Grandpa's Place Up North

The windows are new I remember very small windows.

 These photos show my Grandpa and Grandma's place just north of Wausau, Wisconsin. My grandparents have been dancing in heaven many years now, but the house Grandpa built is still there and so is the big woods.

 I have fond memories of driving up to to visit them. Five kids in a station wagon.   My parents probably felt the trip took six hours - "this is the line! Do NOT touch me." or "Stop making faces at me." And the all time favorite of kids everywhere - "If I have to stop this car..." for 3 1/2 hours from West Bend to Wausau. 

After settling in and playing a few games, we would all pile out of the car at the half-way point, The Cheese Shop in Freemont, Wisconsin, along State Highway 110. We could walk around a bit, go to the bathroom, and choose string cheese or cheese curds for the car snack. The Cheese shop is boarded up, but thankfully we no longer need a unifying family break.

On the trip when I took these photos I was traveling to Wausau, with three of my siblings - it was a great trip the only tense moment? "Shot gun!  I called it." 

The house looks the same and the owners were so kind in allowing us to park and walk through their yard to the woods.

The remains of our maple syrup operation. 

In the Spring, we kids would "help" Grandpa and our dad make maple syrup.  Our job was to  gather wood - until we lost interest... .

In the Fall, sometimes Grandpa would hitch up the wagon - big enough for eight grand kids - to the tractor and take us for a ride through the woods out to the clearing. We had such fun.  

Now that I am a grandma, I hope that I can help make memories that will be treasured up through the years.  It is always a good time when I get together with my siblings and someone starts off with - remember when...