Up North with the Bykowskis

Since Tim, Joan and I retired last June, we decided to spend the first full week of school up north at their cabin this fall.  Paul was invited, too, even though he is still a working man!  This was our only summer vacation this year!

 First day of school and I didn't have to go!  We are ready to head north!

 Golfing at Black Bear south of Hackensack.

 

 We didn't really plan the color coordinated outfits, but, there you are!

 

 Joan - my trusty chauffeur (how DO you spell that?  Oh yeah, spell check will help me!)

 

 On Wednesday the guys went golfing again at a different  course and the girls went SHOPPING in Walker.  This bird lives at the flower shop - isn't he pretty?

 

 Hmmm ... a successful day at the shops!  We also went out to eat at Zona Rona's on a retirement gift certificate from Kathy Ellsworth - our Dean of Students at STME, who has a family cabin near Walker, too.  Thanks, Kathy - it was YUMMY!

 Next, we headed out for a sunset fishing expedition. Will we catch anything this year?

 

                                     

 Here we go - look out fishies, we are on your trail!

 Yep - Paul caught the first sunfish - not bad, but we can do better!

 

 Nnyeh - this thing is going back in the water.  I think I caught him two more times!

 

 Circling the lake we go past Camp Patmos - someday we're going to have the Waterbrooke kids rent this place!  It looks like a great camp location.

OK, Paulee, whatcha got?

 Here comes the sunset - or should I say there goes the sun?

 

                                     
                                     
                                     

 I love taking sunset pictures!

 

                                     
                                              

 I'm getting the net ready - I feel a big one just around the bend!

 

 Here it is - the catch of the day!  A big northern! It's a keeper!

 

 Back home again, the guys go watch a Youtube video on how to fillet a northern - it's full of Y-bones, you know!  I concentrate on more sunset photo ops!

 

 This is NOT a real bird, but he makes a cool silhouette!

 

 Here we go ... I hope they wrote down the directions?

 

 It's getting dark - Paul is very helpful in this filleting process - he holds the flashlight!

 

 YUMMY!  Joan knows just how to fry up some very tasty fish!

 

 Thursday morning we go for a breakfast cruise - searching for loons or eagle phot ops. It's a bit chilly, so we have jackets and coffee to sustain us.

 

 Hmmm ... the loons are hiding - all we saw was this nasty seagull.  Oh, well.

 

 No black and while loons, but we did see this black and white cow???

 

 And, yes, took quite a few shots of the resident eagle in his tree.  We had to circle the lake, though, because he wasn't in his normal perch.

 

 Are you a bit chilled?  Ready to go in now?

 

 Time had to head for the cities on Thursday afternoon for a photo shoot, but we stayed and tried a bit more fishing.  Paul is the substitute captain and we headed out.

 

 The fish were hiding this time - I think Joan caught two babies and we threw them back.

 

 But ... the sunset was really a pretty pink this time!

 

 We played nine holes at Black Bear on the way home - hmmm - he looks red to me?  Oh yeah, this is the women's tee box!  I get a break, lucky me!

 We dropped Joan off in Elk River and headed to the U of M to see the first Gopher Volleyball game using the season tickets that we got from the girls for Christmas.  We won!

 

 Hey there, Goldy, throw a tee shirt my way next time, would ya?

 

This is the Diet Coke Classic tournament, and we won all of our matches on Friday and Saturday.  It is going to be a great season, and best of all, our seats have chair backs on them!

 

It was a fun mini vacation - maybe we'll get in a few more days this fall to see the colors. 

 Retirement is awesome!