Back into the swing

It has been a week since we returned from R&R.  Here is a picture of Terry standing near our Washburn camp site on Lake Superior.  You can tell the time of day as that is the moon in the sky!!
We have been  kind of on the go since we returned.  We motored onto Niles Ave last Wednesday at 5:50 PM.  Within the hour we had unpacked, put some of the things away and were sitting down to dinner.  By 6:55 I was off to Men's group for the evening.  Time has kind of gone that way since.  Before I go into some detail some highlights from R&R. 

• Tenting for 13 nights was fun.  I have to admit that it was not as easy on my body as in the past.  I know it had been 4 years since the last time but really!!  I would have thought Terry was a pro as she did so well BUT don't really know if sleeping an inch off the ground on a thermo rest pad is in the cards for the future.
• Door County fish boils were great.  A fun sight (the second picture), a tasty fish meal and a wonderful evening.  We took in two of them and enjoyed too much and ate way too much.  Of course in Door county you always MUST finish off with a fresh cherry pie.
• It was so much fun to run into Terry's legislative aide, from the 90's, on Madeline Island where she and her husband were vacationing.  They had not seen each other for 15 years.  Then to make it even more fun she has her own law firm now and had just hired Katie, Jerry and Susan's daughter.  What a small small world. 
• We spent the last full day of vacation with Leo and Ruby in Madison.  Any time we can be with any of those grand children it is special.  Leo wanted so much to go to Zu Zu's which is a cafe near the Madison Zoo.  We did and it was great.
• We had a wonderful time camping in the American Legion National Forest in north central WI.  If anyone is looking for a great place to camp that is it.  I think it is 20+ miles square at least with many campgrounds and 900+ camp sites. 
• On our way from Door County to Madison we stopped in Milwaukee to tour the Harley museum.  They have so many cycles and the history part was great.  I was hoping they would have my 65 Harley Sprint but no luck.  Well they had a different year which was the same except mine was black (the best) and the one they had was red.
• Our favorite camp site was the west camp grounds in Washburn WI.  That is 12 miles south of Bayfield.  The sites were large and all grass.  We ended up spending more nights there than planned just because of the site.  We were 100 yards from the lake and at night the moon (full) and the stars would fill the sky as if to say heaven is not far away.
• Lastly in Door County we stayed at Peninsula State Park which is the busiest park in WI.  We gathered much wood and had a fire often.  When camping fires are the spark that makes life worth living.
• On the negative side Terry came home with a case of poison ivy and we may need to see a doctor. 

So much for R&R.  We have now had 7 days at home again.  We have accomplished some but of course not enough.  Some highlights are:

• We have gotten some painting done on the window sills outside.  I need/want to get the old hardware off of the 14 windows that were replaced and then get the sills painted.  It will get done this week.
• On the way down to the basement there had been a small hole in the wall (about the size of the fist of a small boy!).  The walls had never been painted either so now it looks nice and fresh with white paint.
• We also have gotten the hall and first floor bathroom primed and ready to paint.
• We had a business meeting yesterday that was long over due.
• One morning we went on a long walk and then as we neared home stopped at the Winds.  It was delightful to sit and chat for an hour or so.
• We sent for new passports and they came in 2+ weeks.  Mine was about to expire as it was purchased the spring that Cynthia was in Rome.
• I had to get a tune up on the lawn mower.  When I brought it in the lady looked at it and said she did not know if they would fix it as it is so old.  I said "old, no way I think I purchased it in about 1994 or so!"  Anyway they fixed it in short order for a tall sum and the lawn got mowed that evening. 
• Terry is in the process of making another batch of pickles from the garden.
• We had Jeri/Larry over for dinner Sunday evening.  It is always fun to have them as they are so supportive and uplifting.
• Travis went to church with us Sunday and then stayed for lunch.  We have another lunch date with him this Friday.
• We have made no movement on our vehicles.  Still too many but no decisions or actions.

Enough of that.  Some sad news last night.  Sister Joan called and said that a cousin, Richard,(Dick) Sampson died Monday.  He lived in St. Paul Park.  He was the eldest son of mother's brother Arnold.  When we were growing up we always spent much more time with dad's side of the family.  Because of that and also my mother was the youngest of many children so that cousins on that side were older.  Richard was 82 and really I did not know him except to say hi at a few family gatherings.  But Terry and I plan to go to the memorial service tomorrow.  Kind of in mother's place and also it may be fun to see relatives I do not know well or at all.  My siblings are much better at doing things like this but I will give it the old college try and see if I can be social.  It does bring back memories of those childhood days as we drove to Glenwood MN for the Sampson Sunday annual gathering.  I really think dad was not very fair with the Sampsons but then why look back on things from so long ago.  I do know that Olaf Sampson was one of my favorite uncles.  It is kind of fun to think back on Phil, Olaf, James, Richard, Ansel, Arnold and there must have been more too.  I guess as I sit and write this morning I may go back to Grandpa Sampson who would always offer us a bite of his "chew" when we came to visit.  He would always laugh when he did that.  Then he would sit in his spartan like living room in the old wooden rocking chair which sat in the corner with a brass spitune(sp) near by.  Oh I think there was a paper or rug under it in case he missed!!!!!!  As we would leave we walked past the black leather strap used to sharpen his razor.  It always hung on the edge of the sink.  I am not sure but it seemed to me that Grandpa and his son Jim lived in this house that was almost void of most homey things except it seemed clean, neat and kind of nice.
Here it is 6:35 and totally dark yet.  Come on fall!