Happy New Years!

Happy New Years to all and yes we're still alive,

although I'm typing this blog with the use of just one arm.

The lack of a left arm is the result of a high speed cross country ski crash that ended 

with a half day visit to our local emergency room.

The trial description called the run "a gentle incline stretch followed by a  long glide back to the parking lot".

Let me interpret this language for you.:

"a very long  steep uphill sucky part, followed by a rocket fast scary death run back to your car!"

After whezzing my way to the summit, I took a little time to gather my thoughts, my air, my courage and let my ears pop. Pointing down hill, I stepped into the track of death , lifted my poles and was gone in a flash.

After breaking the 150 mile per hour mark I began to make what I hoped to be life saving adjustments, :

I pulled down my goggles, tucked my poles under my arms, got my hands out in front and dropped into my high speed aerodynamic tuck.

However, these adjustments had just the opposite affect I had hope for, not only did they not seem to be life saving it sadly just allowed the speed to quickly pass into the high 200 mph mark. 

At 300 miles per hour things started going horribly wrong, hat and goggles peeled off my head, eyes now blurry, the buffeting ski tips chattering in the icy tracks, it was just horrifying,  but then, for just a split second, everything was fine.

silent, everything went quit and peaceful, almost floating like an out of body experience which was interrupted by impact, not some little impact, more like the meteor that killed the dinosaurs type of  impact.

 I was in the middle of a body part survey as Pat made her way into the strewn field that was my gear spread down the hill for hundreds of yards. Now at first she found the sight of her 31 year companion,  4 days after their 25th year wedding anniversary, to be somewhat funny, which was quickly replaced with the realization that I was hurt, I'd be really hard to get out of the woods and she had left her gun in the truck so just shooting me on the trail and leaving for the wolves wasn't an option.

She helped with ski removal, then gathered all my stuff off the hill and we set off walking to the truck followed by a trip to the hospital. The emergency room story itself is a great one, but for now I'll keep it private since I may need their help again.

So here I sit with a badly injured left shoulder but I have learned a few things, skiing up hill sucks, skiing down hill sucks, crashing sucks, a bad shoulder sucks and going to the hospital sucks.

(speeds in story are approximated)

Summer recap

Fishing and boating

The last post in May we had just launched both boats and this year turned out to be great for both fishing and sight seeing year. We are happy to report that fishing at Deeryard Lake has become a Stuart Smith grand kid approved destination spot and this year we entertained the whole clan.

Crew number one,

Stuart & Anita, Shannon & Barry with Emily 15: William 12: and Matthew 9:

Crew number two,

Stuart & Anita, Stacey, Jeff with Crawford 13: Forrester 11: and Robert 8:

Both trips were blessed with good weather, good fishing, great fun and no one got hurt, which is better then they ever do on the alpine slide at the Lutsen ski hill

We also had Tom Christensen with his grandson Soren, his neighbor 

Pete and his son Eric

unfortunately fishing was just slow but the night was fun.

Then came Conner.

I received a call from my friend Gregg wondering if I would take his wife's cousins son from Philadelphia out fishing. They showed up, Gregg, his brother, his wife's cousin and Conner.

We got lucky on this trip, turns out Conner was the only skilled angler in the boat and

he put the rest of his group to shame.

I think the only reason he hangs around with that bunch is Gregg has a nice truck and buys the minnows,  juice boxes and chips

Well the day after the fishing trip, Conner had his driver take him into town were he had a t-shirt

made for me that I now use as my seat cover in the observatory:

Thanks Conner

"NUFF SAID"

We also had many sight seeing trips including Tom Christensen, his dad from Arizona, two daughters, stepson and some grandkids. Other trips included my mom and sister Kathy and more.

Later in the year we pulled the seats out so the pontoon could be used as a barge for installing 

over a mile of fiber optic cable in the lake.

spool one

spool 2

Down the lake we go.

Just waiting for next year

Along with the water drop the fiber is now down the road and run to the houses and observatory

It's still not up and running but we're closer then last year and we need it bad . Our Verizon internet and phone service has been dreadful.

Part of the summer projects included removing and replacing  9 windows, 2 doors and 2 storm doors in the cabin.

This included all new trim work and paint.

The observatory had a small open house for the neighbors so supporters could go in both buildings and see it first hand.

Turn out was good

with great food, drink and fire

Flower and vegetable gardens went very well and I have to say we learned a lot

The fall steel head fishing was good, here is just a few photos from the last day in Wisconsin

My net man Doug

Doug's net man swishy Chuck

Chuck 

Great fall colors on Deeryard

Bird feeder back up for winter now with Christmas lights

Thanksgiving with Jim and Michele

and a large bacon wrapped turkey that was very moist.

1st ice

1st snow

Was notified by Full Tilt Power I could start playing  as LayDownSally again but only for play money right now

Sold Pats 20th wedding anniversary present,

I'll bet most of you don't even know that a snow plow is the 20th year gift

Our cat Itchy has found a new friend at the feeder. After losing our resident buck last year, named appropriately Bucky, I have named this new one Tulip, this name is for the 50 tulips Pat planted this fall that he will eat this spring.

Spent a fun Christmas week in the cities with the entire family, then back up north for our 25th anniversary

which now brings us back to.

SKIING UP HILL SUCKS, SKIING DOWN HILL HURTS

Sorry for the lack of writing I'll try to do more