Travelling Lumsdens

April Fool’s Day and a freezing rain storm! No, really… April 1st saw SRCE classes cancelled due to poor road conditions and I spent the day on the computer updating files and making web updates. I finally got some outstanding work done in regard to “Gallery” for trips dated back over a year. A fairly productive lead into a long holiday break (Thursday was a PD / PT Day).

April 2nd we hopped in the vehicles after school and pointed westward to Halifax for an evening out with the gang… the destination being Neptune’s production of Come From Away. All hands were more than impressed with the event. It was a step back in time for us… brought on all the “feels” of those tumultuous days post 9/11, and how things were about to change forever. Wonderful blend of song, humour and tears! Glad to have taken it in 🎭.

Easter isn’t quite right without our trek to PEI to hang with Janie’s family. As per usual, their home and our gracious hosts absorbed 10 extra guests like there was nobody around. Kids enjoyed seeing cousins, adults connected and checked in… always a good thing. We got some guitar playing in, siblings had fun on a little Saturday Farmers Market shopping and the weekend began and ended with freezing rain warnings. Popped in (above) our group photo for this great weekend. As always… huge gratitude to the MacKinnon’s for opening their home and allowing this long standing tradition to continue 💓!

Mid-week early in April saw an overnight at Camp Lumsden while Janie was Techsploring! Then attention quickly turned to matters at home, as Janie and Laura eyed 204 Cloverville outdoor improvement possibilities on the second weekend of the month. With Laura’s arrival approaching, I assembled two new Adirondack chairs for the back. The girl’s followed up by hitting the yard hard on Friday, Saturday and Sunday trimming, leveling, and dispatching of years of overgrowth while evenings doing research / planning and costing options. Lots of elbow grease!!! Really, although still chilly, a great bug-free / comfortable time of year for being outdoors.

Meanwhile, I started work over multiple visits at Camp Lumsden… which included a huge swath of seasonal chores (screens, wood stores, raft, trails, brush burning, etc) so big set-up weekends for some upcoming projects. Winter seems to have held on a little longer this year, with dwindling clumps of snow covering plants beds and forest trails, still to melt. On this year’s project list is the long awaited “Sauna/Bunkie” combo building to overlook the cove. Framing began in April (base) after getting a decent set of plans / materials list in place. April saw some initial power tool use in our quiet corner of the lake and shopping for the appropriate window / door systems. So far, so good!!!

The last weekend of the month was dedicated to a project at home in Canso. The gang assembled, after a series of planning messages / texts to gather tools / supplies, at my parent’s place to erect a deer fence around Aunt Sis’ garden. Trying to end the “big dinner” they’ve been having on bulbs in the plot. Pretty big job, as the “auger” was very helpful but a bit of a beast to manhandle. We had a couple of “tosses” as the machine fetched up in that rocky Canso soil and some aches and strains in places I never knew existed. Got it done by about noon on Sunday though. Love a project that starts and ends! In so many ways, April was a busy month.

A friend at school asked if I had a map with pins stuck in it that would indicate places we had visited over our travels. With having no such item, I decided that perhaps a solution online might be available. Voila… VisitedPlaces.com. Neat little virtual solution that becomes entirely sharable and easily updatable (below).

Oh… and how the visual is absolutely telling in regard to our travel. Entirely North America and Europe, which sent me pondering. I suggest, since we are teachers and a significant portion of our travel opportunity is on “time constrained breaks’, that transport time to regions such as Asia and South America make those options less attractive. However, with retirement nearing, that spinning globe really shines a light on areas we haven’t been able to incorporate to date. Light bulbs going on and maybe we’re ready, as travellers, to expand our boundaries and explore further abroad. Stay tuned!!!

“Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.” ~Anthony Bourdain

March Break has been “the” travel opportunity for us for almost two decades… we haven’t missed many!!! Although school, reports, and IPP Meetings figured prominently at work, much of the extra time at home was prepping for break. Thus, this monthly post links to our blog for Balkans ’26 and the incredible trip we had in Europe.

Just days away from travel time we were still putting last minute effort & preparation into the many details a trip abroad requires. Research, tech tune up, attraction tix, lodging reservations, incorporating the tips / tricks from others and transport specifics were examined and double checked for end of the week travel. We know now to ready / steady ourselves, as our style of visit is both physically and mentally demanding in our drive to wring every bit of learning from time away, and do this by being prepared!

Friday before break saw us commute to Halifax Stanfield International for all points beyond. We blogged our winding path for the next nine days as we explored the history & culture / geography & architecture of the sometimes forgotten Balkans of southeastern Europe. If our trip is any indication, it may not be forgotten for long!!! You can still read, enjoy the photos or even drop a comment at Balkans ’26! We thrive on the questions and feedback 🤓.

On return, we took almost a week to get back to normal and shake the time change woes. I like to call it “post-travel withdrawal”. We move in “high gear” during the break week and it is totally absorbed in the new environment and processes required for travel. I guess, if I was to use a sports analogy, we “leave it all on the ice”! It’s a crash when it ends and the feet cross the threshold at home… after the folk festival we call it the “Big Empty”.

Camp Lumsden saw no action beyond sporadic photos via TrailCam and reports on conditions from Cooeycoff contacts. Fishing season is just around the corner, but with remnant ice still in place, it will prove a slow start. Hoping that April proves a much better month for visits!

The month ended with a group “session” at Troy’s the included most of the usual suspects. Got to tour the DeCoste Centre, attend afternoon tunes at The Dock, visit with Andrew and frolic in an evening of music of our own making. Great night for the “Circle of Boots” gang. Thanks so much to the Greencorn’s for hosting!

“February is the uncertain month, neither black nor white but all shades between by turns. Nothing is sure.” ~ Gladys Hasty Carroll

I guess I agree with Gladys, it seems February was kind of “wrangy”! Yo-yo weather patterns, strange range of activities, work-a-day / holiday / snow day routines, flashes of time with family and friends mixed with runs of solitude, the quiet of a drive and the ebb and flow of the Olympics… the shortest month sure tested us in almost all ways. I’ll try and shake this out with just the right amount of detail.

Lots of snow for a first weekend of February visit to Camp Lumsden. It was almost a total redo of the prior weekend, requiring shovelling of parking space all the way to removing snow from the solar panels. The benefits, however, were just as keen with great snowshoe conditions and quiet evenings by the fire. Perhaps a few more of those can be snuck in prior to the collapse of weight bearing ice in the spring.

Health “matters” became thematic during the second week of February, with several of my closest undergoing hospitalization and even major surgery. Lots of checking in, several visits and family communication / navigation rounded out the week. In the foreground, prognosis for all parties was positive and moving in the best possible direction. In the back of my head, through all this, rested the notion that having one’s health and doing everything he/she can to maintain is a worthwhile goal.

Nicely timed, the NS Heritage Day Weekend rolled out mid-month and we were lucky enough to have Monica and Evan make the journey to the ‘Nish. The original plan was a camp trip, but we backed off on that and mustered for a couple nights visit to enjoy a weekend of food and fun, getting out to a show at Candid, outdoor skating on the Figure 8 in Guysborough, squeezing in a hospital visit and, of course, lending an eye to the ongoing Milano / Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Nice to connect as an antidote to heart of the winter in Nova Scotia.

On the heels of another “snow day interrupted” school week, I headed west to a long awaited Mt Allison gathering in Halifax. The “MtA Lads”, as they are lovingly referred to in my group chat, are in good health and it was excellent to catch up. Good food (led by Andrew & Monica’s recommendations), entertainment (Andy had purchased some AUS Basketball Ball Tix) and the “buzz” of the big city had us up early and to bed late! Whether it was pizza corner or Uno before crashing, it was a fun weekend getaway. Friendships seemed to pick up exactly where they left off and we still find ourselves managing regular communication / yearly visits some 35 years after graduation. I have great friends!!!

The last weekend of February saw Janie and I moving in opposite directions, as she took the opportunity to hang with the kids in the city while I snuck off to finish the month at Smelt Lake. She caught what was a very musical Saturday and I took advantage of snowshoeing conditions over ice / trails on a sunny AM/PM. As this month ends, attention turns toward March Break and travels abroad as planning hits the ground and we head, once again, for Europe. Should the travel Gods align, we’ll be posting as we make our way through the Balkans in a couple of weeks.

There are several ways to reconcile oneself with the reality of January in Atlantic Canada. In many ways a recoiling and full retreat to indoors, or fleeing south, make perfect sense. Temperature variation, precipitation in all forms, shuddering Nor’ Easters and the driveway waltz that glides with the to and fro of the “Env Canada weather radar rhythms” are order of the month. Indeed, there has been a lot of snow shifted around the yard this winter!

We, however, started the New Year with noses directly into the wind and sub-zero temperatures. Ms L and I opted for a winter camp weekend, answering downright frigid conditions under the strobe of a Wolf Moon to muster two productive overnighters in Upper Whitehead. Hearty meals, fresh air, chore-based exercise and superb, well deserved sleeping were core to the trip. Great start to the 2026 “camp season”.

And, of course, no January seems complete without what’s become an annual gathering for a Rankin’s Winter Warmer. We get to hang with the Chittys and the rest of the Stanfest family as well as connect with the kids / their friends. They include us in the weekend festivities like a favorite sweater that belongs to your Dad❤️. Music, food, and laughter ruled a fun Halifax weekend… privileged to be part of it all! Our rainy day “Big Brunch” at the Bluenose before home seems to be a real hit as we maxed out some seating for our group of eight (see pic).

What else 🤔? Ah… we organized another late month session with guitar, grub and Guinness to round out the “bring it” theme. The lads were in great form and although I’m super rusty, it’s always great fun to share a tune or add something complementary for another. Good for the soul… and hopefully a healing moment for the ills we carry. Some “tech” at this session… a few microphones set up, boys sharing pedal options, and we tracked the majority of songs sung so Troy could build a nifty Spotify playlist (now we could all snag a piece of the fun whenever there was a bunch of downtime). A very solid session! As Troy said post ditty, “My cup is full”!

Whoa… and a super “whomp” of snow in the last week of January where we missed two days of school. It was a very different storm. We are used to getting big snowfalls when the temperatures are close to 0°C, but this was an arctic snowfall with double digit below zero temps and light, fluffy snow. Made clean up easier on both myself and the gear. Janie ended up with an interrupted exam week and gotta say my merry gang were a bit out of sync as well. But hey… we go years without many snow days at all so we’re okay with the broken routine.

As for camp… we snuck in one more visit at the end of month when ice safety returned. It takes lots of extra work this time of year… from shovelling a parking spot / around camp to lugging wood and clamouring about with snowshoes. Camp Lumsden is so photogenic with freshly fallen snow and, in our case, full moons on our first and last visits of the month. Excellent challenge… with a lot calories burned up and fresh air in the lungs. So worth all the effort though, and when Janie and I return we’re dragging our butts! Great way to end a month of chilly temps, nestled in the confines of Smelt Lake.

December is fraught with traditions… some mandatory and others optional. We readied for the imminent arrival of snow with shovels / salt / snowblower taking poll position on the back porch. Of course there is the bracing for life at school, where young minds veer to Santa, holidays, presents and busted routines. It’s not an easy time for a lot of kids! Speaking of kids… we would also see our annual pre-Xmas Lumsden Mafia gathering roll out as our gang assembled on the Eastern Shore for a couple of nights of fun & games. Such was December 2025 as we charted a course (mappings 😁) to the new year.

And hello snow days… I believe we landed three (3) of them in December, which is a rarity for sure. Although the school commitment gets interrupted, it should be understood that these rarely feel as though they are a break. I’ve come to enjoy snow removal with my friend, “Big Red”. Once I’ve got a track through our space, I cooperate with neighbors to clean up their yards and help everyone secure access to the road to town for work / necessities. By the time that occurs… we are into the afternoon. The shutdowns, however, did give students a much needed reprieve after a long first reporting period and December hi-jynx.

Travel… well, we continued to fine tune our excursion to the Balkans for the upcoming March Break. Flights and accommodations are purchased, so its down to attractions and final transportation requirements (airport transfers) and a couple of excursion packages (Day Trips) that can’t wait until we are on the ground. Visits include the cities of Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Dubrovnik and Zagreb in Croatia, as well as a day trip to Kotor, Montenegro. It is all “uncharted” territory… the more we research the years between 1992-95 in this region, the more we begin to understand the devastation and sheer horror everyday people experienced. It’s a very “blended” visit, with gritty, work a day, faster paced capital cities mixed in with historic jewels along rivers and ocean.

Our annual “Pre-Christmas” gathering with the kids and their partners rolled out on the weekend before the 25th. This year’s locale… Head of Jeddore, out in Ms Lumsden’s stomping grounds on the Eastern Shore. Big, beautiful new build with all the amenities, including a wood fired hot tub. It took me almost an entire day of burning to get the thing warm enough for a soak! Great meals, fun and games, and lots of reconnecting that have become part of the holiday season for our family. The gathering has definitely become an important tradition as our gang get a little older and we creep towards retirement. The plan is to try and incorporate Buzz & Emily next year if we can secure a place large enough that we can still afford 🥴!

Speaking of that, we did a quick run with a few gifts and “Ham Dinner” to Canso on Christmas Eve. Monica, Janie and I made the morning trek over Rte 16 to see the folks. Everything was very good there, with a lively visit that included lots of chatter, sustenance and even a visit with Cousin Mike. Always nice to have a sit at home and get caught up with the latest! With Xmas wishes looked after we turned the Rav homeward in the PM to welcome Pete and head for Uncle Eric’s for Christmas Eve games!

Christmas Day saw the big breakfast (we have an Eggs Benedict tradition), a modest exchange of gifts, and check ins with family and friends. Then onward for a spontaneous visit with the MacKinnons / Eileen in Summerside. Despite some snow covered black top, we made good time and jumped into the pace of that busy household! Loved the evening music session with Pete that leached into the wee hours. Home again Boxing Day, for Christmas dinner with the gang and Game #1 of the World Juniors vs Czechia 🇨🇿! Our eyes will stay on this year’s team until end of tournament.

A “slower” set of days followed, as we hunkered down at 204 Cloverville with time focused on enjoying the kids until they made their way home. We basically didn’t venture far beyond the driveway until New Year’s Eve and celebrations at Eric and Brenda’s on the bluff! Food, drink, friends and WJr’s ruled the evening (big 7-4 W against the Finns). Big thanks for the invite, the awesome snacks that got stuffed in the cooler, and the adios to ’25 / ringing in of ’26. Cheers all…

November kicked off with a bang, as we sat huddled watching X-men Playoff Football 🏈 on a wet, breezy Nov 1st afternoon. Hard game to watch as X almost fumbled an early 23-3 lead to win via a last play of the game field goal. Props to all the kids and coaches there… we are very glad to be able to pick up on a Saturday and catch varsity kids on the gridiron! Feeling that seasons have officially changed as the lakes have finally begun to fill and a new crispness meets us on the doorstep in the mornings.

We were privileged to be able to attend two days of NSTU Pre-retirement Seminar during the first week of November. Information was good, ideas were clear, but most importantly a valuable opportunity to sit with Ms L and think about the future. We celebrated some successes, pondered some next steps, and identified some must do’s for the upcoming months. Even tucked away for a blustery overnight stay in West Bay to reflect, enjoy a hot tub, and steal a night away from home. We prepped a set of goals that would chart the course. They included a budgeting exercise, a focus on investment, estate documents that require updating and necessary “purchases” prior to retirement. Now the work begins!

Lots of rainfall this month. It figured prominently in camp visits, even to the point where potential trips got postponed ⛈ with heavy rain and high winds. Remembrance Day, with its impressive attendance, was bookended with cold, wet fall rains as well. Further, a lot of “inside time” for my critters at school which presents its own set of challenges. Not complaining about rain though… as the rivers and lakes filled and folks still struggling from parched wells found the earth quenched!

We did manage enough of a weather break mid-month to tackle the Stanfest main stage tear down. Curtis and I had Buzz’s help in the AM (Dad had already removed the screws) and we manhandled the plywood off the stage and onto the trailer. The PM saw the stacking of platforms and loading of metal jack posts with Buzz swapped out for Eric & Glenn. Most of the stage had a great chance to dry and MODG partner extraordinaire Mike H was close by for the manoeuvre into the building where all is dry for winter. Start and end… good project!

If one writes, it sometimes comes with commitment. Last January I penned the resolution that “music” would be an area for improvement. This was not so much in a search for newfound ability, but to reignite that special social piece of convening, sharing of song and story, and reconnecting. Thus a November Music Night at Troy’s with the usual cast of characters. Uber fun… stories, grub, tunes and refreshments. First rate night for all involved 🎶!

As per each fall, in our effort to live in the moment, we’ve finally got some fairly in-depth travel research on for a couple of potential trips. I’m guessing we’ll pull the chute before school end in an effort to secure best prices. A US visit (which we would’ve once jumped at) is no longer on the menu! Therefore, Europe is in our sights and we intend a particular focus on the Balkan Region. History (especially the War in Bosnia), culture and landscape are front and centre. It’s a lengthy push to the east, but we’re still feeling as though we can keep up the pace in the condensed March Break travel time frame. Always nice to be working toward a goal through the winter months (our favorite “Snow Day’ activity).

Fall in NS has always been my time. Leaves crunching under foot, warm days & cool nights, set in an array of gold, red and orange that has one wondering if there is anywhere more appealing. Daylight shifts dramatically as the sun’s influence shortens and thoughts turn to prep for colder months. We did get into the spirit some, Janie doing preserves with apples growing right in the backyard and trying our best to touch up trimming around the house while the weather still says “Get outdoors”! Ever present was the Blue Jays post-season run, and a pleasant distraction as it has been some time since they’ve had the privilege.

October saw us spring from the weight of a month long reno and we were so very pleased at the facelift / efficiencies we’d set out to accomplish at the homestead. Looking great and noticeably “tighter” in regard to home heating / cooling. A mammoth project that we hope will set our modest home up for another 20 years of service. Thanks to everyone that pitched in!!! We still had several “contracts” being undertaken (re: stove / trim/ eavestrough) but the bulk of the work we’d assumed was complete 👍.

This year saw more of a convoluted approach for Thanksgiving. I needed to pivot, as Camp Lumsden had been sorely neglected over the past several months and was indeed in need of some attention. Waterline, wood stores and wildlife watch were all on the to-do list. Meanwhile, Janie hunkered down in Cloverville, expecting Monica, Pete, and their crew to tumble through on the way from music festivities in Cape Breton. Big gang hot off some celebrating and in need of a “fix-me-up”. The MacKinnon’s also rolled through tending to a Dundee shut down of camper. Add in some MacNeils (Eileen/JP) and it all evolved into big family dinner with lots of coming and going. In short, the confluence of travel in multiple directions manifested at 204 Cloverville, resulting in a darn busy weekend!

The rest of October zipped by! More camp chores (wood / eavestrough) and house reno (eavestrough) were captured. We caught a “Pete show” in Guysborough with Jud Gunning which was a great evening, also getting a moment to yarn with some Guysborough friends. NSTU Conference Day this year saw us at ATEC and we participated in a day of PD offerings. That Saturday included lots of hi jinx at a very spontaneous birthday 🎂 music session on a fun but busy weekend. Cloverville Halloween, although soggy, also came and went.

All was delivered with the clatter of an awesome October 2025 Toronto Blue Jays run that saw them scramble all the way to a World Series Game 7 heartbreak loss to the Dodgers. Best year of baseball in Canada in at least a decade (and maybe 30 years)! Not the result we were hoping for, super hard to watch, but incredibly entertaining. Fingers crossed 🤞 that the team can survive free agency with core intact and field another contender for next season! ⚾️

As was suggested in our August post, we knew going into September that we’d need to hang on to the reins! With the start of school, siding coming off 204 Cloverville, and the slow winterizing of Camp Lumsden, there wasn’t going to be a lot of downtime. We absolutely took full advantage of what was very favorable weather this September to keep up with the “to-do” list, and on most nights sleep came easy.

We’ve become all too used to what September means in school, as the many start up requirements, tasks and routines take shape. We do have a recipe for that though, learned from experience. It’s so important to take on tasks / duties one step at a time… keeps the headspace clear and the organization & completion in a manageable state. Of note, we did make application for attendance at NSTU Retirement Workshops as we ease into the final years of full time classroom work. There are some days when we are ready for all that to happen faster, but for the most part we both really love what we do everyday!

As for the renovations, our initial plans to farm out the work were thwarted as efforts to nail down contractors / prices went unanswered. Thus, the decision was made to take it on ourselves with the help of Curtis! He does great work and has been around enough older buildings to know a whole bag of tricks for a place like ours that’s 75+ years old. Janie took the lead in “Project Management”, doing the bulk of the purchasing, chasing down orders and researching to get preferred materials to complete the job. She kept the gang at Kent hopping!!! I guess I proved the arms and legs in between, as my skill set is especially designed for demolition 😁. Dad, Monica, Evan, Pete and Uncle Eric also threw in on a weekend or two to round out the siding crew!

By months end (with group weekend work and the evening efforts of Janie and I) we had doors replaced, a new levelled porch & back step, a few “spongy” spots replaced, a mound of siding / wood / eavestrough and three sides of 204 glowing in “Richmond Red”! Beyond that, propane contractors had relocated tanks and run necessary lines for new heating stove hook up in the living room. Progress on all fronts that felt good, and by October 1st we were looking at a job that was closing in on the front side of our home, an attic dormer, stove install, inside trim details and dumpster ordering! A big project from start to finish 🤞 and we were close to the finish line on much needed improvements and impressive facelift for our modest home. Looking forward to completion!

August began at camp with a series of visitors where we enjoyed suppers off the smoker, swimming and quiet evenings on the screen porch. That ended abruptly with the closure of NS woodlands to travel, camping, and recreation. We quickly packed up, after a midday announcement, and pondered next steps. Initially, as it is visiting our own property, we intended to return after checking in with DNRR. However, under further consideration, we decided against visiting lest we be the ones to burn down a very dry Guysborough County.

Never a couple to sit for long, we did a quick survey for an interesting campground to get out and about. Perhaps we might manage a little “bunkie” research. We settled on Norse Cove Campground, on NS’s rugged Eatern Shore. We spent two nights in Nordic Huts, a simple structure with very little beyond bed inside. The beauty of this location was we wound up exploring a variety of Janie’s childhood haunts. Martinique Beach, The Railway Museum, her family home, several local stores… it was a great couple of days of relaxation and change of venue.

In the second week of August we embarked on Toronto ‘25, a group trip to the Six to catch a couple of Blue Jays games. It was a busy 6 days, driving to Ontario and back, via overnight stops to and fro in Montreal and Quebec City. The blog (link above) for that trip takes you on that journey where baseball, meals, and cityscapes were the highlights!

Upon arrival in NS, we quickly turned our attention to the Canso Regatta (jeez… August was as busy as July). This homecoming, where we usually don’t have any event responsibilities, was a great opportunity to reunite with family. We especially enjoyed getting to see Mike, Joanne & Brian who had rented their family homestead as well as our night with Eric, Brenda and the girls on Union Street. We tucked back home in time to hang with Peter / Emilie, as well as a pit stop from Monica / Evan!

After a short reprieve in Cloverville, we kicked the can on another alternative style accommodation, booking a dome stay at Seabreeze Campground. The rental seemed quite reasonable so we jumped at it and expanded the adventure by diverting around the well worn trip down Rte 16 to Canso, touring through the Lundy Rd via Larry’s River instead. Gorgeous afternoon. Arrival at Seabreeze was smooth, and we nestled into the big chairs outside the Fox Bay Dome to enjoy the rattle of beach grass, the rumble of water on shoreline and a fair wind off Chedabucto Bay. Totally relaxing!

The domes are well equipped, with bed, fridge, chairs, BBQ, water and kitchen supplies. We instantly fell in love with it, booking a second night’s stay as soon as we walked in! It was quiet, beautifully set, and cozy / comfortable. We had a great BBQ with the Mom/Dad/Sis/Curtis looking out over Chedabucto Bay! Like our visit to the Eastern Shore, our Canso visit was spent reconnecting via a harbour tour / Grassy Island visit, the boardwalk and playing tourist in my hometown ☺️. So interesting that the Eastern Shore and Canso visits played out so similarly … 🤯!

After a day turnaround we were off to “Chittyfest”!!! Held in the Tatamagouche area, it becomes a stay with friends of ours Mike & Tammy Chitty (from BEd days at Acadia) who have become part of our extended Stanfest family. They have music at their lakeside home all afternoon carried out by the youngsters, but we sometimes play a few songs later in the evening after festivities settle to a more relaxed pace. Pete and John Peter were there as well and it’s fun to play alongside and scooch, adding little bits as I can here and there. Very nice not to be centre of family / friend musical functions… loving the new (and easier) complementary role!

Summer ended with Monica’s Birthday celebration, Pete’s gig at Candid and a long awaited return to Smelt Lake after the ban on woods travel was lifted. Water levels there are as low as I can recall, and I’m seeing rocks that may have never been above water! Quite a summer really, with very little downtime. Of note, as we embark on September and a new school year we are once again tackling some much needed household maintenance, so looking at what may shape up to be a busy fall as well. Nicely, everyone is healthy and we’ll attack it all with one foot after another. Cheers!