Well paradise is somewhere.   I was waiting to update the site until I had a nice picture of the flowers or the lake,  but we have not had any sun to take a picture!  Our clematis has more flowers than ever, but they will probably be gone before we get any sun.

We were home for the weekend, and were looking forward to it.  But the weather certainly did not co operate.   We did get to the green house in Oshkosh and buy some vegatables and flowers to plant.   I was very tentative on planting in this cold weather, but they had the vegatables outside anyway.  So while it was not raining yet on Saturday, at least lightly, I decided to get the tomato’s and peppers in.   So if we do get some sun tomorrow they have a chance to take hold.   And if is an OK day I may put some of the flowers in tomorrow night.   Otherwise we will keep them watered in the garage.

So for now working on indoor projects!  I finally organized some of the workshop!  And back to making some picture frames

So we hope everyone has a good week.

Finally getting to an update.  My web designer (Craig) did an upgrade and I had to find my way back in to the page!   Looks like more to learn.   I will try to start out simple!   The last update was before Memorial Day.   We had a nice long weekend with Dick and Carol on Sand Lake near Hayward.   It was our initial time out with the trailer for the season, always a good test with a 5 1/2 hour trip.   The weather co operated and Dick and I spent a lot of time on the water.   We saw 5 muskie, even though we were not fishing for them.  They were really only interested in taking a look at us, not in any lures.  Although I did have a couple of lines cut by something with teeth!   I did get one northern and we caught a nice bunch of perch.  And a bunch of illegal walleye.   Walleye limti came down this year from 28 inches to 18 inches.  Of course last year we caught 18 inch and a 22 inch.  This year everything we caught was 17 inches and less!  But we had fun.  And we get to sit in the boat and watch the bald eagles fishing also.  We also got to see bear this year.  The dumpster was not electrified yet and they liked to check it out.   The one we saw was around when we came home from supper and was not dark yet!   Great restaurants in the area, so after a hard day of fishing we got out for cocktails and supper.  After getting home there was lot’s to catch up on, especially the grass!

And we have kept busy with plenty around the house and hoping summer will come.  I don’t have the garden in yet, and chance of frost north of Green Bay again tonight,  I guess I have not missed much yet.   I tried to do some more tilling tonight but the ground is still very wet and won’t work up.  And more rain coming this week.   It will be a year to plant in the mud!  We went down to see Mom this weekend, and then home for some projects and fun.   Enders are almost done in Door County and we will see them tomorrow.  Then they get home to Wauwatosa to spend some time in their house for the first time this year!  So we hope everyone is doing fine!

(Skip note,   I remembered the tripod for the picture and how to set the timer)

Well we finally made it to the weekend.  A lot going on at work with some training this week and next,  so need the mind rest!  Some partly sunny this morning,  but winds going over 30 mph I think.    Put the pontoon boat in this week which feels good to have that done.   But I had put the posts in to tie off on and needed to finish them up this weekend.  They are taking a beating this morning.  I had to put a support in on to battle the northwest gusts.  It should let up tonight, and be less tomorrow.  But continue out of the northwest and cool, so there won’t be any boating.

We had the carpet cleaned this morning, so they are in and gone.   Chris is about to lift off from Alburquerque at 9:30 am our time.  She will get into Appleton at 2:30 pm.  Sounds like she had great weather in New Mexico, she won’t be acclimated for our freeze warnings tonight!

So one week from today and we will be waking up in Hayward. Hopefully much calmer and warmer.  I better take a winter jacket along for fishing, and hope to use shorts instead!

Have a good weekend.

The weekend was a little cool and wet.  But a pretty nice weekend overall.   Chris made it to Alburquerque,   with a slight plane problem.   We are 3 for 3 this month with plane problems when flying!   But she is there basking in warm weather.

And I spent some time with Mom on Mother’s day.  And Skip, Claire and Denise.   Claire had her Mothers Day with a trip to the zoo.  And we all met later at Mom’s, with Skip and Claire picking up supper.    Mom is doing well and we had a nice afternoon.

Before I went down I changed oil on a vehicle and cut the grass,  which badly needed it.  Lot’s of outdoor projects to do,  I’ll have to see how the weather holds,  more rain predicted this week.

I hope everyone had a good Mother’s Day!

So far this has been a good spring.  Some above average temperatures,  not too much rain.  The flowers and plants are coming back pretty well,  it does not seem like the very cold winter has done too much damage.   I don’t see life in a few plants and the roses yet,  but it is still early.  The apple trees are close to blossoming, so hopefully no cold snaps or heavy winds on the way.  Last year they froze off!

The dock is all in and the run about is on the lift.   Pontoon boat hopefully not too far from getting in.  Hopefully I will get out fishing these next couple of weeks.   The water is low though, so some more rain and the DNR keeping some dams closed would help.   But we will take what we can get and enjoy the good days.  Enjoy spring and look forward to a wonderful summer.

We finished our days in Florida last week.   We had a great time in Boynton Beach, visiting friends and enjoying the weather.   And we had another night to spend with Darren and Sheryl – Thanks!.   It was relaxing and enjoyable to catch up.   So we came back to work a day and then flew out Thursday night to Detroit.

That went well and we had another great time in Detroit.  We started out when we landed being taken to a brew pub that has 63 beers on tap,  unbelieveable!  A great selection and some food and we headed back to Mary Jane and John’s to get some rest.  Friday we headed to Ann Arbor to be tourists for a day.  Skip and Claire were doing a week tour of Michigan and joined us.  It was wonderful weather with sun and probably 80 degrees.  And we did not do well on the full tour of downtown Ann Arbor.   I kept it to 3 brew pubs, a bar and a chocolate shop – sorry Claire.   But we all had fun and had plenty of beer tasting and plenty of food.   We all ended up back at Mary Jane and John’s to end the night.

Saturday John and I did some fixes around the house.  Unfortunately what started out as perfect weather turned into some heavy rain in the evening,  which did some damage to the work we did on the driveway.  But hopefully that holds up for John!  And we went out to dinner with John’s parents and it was good to see them again,  it had been too long.

And Sunday we slept in and then went to church in Plymouth Michigan so we could attend mass with Father Lee, John’s cousin.   Then after a nice lunch in Plymouth we had to go to the airport.  We could have taken more time had we known that the plane was going to break down as we taxi’d to the runway,   but it did not take long to get a replacement!

So now we need to stop eating for a week, and get used to the Wisconsin cold weather again!  But plenty to do here to get ready for summer, which I hope is still coming.  Some flowers have blossomed, so that does make it feel better!

Warmer days coming, tulips and daffodils are pushing out of the ground.  Of course we need to keep the deer away from them.   And Saturday we head to Florida for just a few days.  We start out getting to see Darren and Sheryl Ender’s place and get to see the kids.   Then Sunday head to Boynton Beach.   And Tuesday already head back.  We will spend Tuesday night with them and fly out of Orlando Wednesday morning.  If things go well I will work Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, and then Thursday night we fly to Detroit to spend a few days with Mary Jane and John.  So it will be a fun week.

I hope everyone had a great Easter, and Spring comes to stay!

April may be here, but it does not feel like it yet.   We have wind chills in the 20’s right now.   And we won’t be getting close to normal anytime soon!    But we are keeping busy.  This last weekend we were in Minneapolis.  Chris had a convention and went along and visited some companies I work with.   A good time,  and I had a chance to visit with Nephew Craig.   I had a chance to see St Paul and Minneapolis.  We had some good food and great beers.  Craig has a very nice flat he rents,  reminded me a lot of the houses we lived in while in Milwaukee.  Built in hutch and wood work, the same bathroom tile!

It was good to spend some time with him, as we have not had that opportunity for a long time.  And he was a great host.

Sunday morning we headed home. Unfortunately it started snowing Saturday night.  But it was warm enough that the roads were clear and wet.  So no problems.  And just over half way back we got out of the snow and the roads were dry.  Even though they were predicting more snow it never made it to Omro, which we are thankful for.   And the ice broke up while we were gone,  likely in these heavy winds.   My boat lift was on blocks to keep it out of the ice, but it is no longer.  I am guessing the ice blocks driven by the wind took care of that.   But it doesn’t look like any damage, so I will just have to jack it up to get a boat underneath to move it again this spring.

So Easter coming up, so we will head to Milwaukee this upcoming weekend.  And then looking forward to Florida the weekend after that.  We only will be there a couple of days, but it will be nice!   It has been a long haul since we were there last.  But my assistant is back to work and this is our first chance.  Not sure if we will get back until fall then.

Have a good Easter!

Well it doesn’t sound like March will go out any easier than it came in.  So I am hoping for rain tomorrow, and not more sleet and snow.  We saw enough of that this weekend in Milwaukee.  That was messy!  But we spent a little time with Mom and got to spend an evening with good friends John and Mary.  So that was great even with the weather.

Sunday we took a nice ride over to Sparta, had a nice meal there and spent the night.  This morning we dropped off hunting applications at the Sparta Post Office for post mark today, and then drove home to work.

So we had a good weekend.  relaxing, now back to work but will get some relaxing in this week.   We are supposed to go out with some old friends in Green Bay tomorrow night, but will need to monitor the weather.   And Thursday night we are driving to Minneapolis.  Chris has a convention and I have some companies I work with to visit.  And possibly get to see my nephew while Chris is doing her thing.  And home on Sunday.

It was 18 degees driving back this morning, and we still have ice on the lake.  Although the river side is open and there has been some shifting.  So there is a little bit of water in front of us where it split.   So still hoping for spring, but I filled up the wood pile tonight just in case.

OK,  we have had much better weather and it has felt great.    And most of the snow in the driveway Was melted.   But this morning is a reminder this IS Wisconsin!  All White during the night.  But we are hoping for a quick melt.

Still lot’s of ice on the lake.   The pontoon poles that we tie off to have been bent over by the ice again this winter, so I started jacking those out this week and hope to complete that this weekend.  It is much easier to get them out with solid ice to work on than in the water.   And I think check the chimney cap for a cleaning today, and put the hitch in the truck.  That is a sign of Spring.  When I moved the trailers next to the garage in the fall I thought the ground where the water was hooked up and gotten solid.  Wrong, when my trailer sunk in a couple of feet!  So it is in rather awkward, and when the rest of the snow pile is gone in the driveway I will move the trailer and have a truck load of screenings delivered.   I can put down a couple of feet of screenings and then drive over that and compress it down.  Eventually I will have more room to park next to the garage since the well casing is gone now.

Life seems busy but good.  We continue to have jobs in a tough economy and are blessed to be able to go out to eat or cocktails when we want.  St Patricks day I went to a town board meeting instead of the pub – I am not sure that was mentally better for me,  but physically I probably survived better.  We hopefully are on track to get a new road in before July, which will be welcome.  But still are dealing with water issues on our road,  but progress is being made there.  We do have some upcoming trips planned to Florida Detroit and Chris to New Mexico.  And Sparta and Hayward on the list also.  So the next months will go quickly.   And weekends to see Mom in Milwaukee in between.

We hope your life is good!