The Great Outdoors -- With Dennis & Family

This past weekend we went camping with Dennis, Dana, Kendra, and Avery at Chester Woods Park. We had a fantastic time -- Sammy really enjoyed roughing it. The weather was perfect...low humidity, cool. Conversation around the campfire was a delight. Dennis has a wonderful family (we wish Benton could have made it).

Sammy (inside) shows Kendra and Avery his Eureka! Timberline-4 tent

Dennis wowed us with his outdoors cooking prowess...

Good eats!

Dennis playing the uke...

Winter in July at the Byron Good Neighbor Days...

This year Dennis and Dana invited us to the Byron Good Neighbor days again. There was a spectacular parade and fireworks. Global warming took the day off as temperatures were in the high 50s (in July...thought this is Minnesota). Dana, Benton, and Kendra were in their church's "kitchen band" which won first place in the parade. We bundled up later at night for the fireworks. Byron is a nice place, full of friendly people.

Waiting for the parade to start...

Dennis and Avery...

Dana, Benton, and Kendra all took part in the kitchen band...

...which won first place...

Kendra waves as she and Dana pass by...

A RCTC representative tries to recruit Avery and Sammy...

Despite what this photos suggests,

Boy Scouts are NOT a paramilitary organization...

The helmet-less Shriners...

Should Dana and Dennis use this for their Christmas card photo?

This was taken right before it started to snow...

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - More Pics

Later in the day, we had cake and started to open Sammy's presents. Much later, an old family friend named Yukon Jack stopped by, but that's another story.

Sammy admiring his cake...

He then asks for assistance...

Sammy blowing out his candles with help from cowgirls Avery, Kendara, and Michele...

Benton amazed us with his track laying abilities...
...in mere moments he had a complex layout that we could never create...

Demure Diane forsook Gaucho Grant for Cletus the 3-headed cactus...

Jilted by Diane the Demure...
...a sad Gaucho Grant faded away into the sunset...

Byron Good Neighbor Days...

This past Friday night, Sammy took Linda with us to Byron. Dennis and his family (wife Dana, children Benton, Kendra, and Avery) had invited us attend the "Byron Good Neighbor Days." Dana's parents from La Crosse were also there.

It was a spectacular event. The weather was excellent. First was a parade which had everything from Shriners on motorcycles to a live band. As the participants went by, they tossed candy--tons of it--to the children on the sides. After the parade we went to watch the fireworks.

Sammy, Avery, and Dennis await the parade...
...as Kendra's grandparents look on from behind...

Benton was kind enough to give Avery and Sammy a ride to the parade...

A family affair walked by...
...the family that politicizes together...
...stays together...
...so long as everyone stays in the same political party...

Avery shared her sun-brella with Sammy...
...her grandfather is to Sammy's left...

The front of the parade as it approached...

The latest addition to...
Byron Fire Department (BFD)...
Engine 503...
Ladder #1...

Sammy running loose in the street for candy...
...what is more disturbing?....
(1) Sammy is loose in the street by himself....
--or--
(2) We were photographing our son loose in the street...

Shriners on motorcycles...
...we were amazed by their driving...

Signs of the times?
...Obama's signs are the smallest...

The parade group of the day...
Christ Lutheran Church's...
Lawn Chair Brigade...

On a sea of black asphalt...
...with meticulous precision and impeccable rhythm...
...the Lawn Chair Brigade demonstrated synchronized group manoeuvres...
...on a scale not seen since...
...Esther William's synchronized swimming movies...
(for those of you who have no idea...go here and skip ahead to the 1 minute mark)

Dana in the Lawn Chair Brigade...

Troy with his son Joshua...
...wonder what he looks like? We did too until this past Friday...
...Dennis' shirt became a magnet for all the political stickers given to the kids...

Linda blowing bubbles with Avery...

Sammy serenades Linda and Dennis with the "Ballad of Davey Crocket"...

Dennis temporarily detained a firefly...
...which amazed Sammy to no end...

Benton, Kendra, Avery, and Sammy await the fireworks...

Ooh...ahhhh....wow....

The Case of the Mysterious Dancing Porcupine...

Not too long ago we went to Zollman Zoo in Byron with Linda, Dennis, his wife Dana, and children Benton and Avery. We had no idea such a wonderful park/zoo was only minutes away from Rochester. It was a great day, though a porcupine who was doing strange dancing seemed to bring in some rainclouds just as we were leaving.

A goat...

Michele posing by a fence...

A bunch of buffalo banter about boisterous bison...

Work on an expansion to the zoo...

Avery, Benton, and Sammy look at a calf...

Dennis, Linda, Sammy, Dana, and Avery look at an American badger...
...could this be Linda's badger?

Michele, Sammy, Dana, Avery, Benton, Dennis, and Linda look at the prairie dogs...
....or are the prairie dogs looking at them?

Avery, Benton, and Dennis share a light moment...

Friend of the animal kingdom, Sammy is all smiles...

A big turkey...

The donkey, Michele, and Sammy...

Benton and Avery...

A mysterious porcupine who kept dancing like this the entire time we were there...

A three man performance of the porcupine dance...
...from left to right....Dennis, porcupine, and Sammy...

Sammy is off to the next animal event...