It's The Life of a King

During the month of May I lived the life of royalty. I became the Captain of our mighty pontoon boat, plying the waters of Cranberry Lake and the neighboring Minong Flowage as the master of my domain.

Note the wine stained teeth. I ate and drank like royalty at the cabin with the Boycz, even donned handsome jackets for dinner like a royal entourage. The wine flowed. The food came from the very top of the food chain.

We helped Peter celebrate his graduation from the University of Iowa, again with fine food, beer and wine.

It was truly a month of get-togethers filled with fun (and consumption).

A canoe trip to Canada - again with consumption of food and wine a central part of the experience.

My "splash" cup was never far away and rarely empty.

Lots and lots of laughs, some big fish. Yes, exercise was part of the equation. But a smaller factor than fun with food and drink.

I returned from the canoe trip, and Memorial Day was upon me. Kate's cabin menu was amazing, supplemented by woodcock wrapped in bacon at the Olson cabin.

We watched birds, ate, drank, talked, laughed and then we watched birds, ate, drank, talked, laughed.

Fun, frivolity and food have been the more or less constant order of the day for me for the past month. But it appears there is a price to pay. Over the last couple of days I've been afflicted with an attack of the dreaded Gout. My right big toe looks like an alcoholic's nose, red and swollen. Wikipedia helpfully points out that "Historically gout was known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease" - so perhaps you could call my current condition a royal pain in the toe.

We always told the kids as we were raising them that actions have consequences. It appears that an aching toe is the consequence of my behavior in the recent past. It's a small price to pay for all the fun - so I find it hard to feel too badly about my condition. Until I try to walk somewhere. Ouch!