Birthday means summer is here

My birthday on June 3 has nearly coincided with summer's arrival all my life.  While growing up my birthday party at Swan Lake was the best, I had two there as I recall, after fifth and sixth grade.  We had waterfights with canoes, sailfish, and whatever else that would float.

Those were the days, when the teacher's unions respected Memorial Day and Labor Day as the proper boundaries for the school year.  Summer at the lake meant baseball, swimming, skiing and hikes.  We went to town once a week for band, to mow the townhouse lawn and for mom to wash clothes. Usually we went to church on Sunday, of course.  Summer thunder storms with the threat of hail and Twins baseball on the radio were also a highlight.  Before there was cable we had fuzzy TV, three channels were plenty because it wasn't on much anyway.  I do remember watching the moon landing in July 1969 on the TV at the lake.

David Bruce, Rodger, Bob and Jim with Margaret Shaver, Swan Lake 1956

Cindy at their lake, about 1958

This year we had a nice small birthday celebration with the Iverson's on Friday.  Angel food cake is my annual birthday choice;  whipped cream and strawberries go well with that.  On Saturday we had our traditional family dinner at Rock Creek Grill, again with Iverson's and Meg, too.  We will have a good old fashioned summer this year, our house will be full as the Iverson's move-in as they will be here when we leave for the Dominican Republic in September.  Meg is here for about a month, Shawn and Anna should be here in August while they are between school sessions.  They may actually be going to China for a year beginning in September.  So we will swim, picnic and have lots of fun. 

Birthday boy, 3 June 2011

Getting ready for celebration.  Cindy, Liz, Allison, Morgan and Carrie in back.

Morgan likes ginger snaps with whipped cream on them.

Levi loves his trucks and cars.

Opening of  the swim season on 4 Jun 2011.  Morgan, Carrie, Levi.