July 2012 Page 3

Same Sunday, July 8

After the model train museum, we went next door to the Log Cabin Museum (Crosslake History Museum), which was really a collection of log cabin buildings (original and one or two reconstructions) from the logging time of Crosslake (about 1900). We had several ladies who gave us the grand tour - we were there for about two hours. Wonderful old buildings.

The sign, the General Store (reconstruction) and a WINTER SCHOOL BUS!

School house with rules for teaCchers.

An old log home. Looks comfortable,inside, and was cool inside too!

A livery, and another home...

Imagine... this wooden hull Chris Craft was used to deliver mail!

Another home, and a voting booth in the General Store

Of course, Patty is much better at explaining the last few weeks. If you look back at out February trip, you'll see that she wrote most of the words while I concentrated on the pictures. Here is the substance of her blog this weekend:

Just a quick note to let you know that we are definitely on the road again. Enjoyed almost 2 weeks of travel and sightseeing to get "up north". Beautiful Minnesota with lakes, birds and lots of summer fun.

We've been working of course and it seems that the time goes by so fast. After lunch Ed leaves at 12:30 , I usually take a walk, a shower, do some clothes washing, make a phone call or whatever and before I know it it is 3;30 and time for him to be back. Yesterday and today I seem a little more tired than usual. After Ed left I took a 30 min nap which I enjoyed. It's in the mid 80's so not hot except if you're in the sun.

The Guys are really wearing themselves out, but are being careful (as much as possible) not to injure themselves. They have completed building the block wall in several areas. Lots of digging, shoveling and moving 90lb blocks. It takes two of them to set each one. With curves and slopes they are doing a lot of on the job learning and sometimes have to redo an area before moving on. By now they are getting pretty good at it!

We ladies were sanding logs all last week, logs that will be used to erect the next building on the property. They have a large tract of land here and log out the timber for use on the property. They also cut boards for use on the inside of the buildings. As you can imagine it is quite impressive. Yesterday we hung pictures in the new dining hall, and unwrapped and set up new outdoor dining furniture. Today we sanded one log(waiting on them to bring more) and tried to put new shipments of parts (electrical, plumbing,ssaw blades, etc) into the appropriate places in the shop building. The challenge, of course was to locate the proper area or drawer. Not easy to figure out at times:)

Last weekend we drove to a nearby town to a Forestry Museum. It was all about the lumbering companies and camps that were the focus for the development of this area in the early 1900's. There was a small reenactment village where different individuals (loggers, cooks, horse drivers, blacksmiths and others), told about their role, life and wages for that day and time. It was quite interesting. A very hard way of life that few today would be able to hold up to.

Sunday after church we stopped at a nearby miniature RR display that showed the trains as they traveled through and were such a vital part of this area. The miniature villages, logging camps. iron ore factories, etc. were well done and tried to replicate the actual towns of the area. After that we stopped where they had gathered about ten old log buildings from the area and furnished them out to represent the old mercantile, school, home, logging camp, or blacksmith building. Some of these were the actual building or an exact replica thereof.

There is a web page for Trout Lake Camp with a video and all. It really is a camp like you see in the movies! Kids are everywhere having a great time, and at the same time are receiving encouragement and instruction in the Lord.

Be blessed in the Lord,

Patty Soltes

Monday - Thursday, July 9-12

Continued work on the Keystone walls, and made some progress:

On the three walls we finished:

Now the first wall at the Boat Docks:

After moving the 90 pound keystone blocks, I think I needed the stick to support me. We've been sleeping well lately.

And the tough one on the other side, which also includes some road grading so the school buses and trucks hauling pontoon boats have room to turn:

Work to do this coming week, the last week at this camp.

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