the results were pretty dismal. We did enjoy a shore lunch along the way.

Maybe the most interesting fish story of all time (for us at least) occurred during this outing. Roland reeled in a small walleye, which he discovered had two lines, minnows, and jigs in its mouth. The second one was Peg's! A tandem catch!

In the evening, we had dinner at Chippewa Inn with two other friends, Jan and Joe, who live nearby. Jan and Peg once worked closely with each other on a collaboration between ACT, where Peg worked, and NCS, where Jan then worked. The restaurant honored several occasions–Roland's birthday, Jan's birthday, and Kathie's and my upcoming wedding anniversary, which is about two weeks away.

Herrs at the Lake

Last weekend, Betsy's family was here at the lake with us. One of our first outings was to Copper Falls State Park, which was a new adventure for them. Kathie and I have been there several times to see the beautiful deep gorge and water falls. There is a nice picnicking facility and a playground, so after the one hour drive to get there, Clara and Henry tried out the swings. I guess Henry thought the baby swing would be more interesting--it didn't fit him very well!

After the picnic, we did the several mile hike around the gorge and falls.

There are some rest stops along the way and lots of overlooks for viewing. Frederick needed constant reminders about respecting the fences.

The geology and terrain in the park are quite different from the area where our cabin is located. It almost seems more like northern Minnesota with lots of rock, hills, and cascading water. Very beautiful.

Frederick was quite good about not having to be carried the whole way, but he did rest a bit at the end of the loop.

Loon Lake is partially contained within the park, and there is a beach area there. Being such a warm day, we had prepared for some swimming before heading back to the cabin.

On Betsy and Pete's wedding anniversary, we rented a pontoon boat for a good part of the day. We cruised around the western portion of the lake, which we don't visit as often, and there was lots of clowning, photography, and other fun.

Here is the happy couple after 12 years of marriage.

Sometimes reading overtakes sight seeing.

But there was fishing too, and I recall everyone who tried fishing caught something.

Mr. Loon honored us with a close encounter.

Then there was more wading and a picnic.

Somewhat like the earlier photo, I know, but here is the entire family on the day of the wedding anniversary. Kathie and I took care of the kids so that Betsy and Pete could go out for dinner. Alas, we didn't quite succeed in getting them down for the night before they got home.

Before heading home on Monday, Pete took Fritz for a ride in our little jon boat, and Henry played with the catapult that he, his dad, and I built several summers ago. Henry was working out the launching of rocks onto lily pads out in the lake.

Trains!

You might know that I have a thing for trains. They are such fascinating machines, and there is so much interesting history associated with railroads, their construction, and their impacts on our lives. My interest in model trains/electric trains allows me to play in a number of different ways, each of which corresponds to something I enjoy--building things, computers and computing (everything is now controllable with a handheld computer remote), electronics, and the trains themselves. Because I have space for it here at the lake, I've designed a large layout that will allow me to operate a number of trains concurrently and to create interesting scenes. Last fall, I constructed the basic table framework. In June, I was able to install a wiring system to allow flexible distribution of power to tracks, accessories, switches, and other features. I also installed the table tops and put a facia board around the edge to both protect the top and to improve the overall appearance. I'm still debating about whether or not to cover the lower portion of the tables or to leave them open.

The layout is in the overall shape of a U around one of our garages. I left plenty of space in the middle to allow storing our boat during winter months. The U shape allows my largest locomotives to travel in a long loop from one side of the garage along the back to the other side of the garage. There are multiple loops and sidings to provide for several trains to operate or to stand by on sidings. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the layout. On the left side I intend to create a mountain scene that is elevated above the main table so that I can have a castle scene and a Harry Potter theme. One of the trains I have is a model of the Hogwart's Express from the Potter movies and books. On the main level there will be a tunnel for other trains to pass under a portion of and then around the base of the mountain. Further up the table will be a rail yard with some sidings and railroad structures where I can operate switch engines to assemble or break apart groupings of train cars. In the corner will be a woodland scene with a small lake and maybe some canoeing and camping going on.

Along the back of the garage are four parallel tracks, some of which connect the loops on each side and others of which allow for train rerouting. One track might be used for a metropolitan commuter line or trolly to travel back and forth. Kathie and my sister have helped me think about all of this, and I may paint or in some other way fabricate a flat backdrop of store fronts and other images to contribute to the overall scenery and action.

On the right side, I want to create a small industrial scene of some kind in the corner. Extending forward from there I'll have a residential area and maybe a passenger stop, then a logging operation and forest in the foreground.

I've been able to do most everything so far based on knowledge I already have. Scenery building is where I'll be getting into new areas and will have to develop the skills needed to act on the ideas I stated above. As you can guess, this is lots of fun and involves some serious playing on my part.