July 15, 2015
We slept in this morning! What a treat! Auggie got his morning walk after breakfast and relaxed in the sun.
We took care of some little chores around the trailer and hung out until it was time to meet our friends.
We would ride with Jan and Dale from Minocqua to Rhinelander where we will meet up with Jeff and Cindi at their house on the lake. We left Minocqua at 1:15 and arrived in Rhinelander at 2:00. Auggie was excited to come along with us this time. Once we all arrived in Rhinelander, Cindi gave us a tour of their beautiful home with a gorgeous screen porch and deck that overlooks the lake.
Their backyard was a sea of wildflowers and native plants as you walked down the hill to the boat dock.
Soon we were ready to head out onto the lake. Lake Creek Lake is part of a chain of lakes in the area. We had a beautiful day for a boat ride with sunny blue skies and warm temps.
We loaded our coolers onto the boat and headed out under 2 low bridges and into Thunder and Boom Lakes.
We took a leisurely ride through the lakes past the Jailhouse Bar–a true northwoods hangout.
We were lucky enough to see a bald eagle perched high in a dead tree. How majestic!
Farther on, we saw numerous loons and their young ones. Sometimes they let us get really close to observe them.
Jeff, with Auggie as his navigator, gave us a great tour of the area as we motored along.
We wandered near some wild rice fields that were not yet ready to harvest and discussed how the rice is harvested. Auggie made his rounds in the boat getting attention from anyone that was willing to give it.
Other people were out on the water enjoying the day boating, tubing, or kayaking. On the way back, we stopped at another waterside bar for a bathroom break and a beer. We motored farther along and stopped at the Jailhouse Bar for dinner.
Bob and I had their Wednesday night special –4 chili dogs and a pitcher of beer for $10. The others had the “Jailhouse pizza”. We sat outside and enjoyed our dinner at the picnic tables near the water. Before we left, we took a group picture to remember our day on the lakes.
It was a 45 minute ride back to Jeff and Cindi’s. The day ended just a beautiful as it started. The sun was low on the horizon, the water was calm, and the temp. was cooling off as night fell. As Cindi said, “from the land of sky blue waters….” If you’re from the Midwest, you’ll know what I mean. How beautiful!
Before we left Rhinelander, Jeff gave me a guided tour of his beautiful gardens surrounding the house. He has done a lot of work to make it look so wonderful. We said our goodbyes and talked about how soon it would be before we’d see them all again in Florida. Dale drove us back to Minocqua where we picked up our truck and said more goodbyes. Bob, Auggie, and I headed back to the campground where Auggie ate his dinner and went right to bed. He was exhausted after all the excitement on the boat today.
I put things away for our departure tomorrow and retired to the bedroom to write my blog. Bob watched a little TV before turning in. We were all tired after a fantastic day on the water with good friends. Who could ask for more?
