Dan

The summer is already past us. Dan is back to college. It will be hard without his smile to brighten the apartment. I'll miss the games of disc golf. The walks in "Doggie Heaven." The praise and encouragement he lavished me with. I'm going to miss Dan. But I look forward to visiting him in Madison. That will be nice!

Growing Up

Cries for milk
First smiles
Taking tentative steps
Repeating words
Building block towers
Climbing onto the school bus
Kick the ball
Moving on to college
Start a real job
Grown Up


There are so many milestones my children have achieved. Each step of the way has been filled with awe. What a joy to watch them grow into beautiful adults.

The Beauty of Camp DuNord

It was a lovely week in the northland. Soft rains at night and for a couple of hours one morning. Otherwise there was plenty of sun to warm the waters of Burntside Lake. And oh were those fish biting! Luxi fell in love with the art of fishing. She became adept at threading the worms and leeches on the hook. She also mastered the art of taking the hook out of the fish's mouth, though there were some tough cases where an assisting dad would help her out. None of the fish were keepers, but she sure loved the pursuit!

We went hiking, swimming, and kayaking. We dined on bountiful breakfasts at the dining hall and feasted on cabin meals the rest of the day. It was leisurely, yet purposeful. We learned new songs, made new friends, and discovered new treasures of nature. At the end of the week, we were ready to return home with all our additional wisdom of the north.

Another stop at Gordy's on the way home gave us the opportunity to try his blackberry shake. Just the thing to tide us over until we made it home. A finishing touch to remind us of the berries we left behind in the woods of Camp DuNord.

Lolly-gaggling Along

Today while I was busy running errands to get ready for my Camp DuNord trip, the traffic suddenly came to a halt. When I looked ahead past the traffic signal, I saw a fun sight. About 7 geese were slowly making their way across the road. Cars in all directions stopped to look and wait. Wasn't there a children's book with a similar plot? Maybe a Dr. Seuss book.

Even though the signal light changed several times, we all just sat there waiting and smiling as the geese crossed. Isn't it neat when nature interrupts our lives every now and then? Snow blizzards that keep us home, hail storms that send us running to put the car in a safe place, sudden rain showers that soak our clothes and refresh us on a hot summer day. Gifts from Mother Nature.

So all the geese passed safely. The signal lights continued to direct traffic, and we went back to our errands. But for a few minutes we were under the spell of something more important than the business we set out for.

Wetlands #440

Well I found out today that the wetlands next to us hasn't got a name, but a number. I also found out that the difference between wetlands and marshes is that marshes are not surrounded by bushes and trees. At least I think that is what the city wetlands guy said. So I'll get to make up my own name for the wetlands. Maybe something like Redwing Blackbird Wetlands.

Yesterday when I went for an evening walk with Rusty you could hear the sound of guns firing at a nearby range. Normally Rusty wants to go home when he hears that sound, but he didn't seem to care tonight. We passed by a little pond and saw a strange sight. The banks surrounding the pond were filled with Canadian Geese. They had all left the water and were standing alertly. The only thing I could imagine was that they were frightened by the gun shot sounds and felt safer on the land as opposed to being in the water. Just my theory, of course!

What a gift we have been given-the always fascinating wildlife and greenery of nature.

Wetlands

It was tough to move away from Duluth. The northwoods beauty surrounded us-trees, creeks, trails everywhere. When we moved to Woodbury I expected old farms turned into shopping malls with little of the natural prairie left. So you can bet I was happily surprised to find a gorgeous nature preserve right next to the apartment building we moved into. Marsh, woods, wildflowers, and wildlife, right out my window. What a gift! There is a winding path along side it all. Redwing Blackbirds serenade you as you walk on the path. It is like slipping away into another world.

This is not the only wetlands in Woodbury. I've seen others scattered through the town. Thank you to the planners who knew what jewels they'd be to those of us who chose to live here. Thank you for giving the wildlife a home.

The Brown Chair

Ever since we moved to our apartment, I've been looking for a brown chair for the family area. The kids taught me how to check craigslist, so I would check that every day several times. No luck. I went to the local Goodwill 2-3 times a week and even drove to the Maplewood store, no luck. Then yesterday I had dad and Pauline over for lunch. They brought several bags of stuff that I was not thrilled to get. Old linens, faded placemats, empty picture frames, old books. After they left I decided to bring it all to Goodwill. Somebody else would appreciate it! I dropped the stuff off, then decided to check the store. My gosh, there it was-the brown chair of my dreams! It was sturdy and the upholstery was in very good condition. I paid $16 dollars and it was mine! Now I understood why I had to graciously accept what I didn't want to get the chair that I did want. Nate helped me carry it up to the apartment and promptly sat down in it. He likes it almost as much as I do.