3rd of July. It's almost here, my favorite holiday

The 4th of July. Independence Day. Love it. Usually hot, which I love to sweat, the heat never bothered me, nope. But then, I like girls in summer clothes, sorry can't help it, I went to a Catholic boys school, didn't have any sisters, and on top of that...I'm a Scorpio. But back to the 4th. So full of memories, after my brothers and I moved out of the nest in Robbinsdale, we all made a point to come home for the 4th. Little by little more children came, sometimes wives, sometimes girlfriends, sometimes new girlfriends...sometimes new wives. We'd play lawn games, lots of catching up..."who's she"? The highlight was "Tops" cookin' up the burgers on the grill. He'd mix in egg and milk and some onions for everyone except brother John. He'd make them all the same size and completely round. He'd do that by flattening them out, and then pushing a bowl over the patty so they'd be the same size and round. That's what ya get when ya have a soldier for a Dad, and if I do say a bit of a perfectionist. But he was charming as a campfire. He'd play the harmonica and recite poetry by memory. Some very whimsical. Oh and Mom? She made the best doggone potato salad you ever tasted. Yummy. Chips, pickles, tomatoes, B & M baked beans, fruit salad, and corn on the cob. Now that's livin' in my book.

After dinner, near dusk there'd be 8-12 of us heading down the hill to Lakeview Terrace Park near Crystal Lake, a place that used to be woods when we were kids, and we'd have tree houses, smoke our first cigarettes, and went through other rites of passage. Ah, but now it was a park, and this is where Robbinsdale would shoot off the fireworks. The price of progress. We'd wander around waiting for the fireworks to begin, we'd see several of our old friends from the neighborhood, who would also come home for the 4th. Yeah, those days are gone, but the brothers and I still try keep it going, and if we can't get relatives here, well we find some good friends to share the celebration with. Yup, it's different...but it's also the same. Summertime in Minnesota, ya can't beat it in my view.
As part of the work we had done this Spring with the windows, included a sidewalk finally to the garage. And where the dog kennel used to be, Barbara had a potting bench made. Yup, she created a couple new gardens. Here our friend Rachelle who is such a flower freak, offered to go shopping for plants with Barb, they came back and the two of them got so into it, they planted gillions of plants in the ground and in cool pots. Here they are shown finishing up, taking a break and seem to be quite proud of their work...some of which can be seen in the photo. Got to admit, it's nice to have a woman's touch. I sure as heck wouldn't spend much time on it...although, guess who dug the gardens, but c'mon, who can say no to these two? Just the smile would get me digging.
Potting Team: Barbara and Rachelle do a fist bump? Is that like a high five? Nice job girls.
Still the third, but a trip over to Lizette and Gregory's on Big Turtle Lake, about twenty minutes north west of us. Here Barbara and Lizette enjoy some kind of beverage in some Irish Waterford Crystal.
Father and Son. Alex and I drink soft drinks out of not so fancy glasses. Somebody's got to do that. Alex is nearly always mildly amused if he isn't receiving a lecture about some darn thing.
Wouldn't ya know. A good omen for Barbara. She found this eagle (tail) feather in the yard. We see Migizhi (Bald Eagle) often flying over our property, sometimes even sitting in the trees near the river, watching closely with eagle eye for the next meal. A good harbinger for sure.

Summer Solstice

One of the nice things about Minnesota is that you know when the seasons change, unlike Hawaii where I spent a year courtesy of the US Army, where it never got above 88 or below 65. Oh sure, I'll bet you think that's great weather, but really how do you tell July from November, especially if spending time on Maui Wowie? We don't have that problem here. Well, for about the past year and a half we've been celebrating the change of seasons. Here we prep for the Summer Solstice.
Gregory and Lizette's daughter Gabriella Rose de Lima came to visit mid-June, and in honor of it "Gregory "Ah forgot my wallet again" Meuers, actually breaks down and rents a pontoon for the occasion. Little girls can talk their Daddy's into anything. Yup, that's right and the Meuers Boys know it better than most.

The lone boy child of the family among 12 girls wants to be a chef. And he's pretty good at it, here he is preparing crab dip "to kill for" along with a few other things for our Solstice party. Alex got his dream job, he's the day cook at Lueken's Deli here in Bemidji. He loves it, how many people can say they love their job? Well Alex does, and to know Alex, that's quit the deal cause he usually likes only sports and music. As Maynard G. Crebs said once "weeeerk"!
Ms. California Lizette Boyer finds a redeeming quality in Northern Minnesota known as a hammock. Looks pretty comfy to me. It is...and it's big enough for two. Try it some time. The sun and the open air. Can't beat it, stimulating, healing, yup it's wonderful
Panorama of the party area. Lizette still over on the right, tubs of ice filled with soft drinks and water on the left. The fire pit is straight out with the Father of Waters beyond. BYOB and lawn chair.
Johnny Jim and "Gregrio Gregrio Wacha Gonna Dewio" patiently await the crab dip to get a jump on the many guests.
A horrible picture, too crowded and a lot of backs, but I like backs...you? (When Barrister John does a deposition, he always adds a "bareback rider". Let's see now, left to right Derrick "the Canook" Houle, Dustin "Dusty" Prim hubby of Barb's good buddy Tonya, Alexandru squeezed in, then Johnny Jim, Barbara hiding behind the flowers, and then Tonya "Crazy T" Prim. But where's Waldo?

Graduation Weekend, Last weekend of May

I kind of think of Summer beginning with Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day. This year I believe Memorial Day came as early as possible on the 24, and Labor Day came the latest on the 7th. Well, I love summer so I was gonna make the most of it. Nice thing about Memorial Day early, is that graduation wasn't that weekend, but the last weekend of May. We had a couple to go to as usual this year. Including one at our friends the Houle's, Rachelle and Derrick. Both are only children, so they decided to have four. Three boys and a girl. You'll see more of them later. Rachelle is a local Bemidji girl and Derrick is one of those Canadians from some unpronounceable Province and City. Big changes for the Houle's, their eldest Elliot graduated this year and is off to college. Empty nest coming. Where does the time go?

So this is the end of May now. Did a bunch of posts on this silly blog, not sure it means anything. Will I go on to June? Well, we'll just have to wait and see.Barbara and I were guests of honor. We got to sit in blue chairs with flowers all around. Daddy Derrick is in the white shirt at the table watching our backs.

Just the way I like it. Surrounded by women. That's Derrick's Mom, Sweet Lorraine behind and to the left, then Mama of the grad Rachelle, and Barbara Ann apparently amused by my serenity.Another Lorraine. Our long time friend Lorraine Cecil is visiting with Gregory. We've known Lorraine for twenty years at least, and who would have known that she lived all this time just two doors down from our new friends the Houle's, Hou(le) we've known only about a year, but have become great friends with. They probably cursed our car parked in front of their house many times as we searched for parking near the University to visit Lorraine over the past 20.

I met Rachelle, when another across the alley neighbor and close friend of the Houle's Ralph Zachman (and also friend of Barb and I, Barb served on the Council with him, and Ralph and I used to smoke cigarettes together) retired from the City Council, and Rachelle decided to run for the seat. (Maybe we should have come to a block party and we would have met Houle's a long time ago) I became her campaign manager hoping to make her the fifth woman to serve on the Council in 110 years. (Shameful) Must have lost my touch. She lost, but apparently isn't holding it against me.

The House that Mikie Built

Yup. I built this house with a lot of help from my friends and relatives. Moved it from Dark Lake at Gemmell, MN 21 years ago, the same year we got married. Got some big windows, seconds, from a coop that have been there all that time. Non-operable, so we never had much ventilation. With brother Gregory's move here, I noticed he had two operable windows in a space about as big as my one inoperable. Well, my folks didn't raise any dummies. I called up my friend and carpenter David Davenport and it wouldn't cost as much as I thought, and with Obama's stimulus money, gonna save about 20% replacing windows. Well hey, let's do it.The first pair of windows are in. Wow. At the right you can see what used to be.
David and son take out the old and prepare for the new. Good thing it was May and not too many bugs yet.
One window in, and workin' on the next. We replaced four windows on the first floor with eight window, and two windows in our upstairs bedroom with four more.
Ahhh, ventilation.
So Barb gets this bright idea to finish the ceiling in the screen porch. Well one thing led to another, pretty soon we've got slate on the floor, lower walls...and the best part...no more big screens, but operable windows. No more having to put up plastic over the screens in the winter. Jeesh I hated doing that the last few years. It was much more inexpensive than I would have ever guessed, but I never thought of just storm windows. And then of course, Barb has to get some new nice wicker furniture. Have to admit, I resisted all this. But I'm so glad she pushed the envelope. It's become our favorite room, and adds about two months use. Flash, all ya gotta do is close the windows and you can be outside in a thunderstorm and when it's a little chilly. Gotta love it.
The Glider. My favorite for sure. I gave her a name, but I'm not telling.
Don't ya just love those window shelves?
How she looks from the outside now. It looks better though, cause the windows have been painted a dark brown.
Yup. Now to think of next year. What do you think, add a lower deck in front of the porch with a hot tub? And maybe we'll finish the sauna, no pun intended. For sure we'll be clean. How many friends do we want to be able to fit in the hot tub. Big decisions this winter.

More Bikini (not) Beach Volleyball

At the beach at Big Turtle in the Lair of the Greg-a-Bear and his trusty California companion Lizette. Ahhh, the beginning of summertime, and the livin' is easy.
Well, hello there. Do you come here often. I really like your hat.
Jenna serves. This time a volley ball. Sometimes she serves pizzas.
Cynthia Ann levitates the ball.
"The Kid". Alexandru Bogdan Florentin Boyer Meuers serves. See why we call him "the kid"?
Score! High Five.
The son-in-law, Andrew Clayton Jabs...er Jabs. This guy cannot sit down, he must be up and doing something, here he rakes sand? An untapped resource for sure he could be one answer to our energy problems. We've never seen him sleep. Part alien? We don't know, he is from the land of no trees, Grand Forks, NoDak
Two old friends, well not that old. Friends for a long time, and now sisters-in-law. Such good friends, they chose the same middle name. Cynthia Ann and Barbara Ann. Brian Wilson wrote a song about Barbara back in her wild San Francisco daze.
Bemidji Brothers. Gregory Virgil and Michael Douglas ponder strategy for the next point. Michael is disappointed that he can't get a return phone call from Catherine Zeta Jones.
The Bear concentrates as he prepares to serve while channeling Bobby Zimmerman. Note the tongue, careful...don't bite down.

Memorial Day at the Greg-a-Bear's

So one of the nice things about having Gregory and Lizette living here, is we can go out to Turtle Lake and not have to spend all our time on the river. Variety is the spice of life right?Son-in-law Andrew being cool with shades and not so cool Yankees cap. boooo, hissss
Daughter Erin Marie, don't mess with me.
The Boys. I gots 12 nieces and one Nephew, and hear he is. Alex, and this guy is gonna carry on the Meuers name? Oh my, gonna need a little work. Actually, he's got the ole Meuers charm, he'll be fine.
Couple a nieces. Lauren and Jennifer. Girls in summer clothes.
Down to the lake for some beach volley ball. Even had cheerleaders.
How could I not be pleased. Let those guys get the workout, while I just sit here smug with a couple of smilin' bookends.
Can't remember who this is 'cause I can't see her eyes, but thought it a good photo. Nice rocks eh?

Well I'm back. Snow on the ground and reflecting on Summer. Summer starts on Memorial Day for me, and it came early on May 24th. Gonna do mostly photos 'cause a picture's worth a thousand words right? And gonna do a lot of posts over the next bit of time, pretty much by date or event. Stay tuned, there's water, and campfires, and sports, and swimming and boating, and even fireworks with relatives and good friends. Here goes....

Here be me cutting a piece of cedar paneling for the sauna. Memorial Day means Brother John decides to continue our decade work of refurbishing the sauna. Seeing as how that's the only time we do it, should be done by 2012.
Brother Gregory moved to Bemidji last October, so he be helping now with Brother John and I. Doesn't the sauna look warm, wait til we heat it. Oh my. Sweating. Oh yeah.
Time for a boat ride on Memorial Day, here Cindy must be bored with conversation with John and talking with their granddaughter
Barbara Ann against a clear blue on Lake Bemidji, the first of many trips the summer of '09. More coming...we'll get through the summer sometime in the next week or so.