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Today started with almost everything going wrong. Boat battery was dead, weed whacker busted, lost internet, fridge shut off, lost all electricity at the house. So we ran into town and got almost everything fixed which provided ample opportunity for a tour of Park Rapids, MN. I've never seen a gas station/bar. But the weed whacker will be another day's battle. Sorry Loren... I guess "universal head" applies to every other weed whacker in the universe, I guess I picked a dud.
The day was full of water sports with the Andersons. I went water skiing today for the first time and totally got up! Naturally I advanced to slalom skiing which was basically me getting dragged behind the boat underwater... so naturally I advanced to hypothermia. Thanks for the tea, thermal socks, and crocs. Again I can feel my feet:) We then took out the mini catamaran for an afternoon sail. It was a cruise of fun questions, trying and succeeding at steering the sailboat with my first mate Maren, and MaryAnn falling asleep... I just thought she was a good listener. Dinner was fantastic, and full of bbq chicken we attempted doubles skiing and were quite successful. Anderson ski school is still at 100% success rate!
Thank you Andersons for a wonderful wonderful wonderful time in the Midwest. It was fantastic spending time with your family and I am glad we all got to know each other better.
This morning I woke up to a beautiful Bad Medicine Lake, the "Best Lake to Swim in Minnesota" by Minnesota Monthly. I've only seen clearer water in Hawaii. Here's more about it from the article. The article would not be complete without Don's quote at the the end.
Bad Medicine Lake lacks nutrients. That may be bad for certain types of critters, but it’s good for you, since it means the lake, southwest of Itasca State Park, is extraordinarily clear; instead of phosphorous-and-nitrogen-rich runoff, it’s fed by cool, clean ground water. Indeed, its transparency is more than 30 feet deep in spots—greater than one-third its maximum depth. And while Bad Medicine is famous as a rainbow trout fishery, the lake is also a great spot for swimmers and scuba divers, says Don Tschudi, who has owned the Bad Medicine Lake Resort & Campgrounds for nearly 50 years. “You don’t have to worry about that swimmer’s itch,” he says.
Today we celebrated another 50th wedding anniversary with some other friends down the lake, MaryAnn and Loren's own wedding anniversary, and on top of that Father's day. Maren and myself then stole away and did a 15 mile or so bike ride at Itasca State Park, home of the Mississippi River headwaters. With my elementary school Oregon Trail tendencies, I had to ford the great Mississippi. I only lost one wagon wheel, 200 pounds of buffalo meat, and little Timmy died of dysentery. However the crossing was a great success and my backpack remained dry.
