Band on the run

Band on the run

Abigail at a geocache near Andover, MN, on our way back home from the big city on Friday, Sept. 30.

By Allan Olson

The song “Band on the Run” comes to mind lately. In truth, though, only the title applies. That’s exactly what comes to mind to describe this past week, when this whole family was really on the run. In the last month we have shuffled various medical appointments into the daily routine of work and school, all while while trying to find time for fun and leisure.

Generally speaking I don’t like to let the dust settle beneath my feet. I figure the dust can settle all it wants either when I’m old and can’t move, or dead and gone; for now I just want to go (most of the time). The last couple days of this month were spent in the big concrete jungle to the south, certainly not my idea of the perfect place to visit. It does have its perks, but when it comes right down to it, the wide open spaces is the place to be, for me. We got to the big cities on Wednesday night, just in time for bed –  after a quick dip in the pool, since I promised Abigail that since we were down there for her. The next day we took care of her appointments, then enjoyed a late lunch at the Olive Garden before getting back to the hotel. We avoided the rush hour traffic by hiding in the hotel for a couple hours, then headed out for a geocache.

The cache I wanted to find had lots of positive feedback, and I wanted to see what it was all about. The directions took us to a community college campus, where we found a beautiful Japanese Garden. We took a tour around the place, enjoying the nicely maintained grounds and stopped to admire the Koi in the fish pond before making our way back to the hotel again. The place was so well hidden it made me wonder how many urban dwellers even know it exists. Back at the hotel, Abigail and I enjoyed the pool again in solitude. Even though the hotel was filled with people in town for the big golf tournament (the Ryder Cup), the pool was completely empty – perhaps they were still searching for a lost ball on hole #7 – regardless it was great for her, because she could splash around all she wanted.

The next morning we got up and were homeward bound. We stopped for another appointment and another geocache, and since our travels took us a little further east than I anticipated, we took an alternate route home, along Mille Lacs, near Isle, and into Brainerd. We arrived at home around 6 p.m., and I was ready for bed before 10.

I was up early on Saturday morning, catching up on some work before heading over to the Cystic Fibrosis-Walleye Classic send-off. There was quite a variety of boats for the 56 tournament teams all gathered to help support CF research. That afternoon, my wife and I took photos at a family reunion, and then we enjoyed a nice lunch by ourselves in town. Our evening was pretty uneventful until dark, when most of us went to the haunted house in Bena. We had a good time again this year and the kids were well-scared again – except Abigail, who for the most part just laughed. She later confided in me that she was scared, but just kept it in. The rest of the evening was spent reading before I drifted off to dreamland.

On Sunday, I stayed in bed late, made some breakfast for those who were interested, and then returned to my book. I was ready to get moving again by afternoon, and wanted to enjoy what very well might be the last nice weekend of the year. I checked to see if Marcus wanted to go hunting, but he was playing, so Nikolai and I went out for about 90 minutes on some trails a few miles down the road. We had no luck, but we sure did enjoy the fresh air and beautiful sunshine.

I was back home a whole 30 minutes before I was on the run again – this time to take Abigail’s friend home. Once that mission was accomplished, the plan was to stop at the grocery store on the way home, but I learned that my cousin and family were passing through at that moment, so I made a little detour to connect with them. We visited for about 20 minutes before heading our separate ways.

Abigail and I grabbed a few groceries and headed back home for a fire. The evening meal was a do-it-yourself-er. Nikolai started a fire, Marcus cooked the beans, and we all hauled stuff outside. Everyone took turns roasting hot dogs and brats on the fire, and we enjoyed the warm evening air.

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I’m truly torn about the changing weather. On one hand, I’m looking forward to hunting season; on the other, I keep thinking about all the things I want to do on the river and in the woods yet, but I’m afraid I’m running out of time.

I have a few things in the works for this weekend, but what gets done will largely be weather dependent. Rest assured, if the forecast is wrong and conditions are nice, I will be outside.

Please remember to watch out for the buses that are carrying our most precious cargo. Also snap a photo or two to preserve a lifetime of memories. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! Feel free to drop me a line at cltimes1@arvig.net or stop by the office for a visit.