Ki Chi Saga Days this weekend; what is that darn scratching noise?

Ki Chi Saga Days are here. Make sure to head to Chisago City for a long weekend of fun for everyone. We have a detailed schedule of events in this edition. Also in this edition, you will find the first clue for Moberg’s hidden horn. The lucky winners will take home $500. Good luck!

The outdoor movie this year will be “The Lorax” which will be screened Friday in Paradise Park right after the sand castle contest. One new item this year which I really love, is historical videos about Chisago City played on the big screen. Beginning at 5:15 on Saturday, you are invited to watch “The Dahl House Resort”, “Swedes in America”, “Chisago City - The town that moved” and “The ghost of Camp Ojiketa”. I have seen three of these and they were all great. The shows will be presented at the Chisago City Community Center. Please turn to pages 10 and 11 for a list of events and times. I hope to see you there. Remember, the good folks at Edward Jones in Chisago City and Lindstrom are accepting school supplies for the less fortunate. I know alot of us are already filling our school supply list, so why not just grab a couple of extra items?  They are super cheap right now, and donations of any size will be greatly appreciated by local students who might not be able to afford them. You can drop off supplies at either office, thank you.

We still have a few spots left for the 2013 Chisag Lakes Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament. If you or your team would like to play in one last tournament before the snow flies, this is your chance. The tournament is August 29 and is held at the Chisago Lakes Golf Course. It is a great time for golf and socializing. Call the Chamber at 651 257 1177 to register. As we get closer to the October “Feed My Starving Children” mobile packing event, you can help. Sign ups will not be for a while yet, but they are accepting donations. On our website there is a tile ad for the event. Just click on it and follow how to donate. I was shocked to learn that Cheryl Kennedy had passed away last week. Cheryl was such a great person both as a mother and as a community activist. She was one of the first female members of the Lions here. Cheryl will be sorely missed. If your County Press stopped delivery last week, that means your subscription has expired. No biggie, just call us at 651 257 5115 and we can take your payment over the phone. We will have the paper in your mailbox without skipping a beat. After what seemed like every week writing about community legends that have passed away recently, I decided to take a break.

I talked Mrs. Silver into leaving for a trip up north for a week of doing absolutely nothing. Oddly, it didn't take much convincing, and we decided to head to Lake Kabetogama, up near International Falls. We packed the truck and headed out on a beautiful mid 70's day and began our four hour trip. For those of you who are lucky enough to have visited Kabetogama, it is amazing. So picturesque. Just a handful of resorts and homes on the south side of the lake with the rest being part of Voyagers National Park. When we got there it was just like we remembered, so peaceful. The kids immediately went off exploring and we unpacked. When everything was put away, I decided to pop the top on my favorite beverage an ice cold PBR (what can I say? I'm old school) and enjoy the surroundings.

As I was slowly taking it in (the scenery), I kept hearing some type of scratching noises. "This is the woods - of course there is going to be noises" I thought. Dinner was great, no bugs, no mosquitoes, warm temps, just great. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves. After a night of playing card games for Skittles, we decided it had been a long day and there were so many fish to catch the next day, so we turned in. About 3 a.m. or so, I had to use the restroom, but as I lay there contemplating just how badly I had to go, I heard some banging noises. We either had a raccoon in the cabin or someone is robbing us. Slowly I crept to the door and the noise would subside then re-start. I finally got the nerve up to wing open the door and confronting whatever or whoever was out there. I opened the door and stepped into the living room, no robber, no raccoon, nothing. Then from the corner of the cabin it came, like a vulture bearing down on its prey, it swooped at me and crashed into the curtain. My third worst fear in the world was here in our cabin, one being clowns, two being snakes, three being bats. We had a bat. I quickly recoiled to the bedroom.

As I was sitting with my back against the door, chest heaving, I looked and saw my wife still sleeping. Then tragedy really hit. There was a second bat flying in the bedroom. Worse yet, it landed on the bed. I quickly threw a towel over it and chucked the towel out into the living room. It seemed like forever when I was trying to figure out what to do. What if the wife and kids find out? Will we be packing up and heading home in the morning? Would we demand our money back and look for the nearest Motel 6? Why was my neck itching? Did I get bit by a bat? (It was sunburn by the way). I finally decided that if I opened the front door maybe the bat would fly out. That is exactly what it did. As soon as it flew out I slammed the door which immediately woke the kids. "I stubbed my toe! Now go back to bed" I shouted. As I crawled into bed and closed my eyes the sun came up.  So did my 13 year old son who wanted to fish. I knew this was going to be a long trip.

We enjoyed the lake another day before the wind kicked up and we were forced to stay on dry land. Every time we were in the cabin, you could hear bats in the walls. To my surprise, the wife and kids didn't seem to mind. I on the other hand, was going nuts. We ended up playing countless games of 31, horseshoes, and something called ladderball, which my wife somehow is a pro at. I had visions of us boating every day, fishing, swimming, exploring islands, but not this trip. We would be forced to enjoy each other, gulp. Long story short, even though we did less than we have ever done on a vacation, doing less with my family was one of the best vacations I can ever remember. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Oh, and when you look at websites for cabins in the future, rustic apparently means bat filled.