September Activities....

         You probably think we're winding down the resort season...and we are...but, we've had alot going on this month!  The weather has varied from 84 degrees to 30 and snow, then back to warm temps this weekend!  Here's a photo montage of our month...

Our very favorite Aunt Erma came to visit from Arizona for 10 days!  We were so excited and glad to have her here!  We hope you come back again! 

This storm in mid-September was rain, then sleet, then ice, then snow!

Thank goodness it didn't last very long, but it slowed the fishermen down for the day!

Steve and I had an opportunity to pick corn from Anna's garden(thanks, Anna!) and we had our own "birdseye" assembly line going to freeze some for the winter...

We started with beautiful full ears of corn...

We blanched the corn....

Cooled the corn in iced water...

Used this slick idea of putting the corn cob into a bundt pan hole...cut off the corn...

And freeze it!  We finished with 45 bags of corn in the freezer to share with our family!  What a fun project!

For yet another year, John, Ron, Monte, John & Del stayed in cabin #12 and wreaked havoc in camp for a week!  Not really...they travel from CA, NM, FL & NE and meet each year to fish...and yes...have some ice cream before they head home!

Dick & Judy come each spring and fall...and always catch fish!  I snapped a picture of these beautiful bass before Dick released them back into the lake!

Steve and I got out on the lake this week...he went to his usual spot in the reeds & lilly pads to cast for those elusive bass...and I snapped pictures of this beautiful sunset! 

We even got a project done this week!  Papa created this teeny toddler bed for my sewing room....now the short people who come to visit can sleep in their own special bed close to Papa & Nana's room!

The resort season will come to a halt soon...our last guests leave on September 30th.  We had a wonderful summer and thank all our guests for coming and vacationing with us!  We love sharing vacations with all the families!  We will close down the cabins and start on our list of projects for the fall....some new bathrooms, new windows, new kitchens, new carpeting...the list goes on!  In between these projects, we hope to get some rest, take a vacation, visit grandchildren...and even greet a new baby in December!

Stay tuned for continuing updates on the happenings at Cedar Rapids Lodge all winter long!

Lightning Strike on Labor Day!!

         At 4a.m. on Labor Day....this tree got hit...

You can barely see the stripe that traveled down the tree from the top...

Here's a close-up view...there was bark thrown all over the yard...Mem in cabin #8B said it looked like a fireball had hit the tree!

The poor tree sits on the creek's edge in the yard...away from any buildings...and the bark is stripped off the tree in a spiral from the top peak of the tree around and around to the base of the tree.  We'll see if it can survive such an event...stay tuned next spring for a report of new buds...or not!

This week, Calvin got to fish with 2 of his favorite people...

Great Grandpa Addler, Calvin and Gene Kruger(practically a Grandpa to him)

He got some big crappies...but he loves to fish so much he wouldn't care if he caught anything!

And then this guy tried to get in the lodge...

He was on the window in the game room...it's been a banner year for tree frogs at the resort!  We find them in cabins, on windows and hanging out at the pool...guess there was a huge increase in the birth rate this year!

Happy Fall everyone!!  We've enjoyed 80+ temps so far, but this week we will start to feel like fall...and the trees have barely started turning...a little late for us northern Minnesotans!  Our fall sunsets are the best!!  Come see for yourself!

August Vacations...continued...

         We ended the month of August with some great weather and lots of fun families to share it with!  30 kids in one week was a true test of our "end of summer" patience...and we survived!  Great kids and guests we hadn't seen for years...and hope to see again next year!  This is a collage of all the activities enjoyed in August....

Cooper sharing his marshmallow roasting skills with his Mommy!

Sammy & Jake making their s'mores!

Calvin posing with the "famous" Tony...a true celebrity in Calvin's eyes!

Exciting kickball game with the kids vs. the big kids...very serious action!

The ever-popular golf cart rides around the resort.

Ben caught this giant bass on his little "Cars" fishing pole!  It was under the dock!!  Wow!

Left-handed Lucien using Papa's right handed golf clubs!

Nathan's first time tubing...he loved it!

Haiders, Lesemans & Weyandts kayaking and paddleboarding on the lake...

Jilly posing for Nana's camera!!

Monica took Daddy's "1980's" Care Bear home!  I guess that's why I saved it all those years.

We had a wonderful summer with our family and with our guests!  There's more pictures...just search for our resort, Cedar Rapids Lodge, on facebook.  Thank you to our guests for sharing their vacation photos with us!