Hosting, being hosted and a Blue Moon

Last week was a busy one for Bruce and I, his second cousin, Margaret McCoy and family from Ohio were here visiting her husband's family at the Lakes and we were invited to join them for a pontoon ride, a Nutty Bar, and supper. Two years ago they came to the farm and we served them up some burgers, they wanted to return the hospitality. We found their home with little trouble and were greeted with hugs and smiles all around. It was a gloomy, cloudy, threatening rain day but everyone except the two babies and their grandpa, Barry, who stayed behind to wrangle them, piled in the pontoon and headed across the lake to Arnold's Park for the promised Nutty Bar.

Bruce and Margaret braved the splashes from the front of the boat, I, chicken that I am, retreated to the rear.

Barry's Uncle Leon is piloting the craft with Kira, a delightful young lady, the daughter of his nephew who helps him take care of the large property.

The other three are Megan to Kira's left, Michael, Margaret's children and Michael's wife, Sara, mother of the two babies back at the house.

When we docked, Megan set out to find the dangerous board in the dock that nearly did them in the day before and is rejoicing that someone fixed it and we were all safe.

After consuming Nutty Bars and shopping for souvenir t-shirts for the entire family, we stumbled upon oversized musical instruments in the green space and everyone had to try them out. Michael and Kira are playing the, well, what ever they are.

Bruce and Margaret attempt to play chopsticks and don't do too bad a job.

We felt some sprinkles so hurried aboard the pontoon for the trip home, Bruce was the smart one who brought his jacket, mine was in the car but "NOOOOOOO, I didn't need it!" Despite the showers that kept catching up to us, Michael and Megan got on the tube and rode it back to the house, getting dumped twice. 

Oh, it's so nice to be young!

At the house the babies were up, Katie is a doll, at 5 months old, she has everyone wrapped around her little finger.

Gabriel, who was 10 months old the last time we saw him, is an extremely independent 3 yr old, but his grandpa Barry, knew just how to handle him when he got up from his nap a little cranky and was soon roughhousing with his daddy.

We had a great time, we gorged ourselves on tacos and sweetcorn and watched the sun come out over the lake. It would have been nice to stay and watch the sun go down over the lake but we had a long drive home. Lots of hugs all around with promises we will see them in a couple of years again, hopefully at the farm next time and we set out for home.

Jean and John were coming on Thursday and, as usual, I left the house cleaning to the last minute so I was busy the next couple of days and Zoe didn't understand why I couldn't come and spend all day in the gazebo with her! She would sit in the back window of the house and meow at me until I went to open the door, then she ran to the gazebo and waited for me to come.

She was disappointed.

We were surprised when Carol came down from Minn and stayed with Janet and Foof. There are two things that can be counted on when the whole gang is together, there will be golfing and there will be eating and this time was no exception. Friday they golfed at Quimby and Sat at Paullina and a good time was had by all.

Friday we had BLT's (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches for you who don't know) and sweetcorn for dinner after the golfing. It was so delicious, we did it again after golfing on Saturday. The perfect summertime meal.

Saturday night we went to Germantown for the Hideout's famous broasted chicken and fries, there is something very decadent about your food arriving on trays, heaped high and hot. We all dived in like a pack of hungry wolves and easily consumed 3 1/2 chickens.

John came back from the men's room chuckling about a sign that is handwritten on the wall above the stool, "Stand closer, please, it's shorter than you think."

Friday night was a Blue Moon, the second full moon in a single month, the last one was in 2012 and the next one will be 30 months away. I took my honking big lens out by the bean field and snapped a few pictures and this one was featured on Channel 4 news on Saturday night!

I'm a legend in my own mind!

All good things must come to an end, we all have lives to get back to so early Sunday morning Jean and John packed up and headed home to WI. It's always lonely when company is gone so I got busy stripping beds and loading a pile of towels in the washer. They were all drying on the line before church and after church were either back on the bed or folded and in the bathroom closet. I brought the mason jar of flowers downstairs and closed off the guest bedroom to the cats, wiping away any vestige of occupation, it was as though they weren't even here.

All that was left was the memories.

Well, that and a very happy Zoe.