Fun in the Summer Sun

Fun in the Summer Sun
The kids at the top of the fire tower on the Beltrami County Fairgrounds!

By Allan Olson
Part of my goal as a parent is to try and limit the amount of screen time for my kids this summer. That means I have to make an extra effort to find activities for them (in addition to geocaching, of course). Some weekends are easier than others; this past weekend I had no problem keeping them busy. 
On Friday afternoon my wife headed to the cities with her mom to pick up her niece, so I had control of the four kids. We started our afternoon by taking in the naturalist program at Norway Beach. My kids were the only ones there, but we had great fun playing Bat Tag anyway.
Our next stop was to take advantage of the free Friday admission at the Beltrami County Historical Society. We visited the exhibits, including the traveling natural disasters exhibit displayed; it featured the Wadena Tornado, the Halloween Blizzard of 1991 and several other disasters, including the I-35 bridge collapse. It was a fun little place to visit. After that we headed home for some food before venturing out again – this time it was off to Lake Bemidji State Park to go fishing. Their summer program has fishing poles and bait provided at the dock for everyone to enjoy. The kids had fun fishing – not so much catching. Then they played at the park until dad said it was time to go home. We made it home just prior to another downpour of rain.
On Saturday morning, my niece and the girls and I all headed out looking for a couple of new geocaches in Blackduck. We were hoping to be first to find them, but missed by an hour. Then it was time to head to Bemidji so my niece could catch her ride home. While waiting there, we solved a multi-stage geocache, but the final coordinates had too many people nearby, so we headed home after ensuring that my wife caught her ride.
The girls and I were only home about an hour before we headed back to Lake Bemidji State Park again, this time for a lesson on Amateur Radio. Their Grandma joined us and watched the kids as they talked on the radio to someone from Goldsboro, NC. It was a very neat experience for everyone, and when they were asked what was their favorite thing to do, they all said “Geocaching!”
When we got home on Saturday afternoon, I decided it was time to hit the mower. Even though I was certain that places in my yard would still be wet, the lawn needed mowing, and the wet grass would dry faster if it was shorter. In the end, the lawn got mowed. Some tracks were left in the yard, but it’s done, and that’s what matters. That evening I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with the kids on Sunday – should we go geocaching or stay home (my wife was going to be gone again with her mom, so it was up to me to plan the day’s events). I checked the community calendar and discovered “Breakfast at the Farm” being offered at the Beltrami County Fairgrounds, and the net cost for breakfast for five of us was just $5!
The kids and I left home Sunday morning shortly after my wife and her mom departed, making it to our destination at about 10:30 a.m. We devoured a scrumptious meal of pancakes, sausage and ice cream – that was a first for me, having ice cream with my pancakes, but boy, was it good. From there, we conducted a farm scavenger hunt, went on a horse drawn wagon ride, climbed the fire tower (my legs still hurt), and visited the forestry cabin. With all of that done, it was time for part two of the day’s activities.
Earlier that morning I had learned of the Swedish Midsoummar event that was being held in Bemidji, and since I’m mostly Swede and entirely Scandinavian, I thought it might be fun for the kids and I to celebrate our heritage. The girls made a head wreath and Alivia joined in the parade – Abigail didn’t because her wreath kept falling, so after the parade I fixed it, which made her happy (at least until the flowers wilted in the heat).
To wrap up our Sunday activities, we headed for home. I had fleeting thoughts of geocaching, and we had already found one, but decided that was enough for this day. I was exhausted after running around with the kids. We went straight home. I said I wanted 30 minutes of quiet time and went to my room to try and nap; it almost worked until my wife called to say they were enroute for home. As long as I was awake again, I decided I had better get up and feed the kids.
Please be safe while enjoying your favorite outdoor recreational activity and on the lakes, and remember to take pictures to preserve a lifetime of memories. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! For more of my columns visit: http://allan-crazykids.blogspot.com

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