happy birthday, kirby

 What a great day--pure fun.

Happy Birthday, You.

Love, Mom

the end of the weekend, 2017

 Some kind of ball game was played.  Or maybe it was a race.

I was cleaning the shower house before Jay shut it down for the season, but I could hear them.

 Joe brought his machine--hauled that huge machine all the way from Minneapolis to the lake and back,  and pulled that old nasty stump out and flattened and smoothed the whole area.  Alicia's parents ran for straw and grass seed, so even that was accomplished--all in one day.

 There you go.  One project done, bam. Don't have to deal with it next year.

 I called them together for a picture, and they cooperated right away.  It was so successful, we summoned the little baby girl, so all could be included.

 There we go, the hollering, fighting, crazy band of cousins:

 These clouds on the ride home--I told Kari to do her best to take pictures while I was driving.

 Jay took these pictures for me this morning after we dropped the car off at the repair shop.  I specifically bought this shrubbery for the fall color, and I might have to get a few more.

Okay, time for bed.  Tomorrow is Kirsten's birthday, and Maria and Julia went to Florida on Friday, and they've been having a blast, won't be back until the end of the week.

I talked to them on the phone tonight and it sounds like a lovely week, lots of laughing and fun.

Sisters.

Okay, good night.

Love, Val

one card poker

 This is the old card game Dannell's grandparents used to play with her when she was little.  It's simple and fun.  Any age can play.

These guys had never played before, but wow, they caught on fast. They were fierce competitors.

 Now that they all know how it'll be fun to play it again, even at home this winter.

Yesterday I cleaned the art cabinet.  It had developed a situation where the doors didn't fit in the frames, and that was weird.  It's a steel cabinet we got from our friend Holly years ago.  I looked at it multiple times this summer, and nothing seemed bent or damaged, but darn those doors.

Finally yesterday I emptied it of all art supplies and pulled the middle section out, and that's when it became clear that the cabinet was crooked. The right hand side was about three inches from the wall and the left side was against it.  I bumped the right hand side back to the wall too and the whole twist disappeared. Doors aligned.

We sorted the art supplies and threw away dry makers and used up coloring books and put it all back again, nice and neat for next summer.

And that's the end of that.

Onward.

Love, Val

a walk to the dam

 It was cool and overcast, but so pretty.

 There's the new dam, went in two years ago.  Our portion of the bill was $500.

Sigh.

So once in a while we walk down here and admire our purchase.

Love, Val

pumpkin patch, 2017

 It's only a short distance from the cabin, like five minutes away, and it's a great pumpkin patch.

 This swimming pool of corn is something else.  They complain corn is in their socks and underwear, but it's still fun.

 The big slide:

 Running back up the hill again tired them out after about ten times.

 John's kids:

 This rope was the lasso for roping plastic animals.  Nobody was very good at it, but this child decided to take the rope with her. 

We put it back, don't worry.

 Back at home.

Love, Val