Book it, Danno!
The leaves have changed, the first snow fallen, the boats pulled from the lake. My annual signals to move on have flashed so I prepare, but not before I extend a few necessary thank-yous for another wonderful summer.
MK: Each summer, my deepest, most heartfelt thank you goes out to MK for her concrete and absolute belief in the future importance of Pallino to the children and me. At the time she decided this I was nowhere near her sureness. But as usual, she knew our sweet spot!
Family: Family deserves a huge thank you too! While I love every moment at the lake, those shared here with family are amazingly extra special! This place is made for sharing and no one better to do that with than family and in-laws.
New Additions: This summer we got to welcome Stella to the family, too! Christina made the excellent decision to adopt this rescue Lab, who immediately melded right into the family as well as becoming Napa’s bff – best furry friend! Not sure how she gained the nickname Monster, because she is truly a sweet, sweet Lab (most of the time)! Thanks for finding us, Stella!
Friends of Old: Sincere and overwhelming thanks are due a group of ten very special friends! There was no way I would have ever guessed, let alone bet on, the fact I’d find myself hosting a brilliant reunion of long disconnected college buddies here this summer. On the spur of the moment and after 45 years these friends traveled a combined 9,450 miles to gather at Pallino for five wonderful days. Thanks to each of them for friendship reconfirmed and reignited!
Mother Nature: Mother Nature came through solidly this summer! I thank her for loads of great temperatures, sunny days, stunning sunsets, starry nights, and the always perfect post-sauna waters of Pokegama. She trotted out some wonderful wildlife and added an awesome foliage show to close out her summer.
Now, as I said, it’s time to move on, but not without one pending thank you.
This one may seem a bit odd, but in the midst of my trek ‘south’ I’ll be extending another thank you. Attending a conference at Mayo, I’ll steal away and spend time with a true family VIP, Dr. Dan Lachance, MK’s neuro-oncologist. I’m sure I’ll say the words ‘thank you’ to him too often, but every time I see him and say them, I know those words fail to ever come close to expressing our deepest appreciation for all this amazing physician did for MK and our entire family over her long, long journey!
Come on, Napa, it’s time for us to get ready…
