Pheasants, Friends, and Fishing

June 4 – 6, 2023

It's a keeper!

Nestled between the woods and the lake at the end of Narnia Lane, you’ll find a quaint cottage.  It just so happens this fairytale setting is home to my childhood friend, Sherry, and her husband Joe.  It was Sherry who has the long arm and quilted Owen’s and Elliot’s crib quilts for me! 

It was fun finally laying eyes on this long arm and seeing Sherry’s set up!  Sherry provided lots of sewing room inspiration for when we abandon the nomadic life style and once again own a home. Her tips included:  a cutting table you can walk around, storage shelves from IKEA for your stash, and plenty of light.  Sounds like wise advice!

Sherry writes an annual Christmas letter in the form of a newspaper.  This newsletter never fails to feature a story on Joe’s unique hunting event for the year.  Knowing Joe is such an avid hunter, we shouldn’t have been surprised when Joe served up Pheasant Fajitas for dinner!  Delicious – and yes, it tasted like chicken!

Following dinner, Joe and Sherry treated us to a cocktail cruise around Lower Spunk Lake on their pontoon.  Hearing the call of the loons, witnessing an osprey catch and fly away with dinner in its talons, and simply enjoying the views was beyond relaxing,  

The next morning, Joe and Sherry took us fishing!  I’ve never really fished, unless you count my dad taking us out when I was a child.  Oh, there was that time Dick, the kids and I went deep sea salmon fishing in Seattle and I spent most of the time trying to keep breakfast down instead of bring fish in!  This time was quite a different experience!  Your hook barely hit the water before you were reeling in a sunfish.  In under an hour, we had brought in 62 “keepers”!  We released both the little ones and the extra big ones (to go spawn). 

Once off the boat, we gathered around the table and I learned how to fillet a fish.  I also learned fish odor is extremely difficult to get off your hands!  Later that afternoon, Sherry breaded the fillets while Joe got the oil heating in his fryer.  Joe has an amazing fryer set up in their back yard which made for a mess-free fish fry for dinner.  Delicious!  Life on the lake sure does look like the good life!

Fish, it's what's for dinner!

In the time between catching the fish and eating them, we took a quick tour of St. John’s Abbey, a community of Catholic Benedictine monks, known for making pipe organs.  On campus, you find St. John’s Abbey Woodshop and St. John’s Abby Organ Builders!  The church itself was designed for the best possible acoustics with one of their organs in mind.  It must be amazing to attend Mass here!

El Rancho Mañana Campground was 10 miles from Joe and Sherry’s place and proved to be a wonderful spot to call home for a couple of nights.  This campground features horseback riding and has horses you can take on rides if you didn’t bring your own!  They also host bluegrass festivals!  

Between Joe and Sherry’s hospitality and this tranquil campground, we left Minnesota refreshed and rejuvenated!  Thanks for all of the R&R, Sherry!

Up next:  Bismarck, ND!