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This weekend brings easily one of my favorite events of the year. I am referring to the Almelund Threshing Show.  The event takes place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Threshing Grounds on Highway 95 near Almelund.

The Threshing Show is one of the oldest (59th), coolest, most laid back events you will ever see.  It is set on over 60 acres of land  jam packed with all things farm and tractor related.  It is a step back in time where you get to see how farmers in Chisago County made a living.  

If you have kids, heck, even if you don’t, this is the mother lode for kids and tractor enthusiasts.  Kids will love seeing, touching and even crawling on tractors from decades ago.  You will see some of the most unique, beautifully restored tractors in the world at the show.  Make sure to bring your camera because these tractors have such bright and vivid colors and photos usually turn out great.

We have a complete list of events in this edition of the Press. I urge you to come out

And, Sunday is the Chisago Lakes Sportsmen’s Picnic.  You and your family are invited to come to the picnic for an afternoon filled with good friends, great food and lots of fun.  Trust me here folks, this picnic is not just for members of the Sportsmes’s Club but for EVERYBODY.  There will be games for the kids, as well as six grand prizes of three girls and three boys bikes given away.  There’s turtle races, and a candy drop for the kids as well.  
The folks that run the club are some of the nicest people in the area and they would love nothing more than to have you come visit and spend the afternoon with them.  The picnic runs from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and is located across from the Library.

Last week, my family packed up and rented a cabin in Marcell.  If you remember, I wrote about us renting it on Craigslist.  It is a three hour drive to Marcell and I would say that for two hours and 40 minutes of the drive up, my mind was filled with many odd thoughts.  What if the place is a dump? What if it was a scam and there is no cabin?  What if they are waiting to mug us?  These are some of the more realistic scenarios that ran through my head.  

When we finally arrived, there stood the woman who owned the cabin in the street waving to us.  Suddenly all the worries just washed away. She looked completely normal, she was one of the friendliest people we have ever met.  

The best part? The cabin was beautiful.  Far better than the photos they posted on Craigslsit.  

We had an amazing time up there. If you have ever been to Grand Rapids, you know just how beautiful the land and lakes are up there.  Our lake was huge with occupancy on maybe about five percent of the lake and the rest surrounded by forest.  It was like we were in the boundary waters but with a motor boat.
We had aboslutely no contact with the world via phone, internet or television.  It was heaven. The kids were forced to spend time with us, we played more card games than you can imagine.  

Words can’t begin to express how much it meant to me to spend such quality alone time with my family.  No matter how hectic our lives are back here, none of that mattered. Just spending time with them was the best gift I could ever hope for.

Speaking of the trip. We celebrated my birthday and our anniversary on our trip.  I have had the privilege of being married to my wife Cheryl for 20 years now.  They have been the best years of my life and I simply can’t imagine life without her.  She is my rock, she is my everything.

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