Early Summer 2010

I have been pretty busy and have not posted anything for quite a while. Summer is about half over. It seems like the boating season got a late start because of the high water from the frequent spring rains. We didn't get the pier in until the first of June. We really like hanging out on the lake in the Summer. We have been able to get in a few good ski runs. The ski old boat seems to be holding in there. It is not the most reliable piece of equipment anymore. I had to replace the water pump and had to have the shore station fixed this spring. The starter needs work, sort of like it's owner the boat is wearing out.

For a change we had plenty of help and the water was not "freezing" so we got the whole thing in in one afternoon.

Noel Howett and his family came over to help

Clarice and Jon had their boat in early and came over to give boat rides.

Karen has been doing most of the photography lately. She started out focusing on sunset pictures and has really gotten a lot of great photos.

Last year we had the channel behind our house dredged so it is possible to get boats up the channel once again.

Karen's flowers are really looking nice this spring and summer.

We have been spending a lot time on our deck this year. Karen has captured several nice evening shots off the deck.

Even after the pier was in it took most of us several weeks to get boats in the water. Our neighbor put theirs in at the boat ramp in made it all the way to their shore station before realising that they had not put the drain plug in. Luckily the shore station could lift it up so it could drain.

Summer storms seemed to be the norm for most of June. We had lots of rain and quite a bit of wind.

All the rain clouds do provide some interesting sunsets.

My Cousin Connie and her husband Jim came through for a visit the 23rd of June. They were on their way to spend a few weeks with their son Joe and his family in Ohio. Their plans changed when she got word that her father had passed away. A week later they stopped at our house again, this time with Joe and family.

They were there for the afternoon and evening so Joe and his kids were able to get out and swim and tube a bit.

We went on an evening boat ride after dinner and got up close to a great blue heron

On Saturday July 3rd, Noel and Nathan Howett Blake, Skyler and I went out for an early ski run. later in the day Noel and his family came over to spend the afternoon on the lake. It was a pleasant time and we all got too much sun.

On Sunday July 4th, since Karen's brothers and sister were at her mothers, we all went over for lunch and a visit. We took a few pictures and then Karen , Skyler, Trae and I headed over to the IPFW campus for setting up and working the annual Fort Wayne fireworks. The boys have gone with me every year for the past four years and have quite a reputation on campus as hard workers. They enjoy the event and are very good help.

This year we took bikes and did a survey of campus on bikes

On Monday July 5th we were invited by Jim and Pam Kintigh to go a bike ride on a trail that heads north east from Goshen.

Clarice came along a well so we all headed out on the trail.

At about eight miles out someone got the bright idea that we should continue on to Middlebury to the Das Duchman Essenhaus and get some pie.

By the time we got back to the cars we had ridden 22 miles.

After loading up the bikes we headed back to our place and had lunch on the deck. Then we decided to go out onto the lake for the rest of the afternoon. We tied up with Blake and Apryl for a while and got to spend some time with them as well.

Carice gave jet ski rides for the wild and adventurous among us.

Jim and Pam had to head off to another event so we headed in for dinner. Clarice and Jon, Karen's mother and brother joined us and then we went back out for another tour around the lake right a sunset.

All in all it has been a very busy season so far.