The original plan was to make good use of the extra-long Labor Day weekend and head over to the North Shore for an exciting weekend of thundering waterfalls, towering rock formations and other sights unfamiliar to us central Minnesota flatlanders. Heh, yeah… Us and every other family within 500 miles. The reservable campsites had all been spoken for, and Dad was understandably reluctant to drive three and a half hours with the risk of finding every site taken when we got there. Ah, circumstances looked very black indeed, but then, staring out of the map, someone saw… (Trumpet Fanfare) Hungry Man Lake! No gigantic rocks or roaring rapids, but a weekend of delightful fellowship with friends and family that I’ll treasure in my memory.

The Manly Art of Chopping Firewood (my Dad, an Expert)

Dad needed a lighter to start the fire, and was immediately offered two at once–the ultra-prepared newly-weds, Justin and Audra, each whipped theirs out at the same time!

They still tolerate each other after nearly three months of marriage.

Sister Amanda agreed to braid my hair for me, as I haven’t quite mastered the technique of braiding my own, as she and the rest of my sisters have.

I convinced Amanda to allow me to post this photo of Audra getting her hair braided, with my own caption. Amanda: *sighs* “What’s one more head of hair to braid?” (To fully comprehend the irony here, I must do a blog post on the Pioneer Farmers’ Threshing Show, at which event Erica, Amanda and Katelyn did a hair-braiding demonstration over the weekend. They got plenty of practice.)

We celebrated Morgan K.’s birthday by lantern-light on Friday evening. Audra baked and decorated this delicious chocolate cake with raspberry filling. Pretty fancy vittles for camping, eh?

Cutting the cake

The first piece goes to the birthday boy.

Me, the official ice-cream scooper, having just scooped Dad his ice cream.

Sunrise over Hungry Man Lake

Game of Tree-Base, anyone?

John defends his tree from the descending hordes

Look! Look! Caught on film: Me attempting to tag Justin! I think he got away.

Labor Day was quite warm, prompting an afternoon swim in the lake. Here’s Justin teaching his dear young brother-in-law a new way to have fun in the water.

Look out beloooow!

A contingent of young people swam all the way across the lake and back again, with a canoe following closely, just in case.

What a delightful way to end the summer! Soon the leaves will be changing, mornings will be frosty, the apples and pumpkins will be ready to harvest… Autumn is in the air.

Light is sown like seed for the righteous
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
Psalm 97:11 & 12

Note: I didn’t take a single one of the photographs in this post! My thanks to Dad, Mom and Erica for preserving the memories of our camping trip on film.