This morning, Kasey mentioned wanting to go to his grandson Cade’s third birthday party over in Pine City, about an hour away. Since we had one more night booked at the campground, it presented a bit of a dilemma. Without a towed car, our mobility is limited, and driving the motorhome back and forth gets more expensive by the day. Fortunately, Cece graciously offered him her car for the trip. After breakfast, Kasey hopped in and hit the road for Pine City.
I stayed behind at camp with Tad and Cece, and the three of us set off on a three-mile hike. We didn't pass a single person the entire time. The wide, quiet trails were perfect for walking side by side, and we soaked in the crisp autumn weather while Tad reveled in the freedom, joyfully sprinting ahead and back. Cece and I passed the time identifying tree species and admiring the incredible variety of wild fungi. The leaves are just beginning to turn, with vibrant red sugar maple foliage dotting the forest floor and thousands of red oak acorns blanketing patches of the trail. An hour later, we were back at camp.
Being Sunday, many of the campers were packing up and heading home. I took my bike for a quick loop around the newly vacant spots to see if anyone had left behind any unburned firewood. Between Cece and me, we both love a good campfire, but we were down to our last two logs from the five bundles we started with yesterday, so we were trying to conserve every bit until Kasey returned. To our disappointment, none of our departing neighbors had left any wood behind.
Cece settled in to read a book, so I grabbed mine as well. But Cece is pure high energy and after about two minutes, she was back on her feet, puttering around, telling stories, and sharing how much she was enjoying the trip. Before long, I talked her into taking Kasey’s bike for a spin. We lowered the seat, I gave her a quick rundown on the controls, and off we went. She had an absolute blast! By the end of the ride, she was completely sold on getting an electric bike of her own although she would perhaps get one a little lighter than ours.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing around the fire ring waiting for Kasey. Cece got busy preparing a burrito dinner to use up her groceries before her upcoming move to Ecuador once her paperwork clears. She whipped up fresh salsa and made corn tortillas from scratch, while I pulled out the rest of our supplies:a can of black beans, fresh cilantro, guacamole, bell peppers, and chipotle spice.
When Kasey finally returned with a fresh stack of firewood, we stoked the fire, swapped stories about his trip to the party, and enjoyed a delicious feast of homemade burritos.
Kasey's solo trip
I wrestled with a quandary in the wee hours of dawn.
My son Nick and daughter-in-law Alyssa were having a birthday party that afternoon for Cade, my youngest grandchild, who was turning three. We were camping with my cousin Cece at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, about an hour away, and I couldn't quite decide what to do. I wanted to spend the day with Janice and Cece at camp, but I also really wanted to be there to celebrate with Cade.
I got up around six, donned my wool poncho, and took Taddy out for his early-morning walk. When we returned, Cece was still nestled away in her tent, so I crawled back into the motorhome and tried to snooze for a while longer.
Around eight, I thought I heard Cece open her car door in front of the motorhome. Time to get up.
It was in the 40s that morning, so I went outside and built a fire. I take great pride in my role as the official camp fireman, and before long I had a nice blaze going in the firepit. Soon the three of us were gathered around it, Janice and I sipping our coffee and Cece sipping her tea.
I told Cece about my conundrum.
Without hesitation, she offered the perfect solution: Take her car to Pine City. She, Janice and Tad would hold down the fort.
Problem solved!
Since the party didn't start until one, we still had time after breakfast to take a nice hike together before I headed out.
Around 11:30, I climbed into Cece's little Honda and hit the road, leaving enough time to stop in Pine City to buy birthday presents for Cade and a little something for his brother Owen, six, and sister Alice, eight.
The route from Mille Lacs Kathio to Pine City zigzags along a collection of county roads and small highways. Along the way I passed Lake Mille Lacs, so enormous that from the shoreline it can look more like an inland sea than a lake. A strong wind was blowing that day, covering its surface with thousands of whitecaps.
At first I was a little nervous. I'm always that way when I drive someone else's car for the first time. Cece's small Honda has a five-speed manual transmission and really zips down the road. It didn't take long, though, before I relaxed and started enjoying the drive.
Still, it felt strange traveling alone.
No Janice beside me. No Tad along for the ride. Just me, the little Honda, the Minnesota countryside and the anticipation of seeing my family.
When I reached Pine City, I called Nick for some advice before shopping for presents. He told me Cade really likes dinosaurs and blocks. Owen likes LEGOs, and Alice enjoys crafts, especially making bracelets.
Perfect.
I quickly found gifts I thought each of them would enjoy and headed to Nick and Alyssa's house.
When I arrived, Alyssa's family was already there, and the grandkids and their cousins were romping around the living room because it was cool and breezy outside. Alyssa's family has always made me feel welcome, and the kids are wonderfully sweet.
I gave Alyssa a hug, and before long Alice came running up to me. I scooped her up and gave her a big Grandpa hug. Soon Nick came in from outside and greeted me with one of his bear hugs.
Soon my daughter Ashley and her fiance, Orion joined us. It was good to have them with us.
It felt so good to be there.
While the kids played, the adults enjoyed the delicious food Alyssa had prepared and watched the Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears.
Then came the main event.
Cade's presents!
There is something wonderfully entertaining about watching a three-year-old open birthday gifts. Cade gleefully tore into them with the enthusiasm that only a three-year-old can muster. We sang "Happy Birthday" and celebrated with a gluten-free ice cream cake. Owen and Alice opened their gifts, too, and everyone seemed pleased with Grandpa's hurried but apparently successful shopping expedition.
All too soon, the party began winding down. I said my goodbyes, climbed back into Cece's Honda and headed toward Mille Lacs Kathio for our final night together at camp.
When I arrived, I discovered that Janice and Cece had apparently been engaged in a desperate struggle for survival during what I came to think of as the Winter of September 17th.
They had scavenged rough pieces of wood to keep themselves warm and regaled me with tales of their adventures and how they had bravely endured the bitter Minnesota elements during my absence.
Fortunately, the camp fireman had returned.
I unloaded five rounds of firewood I'd purchased at park headquarters and soon had a beautiful blaze going. Before long, my hardy companions had thawed out, and the fire would keep us warm well into the evening.
We gathered around it for a wonderful dinner and celebrated our final night together at Mille Lacs Kathio.
It had been a special few days hiking, biking, campfires, conversations, laughter and simply enjoying being together. And my little solo excursion to Pine City had given me something else precious: a chance to be there as my youngest grandchild celebrated his third trip around the sun.
Sitting around the fire that evening, none of us really wanted our time together to end.
Fortunately, it doesn't have to.
We've already decided that we'll camp with Cece again next year.
Another campfire is waiting for us.
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