Memorial Day

While the Summer Solstice is officially several weeks away, Memorial Day seems to be the unofficial beginning of summer in Minnesota.

The fishing opener here usually, unironically, is on Mother's Day. This is also the usually the weekend or near the weekend of mine and Jason's anniversary. Because of cosmic luck, the fishing opener is usually accompanied by miserable weather. Just when we Minnesotans think the weather is going to work in our favor - the bulbs are blooming, the grass is turning green, we've even donned shorts on more than one occasion - the fishing opener occurs. That weekend we regress into winter weather that makes those, in the words of Garrison Keillor, "who do not drink" come to know "what a hangover feels like". It's utterly depressing. Thank God I drink.

If you have the gall to complain about this cruddy, cold, wet weather, you will most certainly be eating crow come Memorial Day, for this is the weekend that usually represents a turn in the Minnesota microclimate.

Our little family traversed over to Lake Shetek for the weekend. We camped in a tent and endured 95+ degree temps. Thankfully, the lake offered a lot of respite and the campsite was fairly well shaded. This lake is where Jason grew up camping. Where his mommy grew up camping, and with all hopes, where my children will grow up camping. Even though it's quite a drive from our own house, the kids did great (we plan really well, exhausting them and then leaving right at nap time). Adam and Natasha are born campers. Then again, what kids wouldn't be? You eat junk food, stay up late, sleep in a tent, play in sand, mud, lake water, and playgrounds all day long.

Tonight we came back to our boring old home. Adam was NOT pleased with going home. All through the ride he kept saying "I want to go camping NOW"..."I want to go to Worthington"..."I want to go back to the camper". But, tonight is the earliest that Adam had gone to bed in months. Ditto Natasha. Ditto Desi. Ditto Jason....Hmmm....I might hit the hay before midnight myself.

Camping is a lot of fun despite all the work required. Perhaps that's part of its appeal. We all need a good reason to be exhausted. I mean, we're all exhausted anyway, so why not have a good reason?