The Next Snoopy and The Red Baron!

Fall sets in the North Central States (Northwest Wisconsin):

I will keep this very short because after our ATV trip yesterday my right hand,wrist,arm, well my whole body is ajarred! Talk about exerise! Wow you move every muscles and bone in your body that's for sure!

First I need to clear the air here before I go any further...
Someone said to me one day that "if you are disabled you shouldn't be going atv'ing, snowmobiling, bicycling, and more activities like this." Ummmm wait a minute here! Who said that people like me are dead! We are still living here on earth ya know! We are human beings sometimes we pay for the play we did! Life goes on! Since when are you a professional Medical Doctor. If fact when are you MY Doctor? No I do not push a vaccum cleaner, no I do not do housework, no I do not wash dishes or do the laundry, no I do not rake the yard let alone do anything like that or more because those things I have been told not to do them by my MD and my specialists. But ATV'ing and those few other things I have been told by each one of them..try things and if they bother you as you are doing them, then by all means "Don't do them again, you have to know your boundaries and if you don't do them how are you going to find out if you don't." I even had a couple of docs say well at least you are getting some form of exercise. So please people if you think I shouldn't be doing what I have been doing all summer long and you are siitting behind your little desk and judging me for the things that I do, please don't because you have no idea what it is like to be in my shoes. I do what I can, when I can, when I am able to do them. These things only happen on my good days and my husband has to basically force me to get out of house so that I can be happy again. I don't want to hear it from any of you because you think I shouldn't be disabled and that I can go to work. My doctor knows all about me and what I have tried and what I haven't, I am under great medical care and your medical expertise is not needed. Yes sometimes I pay for what I do, like yesterday it was way to long on my ATV, so I learn make shorter trips or just don't do it at all. But guess what I am not giving up something that I love to do just because someone doesn't think I should be doing it, I go with what my body allows..that now is short trips because I will not give up my atv experiences. Please don't judge - we all struggle with our own health problems in our own ways. You have your own and I have my own. I deal with what I can and when I can.

Now on with my week & weekend:

I believe this is going to be our last beautiful warm weather week up here in the Northwest Wisconsin woods! What a wonderful week we have had! VERY NICE! The weather sure was Great! With temps from High 60's to 81 Degrees! Thank you Lord Jesus! We were sure blessed this week and weekend. So here I sit and work on my blog on a nice day outside already. 63 degrees it says here on my weatherbug stat on my MacBook Laptop and it will go up higher yet this afternoon. I hate to see it get colder, it is suppose to go down starting the middle of this week. Ugh - wellw e will have to take it as it comes that is for sure. The leaves on the trees are sure full of colors!! The popul trees in our backyard have practically no leaves on them (messy trees). That is something we sure didn't miss in AZ is the messy trees. thank goodness Don don't have to rake the leaves here! The Landlords are suppose to be doing that all, just like they shovel and plow the snow in the winter. (Maintenance free-you can't beat that.)

Good memory to remember:

I remember when I was a young gal and my Grandma & pa would take one of us kids each sunday to go out to eat with them after church. I remember going to Lake Geneva at some place to eat lunch. Then afterwards I remember Grandpa would drive down the Rustic Roads so Grandma & I could see the beautiful colors of fall on the trees. Grandma said Jesus was Painting the trees. I am so thankful that I had Grandparents that took the time to be with each one of us kids every sunday afternoon. I love them, right now they are up in heaven watching over each one of us kids. :-)

Now the Weekend Fun:

Don made a box for Rusty to sit in on the back of my ATV. We thought if this Amazing Wonder Dog could ride down on a river on a innertube, then he could do anything as long as he was by his Mama. Ok we now have a Official Red Barron Dog - do you remember Snoopy & Woodstock on the Peanuts? Well that is now Rusty! lol We just need to find doggie goggles and a Snoopy Red Barron hat for him. :-) Look for one on the internet for us if you find something let me us know. So here is that wonderful amazing wonder dog of mine!(Will tell the story under the photos now- if you want to see them enlarged for a better view click on the photos and it will make them bigger.) 

My Handsome Wonder Dog!

Do you remember this clip?

I love the Peanuts!

I am ready to go Mama!

The Golden Trail because of the trees (Actually it is called the Wild River Trail)

Rusty the Amazing Wonder Dog hits the spot light on this Blog this time!

We were half way to Birchwood when this was taken.

WOW the wind was strong today!

I Love this photo!(above)

Nose trouble

Beautiful isn't it! This caught my eye before we headed to Birchwood. So on the way back I just had to stop to take this photo! (Near Haugen WI.)

The Birches

Giving Rusty time off the ATV.

That WIND was strong today! Every time Rusty sat up it was like he was a parasail.LOL It blew us everywhere and it was a fight! 

But we made it through :-) 

Rusty is a 

AMAZING WONDER DOG!

I wonder what he is going to do next??

Last Weekend all to Ourselves

We you would think that since we had the weekend to ourselves and finally not go anywhere would be FANTASTIC! Well it wasn't like we planned anyhow :-( 

It all started on Friday - we were headed towards Birchwood and  Don heard this click as he was driving and he said "Lauri!!! in a panic look behind my back and see if you see anything please as he was freaking out. I knew exactly what he was talking about because it has happened many times....and he got stung. So I looked and I said oh my gosh Donald don't move!! Hear he was trying to drive and how can you not move right. Then he moved and the bumble bee when into the back of his pants, you know near your belt loops and I said DON'T move and he was leaning forward on the steering wheel as he was still driving. I flicked it with the end of my camping toothbrush that was in the truck, it flicked out BUT Don moved again and it went right down underneath him on his seat. 

Here is Don trying to drive,steer, and try to pull over at the same time. In the process he is panicking because it is right underneath his butt and he leaned way over and he crunched my arm and elbow in the process and now I have a bruise there. He is saying Lauri move move!! So I managed to get my arm out finally as I was in pain and he wedged out of the seat and there it was a BIG Bumble Bee and it had it's stinger all right and ready! BOY that stinger looked like it would have hurt like heck too!! That was so close!!! 

Don says to me "Oh Lauri I hope you remembered that we have to buy those ATV tires that we ordered." I thought OMGosh not today, I have to pay for my phone bill this wk!! He said not to worry we will pay it on the 1st. *whew* I was happy. So we headed to Seasonal Power Toys...low and behold my front tires were in. They cost $142.00 for two of them and they were suppose to get the less spendy ones and they didn't because that sale was over. :-( ( they were only suppose to be $80.00 for the two tires together) That other was a BIG chunk out of the pocketbook. Well I had to have them because in AZ my tires started cracking from the sun & heat there. So there is two NEW tires on my Polaris 2003 Trail Boss 2x4...we will surely wait on the back tires because they are for sure VERY spendy a piece for them. After Don placed them on the ATV there, we decided to go for a ride. So we went on Tuscobia trail and headed for Winter. Oh yeah where is Rusty??? He has to sit at home until I can figure out how to get a box on the back of mine so he can ride with me too, welllll till Don get his own ATV that is. hahahaha I really don't like to ride double with him on mine because he has a tendency to keep driving and not let me drive - it is mine - I want to drive it LOL 
Photos of Don and the guys working in the shop at Seasonal Power Toys

David Drew, Mike ( not my Mike), & Don

Favorite ATV sayings out there!

"ATVing isn't a hobby, it's a lifestyle"

"Xtreme- lifes too short not too be"

"That puddle didn't look THAT deep!"

"Where did that tree come from!"

"Live to Ride, Ride to Live"

"Told ya you wouldn't make it!"

"What the heck was that noise?"

Anyhow we finally got to Winter from Birchwood...Long ride...BUMPY BUMMMMPY ride - riding over washboard like bumps..yuck those are the worst!! It shakes every muscle and bone in your body and boy do you ever feel it the next day or two days or three days after that. boy they REALLY need to grade them trails soon!! We dropped something off at Donald Jr. & Chrissy's place that she left in my truck on Thursday night. Then we went over to see Don's bother Ken and we found out he wasn't there so we waited for him and so we left only to find him at the laundry mat when we were headed to get gas before going back. So we stopped to talk to him for awhile and then headed over to BP to get gas. Found out it only cost us $4.00 to fill up the ATV from Birchwood to Winter and that is dang good too! So we headed on the trail back to Birchwood.

It was about 8PM when we left Winter and it was still light out, now note here: "We have never been on any ATV when it has been dark out ever. So all the time we have driving our atv's we just never did it and that night was our first. hahahaha WOW it is totally different! Yes we have done it like that with snowmobiles but that was nothing, but as far as a atv...SPOOKY! Lucky we didn't run into any BIG creatures that have four legs! But how ever we ran into a HUGE BULLFROG trying to hope across the trail and a few little frogs in the process too. Don says he saw a HUGE Bunny Rabbit cross right in front of him, but that is funny I was looking straight ahead and I didn't see it *laughing.* Everything at night looks BIGGER and there are certain smells at night that really get to your nose. Of all things boy you sure can see EVERY washboard ripple on the trail..Boy was there an awful lot that we seen and even they look more HUGE at night.*laughing* So we had our first experience in the dark and it was quite interesting but SPOOKY! I could see riding with another person on their atv, but we were alone in the darkness. *laugh* But we finally made it back around 9:30PM in Birchwood - I think it was that time anyhow. 

SATURDAY

Garage Sale Day - Got up later then expected - Garage sale was suppose to start out at 9am but we had a late start because of the atv'ing experience. So here we get out there and Don sets the dog kennel up and a few other things and then he sets his butt down and does nothing, while I am busting my butt in that HOT sun trying to set things out there on the what tables we had to use with tops of storage containers...boy that was work and to watch him sit back and relax really burned me because I needed help. I got it done though after I sweated a lake. So he went out to the main road and put out the sign..5 minutes later we had a few people and then nothing and then some more. 

It kept doing that off and on all that time and then all of a sudden it starts to get breezy and then I heard BOOM BOOOOOM and I thought what the world, here the storm clouds were rolling in! "It wasn't suppose to rain today!" So Dog pulled only those few things in and I said "No way buddy your gonna help me with everything now." So he did and just as we pulled everything back into the garage the next thing I knew it was DOWN POURING. *whew* we got that accomplished just in time. So it rained the rest of the day..garage sale got rained out. We made $62.00 this day & Chrissy's stuff she made about $1.00. 

SUNDAY

We decided that we were going to get up early in the morning if the sun was shining and do a garage sale. I know you shouldn't be doing anything on Sunday and keep it Holy. Well we don't like to do things like with garage sales but we did get rained out the day before. So around noon we had the chance to open it again and we jumped for it. We made about $5.00 and Chrissy made $8.00. It was a HOT day again. The Garage sales here in Barron suck! All that work for hardly anything. I loved having a Garage sale in Arizona because they sat and waited till you opened your door and they buy, buy and buy. Boy do I miss that! Here eh they look but don't touch. But the good thing is after that ended I put all the stuff in a pile on the front lawn and I place everything on RiceLakeWIFreecycle (click on safe link to get to the group). Later that day someone called me and they drove all the way from Turtle Lake (25 to 30 minutes away) and they took everything left that I had out there. So they struck it rich because there was a lot of neat stuff in there for free. I am sure what they don't want they will freecycle it too. They also bought my Treadmill for $50 too - which that made the weekend end with a positive note. :-) 

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!!!