Pulled up to the keep a little after 9:15 am, fired up the AC, and turned right back around. We’ll let the place cool down while we’re at Aunt Judy’s. This was slated to be a “camping” weekend up here with the Voights and Saucedas, but work schedules and a forecast of highs in the 90s with plenty of humidity combined to shut that idea down. Instead, Lyssa, the boys, and I are joined today by Kent, her sister Christine’s husband. As a high school teacher, he’s got summers off and is up visiting from Houston. This’ll be his first trip to Puckaway.

Shortly after we were seated at Aunt Judy’s, Jake got a big, loud greeting from the proprietress herself. “There’s my waffle baby!!” He cracked up and got a big kick out of that. Kent was impressed that we were recognized regulars at such a fine establishment. After breakfast, we made a quick stop at the feed store to grab another deer block. The one I put out last month is already almost completely gone. They seem to have all found the new clearing in the yard.

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Working hard at the quarry.

Back at Puckaway, the boys showed their uncle around while Lyssa and I got the pump started and filled the pool. It’s already hot enough to break a sweat standing still. The boys and I got on the blue ATV and Kent followed us on the green one for a tour of the marsh trails. Even with the heat and lack of rain, there’s still a fair amount of water out there. Lyssa smartly relaxed in her hammock while we were out exploring. Jake wanted to show Uncle Kent the bird feeders he and his brother painted me for Father’s Day, and we got a little surprise—both of them are full of sticks! Must be wrens.

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Josh chillin’ with Uncle Kent.

We had some snacks around 1:30 and left for the beach on the south side of Green Lake. It was pretty packed, but we lucked out and got a picnic table in the shade just as someone was leaving. While initially excited about the water, Jake wanted no part of it once he saw a pair of dead carp floating near the rocks on the edge of the beach. He spent the rest of our time there playing in the corpse-free sand instead. Josh, however, had no such reservations about the water. He got a big kick out of splashing Uncle Kent.

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Can’t beat a nap in the keep.

We headed back to Puckaway a little after 3:30 and all spent a few hours doing absolutely nothing. It was glorious. Jake took a much needed nap on the futon. It seemed like a great idea so I had my own in the recliner. After it became clear that Josh wasn’t going down, Lyssa and Kent took him outside. Lyssa grilled brats while Kent and I trimmed the maple branches that were brushing up against the keep’s roof. We also felled a pair of trees near the feeder pole. I don’t think I know how to come up here and not work. After dinner, I took the boys for one more big ride, stopping down at the boat landing where Jake picked a cattail to bring back to Lyssa. We closed up and were on our way by 8:30. I think it would have been much too hot to do a two night camping trip this weekend as planned, but we certainly made the most of our day.