2020 Lake Reflections and Recap
After emptying the fridge (by chugging chocolate milk and OJ) and loading up the cooler; checking under the beds and packing up the car; it was time to say good-bye to the lake. This annual tradition has become a moment of reflection on the year gone by and anticipation of the year to come.
Tom and I agreed that the time between July 2019 and July 2020 was unlike anything we could have imagined. A global pandemic and all that came with it, and now the sudden loss of my father while we were at the lake–both caught us off guard.
As we look ahead to the next 12 months, we are filled with questions and uncertainty. We don’t know what to expect. But we’re leaning on the promises that have gotten us through this last difficult week. That God is faithful. And not a hair can fall from our heads without our Father’s knowledge. Such love is too deep for me to comprehend, but remains the hope I cling to.
We left the resort around 9:00, and stopped in Grand Rapids at “Brewed Awakenings” for coffee drinks. We were also able to find our favorite beans, Highlander Grogg, which was providential since we hadn’t been able to get them in Walker this year.
We stopped for our traditional lunch at Culver’s in Rice Lake (WI), a place that is typically crawling with Boy Scouts from the Jamboree. Not this year. We weren’t even able to dine in or on the patio, but had to eat in our cars due to COVID restrictions.
As has become my custom, I wrap up the year’s Lake Logs with a review of the details. Here’s my recap of 2020.
Dates: June 26 thru July 10. This was our 16th year at Cass Lake, our 15th at Birch Villa Resort.
People who vacationed with us: Both weeks – Tom, Linda, Leah & Chloe (cabin 7, BV), plus Beth, Nicole & Elise joined us during week 2; Paul, Melissa, Thomas, Ben & Elle (cabin 6, BV); Roy, Deb, Luke, Kara, Erin & Leah (cabin 5, BV).
1st week - Bill, Beth, Nicole, William, Elise & Zach (cabin 1, BV)
Price of gas: $1.85-$2.19. We drove our 2016 Ford Edge with the bike rack and 3 bikes. The girls drove the 2011 Prius.
Total number of fish caught: 77 (69 perch, 7 rock bass, 1 bluegill). We ate 24 of those for our fish fry. Total fish to take home to the freezer: 53 (45 perch, 7 rock bass, 1 bluegill) (in 12 bags).
Restaurants we visited: Carmine’s (in Minneapolis), Zorbaz (Park Rapids), Ruttger's (Bemidji), Turtle River Chop House (Turtle River/Bemidji), and Bar 209 (Bemidji). We were able find outdoor seating at all, an important consideration during a pandemic.
Biking: It was a sad year for biking, between Tom’s back problems and my dad’s death. Tom biked 67 miles. I biked 17.5 miles. We biked around Pike Bay on the Migizi trail and Tom rode around the town of Cass Lake. (Tom also walked 30 miles around the resort and town.)
Churches Attended: The first week we watched the Livestream from our home church, Church of the Savior (South Bend, IN), and I watched the Evangelical Free Church of Bemidji’s Livestream as well. Week 2, we watched COTS’s Livestream again and some of Elmhurst Church’s as well.
Other activities: A brief (2 hour) socially-distanced shopping trip at Mall of America, shopping in Walker and Bemidji, kayaking, and playing card games (Shanghai, Dutch Blitz, Five Crowns, Canasta).
2020 was an unusual and heartbreaking year in so many ways. We were in the middle of a pandemic which reduced the number of activities we did away from the resort. That wasn’t all bad, as it helped us grow closer as a family. Then on Monday, July 6, Beth’s and my father passed away suddenly after a fall and brain bleed. Much of the second week was spent in conversations with family at home and planning the funeral. We ended our vacation a day early so we could get home to reunite with my family.
