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What a weekend that was! My skin is still sunburned from all the time spent outside. Center City Days was a blast this year. Crowds reflected the beautiful weather with how large they were. The parade was really well attended as was the street dance and the car show. The boat parade was the largest I can remember.  All in all, it was a great weekend and the people that put on Center City Days deserve a huge thank you.  

The other huge event that took place over the weekend was the Chisago Lakes Triathlon. There were over 800 athletes  taking part in the race which spanned much of Chisago Lakes.  Everywhere you looked there were neon green shirts worn by the great people who donated their time and effort on Sunday to make this race one of the best ever.  

I had a chance to chit chat with the winner Matt Hutchinson of Australia.  He is here (in Wisconsin) attending college and decided on a whim to drive over to Chisago Lakes and enter the triathlon. Good decision on his part.  I asked him what he likes best about the states and he quickly responded with how cheap everything is.  I was taken aback with that response.  He went on to absolutely rave about the Chisago Lakes area. He said it is so beautiful here with all of the lakes and cute small towns along Highway 8.  Kinda nice to hear that from an outsider (way outside).  

If you were one of the hundreds of volunteers - Thank you. The race wouldn’t take place without you.

This Sunday there are a couple of fun, free things for your family to do locally.  

The Chisago Lakes Sportsmens Club invites everyone from Chisago Lakes to their annual picnic at the Sportsmens Club across from the Library.  It is a community picnic filled with fun events like cash bingo, turtle races, sack races, trap shooting and a candy drop for the kids.  Don’t for a second think this is just a picnic filled with only members of the club, it is for everyone and you will have a great time. It runs from 11am to 5:30pm.  Oh and did I mention children’s bike giveaways?
 
This weekend is the very beginning of what is many people's favorite time of the year. I am referring to the Threshing Show which will take place next week.  But prior to the show there is a really neat event that signifies the beginning of threshing week, the annual tractor caravan.  
The tractor caravan is a free event. If you love tractors or have kids - this is for you.

The caravan runs this Sunday and begins at 9:45 am at Anderson & Koch Ford in North Branch.  The caravan will meander to Falcon Avenue then to Flink Avenue to 425th Street. It will go until Elmcrest to Fish Lake Beach for a brief pit stop. Then back on Elmcrest to Stark Road all the way to Deerwood Trail to Goose Creek to Galaxy Avenue. The caravan will stop at the Pete Lofgren farm for their second pit stop before heading back on County Road 9 into Harris and eventually Sunrise.  From Sunrise it will head south to Highway 95 and east to the Threshing Show grounds.  

This is a great opportunity to take photos of some great tractors and of course some people along for a fun ride.

I would be remiss if I didn't use this space to say happy anniversary to my beautiful wife Cheryl.  I have been lucky enough to call her my wife for the last 23 years and I can honestly say I love her more today than the day we got married.  Mushy - I know.  But anyone who can put up with me as a husband at the very least deserves some good pub.

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