July 31

[From Facebook: And now for the rest of the story. First, we have to get the Super a new tablet . . . her old Samsung has just about lost all of its photo taking abilities. We stayed at the Starlite Motel in New Holstein, WI (population 3,200), a mom & pop, single floor, 1950’s-style, 15-room (?) place, just perfect for a one-night stand before we can check into camp 12 miles away. This morning we wandered out looking for a place to eat breakfast. We’re at the far south of end town, so we went north looking, driving all the way through town and finding nothing (it’s early Sunday morning). We stopped at a Piggly Wiggly to ask about restaurants – turns out it was about a half block from our motel, the other way! At the South Town Family Restaurant, our server was ‘experienced,’ cheerful and delightful, another was 3 weeks from giving birth to her 3rd child, with dyed pink red hair in a tight bun (again, delightful), two old guys (OK, my age) were sitting at the next table: One asked, “So, how many miles on the truck now?” The reply, “Oh, about three-forty.” The other customers in the place did not need menus. Food was good, if too much. In other words, everything was perfect! 🙂 ]

[Then on the road to Elkhart Lake.  BPOE?  Well, it is ‘Elk’hart Lake after all.]

[On the Sunday morning drive from New Holstein to Elkhart Lake . . . ]

[As is the church . . . ]

[And the internationally famous Sheboygan County Broughton Marsh Park & Campground.  It’s walking distance from Camp Brosius – in fact, it’s a morning activity at camp to do this walk . . . ]

[We were just killing time until camp opened, so we climbed the 144 stairs to the top.]

[Huff, puff, huff, puff, we made it!]

[Nice views!]

[There’s our Beetle.]

[Then we drove into Elkhart Lake and to the Barefoot Tiki Bar at Victorian Village.  It’s becoming a family meet-up place before camp opens.]

[Our camp is on the diagonally far side of the lake.  The Tiki Bar is a nice place for a Bloody Mary while we’re waiting.  And we had a nice visit with the couple who organized and emceed the music festival the night before – they remembered me as the photography guy.]

[Then we drove by and around Osthoff, the giant resort/condo complex . . . ]

[This is where we golfed . . . when I did such things.]

[This is a cloud.]

[This is a dead end sign.]

[This is a doe and her twins.]

[Never pass up an opportunity to photograph a girls’ basketball sign.]

[Where the Elkhart Lake famous and infamous meet for breakfast and lunch.]

Finally, arriving at camp . . .

[This is from the public landing shooting toward camp on the right.]

[Out first sighting of the new office . . . ]

[And it’s innards.]

[Internet access to the world here . . . when it’s working.]

[Our first camp meal Sunday evening – always a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s.]

[Are we kids of all ages having fun yet?]

[Then the camp counselors introduced themselves, told us their jobs for the week, and who handles all the kids for the week by age groups.  Our Katie and Ruby above, for instance, are with the rest of the 14-year olds and older).  Thus, adults are left to just run around like . . . children?]

[And then the counselors, college students all, lead the opening night campfire regaling the history of Elkhart Lake..]

[This is when the Supervisor grabbed my camera so she could get a shot of the back of my head . . . ]

[And from the other side, shots of Rita and me discussing the finer points of our 401k’s.]

[Say goodnight, everyone!]

Summer has set in with its usual severity. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Up Next:  More camp . . .