November 4, 2007

Carlo started the day by working on the satellite. Doesn't seem that enough leaves have fallen yet to get a clear signal....hmpffff!

We met up with the Spelunkers as we passed their hotel, yes on purpose, to take them to our favorite Portage eatery - La Tolteca!

From lunch, we headed to Cave of the Mounds. It was an hour ride and the scenery was beautiful with the clear sky and all of the farms.

This is the Spelunker vehicle behind us! Hi Val!!! Hi John!!!

It's always 50 degrees in the cave - year round. I want to live there!

We toured the cave and learned or maybe we were reminded about stalagtites (tights down) and stalagmites (might one day touch the ceiling). I made up the part about the tights down - hee hee! The tour lasted about an hour and afterward we purchased a geode, cracked it ourselves and intend to set in into the wall when we stone our fireplace. During our tour we didn't see any bats nor did we have the need to crawl or light our own way.

Afterward we took some photos of breaking the rules, good friends and the beautiful scenery.

I posed by a horse (neighhhh). Carlo and I are on a stump which is over the cave we were in. Hey Carlo...aren't you tall enough!

We parted ways with the Spelunkers. They headed home to Riverfield and we headed back to O'Wich. It was still light enough for us to get a few more photos.

Without the GPS, finding Cave of the Mounds would've been, well, you know....like a needle ~

Caving - although toured and with little adventure, unless you count the numerous flights of stairs in the cave - was fun and interesting. It was great to spend time with Val and John.

We got back and went to WalMart and then got dinner. It certainly was time to call it a day!

November 3, 2007

We arrived at O'Wich around 1:00 in the afternoon. Once again, we hauled a full load. We took a cabinet for storage to use in the kitchen and the light fixutre for over the table along with our usual items; our bags - and yes - I packed light and got it all into one! (Let's not mention I have a lot of stuff at the cabin already!!!) We also took the satellite stuff - of course - a small cooler and the chainsaw. You never know when a tree will cross your path! This trip was for R & R. We settled in and then covered the couch - looks awesome - thank you Jackie! Next time we are bringing up a brown recliner. It will match perfectly.

We spruced up a bit. Can't stop the mosquitoes, flies and moths from dying all over the place and can't get them to stick to the bug strip. There are a couple of teeny tiny bugs stuck, but not the once that annoy the heck out of me. Don't be fooled, the bugs on this strip are painted on in an effort to attract the live ones...time for a new artist! After we get the heat going, the dormant bugs come to life and I spend a lot of time with the swatter, a towel and slipper in an attempt to swat them along (or in other terms, kill them!)

Our neighbor, Rick (Lake in Hills) Pilot - this isn't really his name, Rick is, but not the rest - dropped by to discuss paving the road. This has become quite a topic of conversation amongst us neighbors. I think someone might mess this up - and it won't be us!

Our friends, Val and John Spelunker arrived about 4:00 in the afternnon. We ate, drank and played games until about midnight.

We have a lot of fun when we're with them.

F.Y.I. 750 m/L divided by 4 does not equal enough to drunk dial - Sorry Kevin. Sorry Wayne!

October 27, 2007

Written by Katie Hurckes ~ (editted by me)

This past weekend Rick and I went with my parents to the Wisconsin Dells on their Fall Break. We had a lot of fun and took a lot of pictures to remember the trip.

After getting settled we took a trip to O’Wich. O'Wich is Cindy (Rick's mom) and Carlo’s cabin in Portage, Wisconsin. My parents have heard a lot about it, but had never been there.








They really liked it. In the refrigerator was a Hamms Beer. My dad was very excited and drank it on the spot.











There is always work to do when you visit O’Wich! Rick fixed one of the solar lamps by the river.











My mom enjoyed taking pictures of the moss, leaves and flowers.
























This horse lives near O’Wich. He is very well endowed. My mom and I got out of the truck to take his picture. This is the only close up we have of him because the flash on the camera scared him away.

September 29 and 30, 2007

Jackie, Alex and I went to O'Wich overnight on Saturday. We arrived just after noon. During this visit I had a very short list of things I was hoping to get done.
I winterized the hose and the power washer, I hung lights on each side of the fireplace and hung another by the door, I removed and replaced the caulk at the base of the shower and I hung the "Our Family" collage back on the wall....pictures included! Punch list complete!



Alex was busy too...he climbed and scaled and helped move things around. Alex had a rough night when he couldn't sleep. Jackie took him into bed with her and he somehow manage to fall between the wall and the bed but ended up on the other side of the headboard. I think we were all a bit traumatized over the situation. It was dark, loud and scary. Alex was the least shaken up by all of this!


Before heading home on Sunday we went to Wal-Mart. Every cashier on this particular day was young and NOT crazy. It was the same Wal-Mart as last time, but yet it all seemed different!!!

Carlo's friends stopped by - first Paul on Saturday and Rich on Sunday. Funny - we get more visitors at O'Wich during one weekend than weeks we are at home. Too bad Carlo missed his peeps!

September 18, 2007

Carlo finished touching up the insulation under the house.

Our visit to O'Wich has come to an end - for this week. We loaded up the Tahoe and bid adieu to O'Wich. We had another fun weekend, somewhat restful - okay, not really restful, but it was nice and quiet - and we accomplished what we set out to get done.

Rick and Katie were a huge help and we're looking forward to their returning. Yes, there is still a punch list, but believe it or not, it is getting a little shorter! Rick asked when O'Wich would be finished...hopefully sometime before never!

September 17, 2007

Don't be fooled by these bags. They are full of mice bitten duct work and weighed 60 pounds. We took them to the dump. You'd think we love that place. This was our most reasonable trip yet - An hour of our time, 60 pounds of garbage, a charge of $1.65; the smell, priceless!



After lunch at Culver's and another trip to Wal-Mart - yep you guessed it, the loser of the employee of the month was our cashier - again! We picked up storage container for the tools to get locked in the shed and when we got back we organized the shed and emptied the cabin of all the tools. We organized the bedroom and cleaned up the cabin. The more we get done there, the more comfortable it gets.










Later in the evening we went to Tamarack Pizza. Very dated decor, circa Shakey's style 1970's, but the pizza was delicious. We try to go to different places to see what's around there. I think we'll go to this place again!

When we got back, our mosquito bites were uncontrolable and I took some Benadryl!

September 16, 2007

After a tasty breakfast at Portage Family Restaurant, Bob showed up. He said we were lucky to be alive AND that the cabin didn't blow up! Wow!!!! One sentence, two positives, followed shortly thereafter by the downside...the bill! We're happy it was repaired and that no one was hurt. Birds had dropped twigs and debris into the furnace and to make matters worse, the burners were never installed properly. This was done by - go ahead and guess - right...Bob! (another Bob - we seem to know a lot of Bobs!) I guess God protects us when we don't even realize it! At least that's what I'd like to think!

Carlo and Rick split the crib of firewood. They made it look very easy, although they said it was very labor intensive and harder than it looked. We should be set for firewood for a winter or two!

















While the guys were outside - working hard - Katie and I played Scrabble. It doesn't matter who won...it was a good game!














While Carlo was returning the splitter - Rick handled the dis-assembly of the satellite. 'What goes up - must come down.' Looks like some trees will need to be harmed for the sake of the satellite....gotta have tv!









Katie and I went through the food bin and fed the animals. The pile at the left is junk food and the one on the right is feed from the store. The pile on the left disappeared first!









Rick found the culprit to the surprise jungle attack that Dad and I encountered in July. He found a dead blue bird on the floor under the cart. Possibly also the same culprit for the furnace not working. When Dad was looking high and low, I guess he just didn't look low enough. At least there's peace of mind know what caused all the $hit in the house!

The four of us played a game before going to La Tolteca for dinner. This is one of our favorite Portage Restaurants!














When we got back to O'Wich, Carlo organized his tools and I fell asleep. The mosquito bites were multiplying!