Saturday, July 26, 2025 – Day 347

Saturday, July 26, 2025

Good morning from Fence Lake in Northern Wisconsin—where the black bear is to be avoided and the white Bear is to be adored. You have to listen carefully—they can both sound scary, but only one is all growl and no bite. Choose wisely.

Yesterday was a full travel day for everyone heading up to the lake. Maria and Pete arrived in the evening after a very long journey—Maria from Kyiv (48 hours!) and Pete from Bucharest (24 hours). Just minutes after they walked in, fireworks started going off. I’m pretty sure Maria was looking for the bomb shelter.

The DC tribe left at the crack of dawn and, after some long delays, finally pulled in around 8:30 p.m. The kids arrived in full force—overstimulated and ready to explore, testing their vocal cords and acting delightfully loony. With a good night’s sleep, they’ll be racing all over the property today, soaking up the Northwoods air.

Alex is flying in early this morning from Chicago, ready to spend his vacation working on his wedding ring. It’s getting down to the wire, so he’ll be focused on that priority. Nicole couldn’t make the trip—Snow, their cat, has some serious health issues and needs medicine three times a day. We’ll miss you, Nicole. Give Snow a gentle pat from all of us.

Cindy and I were the first to arrive yesterday afternoon. As always, our first stop was the grocery store. Cindy went in to grab a few things we didn’t get at Costco earlier this week—though honestly, I’m not sure what we possibly could’ve missed. Still, no matter how much we haul up here, there are always multiple daily grocery runs. And when we finally leave, Lis and Steve spend the next week trying to clear out the leftovers. Yes… we eat very well up here. Maybe I’ll even put on a few pounds.

Now for the less graceful part of the day… While Cindy was inside shopping, I decided to take Bear for a quick bathroom break. Poor decision. Bear was doing his usual sniff-and-scout routine when he gave a gentle tug on the leash. Just a light tug. But both knees buckled, and I went down like a folding chair—accompanied by some new and interesting knee noises.

Thankfully, I landed in the grass, so no major scrapes. I rolled over onto my butt and tried to act like everything was perfectly normal. Just a man lounging with his dog on a sunny afternoon. Then two girls on bikes came by and, of course, became unexpected witnesses to my sidewalk performance. “Are you okay?” they asked. I processed the question with AI-like speed and answered confidently, “I’m good.” No way I was going to ask a couple of teenage girls to help me up.

So there I sat in the sun, trying not to draw attention to myself. I briefly considered crawling over to a cluster of small trees about ten yards away to pull myself up, but that felt like it would attract more attention. After about ten minutes, Cindy came strolling out of the store. She didn’t even need to ask. But when she did, I gave her a sheepish nod.

I rolled to all fours and attempted to stand using my cane—but my legs weren’t having it. I toppled over onto my side again. Just as I was preparing for a second attempt, a car pulled in, and a man stepped out. “Do you need some help?” he asked. This time I didn’t hesitate: “Yes.”

He got on one side, Cindy took the other, and together they got me back on my feet. We exchanged names—his was Wade—and he kindly walked me to the car and helped me into the front passenger seat. I wanted the driver’s side, but figured I shouldn’t press my luck. I thanked Wade for his kindness, we parted ways, and I took a quiet moment to sulk over this bumpy start to our vacation.

But the forecast looks great—sunny and warm all week—so there will be plenty of activities to try. I’m hoping to get outside and test what I can still do. Maybe even some kayaking… if I can get in without tipping it. (Though tipping might end up being the only way to get out.)

We’ll see how it goes. I’ll just play it by ear—and aim to keep things safe. Have a great Saturday. Love you guys! ❤️