Pickerel Lake

Phil and Rachel live on Pickerel Lake. It is a beautiful lake and I enjoyed looking at it and watching the wildlife. When I arrived there was still ice on the lake. We could watch it shift from end to end and side to side and see where it had crashed up on the shore.

Phil is checking out the ice melt.

The ice is still thick!

You can see the ice that has crashed on shore

Sunset

Easter Sunday was a beautiful day looking out on the lake. We had a wonderful dinner and relaxing afternoon as we watched the ice slowly disappear from the lake. Phil and I took an afternoon walk down the street while Rachel rested. By the end of the day any ice that was left was down at the east end out of our sight.  We even saw a jet skier out on the water enjoying his first outing of the year.

Morning

The ice is going...

going...

gone!

Another beautiful sunset!

Monday was a beautiful day and after breakfast we sat outside and enjoyed the wonderful spring day and beautiful view of the lake with the warm sunshine on our back. The sunrises and sunsets were just beautiful and I enjoyed listening to the loons at night.

What a view!

Crystal clear water

Enjoying the view and the sunshine!

Sunset ....

on a peaceful lake!

Zion Lutheran Church of Amor

We went to the Easter Sunrise service where I was able for the first time to hear Phil preach. I have been able to read his many sermons but this was the first time I was able to hear him preach. It was a great service where the youth took part. It started with the front of the church bare of anything but a crown of thorns on the alter table. As the pianist played a haunting tune of “Were you there?” someone came and took the crown and as the song progressed and changed to Crown Him with Many Crowns the youth and pastors redressed the alter and pulpit along with the beautiful Easter flowers it was very moving.  I have always celebrated Easter morning with “He is Risen” followed by “He is Risen indeed!” But on that first Easter morning the people were still mourning Jesus’ death until they realized He was risen as He said.  It was very moving.

What an awesome experience to hear Phil preach!  It was a wonderful sermon and I learned some things I never realized before. Only at one point did I lose focus and think back to the little boy, now a man standing before me, teaching me, a few tears escaped before I refocused to listen. (When I read the sermon later, I had only missed a small portion.) It was incredible. After service there was a breakfast in the fellowship hall and then two more services where the Pastor preached and choir sang.

On Monday afternoon Phil and I went back to the church so I could get pictures and we were able to explore the church a little more. He even convinced me to climb up into the bell tower. I was hesitant when we first walked into the church but on the way out he asked again and we climbed up the two ladders to see the view from the bell tower and I was glad I did. It was fun to see the view from up there and to overcome my fear of heights for a unique experience with Phil in the church where he is currently working.

Zion Lutheran Church of Amor

Phil at the pulpit

Panoramic view from the balcony

Back of the sanctuary and balcony

Fellowship hall (old sanctuary)

Beautiful quilt hanging in the fellowship hall

Part of the kitchen

Library



Church register from the 1880s



Decoration on the fellowship hall tables



Fellowship hall looking back toward narthex
Phil's office is on the right







Phil outside his office (above) and inside his office (below)

Ladder up to the bell tower

The bell that calls the community to worship

Looking North...

South...

West..

East



I like the back of the sign too!



Original site of the church
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Gotalund Congregation

Fergus Falls

In Fergus Falls we stopped by the pond where Rachel has been watching the egrets nesting in the tree in the middle of the pond. She wanted to get some more pictures and to show me the birds, so we stopped. I thought we would be out in the country, but this pond was right in the city at a park. We got out and took some pictures and enjoyed watching the birds.

Rachel has her new camera bag Phil bought her for her birthday.

Canadian Geese were all around the pond as well.

To see more recent pictures of these birds checkout Rachel's blog:

http://rachelsopenawindow.blogspot.com/

 

We went into Fergus Falls and stopped at a game/bookstore. Rachel looked at the games while Phil went downstairs to check out the books. After looking at the games with Rachel I wandered downstairs to see what kind of books they had. It was filled and overflowing with books of all kinds. Rachel bought some games and I bought some books.

Ferus Falls

Biffley's

The books are downstairs



Phil loves looking through the books



Then we went across the street to a nice gift shop and looked all through the store, they had books, and a lot of very unique gift items. It was fun walking through and seeing all that they had. Next we went another neat little store called the Market. Phil and Rachel bought me this:

I played this game as a kid and we had bought some for Ben and Phil when they were small.

We found everything put an airplane!

 

We played auto bingo on the way to Phelps Mills where we were attacked by so many swarms of some kind of flies/bugs that we had to run to get away from them. The Mill was closed so we headed back to the car and they were all over the car and we had to try and rush in before they got inside.  We laughed as we tried to shoo them out the windows.

The park by Phelps Mill

Enjoying the view just before we were attacked by bugs

That night we had homemade pizza and played the games Rachel bought. Next time you visit, ask them to play Wooly Bully and Such a Thing! We had a great day!

It was yummy!!!!