First Annual Recital at Little Pines Lodge

We had our first annual recital at the Little Pines Lodge. I think it was a great success. It was the hottest day of the summer, but there was a breeze, so it was that kind of hot that makes everybody want to jump in the lake--not sit and melt. Plus, this is Minnesota and Sunday it was back to sixty degrees and raining, we will take all the heat we can get.

We had eleven kids play. We had 29 guests. Three boats. Food for an army. Popsicles. More popsicles. Hamburgers. A bon fire.

Eighteen people spent the night. Folks slept in the boat house and the trailer. Two families pitched tents. We cooked pancakes for 25 Sunday morning. Bill's dad cooked bacon, a lot of bacon.

Thanks to Bill's folks and my mom and Mari and everyone else who spent more time in the kitchen than on the lake.

I'm also sending a giant thank you to Carly and Sam's dad, Travis, who brought his boat and gave 365,247 boat rides for a total of 1,000,000 hours. Travis you rock and the kids had an awesome time.

Seriously, the pedal was terrible for Lena's Debussy. Who knew that at 95 degrees and 80% humidity the 1905 Kohler and Campbell upright damper pedal would squeak? Who knew that last weekend we glued the bass F ivory back on? It's the piano that takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. It was happy to have the children play.

I don't think playing piano is what the kids are going to remember anyway. While it did keep us practicing over the summer, mostly the performance was an excuse to party.

Here's to old friends and new friends and a new tradition.