Our Last Summer Stop
Now that we are starting to settle down a bit for the school year, I finally have a few minutes to write about our time up in Summit Lake this summer. This is a bit out of order but I appreciate your understanding after our whirlwind move.
It was such a fantastic time to disconnect at the cabin and relax in nature. We walked through the woods, swam every other day, picked an abundant amount of raspberries, and ventured out when we wanted to see people - especially for ice cream.
Our family property has been in Grandpa John’s family for generations, and I think this is one of his favorite places in the world to be. We will always protect this land and cherish it just as much as he does. Aldo Leopold has always been an inspiration for me; when I am at the cabin, I love to read his book ‘A Sand County Almanac.’ We’re teaching our kids to have the same respect that Grandpa John and Aldo have for the land.
Grandpa John built a treehouse just outside the cabin, and the kids love to play in it. Even a tree fairy visits and delivers the kids special presents that they find in the mailbox when they first get there. Hazel was fortunate to have one of her best friends visit for her birthday, and they played in the woods non-stop.
My mom loves to ride bikes, pick wildflowers and raspberries. We had a few adventures heading out on the bikes, rambling down dirt roads, foraging for ripe raspberries, and picking out the best flowers we could find.
Four wheeling is one of our favorite things to do at the cabin. We went on quite a few rides, some on our 127-acre property that also backs to ATV trails, so we went on those as well. Since we were there for a month, we did some nice long rides and were able to see the beaver dam, the Langlade ATV shelter, rode to Fishers for lunch, and saw lots of beautiful forests.
For the first time, when Uncle Ralph, Aunt Kim, Emery and Harper were up, we decided to try horseback riding at Highway 45 Stables. I’m not the best at horseback riding, so being on a massive horse with a 3-year old was a bit nerve-racking. Luckily we had a guide that took a lead to help us, and they did the same for Hazel. Harper is an old pro at horseback riding, and Aunt Kim was good too. Em had a bit of a fear of horses, but I swear he looked like he was ready to be a cowboy by the end. Yee-haw, it was a fun thing to do together!
We also went to the Oneida County Fair for the first time. It was perfect for the kids, they got a wrist band where they could go on rides for 4-hours straight. There was also a watermelon-eating contest, Emery ‘pulled a Mindy’ - long story short he ate so fast he choked for a second but was OK - the kids didn’t win but they had a blast doing it. After the kids had their fun at the fair, we decided to check out Rhinelander Brewery for a beer and some ice cream for the kids so we could sit inside for a bit to cool off. Hodag country (AKA Rhinelander) had so many unexpected fun things to do, I was so happy we were able to explore the area.
What a treat it was to finish off our summer camping adventure at the cabin and exploring the local attractions. The kids are genuinely starting to appreciate nature, and I couldn't be happier about that. My goal was to spend quality time with the kids over the summer, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to do just that, and on my death bed, I will know that the changes we made this summer were the absolute right decision for our family. Hopefully, when my kids are older, they will hear the whispers of Aldo Leopold as they walk through the woods and will do everything in their power to protect our wilderness.
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
