9-10 to 10-11

My parents were due to arrive on September 10th so we had our work cut out for us getting the cottage in order.








We thought it was important to at least have the bathroom door in place for guests (something that had been conspicuously missing for a week or two).








By the time they arrived we had achieved a semblance of organization.








So here is a overview of our handiwork for the summer.









Photos courtesy of Mom.









The weather decided to cooperate with us and we managed to get in a boat ride.









On Saturday we had all the neighbors over for happy hour and my parents got a taste of the wild side of Jack Lake society. My father added his own unique element to the evening when he decided to teach the group a game he learned at a ski lodge 50 or so years ago called Indianapolis 500. He started by making elaborate race car revving sounds then with a swift motion of his upper body to the right and a loud “BRRRUUUMMM!” He looked expectantly at the person next to him. She looked at him, slightly confused, and said “BRUM?” My mother quickly picked up the pace “BRRRUUMMM!”

This is a game my family has subjected visitors to since I was a kid. There is no real point, other than to laugh, and maybe to get the group to make the sound of a race track in a relay type manner. Having at least one person in the group that can make a good cornering squeal is a plus. I can tell you that this round was most successful in the laughter department, but I can only imagine what we must have sounded like echoing across the lake!

After my parents left Dave kept busy helping out some friends with projects. Occasionally I am called in to assist on an emergency basis.








We have a robust collection of Readers Digest books from Dave’s Grandmother (circa 1950-1970) so I have been catching up on some of the classics of those days. The weather turned cool in the middle of the month and now fires in the woodstove (our primary source of heat) are a constant. Mornings often begin with an ethereal cover of fog.


At the end of the month we celebrated my birthday with Vikki and Bruce. Vikki’s discovery of SeaChange Smoked Salmon was a big hit.

Skip and Dorothy, the couple that owns the island across from us, came up in the beginning of October. Canadian Thanksgiving (celebrates the harvest, not what happened at Plymouth Rock) is in early October, and for the last couple of years Vikki and Bruce have begun a tradition of having a Thanksgiving dinner with them. We were invited to join them this year.

The gathering was to begin at 5:00, but around 4:00 the worst nightmare of any Thanksgiving host occurred. The power went out. Vikki and Bruce handled the dilemma with ease - grills were gathered, candles lit, and we had a delicious meal and a wonderful evening.



The next weekend (the actual Canadian Thanksgiving) was the last one our little community will likely spend all together until the spring. Six of us went for a final tour of the lake to check out the fall colors. Then Doug and Julie invited the neighborhood over for Thanksgiving dinner. Now that’s certainly one way to endear yourself to a community!