12.18.2011

New People. New Experiences.

Change is inevitable.  Change takes some getting used to in most cases.  Change is awesome if you're willing to embrace it and make the most out of it...just like anything else in life.  I've shared with many of you that follow Our Love Shack Blog- the more we get out and explore the area and the more we get out and meet new people the more and more I am falling in love with Battle Mountain.

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the food was amazing but the service sucked?  (I have found myself using this analogy lately)  It's awful and as a former waitress it's even worse- you spend your hard earned money on going out to eat and then have a lousy experience.  I've been to some places where the food is mediocre and the service is amazing.  9 times out of 10 I'll choose the better service over the food- life is really about people.  Well Battle Mountain may not be my first choice for living but by golly I've met and come to know some awesome people in the 8 short weeks we've been here that make me not want to leave.  People here have been so kind to us, so open, so generous, and I'm looking forward to making forever friends here in Battle Mountain.

E & I did some more exploring out by Galena Canyon.  We went in a bit further and a bit higher.

Pooks & I Galena Canyon
We've become amateur rockhounders . There seems to be an abundance of quartz out here and that's been the only rock I've been able to identify.  It's fun to learn new things so I hope we become better geologists and botanists.
I struck quartz...wish it was gold!

E trying his hand at rockhounding.

 We also checked out the ghost town...or what is left of the ghost town.

E clearing the rats out of the cellar.

And the excitement of today 12/18...observing a heifer and a steer be sacrificed.

There were 6 this morning and now only 4.
A guy that we've met through the church that we've decided to attend regularly invited us out to observe how they kill the moo- moos.  I think he thought E might only be interested in the beginning but being the sick crazy person that I can sometimes be I was interested in tagging along too.  I tell you we are so far removed from how our food gets to our plate it's sad in a way but hard to stomach (no pun intended) in another way. 

There the Heifer lay.
I think the hardest part about the whole experience for me was that the cows were killed in front of the other cows.  It wasn't necessarily the killing, skinning, gutting, and quartering but the fact that it went down in front of the other cows. Those cows are going to die before too long tanywho but it just seemed a bit harsh to make the other cows watch.
Dropping the Heifer on the scale...946 lbs.
I was very impressed with Jim and his hired hand Kerry.  They worked the cows really fast, killing, skinning, gutting, and quartering 2 cows only took a little less than 3 hours.  I think E really enjoyed it and wants to learn how to do it.  Weird...he's always getting his hands on trying something new.  I think that may be why I love him so much!  He also started talking about hobby farms tonight...it sounds like work to me but it would be cool!
There she is in all her glory.
So it wasn't so bad observing but don't know if I could be the one with the knives.  The coolest part of the whole process in my opinion was the tail.  Something I did not know people eat the tail....SAY WHAT?  Yes people eat the tail, the tongue I knew about because I've seen it at the store but it's definitely not something I want to try anytime soon.  The tail however was super cool when Jim cut it out because it looked like an octopus tentacle (I still am not interested in eating it though).

We're off to California at the end of the week to be with E's family for Christmas.  I am very excited to experience my first California Christmas!

12.12.2011

E=ORP

So Pooks is an ORP which means he's an Outdoor Recreation Planner.  Is that the coolest job title that you have ever heard?  Yeah me too...I totally went the wrong route... business, marketing, event planner, sales...blah blah blah.  Outdoor Recreation Planner sounds so much cooler!

He is currently about 7 weeks in and from my understanding he still really enjoys it.  However, he has yet to get email/computer access...really federal government..really? (that's an entirely different post and a topic that I am just not going to cover on this blog).  We are here in the great state of Nevada, which over 80% is government owned.  A good chunk of that is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, Native American reservations, and military bases and the such.  Ethan's Office manages 4.4 million acres of Nevada and he's responsible for the designated recreation sites within the boundaries- yea he's a pretty important dude.

I can't express how happy I am for him to have secured this position.  I am also super proud because there is nothing better than to see someone plan, work hard, kick butt, and achieve a goal!

Here are a few of the recreation sites that he is responsible for:

Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area

Spencer Hot Springs


E spent a night out in the field the first month we were here with a co-worker to take a peak at these two areas that are bit out there.  This time of year ORPs are not in the field as much so once Spring rolls in I expect more lonely nights...tear.

We've been out to Mill Creek Campground and the Copper Basin Trail which are both just south of town.  So there's a lot to see and do and I think E love will benefit from starting his BLM career here in Battle Mountain.  We've not claimed to move to the best place in the US but Battle Mountain has wonderful things to offer both professionally and otherwise.  This place is working out just fine.

To be Continued...






12.11.2011

Blog Resuscitation

It has been over 2 months since I have given this blog any love...WoW do I feel like an awful blogger!  Jesus loves me despite my faults and I hope you can find it in your heart to do the same.

What can I say we've been busy...very busy.  Things are actually starting to feel semi normal out here in the high desert.

We said our goodbyes to the wonderful people in the great state of Minnesota! 
See pictures below:   
A fun day at the Children's Museum with the Schmoos! 

Thank you KT for fitting me in before I left!
 Thank goodness for forever friends- no matter how many miles or how much time separates...
you know that you still have solid friendships waiting to be picked up where you left off!  
 
Hibachi with some awesome dudes!
 
Kara Beara 9er & Chris - Lovely Evening

Hadn't seen these goons in awhile.  It was great to catch up! 

October 17th was a bittersweet day...we headed west.  We spent the night of the 17th in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The next day we were ready to conquer our planned route to Cheyenne, WY.  E was uber excited to stop in Kearny - we have the best timing because that section of the Interstate was being closed off for something!  So we took a detour and backtracked just to visit the Archway in Kearney.

E in all his glory.
 
Sidney, NE Home of Cabela's HQ...E made it a point to stop in & check it out.
We stopped in Cheyenne for the night and enjoyed a delicious Outback dinner.  I seriously never get sick of that food...yummo.  The hotel was by far the nicest of our trip and the staff at the Days Inn were fabulous.
We couldn't stop at the Elk Penis but he made sure we stopped at the Ames Monument .

Beautiful Utah welcomed us on Wednesday the 19th of October.
We stayed the night in Salt Lake City which was great because neither one of us had ever been there.  We still had some day light left so E & I explored the city.  The city is beautiful- very clean, has a lot of trees and beautiful architecture.  Of course it is Utah and home of the LDS Temple Square - I was very impressed by the beautiful buildings.

Bonneville Salt Flats were a sight to be seen very cool place to check out.
Originally, we planned to stay a night in Elko, Nevada however their hotels don't love dogs as much as I love dogs so E called the BLM office and we were able to head straight to our new home.  Elko is a little over an hour from Battle Mountain so it wasn't very much further to press on for the day.  We met E's coworker here at the house.  I must say that it wasn't the most welcoming feeling but it was home.  The place had been vacant for a long while, dust accumulates fast here in NV, and cleaning supplies were very much needed.  We didn't get the memo that we needed to supply our own refrigerator.  WHAT?  Seriously...who rents a place without a fridge?  Apparently its common here in the west, I think it's ridiculous.  It didn't have a washer and dryer either- which didn't shock me but I was bummed.  Needless to say after some Lysol, Pine-sol, Windex, Febreeze, bleach, scotch pads, vacuuming, sweeping, wall washing, and some appliance buying.... a rather spacious house for 2 humans and a dog in the booming town of Battle Mountain has become our stationary love shack for now!

E started his big boy job the following Monday!
To be continued...

10.06.2011

Home Sweet Home

There really is no place like home.  E and I have been back in the Twin Cities for 12 days and we have about 12 days left before our big move.  Like I mentioned in the last post- change is upon us in so many ways.  Fall is the most beautiful time of the year- I love the fresh crisp air, the leaves turning beautiful bright yellows, reds, and oranges, and the rustling of leaves as the wind blows!  Here are a few pictures of the beautiful colors that I took this past weekend up at my Great Uncle Richard's place.

Such a good time spent with my Gmama, Dad, Schmoo Baby, E-Love, my Dad's cousin Chrissy, and my Great Uncle Richard.  They offer up such great hospitality and Schmoo has such an affinity for Chris! 

As we prepare for our move to Battle Mountain- it is bittersweet.  The past two weeks that we have been home- have been wonderful!  We've had such a great time staying with the Henslins, taking in Schmoo's football games, hanging out with Dad and Gmama, my cousins- We really do have awesome people in our lives.  So we hope to jam pack the next 12 days with more quality time with family and friends before we head out of town.

Of course anticipation is in our blood- I hate waiting and am well aware of my lack of patience when it comes to anything.  I like instantaneous results- E has a lot of patience.  However, I know he is really stoked to get out there and begin his 1st real big boy job with BLM. And for me I want to get out there, set up my little home office, feel comfortable, and really dig into my new position. 

We feel very blessed with how our life is evolving- God is good- he has answered our prayers and continues to show himself in our lives everyday.


9.18.2011

Let's make like a tree and LEAVE

We woke up this morning to 48 degree weather....summer is surely on its way out! However, I am not the least bit sad about it because as the season changes we are also finding ourselves in a new season of LIFE.

Our days are numbered here in Voyageurs National Park!  My last day is September 21st and E's last day is the 22nd!  As much as I have enjoyed my days off up here- the volunteer gig has burned me out.  Let's just say I think volunteer retention may be an issue in the Namakan District.  I am proud of myself for not quitting and proud of my love for finishing an awesome season.  He rocks as a ranger.  However- being an interpretive ranger leaves some things left to be desired for him here in Kabetogama- like being outside, interacting with people that actually utilize the resource, and having a little more diversification in his responsibilities.

So we prayed about our next move both geographically and professionally.  And we really feel that God has been a big part of this decision and opportunity.

The love was offered an Outdoor Recreation Planner Position in Battle Mountain, NV with the Bureau of Land Management.  The position is a wonderful opportunity for him.  I couldn't be more proud of his awesome accomplishment.  I've learned that the Department of the Interior positions are so coveted and hard to get-so I am overjoyed that he was offered this position.


Battle Mountain is not the most glamorous place on the map- but we don't care.  Like the love says..."that's why we want to go there" to get away from chaos and the yahoos!  We think it will be a great opportunity for our relationship to grow.  We don't have friends or family in the area so we'll have to make new friends and really it will be one of the first opportunities to have a group of "our" friends- until now it has really been "my" friends or "his" friends.  Battle Mountain is in a great location out west- we will be "relatively" close to so many National Parks, wilderness areas, and areas we have never explored together.

What about the Love Shack
Many of you have already asked about the Love Shack- Are you still going to live in it?  Are you going to sell it?  Well...we are not actively looking for buyers...we have both fallen in love with the vintage cutie!  But as they say..."Everything is for sale...for the right price."  I hope we bring it to NV- I know we'd get use out of it!  We will be moving back into a real home...we will be renting a home which is offered to government employees.

This is our last week here we are heading back to the Twin Cities on the 23rd!  See some of you SOON!!!

XOXO,
E, J, & Loaf


8.30.2011

Boundary Waters are Magical

E-L♥ve & I spent a wonderful three days in the Boundary Waters .  We picked up a living social deal last year about this same time from Voyageur Canoe Outfitters .  It was for $150 each which would have regularly been $300 each- we made out like bandits!  We were late arrivals but we were welcomed with a sign that pointed to our bunkhouse, the PINE MARTEN, and they even left the lights on for us!

Bunk House
Someone was excited about the bunk beds.

Read our 3 day journal below:

DAY ONE
Seagull River • Saganaga Lake • Maraboeuf Lake
2 Portages • 6 Hours
Left VCO @ 8:45 am

Awoke to a chilly bunkhouse, and later met with Tessa to go over our route- a little different than what we had originally planned for but we think its better this way now!

As we entered the BWCA a beautiful loon greeted us not 5 feet away from our canoe- as we continued to paddle another 10-15 yards another loon and 2 chicks greeted us!

Loons are pretty awesome.
Not an hour into our trip and we saw a LYNX climbing the rocks along the shoreline-SO COOL!  Way better than seeing a moose in my world- some people go a whole lifetime without seeing a lynx in the wild!
The landscape had burned in the recent past.  It still hasn't stopped the two mature bald eagles from using a snag as a perch.
The Bald Eagle Pair
We found a campsite and briefly utilized to take a break before attempting our first portage.  Saganaga Falls was a 34 rod portage and it went quite successful.  E & I carried the canoe across the first portage and it wasn't as bad as I had thought.

First Portage
Pretty sure Horsetail Rapids portage almost ended our relationship!  All our gear, 2 fellow paddlers, and 1 fish later we were doing okay again!

*There are no pictures of this portage due to my bad attitude....apologies*

We set up camp after 6 hours of traveling!  Took a hour and a half nap and then set out fishing!  Marabouef Lake was generous with fish-E caught 8 to my 1.

Larry Dahlberg with the Costa Del Mars on his head
Dinner consisted of dehydrated diced potatoes and steak with vanilla pudding.

Dehydrated Diced Potatoes....Yum!
The love started a campfire and we each enjoyed a cup of tea before bed.

DAY TWO
Marabouef Lake • Granite River • Clove Lake
5 Portages • 5.5 Hours
Left Campsite @ 11:00am

Woke up around 9am, made western omelets with hash browns and an english muffin.  Believe it or not the omelet was fine the potatoes just take too long- I don't have patience for that kinda stuff!  Just as we were washing dishes we heard the thunderstorm start to roll in.  We got a little pep in our step and hurried to pack everything back in the packs and into the canoe.  As we rolled out the campsite the skies turned deep blue and gray- not 15 minutes later it started to pour down rain and HAIL!  We couldn't believe it was hailing- it didn't last but 10 -15 minutes and added a little drama to the day!

Paddle the Storm
Portaging was fun and went a bit smoother than the last portage on the first day.  We were able to push the canoe up the river- E would get in the water and I would move up the river on the rocks and he would push it until I was able to get a firm hold and then he would move to where I was and we'd repeat the process.  Two of the areas required the use of the rope so we pulled the canoe up river against the current.  The process was a great exercise in teamwork for the two of  us- we work pretty well together if I don't say so myself ☺

Wadding
As we pulled into Clove Lake the site with the sandy beach was taken- lame.  So we pushed on and thankfully the rock face site was open which meant we didn't have to portage in to another lake which was out of the way we'd be headed in the morning!  We unloaded all our gear and decided not to put up the tent but to sleep under the stars!  We decided we'd have dinner and then go out fishing to ensure we wouldn't be doing dishes late into the evening.  We had campfire style Chipotle- Mexican rice with dehydrated steak with salsa-doesn't that sound delicious?  It actually was very good!  We decided against the hot apple cobbler on the condition that it would make for too many dishes!

Chipotle Back Country Style.
One thing about camping on the eastern end of the BWCA- there is not a darn tree that will "safely" hold a pack of food.  Watching the video it required that you store the pack in a tree that's 12 feet tall and on a limb that extends 6 feet.  Ummm......the forest burned...so I laughed uncontrollably as E tried a few different methods- finally the pack stayed in the tree!

Clove Lake was a bust when it came to fishing only one fish and of course E caught it!  The loop around the lake was nice though- a fledgling was really vocal and even allowed for us to canoe right beneath him as he was perched in a snag along the shore.  

Singing Fledgling.
E started a fire and I got cozy in the sleeping bag underneath the dimming sky.  Just for the record E is such a baby!  It was too buggy and too cold!  I offered numerous times to set up the tent but he declined each time.   A chipmunk ran across his face too- hilarious!

Overall the day turned into a beautiful day and paddling through the hail and rain was definitely the highlight of the day!

DAY THREE
Clove Lake • Granite River • Magnetic Lake • Gunflint Lake
4 Portages • 3.5 Hours
Left Campsite @ 10:00am

We woke up at 8:30am in hopes of an early start because a 100 rod portage (the longest one of the trip) awaited us.  We had warm oatmeal, fruit roll-up and an english muffin with grape jelly to ensure we had energy for the day.

I knew my love was amazing but found out that he has Hercules like powers!  The 100 rod portage was intense up and down a fairly steep rocky hill.  He's my hero!  It took about 35 minutes to portage everything including E's second trip back to get the last pack. 

Hercules Like Powers....Real Stuff.
A trumpeter swan greeted us but was cautious to let us get close...smart swan.  We continued a bit and were greeted by flowing waters that made a beautiful clap.  The portage was littered with amazing blueberries- ripe, gobstopper-sized, and illegal at that!  We were in Ontario- but apparently that isn't much of a problem in  the BWCA because Tessa, our route planner, didn't seem too concerned when E mentioned it!

YUM...Delicious

Canada Baby!
At the end of the portage we only had a short distance to the next- so I fished and unsuccessfully landed a small mouth bass- it doesn't count if it spits the hook out at the boat- bummer.

The next set of falls were in my opinion the most picturesque of them all.  They too made a beautiful relaxing sound and the clear water bouncing off the rocks was awesome!  E again displayed his Hercules like powers- it was a very short but steep portage.

BWCA has my heart.
The last portage we paddled/pushed up the current.  We had finally made it to Magnetic Lake- a motor boat greeted us on the other side so we knew that we were making progress!  The Love paddle while I fished and I successfully caught another small mouth bass thanks to my him!

Fish #2
There was a fairytale like house on the little island.  The lawn was decorated, maintained immaculately- the house was the a soft turmeric color.  Appropriately nicknamed the Gnome house because there are Gnomes in the yard.

Moral of this story....we need a nice camera with super power zoom.
The narrow entrance to Gunflint was marked by bleach bottle buoys.  As we paddled across the open water- I was filled with bittersweet emotion- sad because our 1st BWCA experience was coming to an end but excited because Gunflint Lodge has the most amazing walleye chowder on the planet.  Seriously I think they put crack in the soup!  We beached the canoe at the resort and grabbed a table out on the patio- the weather was perfect!  E made the order as I went in to use running water!  A delicious bloody mary, a bowl of the walleye chowder for me and a coke and chowder for E-L♥ve.  Perfect end to our trip!
Chowder!
There was a little mix up with the pick up site.  Gunflint Lodge was clearly circled on our map as the pick up location but apparently Victor was instructed otherwise.  At 2:15- 15 minutes after our scheduled pick up time E called VCO and asked if they had forgotten about us- Tessa instructed us to head to the boat landing just a short paddle along the shoreline.  There he was with a welcoming smile to pick up up.  Victor was great he did all the hard work and we just jumped in the vehicle!

When we got back to the lodge- we just gave them their packs with all the gear and unpacked our stuff right at our truck.  Victor took care of everything else.  Ethan went to the lodge and grabbed towels and we took a magical hot showers.  Scrubbing the dirt off my feet has actually turned into a couple day process but that's what you get for wearing chacos (most amazing sandal in my life) in the wilderness for 3 days.

Before we head home we hope to do a mini-BWCA camping excursion on the west end.

Enjoy all our photos from the trip!




8.22.2011

CHANGES-Coming Soon.

I haven't had much time to update this beast of a blog lately.  Last weekend I headed home to attack a couple of sales meetings with Steven!  Boy do I love me a sales call...there is just something to be said about going on a sales call and the adrenaline that goes with the process!  Loved it!  I left Meatloaf back in the cities.  I miss him A LOT!  However, E and I are planning a wonderful 3-day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters this Thursday-Saturday.  We're looking forward to it!  It's kinda a celebration of sorts- but that's a story for another post.  Let's just say that God is good and he definitely has our best interests at heart! 

Next week will be a better post with lots of beautiful pictures of the BWCA!

Until then take care of yourselves!
PEACE.

8.11.2011

Guns & Puppies

After all the excitement from the fair and the rodeo last week- we played it pretty low key this week. 


Last weekend we headed out to a Kabetogama State Forest area to shoot the .22.   There is something about state forests, dirt roads, and guns that reminds me of going to Badora State Forest with my Dad when I was younger.  Before I even started deer hunting we would go up and camp in the woods or make a day trip from the family cabin in Garrison.  Many good memories were made there…it’s too bad much of it has been logged and potlatched now.


E definitely has an awesome shot- I’m pretty impressed by his ability to shoot so accurately at such a long distance.  I, however, am a bit more reserved about shooting at a ridiculous range.  Dad always told me not to make a shot I wasn’t sure about it- so I kept it a little closer than E but I hit the target.  MeatLoaf hid under the truck but didn’t bark- so maybe with a bit more training there is hope of him becoming hunting dog after all.

E♥Love's Awesome Shot

I have a feeling E and I will miss our time here in the Northwoods.  We have played so many games of farkle, cribbage, rummy, and dominos since our arrival in May.   I can’t remember when the last time we played card and dice games together in the cities.  It’s fun for us- especially since we are both so competitive.   And just for the record I kicked his butt in dominos and rummy this past week!

Loaf and I are a dynamic Duo
The highlight of the week was the return of Bailey- a precious 6.5 lb. Yorkie.  A woman came into the visitor center on Tuesday morning to share that her little Yorkie went missing on Moxie Island.  The family was camping on the island for about a week, as they packed their stuff in the boat to leave and called for Bailey she was nowhere to be found.  They unpacked the boat and stayed an extra night in hopes that she would return.  Jane, Bailey’s mom, came into the visitor center in hopes of someone maybe finding her.  No such luck- but I was distraught most of the day thinking about poor Bailey- either as an Eagle snack or lost out on the island.  Jane filled out a quick report and left her number just in case Bailey was found.


When E and I got home I told him we had to go look for Bailey- I just wouldn’t be able to sleep if we didn’t go out there and try to look for her.  So against our better judgment we got in the boat and headed toward Moxie Island.  Moxie Island is about 7 miles west toward the open part of Kabetogama.  Let’s just say that the weather forecast estimated wind gusts up to 25 mph.  There were white caps on the lake, and we got drenched the entire way there.  E kept looking at me like really- we are doing this?  And I just kept telling him, “WE CANNOT ABORT THIS MISSION!”  I really didn’t get scared until we got closer to Moxie and were more vulnerable to the wind as the lake opened up.  I put on my life jacket if that gives you any idea of how intense the wind and waves were!


We beached the boat at the campsite, and made a plan to walk in about 75 yards and walk the length of the island.  E led the way and used the marking tape every 40 feet or so.  We hooted and hollered her name for over an hour.  We thought we heard barking and got so excited and then when we heard it again….it was a raven-very disappointing.  We reached the other side of the island and headed back to the boat.  It was getting dark and we had to end the search and rescue mission.  I was really hoping we would find her!  I not only wanted to be Jane’s superhero but I can’t imagine losing my Loaf!

She's so precious.
E and I got back to the love shack and had grilled cheese and tomato soup- E prayed for Bailey at dinner.  I was even considering sending Jane a condolences card because I know how devastating it is when you lose a pet.  On Wednesday E and I were manning the visitor center and a whole family of about 12 came to the visitor center with….BAILEY!  Prayer answered!!!  They had found her that morning!  I couldn’t believe it!  Bailey made it 2 nights by herself on Moxie Island.  Moxie has an eagle’s nest and currently 3 eagles residing in it.  After our SAR and no Bailey- I really thought she went to Doggy heaven.  But was so relieved to find out that a family found her! 

Bailey would have been such a good GF for Loaf
The family was looking to continue their family vacation and left Bailey with us!  Bailey’s mom and dad were driving from Duluth so it took some time for the reunion.  I spent a lovely half hour with her!

Lesson learned though…I am guilty of letting Loaf run sometimes…so no more of that business! 
E, J & Loaf

8.05.2011

Goodbye July Hello August

Well August has arrived and we had an exciting weekend. While in Effie, MN a couple of weeks ago we learned of the upcoming annual rodeo, so we decided to give it a try. Our friend Jessica decided to go along with us. She drove us there along hwy 1 a scenic route in N. MN, so scenic in fact she doubted whether or not I knew how to get there. After arriving in Effie and at the rodeo grounds the excitement was building. There were people on horses and the stands were packed with people.
58th Annual Rodeo in Effie
My first stop was the outhouse, one outhouse said “mares” the other wasn’t named. However there was a handicap outhouse so I used that one instead. Not being a horse person I confirmed with Jess S. that a “mare” was a female horse. Good thing I didn’t choose that one. The rodeo was off to a wild start with bare back bronco riding. Cowboys were being thrown all over and horses were running into fences, just what everyone came to see.  

After the action at the rodeo we headed to Bigfork to plan our next move. Talk started to surface that maybe the St. Louis County Fair was in full swing. After my Jess used her amazing Blackberry skills it was confirmed that the fair was a go. We decided to take another scenic route, this time choosing hwy 38 towards. After an hour and a half we arrived in Chisholm, MN ready for anything those food vendors in their trailers could throw at us. Not only did we find gyros, pop, and mini-donuts, we also found corn-on-the-cob, “yum!” 

MN GROWN CORN
One cool thing that we checked out was a traveling competition called “Dock Dogs” where these happy pooches run down a  runway, and jump as high as they can to retrieve a suspended chewy. I would like to see how Loaf and Rocky would fare?

dockdogs is even sponsored by Cabelas!
At any fair my favorite stop is always the livestock, I love hearing the cows moo and watching the pigs sleep. They even had a fake udder where I practiced my future hobby farm skills.

Udderly Fun!
J and I also hit the water this past week looking for the usual suspects. While on our hunt J spotted an old hunting shack in the woods. We tied off the boat and I checked it out. It was an old hunting shack all right, but there were also blueberries to snack on. Those are always a plus. 
Picking Blueberries for My Love.
While fishing J can sometimes have the patience of a pushy salesman, she even asked me why I take her out there. I responded that I do so because she can get better cell-phone reception on the lake, and enjoy the blueberries that I bring her. Well what would you know; no sooner than I said that she said that she had a fish. I reeled in and started to expand the net. She was fighting the fish and it was pulling line. She said that it felt like a pike. As it came to towards the surface I shouted that it wasn’t a pike but a walleye. We were both excited and I told her not to lose it as it made another dive towards the depths. I finally netted it and we both laughed and shouted. It was J’s biggest walleye ever.
23 inches about 5 pounds
While still on the lake, she utilized the great reception to call dad and tell him the news. While on the phone she reeled in another walleye. I guess that is why I bring her out there.

15 inches about 2 pounds
We wish everyone the best and thank you for your support and prayers. We hope that each of you are having amazing summers as well, and we can’t wait to hear all about it the next time we meet up!

Until then,
E, J, & Loaf