A Northwoods New Year, Pt. III

Us kids slept in. We had promised to make breakfast the night before.

My dad had never had a crepe before and thought it was pretty neat.


We used our old Nordicware electric crepe maker. After a few microthin flap jacks it tends to gunk up the batter tray. That's why we're giving it to Blake.

The snowstorm the night before dropped a few more inches of snow.

Eventually we started using the large nonstick pan to finish the crepes. The mound in the  middle is all the batter that the crepe maker had cooked in the batter tray.

I grew up on crepes. The only time I'd get pancakes was when my dad would pick up McDonald's on Sunday mornings.

My dad plowed the drive way with his bobcat. 

While the three of us worked on finishing the puzzle. 

My dad wanted to play too. 

And we did it!

Today was windier than yesterday so we tried out the new kite.

At first it was a challange to keep the kite up in the blustery winds that swept across the frozen lake.
 

Every few seconds Brooke would have to launch the kite for Blake.

I took this same photo four months ago.

Mr. Mike had nearly given up on the kite. He said it was too windy.

Eventually Blake got the hang of it.

We all craned our necks to see the colorful kite in the bright white environ.

Blake was getting good at it, when they asked if I'd like to give it a try.

I'm kind of inept at these kinds of things. I couldn't keep the kite in the sky for more than ten seconds.

My Dad's beer tree.

My dad decided to take us into the woods to look for deer.

In the middle of the forest it seemed like we could walk for miles and miles.

The winter landscape was so pretty.

We ran into a home, so headed back to the cottage.

We came back to warm up by my mom's fire.

A family portrait sans Brooke.

I discovered a hidden hood in Blake's coat.

Back inside I made banana bread.

I snacked on beef jerky, cheese spread and Wheat Thins while they ate leftovers.

It was starting to get dark and the Packer game was over so we starting cleaning and packing up.

It was super windy on the drive home and sometimes the snow would blow up and you couldn't see where the road was. But we survived and made it home safely after passing a few cars in the ditch.

I used to hate winter and always wondered what it would be like to live somewhere where it was always warm. Over recent years I've begun to appreciate spring, seeing how excited everyone gets to be outside. In the summer I want to be outside as much as I can because I know it won't last. I think living somewhere where there isn't much transition you don't have that same feeling when you see snow melt.

Whenever we leave the cottage I remember why we can't leave the Midwest. If we weren't a days drive from Three Lakes we'd miss out on this unforgettable landscape. Whether it's lounging around on the lake in summer, taking a boat ride in fall or hiking into the woods in a foot of snow, there's no place like Dog Lake.