Winding Down

Friday

Dinner at Wendy's gave us a fast food fix and allowed us to hurry back to the beach for the sunset and Joe's famous Friday s'mores.

Beach Life

Friday

Lest readers (all three of you!) think beach life consists mainly of waiting for ice cream, here are photos of other activities from the afternoon.

Final Project

Friday

The last activity of the day consisted of digging holes in the sand. Not just any holes. Deep holes that might produce water. Deep holes that might hide a kid. Deep holes that might trap an unwary beach stroller. Oops on that last might. Better fill in the holes or cover them with chairs until continuing the work tomorrow.

Ahoy, Ice Cream!

Friday

While on the beach this afternoon, we see a bulky craft approaching our area. It resembles a houseboat on pontoons, but not just any houseboat. The banners clearly confirm its mission - - ice cream truck/boat!

As it pulls up to the dock, groups scurry to produce funds and become customers. Cones, dishes, floats, our bunch orders their favorites.

Talking with the two entrepreneurs, we learn that this is their first season of business. No one on the dock recalls a similar venture, and we encourage them to keep us on their schedule.

As we walk down the beach quickly consuming the cool treats, the boat motors on, looking for prospects at the next location or lake craft.

Brrrrr!

Friday

With the early morning temperature hovering at 41 degrees, the girls' mom proclaims that a shopping trip to buy school clothes is the perfect activity. Both girls happily stay in dressing rooms to try on clothes until mom determines the selections are adequate. Granddaughters look absolutely adorable in every outfit, When a pair of jeans fits perfectly, she logically buys one in each of the five colors available. Such a maneuver certainly speeds up the process.

Both girls glow with success as we load shopping bags stuffed with the purchases. School can't come fast enough, so they will surely wear an item or two during our time here at the lake.

New school clothes. Another sign of summer's waning. Companions to the smells of new boxes of crayons. If students even use those anymore in these days of iPads.

Sent from my iPhone

Around the Town

Parks and open areas in Nisswa tout its history and charm. Babe and Bunyan dominate the downtown.

Shopping sisters search for the perfect gift for mom's approaching birthday but delay making a purchase.

Needing fuel for more shopping, we stop at the A & W, a longtime favorite, but only Pawpaw has root beer. Kid lunch still includes a ticket for a cone of soft ice cream, perfect way to end this meal.

With parents returning this evening, we decide on a cool weather dinner of roast with potatoes, carrots, and gravy plus a side dish of squash. The local grocery store provides all the necessities, and soon the oven releases a meaty aroma of our feast.

Parents arrive just when appetites are at a peak and we doubt we can wait much longer. After eating to hearty satisfaction, we top the deliciousness with blueberry peach pie bought at the farmers market, ice cream optional. All is complete and good at the lake cabin.

Nisswa Train

Climbing on the wooden train offers more possibilities than the old train cars nearby. Photos of the real train may appear in a post another day, but I hope the trapped chickadee is long gone from the caboose.

Garden Girls

In the garden area planted with traditional flowers, loving sisters stroll for a sweet interlude, embodiments of innocence and trust.

Pioneers

For some reason girls think they are making hilarious funny faces worthy of video and bows. They dash around trees on the outer areas of museum grounds, and we are pleased to see the energy expended. One house is locked but they are not easily discouraged.

We invent a new game for girls to run and touch ten trees as fast as possible. They take off their jackets after the first ten. We remain immobile and come up with more stunts to keep them in motion.

At the stagecoach they assume poses they believe imitate characters of the Wild West. Maybe they do, since we are not quite of that time period ourselves. Their stances and expressions radiate a toughness i imagine essential to surviving as a pioneer women, but I'm guessing they are mimicking myths of pioneer men.

Texas Dancin'

At the outdoor stage, girls first begin to practice the Texas two-step Garner Park style, then decide they would not be dancing with a sister there.

Pioneer Village

Surrounding the museum is a village of buildings and features representative of early Nisswa. Barns illustrate farm life and the ubiquitous logging camp. Houses of German, Swedish, and Norwegian settlers enchant all of us. Older granddaughter admonishes a female mannequin to do better than the male mannequin propped up beside her.

Nisswa Museum and Village

Retuning to the museum and grounds is akin to returning home. Girls become tour guides and relish every familiarity and note every change. The old schoolhouse is always a favorite, and they imagine stepping across the barriers and entering the world of long ago. This summer the rope to the old school bell has disappeared, but we recall its sound and purpose.