This morning was brisk, with the temps hovering around 10 below and the windchill about 30 below. I zipped outside for a few quick photos of this beautiful sundog before my fingers and camera lost the ability to function. The lake froze over this past Saturday, and with the last few days dipping down into the single digits, and nights well below zero, the lake already has 3-4 inches of ice out in front of the resort.
Like many of you, we’ve been wrapped in a winter white blanket of snow these last few days, just in time for Christmas! We excitedly welcome the snow, as it means cozy fires, warm soup, a bit more family time, and breaking out our cross country skis!
The drifts of snow weren’t quite as impressive as some that made the news in North Dakota, but there’s something magical about fresh, untainted snow covering everything as far as we can see, and seeing the real life “flocked” Christmas trees all over the resort!
Two to three dozen trumpeter swans migrate through the area and visit Boot Lake every spring and late fall. We enjoy watching them glide back and forth in the lake, sometimes stopping to feed right in our swim area! They are particularly beautiful with the fluffy white backdrop!
We broke ground the day after Labor Day on our new, six bedroom, Cabin 19! Here are some pictures to show the progress. The windows will probably be installed this week, and maybe even the roof! We’re hoping to get the exterior all buttoned up before any really cold weather heads our way.
Here’s a few classic summer photos that I couldn’t resist sharing! These were taken a few weeks back by Michaela, our resident photographer;)
Here’s a few quick photos that we took earlier this summer of Tuesday’s activity lineup. Marble Mountain is a game for younger kids, and gives the pint size participants a chance to win some dazzling new marbles. For the minnow races, we use two rain gutters side by side and race minnows from one end of the gutter to the other. It’s a unique, and often humorous activity for both kids and adults!
Yesterday morning, Mabel and I were on our way to the lake for an early morning kayak ride when several Loons landed out in front of the resort. The raft of Loons graced us with their presence for about a half an hour, then dispersed back to neighboring lakes. It’s not uncommon to see four to six loons together on our lake, especially prior to them laying eggs and raising their young, but I have never seen this many together before. I did a quick Google search on why Loons congregated like this, and found this article if you would like to check it out.
Michaela recently took a bike ride around the lake and took a few pictures of the sunset and wild flowers. There are some rolling hills along the ride that are beautiful, especially when the sun dips below the horizon and the fog starts to rise. The orange flowers below are Indian Paintbrush, which grow wild in many of the fields in the area. The taller flowers are Lupin, which are in the flower garden at the end of our driveway. They are stunning right now and have had an exceptionally good bloom this year.
Here are a few pictures of some Boot Lake walleyes and crappies! It’s been a great June thus far for fishing, and we’ve seen some beautiful fish come in recently. We aren’t trying to get your hopes up, but couldn’t pass up posting these 😉
We had a little bonding time today with some of our full time summer staff at the Character Challenge Course! It’s a great place if you are looking to add a few extra thrills to your vacation. Awesome staff and cool facility, definitely a good choice if you want some time off the lake. Here’s a quick intro for our summer staff:
FORREST
Many of the past guests know this familiar face! After spending last summer in Texas, he’s back before starting his “real job” as a teacher and coach in Missouri.
Fun fact about Forrest: He can almost clear a two story building with a skinny fiberglass pole…and he’s the only guy I know who has bought a car for $1!
MANDY
This is Mandy’s second summer, but she’s like family to us, and we are sooo happy she is back!
Fun fact about Mandy – she jumped out of a plane, and survived! And, she can crack an egg with one hand.
ANNALISE
Annalise has been a part of our amazing cleaning crew for quite some time, but she became part of our full time staff last year. We are thankful she is back and hopeful for more great years to come!
Fun fact about Annalise – she’s been cleaning cabins at Half Moon since she was 8! And, as I found out on the obstacle course this morning, she is very fast!
KAYLA
Kayla – Most of you know that Kayla is my younger sister, and we are very blessed to have her living right down the road. She is a huge help, and definitely gets the award for being the veteran around here.
Fun fact about Kayla – She can stand on her head for 4 minutes and 27 seconds! Can anyone say, headache? And, she’s a great photographer!
Kim (our painter) and I put a fresh coat of white paint on the pool today. We constructed a temporary enclosure about a week ago in order to keep the rain and debris out so it could dry before painting. A few more days of drying and we will be ready to fill it up!
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