Along The Side Roads

Thursday, August 06, 2015

Once in a Blue Moon...

we get down to southern Minnesota for a weekend. This past weekend we made a quick trip to the Cleveland and Nicollet areas to visit friends and to introduce some of the family to a little Enter Family History.

Friday night shortly after we arrived at Lael and Doug's, the Blue Moon rose over the lake and it was way more beautiful than the camera can capture.  That is a gazing ball in the foreground.

 
 
Saturday morning, our first stop was at Aunt Delores' home; a house that was built before the Civil War and withstood the Dakota Indian Wars that were happening at the same time in Minnesota.
 
 

When we take people to this home, I love to show them the cellar.  I am confident that jars filled with each years' home canned garden produce have stood on these shelves for over a hundred years.


You can see the supports for the house; the sturdy timbers still have the bark on them.


Many of the jars have the old glass covers with wire latches holding it in place.


If an inanimate object could talk, I would love to hear the story this doorknob would tell.  It is the original one unhooking the cellar door.  It is the one that women of the house would have used to hide from the Indians in the 1860's and the one all family members used to bring up good things for supper and the one turned when family members were seeking shelter in tornado weather. 


Aunt Delores was a nurse many years ago and her arms still love to cradle a baby, especially one named Henry Enter who is only one month old.


Rickey liked playing on the old swing.


Of course, we all had to pose for pictures.  Here is Mike's son, Brian, and grandson, Mac, with Great Aunt Delores.
 


Jim's family.


Even Mike and I had our pictures taken.


This is a five generation picture.  I'm only sorry that Henry wasn't included with the other Enter men.


The house, the woman,


and the pump all tilt a little.  But we all stand a little taller after a visit.


Next on the tour was the farm on which Mike's mom, Marion, was born and raised.  This building has stood since before she was born.


The barn doors are a little weathered.


All farms need some kittens and this was a good guard.


The wind mill on the cupola looks like it may have been used for target practice once or twice.



When we got to Shirley's house, Stevi and Rickey enjoyed the hammock.  Notice the building over Jim's shoulder.  It is the old smokehouse which is now used for garden tools.  Since the day was filled with humidity, you could actually smell the smoke still penetrating the timbers of this brick building.


The adults enjoyed imagining what it might have been like when the first Henry Enter came to America.


I wish this picture came complete with sound.  Mike was thrilled to discover they still had the old '40 that he used to drive when he was a youngster.



They shared a story about this oldster being pressed into service as a camper back in the '50s when the guys went up north fishing and hunting.  A structure was built on its back and then removed when the trips were over. 


Pretty simple interior, no backup cameras... not even a rearview mirror.


The Henry Enter Family Home


The Henry Enter Family - one of the three little fellows on the left in the front row is Mike's father, Wilbert.


A far less formal portrait taken later that night of the guys hanging out with Doug around the firepit - too bad it was too warm for a fire. 


Ladies enjoyed the porch.


Again, the moon impressed us.


On Sunday, we attended church and got to see many of our friends and supporters.  The people at Our Savior's in Cleveland support our work in Mexico with prayers and donations; we loaded up all kinds of toys and clothes to take south with us. 

And then we headed over to Kenyon to catch up with the Fischer Clan.  We gather in memory of mom and dad.  These are my brothers Rich and Jim.


No, we aren't auditioning for an Opera, just happened to be a sign with Kenyon on it... too bad that doesn't show.  Anyway Rich, Anita, Mike, me, Monica and Jim . We ate some of the foods mom used to prepare and talked about what was happening in our lives. 


And then we drove home - 240 miles.  It was a busy weekend; thank heavens that pace only happens once in a blue moon. 

Monday, July 20, 2015

Another Great Weekend!

This past weekend Mike's nephew, Jim, and his family came up from Mankato for a visit.  Also joining us for a few days was Jerry (family calls him Fritz) and Stacy.  Jim and  Tessa just had a baby, Henry, three weeks ago so our house was blessed with its youngest visitor.  Big brother Rickey and Big sister Stevi completed the list of weekend guests.  I'll let Henry tell you about the weekend.

Hi, my name is Henry and like my shirt says, I'm tough like my dad... well, I will be anyway.  I have my eyes closed a lot and people think I am sleeping but sometimes I just have them closed cuz the light hurts my eyes.


When we got to Great Uncle Mike's house on Thursday night, it rained and the big people were going oohhh and aahhh about some light in the sky they called a rainbow - I guess it must have been pretty cool.  Great Aunt Jan took lots of pictures of it. 


We have a dog named Sarg in our family.  We ignore  each other right now.


These are loons.  They were swimming by the dock.  They seemed to like being in the rain.



My Big Brother Rickey and Daddy fished off the dock.  Someday I'll go fishing with Daddy.



There was a swimming pool in the backyard and a tent that Uncle Fritz and Aunt Stacy brought.


Great Uncle Mike likes to hold me.  I think Jan is afraid of me; I wonder if she thinks I will break?


I don't know what he was thinking, but I was thinking he looked kinda fuzzy.


And I was wondering when my Mommy would be back.  I don't like her to get too far away from me.


Uncle Fritz and Aunt Stacy went fishing.  Big Brother got to go along.


Sarg got to go swimming.


Daddy and My Brother and Sister love to jump off the boat.  I hope I can do that when I am bigger, like maybe five.


Sister Stevi didn't like to jump last year but now she loves it.  I think I will love it, too.


They saw a baby loon with its mother.  The baby loon doesn't like to be very far away from its mommy either.


This is just a baby fish so they had to put it back.  They didn't catch any really old and big fish.  It must be the time of the year for babies.



My Daddy is good at helping my Big Sister and Big Brother.  I bet he will help me, too.


One day, the big people decided we should all go golfing.  I am not so sure I should have to work as a Caddy yet, but maybe it will be okay.

 
Okay Daddy, I think you should use a 7 iron for this one, or maybe an 8.
 
 
Well Uncle Fritz, you should probably do the same as Daddy.  


 

 
Oh My Goodness, My Big Brother, Rickey, beat both of you on that hole.  

 

 

 
My Big Sister got some help from Daddy... Maybe Rickey should help her...

 
Some of the big people had something called a cocktail, but Mommy just took care of me and drank some water. 
 
 

 
Being a Caddy wasn't so hard after all - I had a nice cart and everything.

 

When we got home, I did take a little nap.
 


Mommy went out in the boat with Daddy and Rickey and Stevi so I slept on Great Uncle Mike's chest.  It was okay but I like Mommy's better.


Before we went home, we had our pictures taken. 


 
When I come back next time I will be bigger.


Daddy, Uncle Fritz, Aunt Stacy and Great Aunt Jan stayed out by the fire late last night and then Daddy packed everything up this morning.  I still think he looks pretty good.  I was born into a really good family.


I liked meeting my Great Uncle.
 

I like this picture of my sister and me. 



It was another great weekend - the third weekend I've had in my whole life.