Greetings From The North Woods
I’m writing from a cabin on the shores of Lake Superior, in a remote spot near Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. We’ll be here for the remainder of the week.
We spent the weekend in central Wisconsin, celebrating Judy’s birthday and our anniversary (our 33rd) with the boys and their significant others.
We rented an old farmhouse and spent our time reading, cooking, eating, and playing board games.
On Sunday we packed up and headed to the riverfront park in town (Mauston, population 4,411). After playing a really strange board game called Small World on a picnic table, we had lunch at a local pizza place.
Afterwards, we went our separate ways: Judy and I towards the Upper Peninsula, David and Meredith back to St. Paul, and Daniel and Beckee returned to Chicago. Being all together gladdened my heart, I only wish we had more time.
I had intended to write a post before leaving Chicago. However, somehow the period leading up to a vacation is always particularly busy and stressful, or at least it feels that way. I left the garden worrying about what I would miss while gone.
In any case, Judy and I will still be on vacation for the rest of the week. I’ll try to do a post or two while we’re up here.
gardeninacity 
Have a great time and congratulations to you and Judy.
Happy anniversary to you two, and happy birthday to Judy! Loved seeing pictures of your beautiful family. Yes, time together passes all too quickly. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Look forward to seeing more pictures.
I’ve made two trips around Lake Superior. I love the scenery. Have fun.
Congratulations!
We’re celebrating number 42 this year.
Enjoy your vacation.
Congratulations! I hope we make it to 42!
I love the UP if that is where you are heading. You are at least at the right latitude to, hopefully, get some cool weather. Have a great time. You both deserve a stress-free vacation. Your garden will wait for you. Cheers.
Having just returned from holiday a couple of days ago, I know what you mean – for me, it’s especially hectic both before (trying to get things ready for an abscence) AND after I go away. (a TON of catch up to do!). Hope that you have just as wonderful a time on the rest of your vacation as you did in the first half!
Your family vacations are an inspiration!
Have fun. That’s the most important thing!
Lovely to spend precious time with the family. Enjoy your holiday
Wishing you both a lovely time.
There is never enough time spent with children grown up, is there? I’m looking forward to your posts from the UP – a place I have only been once but would love to see again. I like that it is so off the beaten path and so beautiful.
Don’t worry about the garden, all will be well. How lovely sharing your anniversary with the gang! Enjoy the rest of the holiday, it sounds lovely, congrats to you both.xxx
Watch the bugs on the Superior shoreline in the Porcupines. Worst I ever experienced.
Mosquitoes can be bad, especially at dawn and dusk, otherwise mostly tolerable. We are spraying ourselves with repellent. No black flies, thankfully. Yesterday we were warned about deer flies in one area so we steered clear.
It is always nice to have family time and now I hope you and Judy have a nice week. Just imagine all the surprises you’ll get when you get back to the garden. 🙂
How nice to have that family time together! It’s getting harder for us to mesh everyone’s schedules, so I know how precious those gatherings can be. Enjoy your time “Up North”!
Jason, thank you for sharing your family with us. Once our kids grow up and establish their own lives in various places around the world, it is very precious to manage to be in the same place at the same time. Anything described as remote or wilderness is where I like to be, so I look forward to hearing about the next part of your holiday.
Congratulations for your 33rd anniversary and happy birthday to Judy. I love getting together with the whole family too … Nothing beats a few board games with the family. Enjoy your vacation & look forward to seeing some photos of your travels.
Congratulations to you both. Time spent with family is so precious, enjoy the rest of your holiday and don’t worry about your garden, it will be waiting for you when you get back!
Enjoy! Looks like a great time, My gardening companion and I will have been married 34 years this summer – hard to believe.
Congratulations!
Hey it looks like you had a great time with the family Jason .. congratulations on the anniversary and belated best birthday wishes to Judy !
What a pretty place to unwind and relax for a bit … but I understand the frenzy “pre-vacation” and thoughts of what is going on in the garden while you are gone .. it seems to get lost in the shuffle of life ? haha .. but enjoy it all while you can and I hope the weather is nice for you !
I’m on a family vacation, too, so not much blog action for a while. Looks like a great place.
Hope you’re having a relaxing holiday!
Hello Jason, I hope you have a lovely week and congratulations to you and Judy on your recent 33rd anniversary! Happy birthday to Judy too!
Congratulations to you and Judy! Was nice to meet your family this way.
Congratulations to you and Judy. I so enjoyed your photos — both of the family, and of the surrounding landscape. The UP of Michigan is a place I’d love to see. I’ll look forward to any other photos you have time or inclination to share. I do hope the heat hasn’t crept that far north. Friends who are in Chicago this week say it’s as warm as Texas.