Loons in the woods

...And we're back!

Hoot Owl was beautiful as always, and the Sherman family had a good time relaxing on the lake.

I got out on the lake every day, whether it was on a canoe, paddleboat, or Dad's motorized fishing boat. Dave and I got super close to loons a couple of times, with photo opportunities abounding.

And Dave caught a fish!

We didn't eat him, though. Actually, I think they threw back every fish they caught, which is good for sensitive types like me, who feel bad for the poor fishies.

We also visited Itasca State Park, where you can find the headwaters of the Mississippi River (little more than a small stream at that point). There we bought a CD of loon noises that I know we will enjoy listening to at home.

(For those of you who don't know what a loon actually is, they're basically ducks that have crazy markings and emit truly bizarre noises.)

The best part of going to our little resort is that we've been going there for two decades, so we really do seem to know it inside and out. The owner, Bill, is still as jolly as ever, and his dog, Tyler, is old, but still spunky. (He's a 10-year-old Landseer Newfoundland, and really likes to be petted.)

Unfortunately, we received a bit of bad news this year. Bill and his wife, Shirley, are retiring and selling the resort, and it's likely that the new owners will use it for different commercial purposes and we probably won't be able to visit again.

Obviously, we were upset & disappointed, and even though it was a lot of fun this week, every day felt like our last. We went through all our old cabins to take pictures and relive old memories, and to show Dave where I have been vacationing all these years.

Ultimately, though, I was able to say goodbye to my resort, and I figure if Bill can retire from it after 20 years of living there 24/7, I can retire from it after visiting occasionally over 21 years. Ironically, Dave is also saying goodbye to his childhood vacation spot this year, as his grandma is selling her Hilton Head condo timeshare. I was glad I at least got to visit Hoot Owl one last time.

So, it was a truly great & relaxing vacation - I have tons more pictures, but Blogger will only let me upload five per post, so view more here. I will probably add more thoughts about the vacation & upload more pictures throughout this week, since I have so many keepers.

Word of the day:

Transmogrify: To change into a different shape or to transform, often with bizarre or humorous effect