SUMMER TIME IN NORTHWEST WISCONSIN

WOW we have had quite a summer in NW WI. we have been so busy with camping, tubing, fishing, and just being with some our our friends. LOTS of CAMPING!! Nothing like camping in the northwoods. That is something we didn't do in Arizona yet. Up here you have to think about if the bears are going to get into your food while you are sleeping in a tent *laughing* and you also have to watch out for the wolves which are in this area. Several weeks ago we seen a wolf up by Leesome Lake about a mile up the road on County M. It wasn't with it's pack and who know where they were, I really didn't want to find out. No Way! They are vicious up here and they are quite known for being a "killer" here. So they can just stay away for all I am concerned. Some people from Leesome Pine Campgrounds said they seen them in the area as well. That is to scary for me! Ya think?! Well anyhow I wish I had my camera ready, but needless to say I didn't this time. :-( Oh well I will most likely see another someday, just hopefully not just right outside our tent there *SPOOKY*. Geez I am freaking myself out here - stop it now! *laughing*

Well we have been out camping with Jim B. (Mr. B) and his daughter little Amanda and we took them to Leesome Lake and we all 4 had a wonderful time there. I wanted to show them the lake that us kids grew up on pretty much all our lives (every summer - our 2nd home). That water is so crystal clear yet today! That is great because the lakes in Rice Lake are just so NASTY green!! YUCK! Who in the heck would swim in that crap! But Thank God for Leesome Lake! I still love that lake to this day! When we lived in AZ we missed going to Leesome, but then again we had Parker Canyon Lake there or Patagonia lake that we could go too. But in my opinion nothing beats Leesome Lake. :-) So many good memories there, so how can you beat that!

Here are some photos of our camping trip with Jim & Amanda (Jim's wife doesn't like camping or the heat) It was very hot there I won't lie but then you have the lake to jump in and believe me we stayed in it all day pretty much. The guys even grabbed there lawn chairs and sat in the water up to their necks. Me?? well Amanda and I swam around a lot and sat on the floaties and got burnt hahahaha. Ok here are those photos:

For those of you that have been to Leesome Pine Campgrounds I want you to know that the water is EXTREMELY low this year. Where we used to go turtle hunting it is just awfully low and it makes you want to cry. Where you see the dock here it is about 20 to 30 feet to the edge of the stairs to go up to Patti & Johnny's. Yes that is how low it is. It the lilly pad area it is really dried up but you are still able to get back there. It is so sad to see this happening to Leesome. From the edge of the bottom of the stairs going up to Johnny & Patti's to the dock is about 20 to 27 feet away or maybe more. In the lily pad area is looks almost dry up in ways, but you still can get a boat back there. Where there used to be a site back by the fish house - well there could be one there again. To my family do you remember when it was just right? Well I only wish it could be that way again. Times are changing and we had lots of memories there when we were the Keene kids with the pup tents all in a row, hahahaha

Don getting the tent set up right or at least trying too.

I'll tell ya I would rather go away for awhile when that tent gets set up haha he is the grouchest man ever especially in the extreme heat *laughing* ah well I just blew him off, he can be a old grumpy. 

There's Jim *waving* HI JIM!

Little Amanda

It was so HOT that we had to get in the water.

This is what the guys did when they sat up to their necks in the water. So refreshing!

Hanging out at the campsite for awhile. That is when Amanda tried to hug Rusty hahaha it didn't happen! Rusty just isn't used to little kids hugging him. Only Mama and Papa are allowed to do that. He growled at her and barked to let her know to back off, so she did and real quick too. It scared her but later on everything was fine and she was playing

with Rusty again.

Looking down in the lower part of the campground (in the bay area for us).

Then I decided to take Amanda frog hunting but look what we discovered. It wasn't a frog - it was a little Painted Baby Turtle. A little boy told us that he saw them hatch up on the shore and he told us he helped them to the water one day. He's cute! 

Amanda is holding the little turtle to show you all.

Now Don is holding the baby turtle. 

Oh the fun we used to have when we were kids going turtle hunting in my parents boat and tried it once in the canoe too. Now days there isn't much lily pads back there anymore. :( 

Rusty trying to figure out what it was! He even jumped backwards to stay away from it when you jerked it towards him *laughing* Rusty is funny and he is trying to find out what all these different things are. This Dog is totally AMAZING though. Wait till you see my next blog! He is quite the adventurous dog! He helps Mama walk day by day but he also knows how to many other thing as well.

Rusty on the dock looking down and wondering what that is moving in the water!

Now to tell you we had the most AMAZING time with our good friend Jim & his daughter Amanda. Yes it was hot and later on that night it got stormy. Which was spooky because a old friend(Jeff) and I were just talking about that one storm in 1984 that hit the campground and knocked & uprooted 93 trees down in 32 seconds flat. Well after we just got done talking about that, not an hour later it started storming! *Spooky* lol We made through it though, but Don & I had a very wet night as our tent was not waterproofed for this season. lol so it was a horrible night for us and finally the storm broke and finally were we able to sleep better ( the next day we bought camp dry and sprayed the tent.) The next day we packed up and we went home and this is what I got out of it after floating on the floaties in the water. 

Boy was I ever SORE!!! It hit the most tender parts on my skin and it was all over my back even and down the front of me too. I smelled like a pickle when I got home with the cider vingear on and I plastered Banana Boat Aloe After Sun Lotion on me - I caked it on. I had blisters and from that time on. I put a lot of sunblock on now!! I had the most rough nights ever! But all in all I got over it and now I have a beautiful tan! I never burned in AZ so why would I burn here?? Weird!

Photos mainly were taken by Lauri, but a few by Jim.

Thank You Jim for going with us! 

You are the Best Friend that we could ever have!

We are family!! Love ya!

LETS GO CAMPING!!!