Melting Lake Ice

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We are quickly moving from winter to spring.  Just a few days ago Mary and I were skiing consistently, but as you can see from these photos, our snow is about gone.  We are looking forward to an early spring, and Ryan and Liz will appreciate a few extra weeks of nice weather for spring cleaning!  A couple of comments about the posted photos:  one shows a plowed path out to the skating rink, now filled with water.  Another photo shows 4 sets of raised tracks on the ice, someone walking, a snowmobile, a set of skate skiing tracks and a set of classic skis.   We hope you are enjoying spring wherever you are!  DaveMelting-Lake-3

 

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First Week Highlights

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Hello from the new owners of Half Moon Trail! Our first week started out with frozen septic lines, and leaky water heaters, followed by two days of a flu bug for our little family. Despite the exciting start, we are happy to be settling in and are enjoying our daily Resorting 101 classes with Professor Dave Ahrendt. We are hopeful for a passing grade and our graduation into Resorting 202…

Here are a few highlights of our week:

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Mabel enjoyed her first chore of taking out the trash with daddy in the golf cart.

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Liz got a taste of small town living when she had to go inside the country store to pay for her gas.  She enjoyed a nice chat with the locals.

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Ryan is excited that his new office view includes bird feeders and frosty mornings.

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Exciting Transition Ahead

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It has been a busy fall and early winter.  We apologize for the longer than normal gap between posts, however, we have been busy working on a transition.  We are excited to announce that our son Ryan and his wife, Liz, (and Mabel) are in the process of taking over the resort.  We look forward to continued involvement in many aspects of the resort, but are confident that Ryan and Liz have the drive and skill set to continue to improve the resort and serve our guests.  We have had 18 great years here at Half Moon Trail and now have the pleasure of watching some of our grandkids grow up here!  Congratulations Ryan and Liz!  Welcome aboard!

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Craft Project

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The craft project for this summer: leather journals.  This photo shows Dave with several guests happy with their efforts.

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Seven Hammocks

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These boys really know how to relax.  Check out these 7 hammocks set up next to the lake.  Great place to enjoy the full moon at night and the loons at dawn, or just an afternoon nap!

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Double Rainbow

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A couple weeks ago Boot Lake had a heavy sun shower with one of the brightest rainbows we have seen.  One of our guests happened to catch it at its peak intensity.  Notice the end of the rainbow is just above the lake.  Thanks for the photo, Kathryn!

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Flowers in July

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The gardens are approaching their summer peak.  Once again, Mary and her gardeners have done a great job integrating color, texture, and shape into a dynamic design.  Every year the gardens change a bit as Mary continues to experiment and learn.  This photo essay will give you a taste of the 2014 gardens.

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Sand Castles

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Sharing a classic lake activity: boys building rivers and floating their boats on the beach.

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Hummingbirds

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During our cool June we have had unprecedented numbers of hummingbirds at our feeders.  Perhaps they were more dependent on the feeders because of the late spring and slow flower development.  At any rate, this photo shows seven birds and there were times we counted 12 or more darting in and out, waiting a turn at the sugar water.

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Sunset

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A guest shared this photo of her parents sharing a sunset.  Thanks Heather for sharing.

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Yellow Moccasin Flower

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An amazing 46 blossoms on this Yellow Moccasin flower.  We have about a dozen of these orchids scattered throughout our 17 acres, as well as one or two Showy Lady Slippers.  Most of our orchids will have one to several blooms, so this plant is pretty amazing this spring.

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Spring Quilts 2014

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This is one spring tradition we enjoy (or at least I do – not sure about Mary, as she has to do all the washing and hanging).  As she washes up the bedding, one cabin at a time, the clothesline fills with all these colorful, homemade quilts.  Each day is a new show with new colors and new patterns.  This was a productive year, as Sarah and Mary made 6 more new quilts.  This particular quilt caught my eye when it became backlit at the end of the day.

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