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      Our two largest and newest cabins are beautiful, unique, lake cabins, able to accommodate bigger groups or extended family and have a few extra niceties.
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Uncategorized

In-House Photographer

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Ryan Ahrendt

I couldn’t be more excited to announce myself as in-house photographer for Half Moon Trail resort guests. I picked up a camera at age 13 and haven’t set it down since. Photography is one of the few things in life I consider a passion. I learned as much as I could about photography online via YouTube and Google in high school, and furthered my education with a degree in graphic design and communications through BSC in Bismarck, ND.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Michaela. I am a born-and-raised resort kid. I spent my summers fishing and swimming with a new batch of friends delivered each week. Now that I am a bit older, my hobbies are really just an extension of the way I grew up. I upgraded from a Barbie pole off the Boot Lake dock to a fly rod, exploring the fishiest waters I can find. If I wind up a little too sunburned and have to spend recreational time inside, you will likely find me with a pencil in hand or sawdust in my hair.

If you are interested in booking a session, I would love to hear from you via my email, kayla.ahrendt@gmail.com. I am booking one or two sessions a week on a first-come-first-serve basis, so if you want to ensure a spot, be sure to contact me ahead of time.  I encourage you to go check out my website http://MichaelaAhrendt.com or my Instagram page, @kayla_ahrendt, to see some of my work!

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Boot Lake Spring Fishing Report

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Michaela Ahrendt

I bring you the spring Boot Lake fishing report, based on my personal outings and careful daily examination of the fish bucket in the cleaning house. Largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie and northern pike are the most frequently seen species in the fish bucket lately, with the walleye bite being even more finicky than usual.

This spring fishing season has been atypical, the weather being unseasonably warm early on and hitting a cold stretch later in May. Mid-depth weed lines are beginning to fill out and seem to be the best place to find northern pike. The crappie bite was good about a week ago, although I haven’t heard any recent reports.

Targeting structures like downed trees with minnows for crappie seemed to be the ticket. Working shallow reed lines and lily pads with a jig and plastics has brought in some good-sized largemouth bass so far this spring. A personal favorite of mine lately on a newly acquired fly rod, sunfish and bluegill have been aggressive in the shallow to mid-depth weed beds.

Posted in Uncategorized

Waiting on the Weather

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Michaela Ahrendt

Let me tell you something crazy. My mom currently has around a thousand plants which she somehow keeps alive and happy. Each day she checks the weather and they get specific care which includes, but is not limited to, keeping them from getting sunburned (plants get sunburned?!), keeping them pruned, starting new plants from cuttings, keeping them healthy with nutrient-rich lake water and or fertilizer, and moving them indoors or outdoors depending on the weather. The truck bed is currently filled with flats of plants that our house will not accommodate and is pulled out of the garage when it is not too hot, cold, or windy for the plants to handle. Although mom’s plants are a passion project for her, she eagerly awaits warm enough weather to move the small army of plants into their permanent outdoor homes.

Posted in Uncategorized

Springtime Syruping

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Michaela Ahrendt

With my boots planted in the spring mud, seated on a five-gallon bucket filled with sap, I can’t help but smile. Mom, Dad, Ryan, Mabel, Mary Kate, and Caroline are perched on nearby buckets (or laps) surrounding the cinder-block structure housing the fire and holding the pans of boiling sap. Unlike smoke, the thick clouds of steam rising off the pans are easy on the eyes and slightly sweet-smelling. 

A day boiling sap is one to be relished. With hours of watching, mixing and skimming sap there is time to laugh and tell stories, or just sit in appreciative silence. Seventy-five gallons of sap are transferred from our bucket seats to the boiling pans over the fire in intervals. As the day wears on the sap deepens to amber and careful watching begins. The turning point from sap to syrup is 219 degrees. The temperature climbs slowly: 215, 216, 217, 218 and finally 219. Dad and Ryan have been standing ready and can now filter the thickening liquid. The only thing left to do after filtering is to transfer it into jars and set it in the pantry. It will be enjoyed throughout the year with the satisfaction that comes from the memories that went into making it.

Posted in Uncategorized

Craft Prep

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Ryan Ahrendt

Ryan and Cole spent much of today in the shop getting ready for this year’s craft activity at Half Moon Trail! We plan for around 450 participants, so it’s quite an undertaking, but we really enjoy providing a unique experience for our guests each summer.  Thanks, Cole, for all your wonderful help!

Posted in Uncategorized

Winterizing Gardens

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Ryan Ahrendt

First off, we apologize for the long delay in posting updates on the happenings at Half Moon! It was a busier spring than usual with the new cabin, and the summer and early fall has flown by like a flash! Things have slowed down a bit, and we feel we can finally start posting a little more regularly now.

Fall at the resort is beautiful, and a time that our family thoroughly enjoys. Mom (Mary), myself, and our garden crew were hard at work this past week working on the gardens.  We go through the gardens in the fall, making note of plants that did well, some others that didn’t, and things we would like to try next season.  It’s also a time that we split perennial plants that have grown too large for their current spot in the garden, which is what we are doing in the last photo below. Lastly, we put the gardens to bed for the winter. The first two photos are before and after we have winterized one of the gardens. Winterizing requires cutting most of the perennial plants down, pulling the annuals, and saving any bulbs that we take inside to replant next season. All of plants that we pull or cut are then composted, making nutrient rich compost for adding to the gardens in future years.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Sneak Peek

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Ryan Ahrendt

We’re heading into the home stretch of our spring work and tying up a lot of loose ends.  Cabin 19 was fitted with its carpet today and furniture delivery is set for Monday!  It has been a fun project, but we’re looking forward to its completion.  The pool got a face lift back in the fall with a new liner and skirt of concrete, and Ryan and Dave have finished installing the fence around the pool.  We decided to change the fence so it just surrounds the pool area, and no longer the courtyard.  We’re loving the change and hope you’ll enjoy it, as well!  We’ve a

Posted in Uncategorized

Taking the Docks Out

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Ryan Ahrendt

Yesterday, Dave and Ryan pulled the docks out of the water.  This is generally one of the last things to do to get the resort ready for the winter.  They had the cutest audience, and Mary Kate even took her maiden voyage on the Bobcat!
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Posted in Uncategorized

“Waking up” the plants

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Ryan Ahrendt

Over the years, mom has gradually “wintered over” (is that how you say it?) many of our plants in the lodge. They don’t require much attention through the winter, but come March, we start to help them wake up a bit in anticipation of the summer. We all worked to water, fertilize, prune, and check for bugs today! Even our little Mabel and Mary Kate got in on the action. Plants-1 Plants-4Plants-3Plants-2

Posted in Uncategorized

Remnants of Summer

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Ryan Ahrendt

After the last week of temperatures well below zero, I thought everyone would enjoy a few photos to remind us that, despite our current frozen state, summer will come once again and be delightfully warm, and full of exciting adventures at the lake!

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Don’t worry mom, I’ve only had 6 bags of kettle corn…
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Hard at work on their walking stick

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Carpetball Tournament
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Feeding the fish is a favorite activity of the little resort go-ers

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No! You don’t say…They did what?
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2015’s Craft Activity – walking stick

P.S. – Thanks to Justin at Bees Knees Photography for the pictures! They are good friends of ours and we were honored to have them here this past summer to take some photographs for us. If you would like to check out some of their photos, feel free at www.bees-kneesphoto.com. For those of you who would like to see some pictures of our daughter Mabel when she was a wee tot, scroll down on the first page (of the above link) and you will find a photo of her taking a bite of avocado for the first time…quite humorous!

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Frosty Boot Lake

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Ryan Ahrendt

As the sun slowly burned through the heavy steam rolling off the lake this morning, thirty to forty swans appeared on the east side. This time of year, they migrate through this area and we often see this many until the lake freezes over. Last night, the temps dropped down to about 10 degrees and made a little ice along the shore. It won’t be long and we’ll be making a rink and playing hockey!

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Posted in Uncategorized

A new birthday to celebrate!

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Ryan Ahrendt

Our little family has grown!   Much to my (Liz’s) surprise (I was CONVINCED the baby was a boy), our precious little Mary Kate (we’ll call her by both names) was born on Thursday evening, August 6th, at 8:05 pm.  She weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. and is a chunky little babe.

We brought Mary Kate home on Friday afternoon, and she made her debut during the pool contest.  She is extremely loved by Mabel, and we just adore her mushy little self.

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Posted in Uncategorized

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