It was May 3, 2021 and we were emerging from the pandemic—when last I wrote. Now it is August 1, 2021 and we are…what? I am as confused by life as everyone one else right now. So here’s a back-to-blog-world post about my very own pandemic-free month…kind of like ‘what I did on my summer vacation’ but with the expectation that I’m returning to the new-normal…you know, the socially-distanced, when can-I-take-another-trip normal. Hope many of you had the pleasure of a month or two off before you started worrying again. Between covid, climate and the nazis, it’s not so easy to find that month.

Never mind all of that. For the entire beautiful mask-free, up-home, lake, woodtick, walleye and family month of June 2021  I WAS HOME.

Before I wax profound when sharing photos from out at the old place…or visiting elderly cousins…or getting my road-trip mojo back…or Buddy and the flowers and the birthday, here’s a light-hearted opening.

There are two of us. Minnesota Marge who used to live in New Mexico, and New Mexico Marj, who’s a Minnesotan, but has lived in New Mexico for lo, so very many years. We remain buddies from long-ago Democratic party campaigns in Albuquerque, and later hanging out in the Twin Cities during my bouts of living ‘back home.’

It was a week after flying into Hibbing, Minnesota on June 1st, throwing my mask in the back seat, not to put it back on until walking back into the airport in Minneapolis one month later, and after spending some good talking, dog-petting, eating, lazing about time with Robert, Marsha, and Buddy. I headed out to meet Minnesota Marge at a cabin-at-the-lake just outside of Motley, Minnesota. You must understand, for Minnesotans, going to a cabin at the lake in the northwoods in summertime is sacred. More than work, home, church, school, Vikings games, maybe even more than hunting season…it is sacred.

The sad story behind all of this is the Nesets didn’t own a cabin at the lake or have the financial wherewithal to rent one if we had wanted to, so there is that small stain against our Minnesota-bona fides. In fact this would be one of my few trips to that magic realm (The Kingdom of Cabin-on-the-Lake) in my lengthy life. You can imagine I was excited!

The pictures tell the story. Pale bodies near water. Eating Walleye, sympathizing with turtle giving birth, water and more water. Strawberry-Rhubarb cake baked by Marge’s friend, Mike. Minnesota Lake Summer Friends Home.