April 2014

Ray Bormann, 1929 - 2014

The month of April brought change, sorrow, gatherings, good-byes, all set in weather that refused to really warm up.  Early in the month, Hilde’s father, Ray, was moved to hospice as his condition worsened steeply.  The folks at AngelsGrace kept him free from pain and ministered too to the family members as they came to say good-bye, to spend time just sitting quietly, and praying with him.  He died April 18, very quietly slipping away.  Almost all of his large family was able to gather for the funeral April 25.  The services and visitation brought in people from all over and the family really appreciated the sympathy and respect paid to their loved one.

In the shadow of this big change, daily activities somehow continued for Mark and Hilde as they finished a very productive maple syrup season despite snow and cold, dealt with technology challenges and got seedlings started for the eventual garden.  They upgraded their home computer (good-bye XP, you were great!), learned some of the tricks of Windows 8 and Hilde was issued an iPad from the county.

Mark and Hilde shared Easter with John and Evie, enjoying their company, their newly floored home, a delicious meal and worshiping together.  Before and after the observances for Hilde’s father, they were also cheered and comforted by time in Sussex with Rhiannon and Rowan.  Those girls are growing fast and Rowan’s vocabulary growing by leaps and bounds as she tries to catch up with big sister.  Mark got to do some work with Jim in the garden and yard, so both enjoyed that.

 

The taekwondo front was active also.  Mark and Hilde assisted Dr. Stevens with the April testing, then Hilde and Karen Johnson taught an introduction to self-defense on UW-Stevens Point for the Women’s Resource Center which was lively and very well attended.  Mark and Dr. Stevens traveled up to Wausau to teach a seminar on board-breaking.

As April ends with lots of cold rain, the pure white of bloodroot is still pursing and waiting for warmth and sunshine, the fields are soaked and farmers fretting about delays, and folks are hoping that May will bring more seasonal weather and spring flowers.

Evie and John Easter

April 4 weather delayed cooking

March 2014

Mark and John lay floor

March was a whirlwind month---much happening in the Henkel and Bormann families and Wisconsin did not make anything easy with the third coldest March on record.  In fact, March did not come in like a lion, nor a lamb, it was more like a polar bear!   Several days started at minus 11 and 12 before Mother Nature relented and things thawed a couple of days.  Then more snow and cold---winter just didn’t want to end.

Mostly, March was full of family for Mark and Hilde, with the big item being helping John and Evie move into their new house in Palatine.  It is a lovely split level (houses in that area do not have real basements) and a fenced yard with a glassed in shed for plants—perfect!  John and Evie decided to redo the floor throughout the house, so first order of business was picking up the rental truck and 3,000 pounds of wood flooring.  It was loaded with a forklift, but the senior Henkels kept up with the other three in unloading it carton by 45-pound carton.  By noon, with two loads of larger items removed from the condo, the moving part was over and the flooring was well begun.  Mark and John worked at laying the floor in the master bedroom, and then everyone helped remove carpet, padding and the amazing number of staples in the great room floor.  By the time Mark and Hilde headed home on, John and Evie had moved into the master bedroom, Genghis  was settling in and the first rows of the great room floor were fitted.

Mark and Hilde also got to visit with Jim, Kayme and the girls in March, with Mark and Jim working together on constructing a workbench and Hilde delighting in Rhiannon and Rowan.  They are both growing and getting much better at communicating what they want.  Going to church with the family always makes a visit special.  Mark, Hilde and Jim were able to go to Waukesha and visit both Arlene, Hilde’s mom, and Ray, Hilde’s dad  Arlene has settled in to Linden Heights and is sharing her sewing and tailoring skills with some of the other folks.  Ray was happy to see family, but tired very quickly.

The only non-family travel was Mark’s quick flight to Michigan for depositions.  Due to weather other conferences and depos were done over the phone or by skype.  Technology really helps reduce hours on the road for him.  Mark also got one huge white pine and a dead maple safely cut down and most of the mess from that cleaned up.  

Despite the cold weather, Mark and Hilde finally tapped some 50 trees down in their swamp on the 28^th.  That was the first time the snow was so deep that not only could they not reach the trees on the ATV—they ended up using snowshoes and a sled.  The last days of the month were the first of the very late sap run, with very challenging and aerobic conditions for hauling the pails of sap out of the woods.  But it did finally start warming and the snow finally began to recede so it could be called semit-lamblike!

Rowan and Rhiannon with pink treasure box

Dad and Hilde March 9

Mark on snowshoes tapping first tree March 28

Frigid, frosty February 2014

Short month, many snows

Chocolate Valentines for the sweet R-s

 Snow and cold, cold and snow---February 2014 was challenging for everyone.  Mark was out plowing and shoveling almost every day---especially when the snow piled up on both sides of the back cellar door and refilled with snow over and over.  He got lots of fresh (frigid) air and exercise this month!  This winter is one for the record books, unfortunately, both for sub-zero days and for precipitation.  However, the entertainment of the Winter Olympics made the month go by quickly.

The most exciting news of the month was John and Evie buying a house in Palatine.  Mark and Hilde were able to go down and see the place before the deal became final—it is open and airy with a deck which will emerge from heaps of snow and be a great place to sit out, with a fenced  yard for Genghis. They will be moving next month.  The parental visit included John and Evie taking Mark and Hilde out for dinner on their 42nd wedding anniversary (first one celebrated in Illinois) and very special to be together.

During the month, three friends lost their brothers, and along with sympathy, Mark and Hilde were able to help one of them by covering the UWSP taekwondo classes for her (Hilde five days and Mark one when the roads were exceptionally bad!).  Teaching taekwondo to college students is a lot of fun, and much different from working with 8 and 9 year olds!

Hilde’s father went a little downhill during the month.  He fell from his wheelchair and broke his hip, needing surgery to place a rod in the femur.  His patience and sweet temper are both still there, but his memory is clouding further.  It is a blessing that five of Hilde’s siblings are fairly close by, with Terri and Laure visiting very often.  Jim and Kayme’s Toyota had the transmission die, so they got a Nissan Rogue, between bouts of snow and bugs.  Their girls’ will surely be healthy in the future, after this winter of bugs for them.  They got chocolate valentines from their grandparents, who hope to see them soon.

Even with another 4 inches of snow to end February, Mark and Hilde are looking forward to thawing and the reappearance of the driveway, to sap cooking and tree cutting, to playing with Rhiannon and Rowan and helping John and Evie move---looking forward most of all to spring.

Shadows and snow drifts

Deck of John n Evie's new place

January 2014 COLD

Mark did push around a lot of snow

Mark teaching breaking

Snow on Snowhenge

January stretched out longer than ever in 2014, with the cold temps and generous snows making the month seem to last forever.  Perhaps this is an actual law of physics:  colder equals longer?  Starting with a polar vortex which closed schools and caused odd freeze ups and ending with a second round of very cold weather, January meant huddling down, painfully cold vehicles when folks did venture out and then shortages of propane and worries about heating costs.

Mark got a lot of cold exercise wrestling with the tractor and plowing often.  The piles around the yard are high, the driveway still holds an icy underlayer, and Coffee has decided to hibernate for the winter.  Of course the better insulation for his box in the garage might have encouraged that.

Naturally, in the coldest weather, Mark’s business took him to Minnesota, instead of to the south.  The trip to Minneapolis involved a return through very bad road conditions with cars blindly following tail lights at about 30 mph instead of 65, but Mark did a great job of driving.  The longer time in  Rochester was especially nippy, but featured easier driving.  Hilde got a lot of needlework done since touring or walking was not really appealing under those conditions.

Mark led a seminar on Successful Breaking over in Waupaca one afternoon, which was both fun and informative.  Hilde always enjoys hearing Mark explain physics in the simplest terms and then demonstrate how it applies, and Waupaca Taekwondo has a beautiful facility with attentive students..

Being inside so much inspired Mark and Hilde to clean out a couple closets (taking stuff to Dime and Dollar) and get in a lot of reading.  Those hefty Christmas books were entertaining in the long cold nights.  The snow swirled beautifully out in the yard, and slowly but surely the day length increased.  Hilde’s Dad had a problem with his foot, but is healing up nicely and in general the family is doing well.  So 2014 is off to a good start.

December 2013

2013 angel ornament

 December and the end of the year is always full of family, food , fun and special activities.  This December was especially so for Mark and Hilde.  The annual joker in the deck--Wisconsin winter-- provided much more than a white Christmas with wintery mixes of precip, howling winds and record lows throughout the month.  None of the above stopped festivities.

This year, Mark's birthday was celebrated quietly with a cake at the masters dinner hosted by Dr. Stevens after the taekwondo testing.  Mark and Hilde also had dinner with Dr. Stevens and Karen Johnson later in the month--old friends enjoy getting together!

Rhi and Rowan with toys and chocolate

Mark had NO overnight business all month--that's notable and very welcome.  He did settle a case, mediate another and spend a lot of time plowing and dealing with snow and cold issues.  Hilde did the usual December stuff:  organized fruit basket deliveries, baked lots of cookies, stollen and fruit cake and managed to complete angels ornaments for special folks.  She also spent lot of time on county work as the long-time planning director retired, meaning retirement speeches, plaques and reception and long hours on interviews and selection of his successor.

Of course, the focus of December was Christmas.  This year, for the first time, the family gathered at Jim and Kayme's house.  They have made so many improvements to their house and re-did the third bedroom before the holidays too.  What a joy to worship together and then to see the excited little girls open gifts!  It was joyous and cozy gathering by the fire and enjoying each other.

Sisters rocking out together

Despite John's nasty cold, he and Evie were able to come to Rudolph for R & R for his his 33rd birthday.  Wisconsin weather relented and gifted him with a thaw and sunshine---allowing for snow frolics for Genghis and the construction of Snowhenge.  Evies knee is recovering nicely from surgery on the torn meniscus.  They managed to get back to Illinois (before the big cold hit) in time to see the Packers win over the Bears and take the division championship.  Great timing!

Mixed with the merriment was some sad times.  Mark and Hilde were alarmed when Freddie suddenly lost weight, strength and energy.  New feed, treats and visits to vets couldn't help kidney failure due to Lyme disease.  Frederick the Great was 10 1/2 and sweet-tempered to the end.

Evie, Genghis and John build Snowhenge

More difficult was the situation with Hilde's father Ray.  Another fall led to more rehab and the painful recognition that he needed to be moved to the memory unit.  since it is part of the Linden Grove complex, Hilde's mother Arlene can just walk over and visit easily, but also know he is getting excellent care as the dementia progresses.  Hilde's sister Laure and Terri have been awesome in their time and strength, helping their mother in this.

Gold friends: Becky, Irene, Melodie and Cheri with Hilde

Hilde especially enjoyed the luncheon mid-month with he "gold" crafts friends--many years and memories together.  Then the month closed out with a visit to Rice Lake, to see Phil, Connie, their family and the beautiful new home.  It was another subzero day, but a warm gathering.

So 2013 ends--it was a year of blessing through all challenges.  Mark and Hilde are confident that 2014 will bring the same.

November 2013

Cold, but triumphant hunters

Ray Bormann with 6 of 12 grandchildren

 Despite the pall of despair cast over Wisconsin when Aaron Rodgers went down, the non-football part of November was very good.  Mark and Hilde were home most of the month, allowing them to finish up fall tasks, visit family and friends and cope with work and meetings from an even keel.  The month was very cold in Wisconsin, with much more than a nip in the air—several mornings had starts of single digits in Rudolph and other places were colder.  Snow and delicate frost decorated the outdoors, getting everyone into winter mode.

Mark and Jim were some of the brave and hardy Wisconsin hunters out in the bitter cold conditions of opening day.  Mark got a good-sized spike buck and the guys managed to butcher it on that Sunday before the carcass froze solid.  It is always good to have venison in the freezer for those great roasts and stews:  venison sausage will be coming soon!

Another law suit took Mark (and so Hilde) to Lake City MN on the west shore of Lake Pepin.  What a beautiful area---they would like to go back when it is above freezing, maybe even with some live vegetation and really enjoy the place.  Mark would like to have his farm visits in slightly warmer weather also…but on the plus side, there was no fly problem at this time of the year!

Hilde was hobbled by extra meetings and several zoning issues to deal with, but she managed to get together for lunch with the crafts gals one day and with Claudette another day.  After getting her physical and scans taken care of, Hilde also found a couch to replace the sagging, 24-year-old-survived-the-boys couch which suffered from dissolving cushions and shredding upholstery.  The new couch is firm and upright, designed for sitting, not lounging, and makes her smile to see it in place.

The start of the holiday season means baking and  family gatherings.  This year five of the  Bormann siblings gathered at Brian and Anne’s house in Sussex for Thanksgiving, with both parents in attendance.  It was a warm and delicious day, despite another Packer loss.  Ray and Arlene’s grandkids are all maturing and interesting to talk to.  Ray and Arlene have now settled in to the assisted living and even hosted a cookie-baking afternoon there for the family.

In Rudolph, Hilde has baked the traditional Schultz family fruitcakes and started dousing them with brandy.  Cookies and candies will begin in December, but Rhiannon helped by decorating the pretzels.  Yes, the month closed out with a lively visit from Jim, Kayme, Rhiannon and Rowan.  The girls are growing rapidly and moving even more rapidly.  Hilde is convinced that Rowan said PACK while waving the green and gold pompoms.  Rhiannon is learning Christmas songs and a Bible verse;  Rowan is a sweet little cuddler who thought Grandma’s many chicken pictures were very funny.  It is very precious indeed to see these little ones with their parents in church beside us.

Now on into Advent, always a time to return to the real joy of our Savior.  Every December is a time to  say with Luther:
“Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Prepare a bed, soft undefiled
Within my heart, made clean and new,
A quiet chamber kept for you.”

Rhiannon tasting while decorating

Rowan training with pompoms

high-Octane October 2013

Evelyn, Genghis and John

Sunset at the end of the month

 It was a golden October here in Wisconsin, warm weather for most of the month, gorgeous colors and final harvests going on in fields and gardens.  However, for the first two weeks, Hilde and Mark were not in Rudolph, but in Madison for the long-delayed stray voltage trial.  This was an incredibly intense trial with changes to reports, opponents who were reprimanded by the judge and were kind of squirrelly in their approach.  Mark worked very, very long hours for this trial, but the result was a speedy and unanimous verdict of no damages, so Mark and everyone was very happy (except for the folks expecting to get millions).  The verdict came on Rowan’s first birthday---hard to believe the year has gone so fast!

During the trial, Hilde was able to meet honorable word games opponent Mary G. for lunch, meet nephew Adam for lunch and get a visit in to the World Dairy Expo.  She worked diligently on the church annual report, attended two long meetings by phone and got in lots of walking.  Monona Terrace with the lake sparkling and gleaming in warm sunshine, and State Street just as the little golden leaflets of locust drift down make for a lovely background for anything.  And during the weekend ‘break’ (actually Mark worked and Hilde did lots of laundry and pears), they both got to meet Erich, Heidi’s fiancé—he’ll be a great addition to the family come June, and they glow with happiness when together.

As a sort of reward for all that work and tension, Jim, Kayme and both girls came up to Rudolph for a long weekend.  The weather was perfect for Mark, Jim and Mark’s partner Eric to go to the range, while Kayme got a morning off to work on a presentation away from the girls and Hilde had a fantastic morning with both girls outside enjoying the last of the really fine weather, the fresh air and beautiful leaves.  Rowan’s walking is getting faster and Rhiannon was able to find and enjoy some of the last raspberries—a happy little girl in the raspberry patch.  In the afternoon, Jim and Rhi helped Mark dig carrots, the last crop to  bring in.  Having Jim assist judging at the taekwondo testing was almost like old times.  Some day both Jim and John will be back for a critical mass of senior masters!

Mark took some vacation time to recover from all the long hours earlier:  he spent time making fence, disking down the gardens, preparing for winter and really relaxed, going in only a half day out of ten…very long break for him.  Hilde baked up a storm, using the last of the fresh pears, tomatoes and peppers…that is relaxing for her. Then Mark took off the 25th for a long weekend of family:  first to Sussex to persuade a flagpole to give in and come down while Hilde gathered a few more granddaughter cuddles.  Next was a visit to Hilde’s parents in Waukesha.  Their adjustment to assisted living has been a bit rocky—Arlene has been vacillating and unhappy, but they are safe and together, so the family hopes it will work out and smooth out soon.  It was good to see the lovely place they have there before heading further south to visit John and Evie.

It was four Henkels and a dog named Genghis—sounds like a title somehow—he’s a fun dog and.they are making good progress on training him..   It was wonderful weekend with long walks for everyone:  Hilde and Evie had a sparkling fresh morning at the Chicago Botanic and John and Mark nearly wore out the dog on his walk, plus they did some repair and hardware store time.  Follow-up to all this activity was a feast of chicken, squash, roasted beets and great rolls with some super local beer.  It is always wonderful to get together and hard to leave.

Now in Wisconsin, the seasons have turned:  by the 23rd Rudolph had its first snow, followed by much more clouds and rain.  The bright colors of leaves are mostly gone,  the tamaracks are dropping their golden needles and the deer are running around in their fall frenzy.  Winter is just around the corner..

Monona Terrace in golden light

October 14 Rowan 1 and Rhiannon almost 3

October 23 things got colder

Rhiannon was helping Daddy and Grandpa with the carrots

Sweet, sweet September 2013

Peppers aplenty but sideways

Aunt Heidi with Rowan and Rhiannon

 What a special month this has been full to over-flowing with activities, harvest time and travel, plus some happy changes in the family line also.  Here in Wisconsin, the weather continued warm and dry til the very end of the month, but the garden produce kept coming.  Hilde put up a lot of tomato sauce, ketchup and even more tomato jam, and Mark enjoyed lots of cherry tomatoes in his lunches---when he was around for lunch.

Yes, it was another month of travel for Mark.  He fly down to Asheville for a couple days, spent another couple days in Minnesota (oh yes, Hilde got to visit Preston for the third month in a row, much to her dismay!) and then Madison in preparation for the long trial which will start off October for him.  The trip to NC had a big bonus for Hilde: Mark delivered her to Jim and Kayme’s for the duration, so she got to spend lots of fun times with Rhiannon and Rowan, who started walking just before that and was practicing and improving each day.  That also allowed Hilde to visit her father at the memory unit and to take both girls to visit their  great-grandmother.  Getting to see Rachel Fritz, Heidi and Michelle were added to the fun.  Since Hilde traveled down with boxes of tomatoes, Jim and Kayme had a busy time making ketchup and sauce!  It was a great visit.

That garden bounty almost (not quite) made vegetarians of Mark and Hilde this month:  many delicious eggplant parmesan, stirfries, zucchini cake, peppers and  tomatoes---and the melons, pumpkins and pears were great this year also.  Since the huge fall raspberry bed is suffering from overshadowing by the pines, the plan is to remove at least one during winter to return the bed to its former productivity, but there have been some berries, even so.

Those family changes have been on  both ends of the  age range:  parents and nieces. Hilde’s one niece Heidi got engaged and is planning a June wedding and another niece, Rachel, added a darling little boy, Evan Johannes Nygard, to the family at the end of the month:  .  Hilde’s parents agreed that living apart after 63 years made them miserable, so Arlene moved from home to assisted living and Ray left the memory unit and joined her.  All the children are hoping they will have some golden time together there.

With all that was going on, Mark and Hilde still managed to get to taekwondo most of the time and also to fit in some relaxation, spending an afternoon at Lake Sherwood and another celebrating St. John’s 150th anniversary in Lomira (Mark attended grade school there).  It has been a joyous, busy month, with the colors beginning in Central Wisconsin—such a beautiful time.  The final view is just down the hill on September 27.

Mark brings in the pie pumpkins

August 2013 Action and Bounty-filled

Kicker Cake for Mark's 25th

Kayme and Jim at Mt. Washburn

Square Turn  steam tractor looks uncomfortable at Edgar

Mock Cucumber on Henkel fence

 For children, summer seems long and beautiful and fun, but the end of summer, that month of August, comes so quickly!  So it was for Mark and Hilde this year:  August arrived full of plans and then rushed by with so many things accomplished, but mostly work and little relaxation.

The month started with the replacement of kitchen and entry flooring.  The result was beautiful, but the disruption of having everything out of the kitchen and then having to find things tucked out of the way and even accessing food in the frig was major.  Hilde and Mark tried to replace the refrigerator in a unwise way and had to have the expert come back and fix the hole torn in the new vinyl.  The installation was complicated by oddities of this house, so that the main phone line got sliced in half, the faucet handle gave way on the downstairs sink and Mark had to make hasty plumbing and telephone repairs. At the end of the month the men came to replace the failed ridge on the big shed, so no more snow drifts inside!

This August was the 25th year since Mark and Jim started taekwondo at Stevens Taekwondo Academy.  Mark has continued straight through with Dr. Stevens since then (Jim was out of training for the three years of exile in DC but he is running a taekwondo club at WLC now), so some very special black belts were invited out for a corn roast celebration.  Although a few of them had other plans, having two grand master Stevens, John and Evie, and other friends made it a special evening.  Having all those high-ranking black belts for the testing the next day was very impressive also!

Also in August, Jim and Kayme returned safely from their two week trek in the west.  They had a wonderful time, got lots of exercise and saw many beautiful sights.  Tenting and tramping with the girls on their backs seems to have been very good for all of them.  John and Evie added a sweet-looking dog with a historic name (Genghis) to their family, so both boys had an interesting month.  The best family news was that Hilde’s father and mother left rehab at the end of the month, just over 11 weeks after their accident.  Ray is now at a memory care facility a few miles from home, and Arlene will be moving home Tuesday once the flooring is laid.  Their recovery from their injuries was miraculous.

Of course, August means garden harvest and very busy times when the gardens are the size of Henkels’.  Hilde has been making lots of jam and jelly (8 batches so far) using crabapples, cherries, and lots of raspberries, and put up sweet pickles, beans, stewed tomatoes, corn and tomato sauce.  The corn was wonderful this year:  large ears, no earworm or smut and great quality.  It all came ripe at once, so Hilde took five dozen ears to the school for the kid’s lunches also.  The tomato work will continue for several weeks, as sauce and ketsup take lots of produce and time.  Mark has been hauling milk cans of water down to the lower garden where the vine crops are luxuriant…rain would be very nice instead of that effort!  He also worked hard on resetting the fence, cleaning out the main shed, fixing the water softener and setting up the drip system for the tomatoes.  These are the kind of things both Mark and Hilde enjoy, working on and around house and garden.

All these activities have been squeezed  in between more business trips and meetings, and during some very hot days.  This month Mark had a very long day in Madison on motions, a shorter trip to Randolph and then another long day with appearances in  both Viroqua WI and Caledonia MN.  Hilde goes along to help with driving and to make sure Mark eats.  They did manage a wonderful visit to the Edgar steam show and a day off to Fond du Lac to relax at the Lakeside Park and have fish fry at Salty’s.  Sometimes just a little time on the deck or patio relaxing can really refresh them also.  The countryside looks very festive at this time of the year when Wisconsin breaks out the Packer colors and goldenrod glows everywhere.  There was a bumper crop of mock cucumber this year with mounds of the lovely lacy flowers draped everywhere.  Wisconsin is a beautiful state, especially in August..

July 2013

Our very own blueberries

Small trees, but lots of cherries

Rhi and Rowan visit Aunt Rachel

July is Wisconsin is always full of outdoor activities, and this year was not exception.  Mark and Hilde mowed and weeded and picked, keeping very busy around all the other commitments, but the yield was wonderful.  Starting with a final picking of strawberries in the beginning of the month, they enjoyed a bountiful harvest of tart cherries, which meant cherry soup, cherry cobbler and cherry jam!  They worked together to freeze peas for the year and then moved  into raspberries and blueberries.  Big beautiful blueberries this year!  The zucchini and beans are coming along nicely also.  Pickles and corn are starting.  Gardens are great exercise, and wonderfully bountiful!

The most joyous news is that after over 5 weeks on hospice care and virtually no movement except by the lifting to wheelchair, Hilde’s father Ray has improved!  His vertebrae are stabilized and he is now on therapy to regain mobility, walking a little further every day with the walker.  Since the doctors had been telling us to ‘be prepared’ and seemed frankly perplexed that he was not dying in extreme pain, we are grateful for God’s goodness and that those doctors were wrong.  Hilde mother Arlene is progressing nicely and should be starting weight-bearing therapy soon.

Hilde found that the way to deal with worry about parents is to pray and then go and work hard at something.  So the garden is nearly weed-free, the garage finally got cleaned out and stalled sewing and crafts projects were tackled.  Mark and Hilde constructed and mounted a side door for the main shed (after 24 years the old one had reached the sagging and crummy stage).  Smaller projects were checked off the list also with others planned for August.

In the many business travels with Mark, Hilde has usually found something to do and things to see, but she found Preston MN to be a bit more challenging, being so small there was not even a McDonalds, only a grocery, a big fish float and a small drug store.  On Mondays, no restaurants are open, and the only place for a hot breakfast was the bowling alley!  Still, it was certainly restful, as several nights Hilde and Mark just walked around looking at fireflies.

As is the tradition, Hilde had lunch with Irene on a date between their birthdays---what a treasure long-time friends are!  Mark and Hilde also got to join Fritzes at the end of the month for lunch and a send off for those intrepid parents, Jim and Kayme, who set out for Yellowstone with little Rhi and Rowan, accompanied by Uncle Paul.  That adventure should be one to hear about. 

The scenery in Rudolph is always lovely, but the sun setting over new bales of hay seems just a perfect representation of summer

Sunset over Rudolph hayfield