WHEW - SORRY I KNOW IT HAS BEEN AWHILE. Can't believe a month has flown by already.  The two day trip home from Florida was an interesting one.  The first night stop in Macon, Georgia proved to be a bad choice.  Rick opted for Chinese takeout and sometime in the middle of the night he developed a sore throat.  The next morning he remembered that the girl taking his order had been hacking and coughing while preparing it - Deb was very thankful she did not eat Chinese.  By the time we made it back to Minnesota it had turned into full fledged crud (sore throat, hacking cough and sinus pressure)!  Within a week it reached out and grabbed Deb.  We spent the next two weeks with barely enough energy to get up to have a cup of coffee before heading back to bed.  Our overgrown gardens were screaming out to us and because Minnesota had it's 2nd warmest March and 4th warmest April - we were now way behind schedule as far as yard work goes.  The kids had managed to get the dock and pontoon boat in before we got home so that was a blessing.  It is now the 1st of June and we have just in the last week finally cleaned out the screen porch and greenhouse the Gardens are mostly weeded and planting has started.    

    

Of, course - March & April were way above average with temps in the 70's, but by the time we got home, the rain and cold weather they should have had in April showed up in May.  Frost and snow were predicted the second week we were back and this day had a high of 48.

A few pics of the spring flowers that hung around for our arrival.

The grandkids got a kick out of Pops version of the "Old Man and the Sea".  He kept looking at his shoulder and saying "who stole my damn parrot?"  During his two week drug induced semi-coma,  neighbors suggested that we sneak in while he was sleeping and shave it all off.  He shocked us all when he showed up clean shaven, hair cut and out of his sweatpants.  We knew he was in there somewhere!

Of, course the grandkids are always the main reason for hurrying home - we can't believe how much they have grown over the winter and the days of trying to outsmart them are history.

Georgia  - 3rd grade

Cooper - Kindergarten

 The pontoon and dock are in thanks to the kids.

We did manage to get the screen porch and the greenhouse cleaned and set up before Memorial Day - but we are starting to feel the pressure because front porch and the ski boat and lift didn't make the summer kick off date.  Also sad to report - we don't have our vegetable garden planted yet!

On a brighter note - our friends Rick & Pam on M/V Tourist sent us this updated picture of Broulee inside the storage facility at River Forest Yachting Center.  They have just returned home for the summer after storing their boat at the same facility.  Great to see her again!