After our Alaskan Adventures, we headed back to Black River Falls, Wisconsin to be with my parents. My mom had just been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer, and we wanted to spend some time with them. We parked the APPLE in their front yard and used that as a base while my work-life kicked back into high gear. I was grateful for all the work. After taking the summer off, we needed to replenish the bank account!
My parents have been married for 55 years and have lived in the same house for over 54 years, so it really is home for all of us. They have 120 acres of land, mostly wooded with a creek running through it. It was fun to take lots of walks on the trails my dad keeps cleared.
My mom's spirits were good, and she felt good enough to play games with us. We taught them how to play Mexican train, and they caught on quickly. They really didn't need us to help with anything, but we were there for emotional support and entertainment.
My home town of Black River Falls has a population of about 3,500. Tom, who is from Ely, MN, and I actually met at a cabin on the banks of the Black River in 1968. (We were best friends for 13 years before we got together in a romantic relationship--but that's another story for a different time.) My dad took us for a boat ride on the river past the place that we met. It brought back some great memories, and we always love to be on the water.
My dad, Ken, is in great shape. He cuts wood, hikes, hunts, golfs, fishes and keeps active all the time. There are a lot of deer in his woods, and he still bow hunts. This year he got a buck with his bow. There was such an over abundance of deer in Wisconsin this year that they had an additional early rifle season for antlerless deer only and many extra tags. My brother, Irwin, joined my dad for the hunt and Tom played 'dog.' Dad got 3 deer and Irwin got 1 with their rifles in the short season in October. Later during the regular rifle season in November, Irwin shot 3, my other brother, Bruce, shot 1 and Dad got 1 more. What a remarkable year! They filled a couple of freezers and sent lots home with Bruce to his home in Colorado. It's a good thing we all enjoy venison a lot!
We also had a chance to visit with Tom's family in northern Minnesota. Tom's daughter, Lisa, had just purchased her first home in Eveleth, MN. She was excited to have her own home. Her mom, Susan, is a real estate agent in the area and had spotted a good deal for her. Lisa's daughter, Morgan, was excited to have her own yard to play in, too. It was fun to visit with them. Morgan grows and changes a lot between our visits, so it is always interesting to find out her latest discoveries and talents.
Morgan started kindergarten in the fall at a private church school. She is quite a handful, and the smaller class sizes should be good for her (and her teachers). She is bright, inquisitive and artistic. She even helped Grandpa Tommy put together the new book shelves we bought her for her room.
Fall in the midwest is usually a time of kaleidoscopic colors. We parked the APPLE in the yard at our cabin on Shagawa Lake near Ely and watched Mother Nature's show unfold. Three of Tom's four siblings and his parents all live within 5 miles of our cabin so it is a great location for catching up with family.
Tom & I both went up at the end of September for a visit. He went back up a couple more times while I was on business trips. We had a great time visiting with his family--they are all delightful people. The fall is such a wonderful season in Ely--no mosquitos!
Tom enjoyed fishing and hunting with his Dad and brothers while he was in Ely. And of course, we both were fed some delicious meals! Thanks to you all! We also had a new metal roof put on the cabin. Hopefully, the snow will slide off it while we're gone instead of piling up. (I wonder if we should spray it with Pam?)
In early November I went to Newport Beach, CA for a week-long program to become a certified Angel Therapy Practitioner or 'ATP' for short. Dr. Doreen Virtue led us through a training program of spiritual growth and connection. Being an ATP is similar to being a spiritual counselor. We increased our abilities to hear Divine Guidance and to know what our purpose in life is, so that we can help ourselves and others to heal and grow. It was a week of profound experiences. I made some wonderful new friends at 'Angel Camp' as we fondly nicknamed it. (For those of you who are interested in the spiritual side of our journey and our work, send us an email and we'll fill you in on those aspects.)
In late November my brother, Bruce Stenulson, and his wife, Mary, drove back from Fairplay, Colorado for deer season and Thanksgiving. Our sons and their significant others drove down from the Minneapolis area. My brother, Irwin, his son, Jamie, and Jamie's wife, Keelie, and daughter, Kiya, drove up from the Madison, WI area. My aunt, Verna, joined us for the day, too, so we had quite a crew together for the holiday. It was wonderful! What follows is the 'family album' of pictures from that day.
During November it had gotten abnormally cold and snowy in Wisconsin. The APPLE was snowed on several times and the temps had dropped to 3 degrees with windchills about -20 degrees! Brrrr!! Even with our heaters on and the good insulation we have in our rig, the pump froze. Once we got it thawed out, we drained the rig and put antifreeze in the lines. I had a class in New York cancel the first week of December, and it opened up a 6-day window of opportunity for us to head south. Another winter storm was on its way, and we decided to head south while we still could get out of my folks yard! My mom was still holding her own pretty good, so even though it was hard to leave, we headed on down the road toward Arizona.
