Archive for April, 2012
Sam Northrop turned 23 years old Wednesday – hard to believe! I am sure many of our long-time customers will be appalled to know that Sam is 23. People still remember him as the baby sleeping in his car seat on the front counter, then as the little kid who spent every morning “working”. Grandpa Tom would wheel Sam around on the 2-wheeler – then they would go to Lena’s for a Kingsbury!
The funniest story about Sam’s birth day involves Trissa Crowley. Sam was 2 weeks overdue, so every day I was asked when this baby was going to be born! Trissa was in the store the morning of April 25, 1989 – and asked me that very question. I told her today – I was in labor and just waiting for Steve to finish so we could leave and go to the hospital. I thought she was going to have a heart attack! She was ready to take over for Steve in the meat department herself so we could get going!
For at least 20 of Sam’s 23 years, Trissa has come into the store on April 25. And when I ask her if she knows what day it is, she laughs, because she doesn’t – until I ask. It is the strangest coincidence – or is it?
Spring - really???
There is not much else to say, is there? Except, that this too shall pass. Have a nice weekend everybody!
Vonnie called me yesterday morning – it was snowing in Sedona, Arizona. And cold – 38 degrees. When she called it was only 9:30 Arizona time so I assumed it would warm up soon.
Dave called this morning – it snowed all day! It was still cold, but it was supposed to be in the 70′s by Tuesday.
Just about the opposite of Door County, Wisconsin. Could we have a stranger spring? I suppose it could snow…
Dave, Regan and Sam at Devil's Bridge
Last night we went to The Wild Tomato for dinner and were talking about our Sedona trip. Steve told me the ledge I was talking about was Devil’s Bridge; Devil’s Kitchen was a very deep crevice down that looked like an oven – a big oven! We decided Sam was a freshman in high school, so when we got home we got our pictures out and tried to find the picture. Here it is – October 2003.
The photo doesn’t truly show the scariness of the situation. That piece of rock Dave and Regan are sitting on (that in itself practically gave me a heart attack!) is jutting out from the big mountain, attached to the mountain at one end only. Steve took the picture on a narrow ledge directly across from the bridge. There is nothing below this piece of rock – except the treetops of some very, very tall trees. The tops of the trees are visible on both sides of the bridge; we did not figure out how far it was to the bottom.
Sam wasn’t too excited about going out there – and definitely was not going to sit down! Steve ventured out after he took the picture; he said it was no big deal – the bridge was as wide as a driveway. Really! A driveway?! Hanging out over a vast nothingness!!!
We all survived – and this is the kind of thing my father loves! So – Happy Birthday Dad! I hope you get a hike in today!
I want to wish you all a Happy and Blessed Easter. And this year, it is also Dave’s Birthday (I won’t tell you his age!)
Dave and Vonnie are in Arizona, Tuscon last week, moving to Sedona this weekend. Sedona is probably their favorite place in the United States outside of Door County – Dave loves to hike in the mountains. Vonnie finds lots of things to do that don’t involve much hiking!
When Sam was in high school, we took the kids out of school for a week and went to Sedona with my parents. We had never been there, and October is a beautiful time of the year – not too warm, not too cold. We had the most amazing time in the mountains – climbed higher than I could ever imagine! Regan was about 12 and as nimble as a monkey; she was a fearless climber! Steve, Sam and Dave climbed to the top of Bear Mountain one day – too much for me!
We have this fantastic picture somewhere, of my dad and Sam and Regan on a sliver of rock near Devil’s Kitchen. I couldn’t go out there and was fairly panicked at seeing them across the way standing on a ledge with nothing below them but treetops. That’s my dad though! I understand why my mother won’t go hiking with him very often. She does feel much better about it now that he has a cell phone. One year, she was just about to call the sheriff when he was late returning; fortunately he came back before she called. He learned his lesson – now he calls Vonnie if he is going to be late.
So – Happy Birthday! We all love you!
