Memorial Day at the A-Frame

Memorial Day weekend offered the chance for us to enjoy our most-extended stay at the cabin so far. Don went up on Wednesday, and Sarah, Abby, and I followed (with my kayak on the roof) Thursday afternoon. We three girls returned home Monday afternoon, and he stayed another night.

The big project of the trip was putting in the dock and boat lift -- not any easy task for two senior-ish adults and a tween. Don has been working the problem for weeks and ordered wheels and handles for the lift. They made the job possible, although still a challenge.

Sarah cleaned up the dock once everything was in place.

The project was made more difficult by the three large rocks in the center of the beach. Fitting the lift between the dock and the left-most rock was a tight squeeze. So afterward, Don decided we needed to move the rock, which probably weighed a few hundred pounds. 

My husband would have been handy to have around when the Egyptians were building the pyramids -- he's a master of using levers to accomplish impossible tasks. With a couple of strong boards, he and I lifted the rock and jockeyed it around to open up the space.

With the boat in the water, it was time to fish. Don and Sarah went out Friday night and caught a bunch, including this northern pike. Sarah was all smiles in the bow of the boat with a rod in her hand.

The next night, Abby and I went along. Sarah caught a big pumpkinseed, and Don got a smallmouth bass. Then, Sarah reeled in a huge largemouth bass.

Sunday evening, Don and Sarah went out again, and he caught his first chain pickerel. Sarah no longer has to reach for the dock and tie up the boat; now she hops out and cranks it up in the lift.

When not moving heavy objects or fishing, we simply enjoyed our little slice of heaven. Abby played ball all day; Don spent hours cleaning up the tool shed; I planted flowers and tomato plants, went out in the kayak for the first time, and made my first pizza at the cabin (a learning process without a stone); we had a fire on the beach and went for a Sunday drive around Isle La Motte; and Sarah learned to mow the lawn. The sunsets and moonrises over the lake never get old.