Yesterday was a wonderful gathering at Skunk Lake to celebrate the 40th anniversary of long-time friends Carter and Flo Hedeen. I used to live in the Park Rapids area so it was a wonderful opportunity for reuniting with many other old buddies. Sharon Henneman and Patty Kakac came up from Evansville and I drove from Deer River. We did our 4th show together as the Grandmother Voices. It was a beautiful day. But too soon I had to get back on the road so I would be home before dark. We stopped at Emmaville for supper and to talk about our group, our mission, our name and songs we might add to our program. We found the cafe closed because Clayton was having his 90th birthday party. But we got invited in for a free meal. We sang a much appreciated Happy Birthday to Clayton and enjoyed the party food. Then we sang the new song we are still working on, Many Nations. We are dedicating it to the North Country Trail with special emphasis on the Itasca Moraine Chapter. Clayton was so moved a tear rolled down his cheek. It was all quite beautiful.
Then I was on the road again. I stopped at Jean Whitney's cabin so we could pick up some zippers at Ann Mikkelsen's Hobby House. I got four zippers and had to get back on the road because the sun was sitting pretty low in the sky. Total darkness caught up with me near Federal Dam and I swopped through the night on the wings of an owl... I think.

The zippers will be used for a special project I am planning for my daughters and some of my nieces.