They Did It! They Got Married!
Tammy used the Rover app to find a couple in Apple Valley (a few miles away) to watch the pups for us. We had been to their home a month earlier to meet with them and to give the pups a feel for their temporary home. We left Charlie and Cotton with them the night before we left the cities. All seemed to be okay as we left for Lutsen late the next morning. More on this later.
Tammy arranged for us to stay at Bluefin Bay Resorts where our room looked out over Lake Superior. We'd passed by the resort a number of times over the years on trips to the North Shore and we'd oftentimes talk about staying there someday. And now we were. The room was nice and about what you would expect. But the view! I could not get enough of it! I woke up early each morning to watch the sunrise from our deck on the 2nd floor. There's something so calming to me about looking out over that great expanse of water. It's such an awesome and tranquil sight, reminding me of living in San Diego next to the Pacific Ocean when I was stationed there in the Navy. I commented to Tammy more than a couple times how I would love to live up there. She grew up not far away in the small city of Babbitt, but the draw to live along the North Shore isn't as strong for her as it is for me. Maybe in my next life.
Rachel and Drew did a really nice job of organizing their wedding and the festivities around it which included a golf outing for some of us and massages for the ladies. I was so impressed with Superior National. I'd never played there before and would love to go back and play a full 18 holes. We played 9. The vistas on some of the holes were so nice with Lake Superior as a backdrop.
We did a rehearsal the day before the wedding just so we weren't bumping into one another during the actual ceremony when a videographer and a photographer would be recording it all. It was nice to iron out the wrinkles.
A few hours before the wedding, I made a run for pastries to World's Best Donuts in Grand Marias and was able to connect with Chuck, a friend who had retired to the touristy city a year and a half earlier with his wife Becky. He invited me to his home and showed me a number of projects he's been working on. They both love it there and have no regrets about their move. I can see why. They've weathered one winter so far and Chuck said it wasn't any worse than what we experience here in the Minneapolis area. The winters are maybe a couple of weeks longer on each end but the lake helps keep the temperature from dropping too low, and surprisingly, there wasn't a tremendous amount of snow— something I wasn't expecting to hear. Chuck mentioned how Lake Superior also helps to keep the temps from rising too high in the summer. Win-win!!
Rachel and Drew's wedding started precisely at 3:00 with Colton doing an impressive job of officiating the service. I can't imagine an actual ordained minister doing any better. It was really well done. Drew and Rachel each wrote their own vows without sharing them with one another until the actual wedding. They were both very good with just the right amount of seriousness and humor. I set up my video camera to capture the ceremony. Rachel's vows are a little more difficult to hear but if you listen closely to the video below you can make them out.
We celebrated their nuptials some before the bride and groom departed with their photographer and videographer to Temperance River State Park for some additional photos and video. We gathered a few hours later at the restaurant at Bluefin Bay Resort for dinner. It was a full day and a very full weekend.
The only blemish to the entire trip occurred when we picked up our pups at the home of the couple where we'd left them. I was horrified to find Charlie covered in dried vomit and looking very weak—shaking. The man told us, "Charlie has had a bad day". Really? How does that happen? Charlie has been sick before but never has that resulted in him rolling in his vomit. He looked so weak and frail. I hurried him out of there and held him close in the car while Tammy retrieved Cotton. I understand that he may well have been stressed and that could have been part of the problem but this seemed like something worse than that. To me, there was a degree of neglect involved. I have no proof but it seemed undeniable to me.
Drew and Rachel are on their honeymoon now and doing a drive around and across Lake Michigan. They're taking in some concerts along the way (Dave Matthews Band at Summerfest in Milwaukee) and to some degree making it up as they go, although I believe Rachel has a loose itinerary they're working with. They took the ferry across Lake Michigan yesterday from Manitowoc to Ludington. There was talk of a winery or two in their plans. We're happy for them!
We've got their adorable pup PJ staying with us while they're away. He and Charlie have become good buds, unlike other times when PJ has stayed with us for a day or two and Charlie mostly shunned him.
I put together a collection of photos from the weekend. You can find it here.
That's all I've got.
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