About a month ago, e-mails arrived in the e-mail in-boxes of the friends of Shawn and Lori Ostendorf, inviting us to a weekend of fun and sun on their lot on Lobster Lake, near Alexandria. Games, food and fellowship were promised to all who arrived at the lake on the second weekend in June. The event even had an official name: Lobsterpalooza, after the Lollapalooza music festival. While the agenda for Lobsterpalooza did not include live rock and roll shows (maybe next year), we were ultimately treated to a little more adventure than we bargained for.

The guests began trickling in on Friday evening. Shawn and Lori had taken the day off to get a head start on preparations. Most of the rest of us had to log a day of work in the Cities and fight the summertime traffic on our drives north. However, by nightfall, a small village of tents had popped up on the lawn, burgers and brats had been grilled, and we settled in around the campfire to enjoy a beautiful evening.

On Saturday morning, the festival attendees rolled out of our tents and enjoyed breakfast burritos at Chez Lori. Soon, preparations were underway for the day's main event, an Olympiad of lawn games. The competition featured three events: Bean Bags, Bedposts and Badminton.

Photo © Amy Johnson
The Bedposts game in progress.

Bean Bags consists of two boards with about a six-inch hole cut into each. The boards are placed about 20 feet apart and participants try to toss small bean bags into the hole on the opposite board.

Bedposts is a similar game, except instead of a hole in a board, the target is a PVC-pipe frame with three crossbars. The projectiles are two golf balls joined by a one-foot length of rope. The purpose of the game is to toss the golf balls in such a way that they wrap around one of the crossbars, thereby earning points for the thrower.

Photo © Donna Johnson, left; photo © Amy Johnson, right.
Beanbag game, left; Lori demonstrates the bedposts game, right.

The third event, Badminton, consists of using tennis-like racquets to hit a plastic "birdie" over a miniature volleyball net without allowing said birdie to hit the ground. This is probably the most well known of the three events. However, it seemed to cause confusion among the committee responsible for creating the scoreboard, which was headlined "Bad Mitten."

When the games were ready to begin, the 12 attendees were divided into six two-person teams. Each team was supposed to feature one male and one female, but the lopsided guest list resulted in Lori and her friend Amy forming the only single-sex team. Each team would face every other team at each of the three events. In other words, every team would play each of the three events five times. Points would be awarded to the teams with the best records in each event. The winners would bask in the knowledge that they were the very best at three skills that otherwise serve no purpose whatsoever.

The games went on all afternoon. The sunny blue sky made it feel like summer was finally here to stay, while a breeze blowing off the lake kept the athletes cool despite the physical and mental strain of the hard-fought competition. Because the weather forecast had called for a chance of rain all weekend, we felt fortunate to enjoy such beautiful weather.

By 6 o'clock in the evening, the games were nearing a conclusion, as each team closed out the few remaining holes in its round robin schedule. The skies to the west were beginning to look a little gray, but not enough to cause worry. However, just as my team was beginning to play one last game of "Bad Mitten," we started feeling raindrops. Then the wind picked up. Then the raindrops turned into a downpour. Everyone ran for the cover of Shawn and Lori's camper trailer.

Soon the wind was driving rain and small hailstones against the side of the trailer. Then someone yelled, "Oh no, there goes Weston's tent!" Sure enough, the wind was strong enough to pull my tent up by the stakes and send it flying. For all I knew, it would be in the next county by the time the storm passed. Someone joked that I would probably find it in my front yard in Maple Grove, like a lost dog that somehow finds its way home.

We all got a laugh out of the fate of my tent, but then conditions worsened. Lori's heavy swing was picked up by the wind and dropped on a (fortunately empty) tent. The winds continued to pick up in intensity and it dawned on the group that a camper trailer was probably not the safest place to be. After about 10 minutes (which seemed a lot longer), the wind and rain began to calm down and we spilled out into the yard to assess the damage.

My tent had blown across the highway, but had fortunately lodged itself in the opposite ditch, suffering only a minor tear in the rain cover. The flying swing had snapped a couple of the poles on the tent on which it came to rest. Yet another tent had collapsed and sustained a large tear. And everything was soaking wet.

We began to try to dry our belongings and get our tents set back up. The weather had calmed down nicely and it seemed that, despite the monsoon, we would be able to recover and enjoy the evening. Then came round two.

Cell phone calls from concerned friends alerted us that another storm was approaching. This time, we didn't chance it. We all headed to the neighbor's house (complete with basement) and huddled in their living room watching the Weather Channel. More wind, rain and hail were soon upon us, although not to the extent of the previous wave. Eventually, things calmed down again and we headed back outside to assess the damage yet again. This storm had not yielded any more tent damage, but had re-soaked the tents we had just finished drying.

By now it was nearly 9 o'clock and would be dark soon. Some of the guests chose to head for home rather than try to salvage the night. A couple of us were able to dry out our tents to the point of rendering them usable for the night. By 10 o'clock, we had re-lit the campfire, although some of the girls had chosen to stay inside the camper trailer and watch movies instead. Can't say I blamed them.

Fortunately, the weather remained pleasant for the rest of the night. As we woke up the next morning, those of us who had stuck out the weekend recalled stories of the previous day's adventures. We all agreed that Lobsterpalooza had been a big success, up until Mother Nature decided to make her presence felt. But we all agreed that we looked forward to doing it again next year (hopefully without the hurricane).

Aunt Lynnie's kitchen is like traveling back in time to your grandmother's kitchen. You'll find recipes, cooking tips, emergency ingredient substitutions as well as information on how to fix those cooking goofs that we all make, goofs such as sticky rice, lumpy gravy, etc. Grandmother sometimes forgot those important lessons but Aunt Lynnie can help! She has collected recipes over the years from family, friends, newspapers and old cookbooks. Now she is sharing her collection and has invited you to "Her Retreat" where you can relax and have some fun. Aunt Lynnie is certainly the aunt that we all wish lived next door!

Don and I have been using our Sunday afternoons for the last two weeks to make trips to Bertha, Minnesota. We have been attending gospel meetings there that are conducted by Shari Stamps and our granddaughter Kimberly Johnson. It has been refreshing.

Photo © Donald Anderson
Kimberly Johnson & Shari Stamps.

Earl Stahlecker
Gatesville, TX

P.S. You had very few responses to last week's mystery. Kind of surprising to me. Sure glad I went ahead and made my guess.

Photo Editor's comment: the date of the photo (from Kurt Larson's collection), as we received it from Shari, was 1986.

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Adriana Stahlecker Brown
Granbury, TX

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Wow, I'd surely have to guess that strapping lad is my husband's handsome grandpa, Jim Miller. If it's not, it sure looks like him!

Miss Hetty's Mailbox:

To you and your staff: loved your birthday card! :-)

+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
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The intense coloring making each stem an individual beauty, and the colorful way all the indescribable colors blended together into a lush bouquet (even if it was just a pail full of flowers for sale at a Farmer's Market). No way we could have had a picture of a certain dad as there are so many new dads and great dads and big dads and small dads [and grandads!] where do you even begin to recognize and honor them all in just the one picture? So, I decided that this beautiful picture of a mass of colorful flowers all blending together truly described and honored Father's Day for our many worthy, individually different, Bulletin fathers.

Then the much appreciated details of how Virginia Adair had a fall which ended up with a broken hip and hospitalization with the gruesome results of pain and surgery and therapy. We who have been there and done that know only too well what our friend is facing. Life-long results of something that happened instantly. So, it sounds like Alexandria will be getting another family moving in.

It was especially interesting to me to see the Update on the wedding of Duane Miller's Penny by Ardis Quick. The photo with Jay on it couldn't look more like his dad did. A beach wedding was something very individual, and we wish many happy years to the bride and groom and little Abigail.

Wyatt, the update on your new vehicle was full of details all the men would be interested in. You were one fortunate person to have had the opportunity to buy the 2007 GMC Yukon and sell your present car so easily. Your friend in Germany would be glad you had gotten it so it would be well cared for and put to good use for your growing family. Glad you included the pictures. I rode in Verlaine's new van with the backing up video so I know how nice that would be when you have children to look out for.

Koen de Been leaving for the assignment was very touching. To see him leave would not be easy, but his knowing he has the deep love of a caring family behind him will be a great help to him as he adjusts to the life of a soldier.

It was fun to read about the summer vacation for the Andersons from Wahpeton, North Dakota. I doubt there is a lady (or man) reading about that garage sale and seeing the pictures of the well organized and supplied sale items that wouldn't want to be there to sort through and relieve you of a lot of "stuff." What a precious picture of Jazmine and that cute little Greta. Looks like she understands perfectly about the horn and radio.

Can you even imagine what a thrill it must have been for Meryl to win not only that Waverunner, but also the trailer? Will provide many happy hours breaking it in.

Thanks, Donna Mae, for the shots of Beaver's shop so we can see where he spends his time. Sounds like Donna's dad provided a lot of necessary things for shop work, and it wouldn't have been easy for Dad to dismantle his own shop after getting it just the way he wanted it. It would be a good feeling to know Beaver has it now. It looks well organized, with about anything a farm shop would need. I well remember the little kitchen at the Ashby Laundromat, and it made me think of that when I saw the picture of the microwave and fridge and coffee pot off in a corner of the shop.

LTD Storybrooke's story about "Angels" was as clear in his memory as if it were last week. Setting a lamb's broken leg was an important lesson by Esteban, and I doubt you ever dreamed you would be using that information on your beloved Checker!

Very interesting how you had already had experience making the plaster casts. All in all, you were able to take care of the situation with the help of several others that seemed to step in at just the right time. We need an update on Checker now to know how he healed up, and how long he wore the cast and how soiled it had gotten. The picture of the shepherd and sheep dog looked desolate and lonesome to me.

It is different kind of subject to have Homesteading Days by Bruce McCorkell. We do have a variety in The Bulletin unequaled in interest and photos from any family letter I have ever seen. The stumps would bring back memories to any homesteaders and even Roy remembers pioneering the land as he was growing up. That was a story from experience which made it not only interesting but valuable knowing there are not too many old timers anymore that would ever remember it in having lived it themselves.

The Travelogue with Eiffel Tower in the background is one we have seen often in The Bulletin, but this is the only one with our friend Curt in it. I made it a point to click on each of the links in that story about visiting Paris and London. It helped we who are stay-at-homes to enjoy the travels, too. Our son and his wife travel to Paris every time they get frequent flier miles accumulated. There must be quite a pull after having been there.

Sometimes I see a picture in The Bulletin that I would think could be enlarged and hung on the wall, and this time it was of Kyra sitting on the mountaintop in Virginia playing something with the blue sky and puffy clouds in the background. One in a million type of a picture that would have been taken on that trek. She wanted one of everything at McDonald's for her birthday. Can you imagine how starved an 11 year old would be for something like that after all that hiking and hiking food for months? Anyway, I love that picture of her.

What a contrast in just 10 short years for the newlyweds to the family of five. We love hearing about that family growing and the pictures involved and the little diary of how Rylie looks at life, etc. -- and all too soon there will be more to write about, even if it's just a new puppy. Thank you for taking time to share all this with us, Wyatt and Jolene.

I knew Patty Anderson was a very special lady from the way others have mentioned her help, and she is so caring for my dearest friend, Myrtle Stitt who is failing in health more all the time. I was glad to see your letter to the editor, Patty. Thank you for your kindnesses.

When I read the letter to the editor from Mitzi and Sheldon about their backpacking trips in September and November at first I was thinking it was from Steve and Marci, Shalana and Krista. They are backpacking and hiking right now out in Utah. I hope they will be sharing their trip with us as well as pictures when they get home next week. It takes youth and energy and daring to ever do all these folks have planned! I am sitting here trying to imagine it all, and more and more thankful for the safety of the computer chair.

Now THAT Chuckles cartoon has no competition. It is one of a kind, and another of Bitzi's creations. Soon will be the first day of summer and so the time and seasons go.

The Quotation for the day was very timely for Father's Day.

Thank you for Bulletin #313 and if my vocabulary wasn't so limited, I could tell you how much we really do enjoy and appreciate being included in your list of subscribers.

Betty Droel