At Leech Lake -- October 19, 2010 (Happy Birthday Kathleen)

Today is my wife Kathleen's birthday. Happy birthday honey. You're more beautiful today than the day I first met you (and you were pretty cute back then too!). I hope you have a wonderful day and an even better year. I only wish you could be here at Leech Lake with me. I know how much you enjoy the lake, especially in the autumn.

The temperature for most of the day was in the high 40s and low 50s. It was windy all day long, with winds in excess of 15 mph out of the WNW sending white caps rolling across Sucker Bay toward our shore. As a result, Tim and I did not go fishing, but rather turned our attention to the many chores of getting the property ready for the winter.

We took down the tire swing at the cabin, so it would not fill with snow. I cleaned out the gutters at the house, which took me close to three hours to complete. I crawled underneath the house in the cramped crawlspace to put up insulation in the vents, which in the spring and summer provide much needed ventilation to keep moisture and mildew from building up under the house, but in the winter would let in cold Arctic air making the floor of the house even colder than it usually is.

And at about 5:00 p.m. I started dinner. I made oven-fried chicken, stuffing and green beans. It was a tasty and hearty meal after a long day of working outside.

I am by no means done with the winterization chores, however. I still have to blow more leaves off the yard here at the house and at the cabin, put up storm windows at the cabin, and sometime over the weekend or on Monday, take the canopy off the boatlift, pull the boat out of the water and take it into Bemidji to be winterized and stored until next spring.

After dinner I called Kathleen to wish her a happy birthday. She was enjoying dinner with Melissa, Joe, Ashley and Jayden. Apparently, the chocalate cake was a big hit with everyone, but especially Jayden. Kathleen, we'll have to celebrate your birthday in a special way when I get back to California.

Until then, good night from Leech Lake.