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!

August Vacations...

         This month of vacations started out busy...and continues to be even busier each week!  The old resort owners are getting tired...I hope it doesn't show!   Our August guests have waited all year for their vacation and we want to make it the best week ever!  Here are some exciting things happening at Cedar Rapids Lodge this month!

We have our very own weather station!  We bought it from Andy...he delivered it when he came on vacation...and he helped Steve get it up and running!  Now we know all the weather stats for Medicine Lake!  Just ask!!

Curtis continued his tradition this year of having a hot fudge brownie sundae on his last night of vacation!  And then...we made 4 more sundaes for his brother and cousins...they just liked the looks of his!

Curtis' Dad, Brian, couldn't be here with his family this year...he's the Captain of the sub USS Ohio and they were out to sea.  So, Brian sent us a picture of his sub and a photo for his wife...so she wouldn't forget him on vacation!  We can't wait to see you next year, Brian!

We had a fun visit from Laurette' and her kids!  Her Mom was a bestest friend of mine when we lived in Illinois...and her & Jen grew up together, until we moved to Minnesota in 1987.  Her husband was in the cities for business, so she drove up to the north woods to see all of us. 

Steve and I had so much fun playing Papa & Nana to Ben, Katie, Sam & Hope!  We hope they come back again and bring Daddy with them!

So...Ellen...has been a fun guest here for all of our years at CRLodge!  Years ago, we had an old pair of stilts that she found and walked all over the resort on...they disappeared after many years, probably to the bonfire pit...so this year Steve made her a new pair and off she went like a pro!  It is just so funny to see this short person walking all over taller than all of us...I think she likes the world up there!  Anyway, thanks for the entertainment, Ellen!  We'll take good care of the stilts until next year!

So...of course, grandson Nathan and his sister, Jill, had to try them too!

And speaking of fun outside activities...this boy(Calvin) FINALLY learned to ride a bike!  Now he rides every chance he gets!

I realize that we don't have any fish pictures for August...lots of fish caught, but the big vacation ticket in August is the beautiful weather, water activities, boating, skiing, tubing, swimming and just enjoying Minnesota in the summer!  We still have fishermen....I just don't have pictures to document the big northern or the nice walleye...or the basket of panfish...I'll try and do a better job of taking those pictures!

I guess I am proud that I was able to do this...

I actually finished a quilt for Miss Josie....Jen delivered it to her today!  Quilting is my winter passion and it won't be long and I'll be sitting in my sewing room, watching the snowstorms and creating again!!

July Vacations Come to an End....

         It's August 1st.....where did July go?  Resort living is a busy one...the summer months seem to fly by!  We just finished 2 weeks with visits from all the grandkids and their parents.  A busy time, but so much fun!  Our grandkids range in age from 18 months up to almost 9 yrs. old.  They have discovered that it's really hard on this Nana & Papa if they all show up at once, so they take turns.  We appreciate that...and it gives us more time to play with each family.

         Here's a variety of photos and stories to finish the month of July.  August looks to be a busy month too!

Part of the excitement in July started with our dumpster(of all things)....

If you look very close on the left side...bear paw prints!  Two different sizes!  We haven't seen the critters, but they have made a mess of the dumpster contents a time or 2 this month...any ideas on how to deter them??

Luke arrived 2 weeks ago with a new gnome for the elfun trail...he was very excited to present us with the gift.  So...we loaded "Luke" the Marquette gnome onto the golf cart and hid him in the woods with all the others...

He looks very "at home" in the woods, don't you think?  I wonder if the kids will find him?

We had excitement one day when a rain and wind storm landed the pool furniture into the bottom of the pool.  The kids all thought it was a great adventure to watch all the action getting the furniture out!

Eva had a lake in front of her cabin and delighted in getting muddy and floating at her cabin!

Henry made his first visit to CRLodge...and wins for possibly the cutest baby all summer!  He'll be running all over next July!

July is not just for playing....John caught this 11 3/4" bluegill last week that weighed 1lb.4oz.  We took pictures and he released this beauty back into the lake to let it grow!  Probably the nicest bluegill caught all summer.

Eva was kind enough to model the new hat/t-shirt combos for kids...she's stylin!

Greyson let me take his picture after a day in the pool...he says he wears his goggles so he can breathe under water!  Amazing goggles!

The minnow races were a hit with young and old...

The kids get their minnows, talk to them, train them....and hope they win!

If you tap the sides of the lanes, the minnows go so much faster...or so they think!

We run several heats...and in the end, everyone is a winner....of a free candy bar in the lodge!

Patty in cabin #2 promised Nathan he could ride her cart....so....he did...and...

He was so excited!!  His sister, Jill, was excited too.

So Mike gave her a ride of her own!

This is what happens when you're 3 1/2 and you're having so much fun you just can't take a nap...

and then your sister plays with her puppies on you while you're sleeping!

Every year when my family comes, they have a fish fry...dubbed Margie's Fish Fry because my aunt fries all the fish for the dinner.  She's been doing this for years, so this year her family had t-shirts made for the occasion!

Meet my Aunt Margie & Uncle Keith...he is my Dad's twin brother!  They are very special people in my life.

Their daughter, Jackie....my kindred spirit!  We both love the resort, our families, quilting....and especially our grandchildren!

My brothers, Dave & John....I am the oldest.  I know, you can't believe it, but I am...and I have 6 brothers and one sister!

In closing...this is our middle son, Sam, and his wife, Roz.  They are parents to 3 of our grandchildren.....and.....they are giving us grandchild #10 in December!  What a fun life we have!



July Heat Wave!

         The resort is in full swing with vacationers everywhere!  The kids swimming outnumber the fishermen this time of the year.  The weather has been perfect for anyone on vacation, but it's a little warm for us "up north" people!  Here's what everyone has been up to....

Brady Ristau caught this 32" northern and safely released it to catch again next year!  He was one excited fisherman!

Carson is one of our favorite guests of the whole summer...and he is grandson, Nathan's bestest friend!  He shows us his new tricks every year and loved running with his walker on the cobblestone path outside!

Papa and I each got a chance to get into Bemidji this week and watch this future "Joe Mauer" play ball!

We had a good laugh when our laundry girl, Shannon, pulled in with her new vehicle!  She's like a little kid with a new toy!  And she can get alot of bags of sheets in that thing...

Olivia lost her first tooth at CRLodge...and our tooth fairy pays really well!  She was so excited!

And for the happy ending this week, here's Evelyn & Mel getting ready to head home.  Their son, Greg, is who we asked for prayers for a few weeks ago....he is back home and back to work...a walking miracle thanks to everyone's prayers.  These parents deserved a break and fished all week by themselves.  Randy & Greg, they caught those fish without your help!!  Amazing!  We love happy endings!

Thanks to all our guests who have vacationed with us the first half of our season.  We've had a wonderful year with some of the best fishing ever...and we look forward to the rest of the summer...and fall.  We still have some wonderful weeks/weekends available in September.  Come see us if you need a relaxing vacation!