Congratulations Louise!

This past weekend had us in Illinois cheering for my aunt Louise and her horse at the Young Horse Championship Dressage show. She was up against other qualifying 5 year olds (the horses age) from across the country. She was the West Coast Champion and drove all the way from California for the show.
Louise did great and her horse is the Reserve Champion 5 year old in the country!
I had a great time, it was wonderful to be able to see her ride, I was only slightly bigger than Odin last time I saw her compete. So for me it was exhilarating.
Odin enjoyed playing with the dogs and liked watching the tractor drag the ring between classes. John came along and was great at finding diversions for Odin. Jamie, my sister, also came and was full of fun suprises for Odin. We all had a lovely, but exhausting, weekend.

Really Big Fish

What trip to Northern Wisconsin would be complete without seeing (and crawling inside - through the bum) the worlds largest (fiberglass) Muskie? We were off the river before eleven on Sunday and had to drive right past, so we paid our admission and went to have a look. What did we see?
Lots of old fishing gear, motors, lures, taxidermy trophies, and a fish themed playground (unsafe by 1980's standards). We had a good hour or so there. Some nice pictures for the album too! Now when is someone going to make me an album?

Inside the mouth of the beast


there were many stairs to get to the top. Odin ran up them all.


Odin reeling in "a big one!"



Girl these next two are especially for you......



I tried to find one to stick my head in, but this was the best that I could find.

We're Fine

In case you saw/heard news reports of crazy bad storms over the weekend here and in WI (where we were camping) be relieved to know that we are just fine.
It was raining when we left the cities and cleared when we got to the river. We put in (very late) Friday night and made camp well before a light rain came. We saw lightening from the tent and there was some rain, but we were in no danger.
Saturday it rained intermittently. Yesterday it was so humid it misted. I am glad we were not around here. Sounds like there were some big storms and even bigger humidity.

Jump!

Odin and Laura at the city's water park. They have a time in the morning just for preschool aged kiddos. We have been enjoying it for the past few weeks. It has been cool, but that makes the bike ride home more enjoyable.
This morning on our way there I took a curb a little too tight and tipped the bike trailer. I was much more frightened that he was. But on the way home he asked if I was going to tip the trailer over again- hopefully he'll forget soon and not ask me every time we go somewhere in the bike, but I have my doubts that he will forget.