Friday Air Excitement

The morning we shopped with purpose and focus, the afternoon we relaxed and played on the beach, the evening we ate grilled pork chops and zucchini.
As we settled back on the beach for sunset, a motor noise came from the back of the property, increasingly closer and louder, until it was directly above the trees behind us. We watched the pontoon plane land on the lake in front of us, turn toward our direction, and ease between docks on our left to an empty space on the beach. A couple of men were waiting to turn the plane, pull it partly on the sand, and secure it. By this time the sky was almost dark, as in the first photo, so I took the second photo the next morning.
Last year we grandparents had the girls at the pool near the main resort beach when another plane landed. After the pilot moored it, he invited children nearby to climb aboard one at a time for families to take pictures while he stood on one of the pontoons. (I have mine on home computer and might remember to post later,) Girls were thrilled to imagine steering the plane that day. I'm surprised that we don't see more of these planes on a lake this size. Just one more toy added to the collection.

Pontooning to Lunch

Thursday our farthest destination was Ernie's for lunch. The crowded docks proved the popularity of our plan. Some boats towed kids on tube, others had canopies up for shade, and all released hungry passengers. This time I ordered a Caesar salad with walleye strips on top. Yum! Appropriately stuffed, we focused on the ride back to our condo cabin and the need for napping. The night's menu included BLT's, more of that ice cream birthday cake, and another sunset.

Pontoon Thursday

By this morning the lake had calmed and was almost smooth, great day for being on a pontoon boat. We girls put our hair up in buns and sprayed on sunscreen as important preparation. As we putted around, we saw bald eagles perched in trees and others flying overhead. My iPhone did its best but couldn't overcome the distance factor.
We stopped for fishing, caught several, and released them. Exciting success!

August 24 Birthday

Someone is celebrating a birthday today on her vacation. We wanted her to have a special day, and it has been busy fun from favorite breakfast to shopping to swimming at the resort's indoor pool to being towed on a giant double banana float through the lake's frothy waves whipped up by high winds. The biggest surprise might have been the ice cream cake made by her daughters with only a little supervision. Delicious! Happy day with family! Happy night out tonight with friends!

May I?

A couple of years ago we grandparents introduced the time-tested old game of May I. Rules are easy and clear, and everyone stays focused in case a fellow player forgets to ask "May I?" before obeying the request.
Yesterday the players came up with an aqua version accompanied by essential splashing. The photo shows younger granddaughter, friend, friend, and older granddaughter poised close to the finish line but cooperating patiently with my photography.
I have always liked the idea of requiring children to ask politely for permission before they can make even the slightest move. And if they don't, consequences. Then there's the real world.

Jet Ski

After the movie yesterday, we headed for the beach for water fun. Parents had sent rules to us and to friends with jet ski, and all adhered to guidelines. Older granddaughter craved the speed, bumps, and adrenalin, just as in previous years, but younger one not so much. The sunset photo has younger one twirling, sending up fountains of spray, a lake sprite bathed in the fading golden shimmer.

Spies

Today's forecast promised a high of 90, hottest for the week. Many of the lake people planned maximum exposure time to the sun's rays in hope of warming and tanning their pale Minnesota skin. I detected a whiff of urgent desperation last weekend when several claimed they detected a whiff of September and fall in the early mornings. To thwart any chance of sunburn, we contrived a schedule of inside activities after breakfast, early lunch, rest time, and movie theater from 2:15 to 4:00 with Spy Kids. Mission accomplished! By the time we hit the beach at 4:30, we didn't even need sunscreen.
The movie? Nice emphasis on families sticking together, supportive siblings, kid values. The young people in the the theater would probably give it a thumbs up. Free popcorn refills. Plot? Acting? Special effects? Hey, we didn't need sunscreen.

Cooling Off

After PBL yesterday we wasted little time getting to the water for cool, wet activities with friends. Temp was in mid eighties and sun blazed hot. We took a break for dinner and then ended the day with fireworks on the beach. With parents in the Twin Cities, grandparents advance the agenda of fun.

We're Ba-a-ack!

When we asked granddaughters what they wanted to do yesterday, they quickly answered Paul Bunyan Land. After a week to recuperate from the last excursion there, we agreed. More fun times for all of us!

Diner

Breakfast at the 371 Diner came with a jukebox and a poodle-skirted waitress. Most of the crowd this morning was headed for the Brainerd International Raceway hosting funny cars, dragsters, and pro stock. I'm not exactly sure what those categories mean, but I don't think any of them include Suburbans.