Geese Are Indecisive

This morning I drove my bike to work. I took Coon Rapids Boulevard. As I came up to Mercy Hospital the traffic slowed suddenly. I braked too. A flock of forty geese decided to cross all the lanes of traffic. Cars waited in all four lanes. Then just as some of the geese reach the far side, they decide that no, the other side was better and head back toward the hospital. Seriously? Waiting for these forty geese to make up their minds could take all day. And another thing, why cross during rush hour?  How about crossing earlier in the day before people are trying to get to work?  Or fly across?  Why not fly across the road?  Maybe these are juveniles who don't know how to fly yet, I am not sure. I was just glad to get past them without striking any or having any strike me. Geese can be vicious. I don't want a goose chasing me down Coon Rapids Boulevard, thank you very much.

Productive Day of Getting Rid of Belongings!

Tonight after work I went to Savers with a big box of dishes and another box of vinyl records. The man who lifted the box of records said I had some good ones in there and he would have to go through them first. I told him to go ahead. Once home I had the bright idea to take this wooden table out to the curb with a sign that read, "Free Table." This table was in Offspring #1's bedroom. He painted it barn red. I have proof of this because I have a barn red stain on the floor of my garage.  This was one heavy table that was two feet high and four feet high. I had planned to put a notice up at work to see if anyone wanted it. Instead I grabbed my two wheel dolly and hauled that heavy table up the stairs, out the door, down the side walk, down the driveway and set it down. I didn't even wipe the spider webs off of it. I looked down the driveway a mere 60 minutes later and the table was gone. Seeing that the red table was taken, I did the happy dance all the way back to the house.

Admission

I have been trying very hard to get rid of stuff I don't need. I take car load after car load of stuff to Savers, to Goodwill, to Half Price Books, to Bridging (a non-profit that accepts furniture and other goods), and to those drop off places at local stores to benefit Veterans. I got rid of a couch, a bunch of bar stools, many pictures and picture frames, many books, many cups and glasses, coats, pants, shirts, dresses, shoes and boots. I thought I was doing pretty good. This Sunday I was looking around right before I took out the trash for something else to throw or donate. I went into my closet in the lower level (we call it the confessional because it has an arched door way) and, to my dismay, I found an entire large box of dishes that were never unpacked when we moved here thirty years ago! Seriously? I have to face it. I have hoarder tendencies. The first step to recovery is admitting the problem. These dishes are going to Savers ASAP!

The Sunshine Sisters

I wish we had some sunshine today! Rain has been falling steadily since I had to stop mowing the lawn at 10:30 this morning. In any case, I had time to finish The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green. The three offspring of actress Ronnie Sunshine star in this family drama. Ronnie is somewhat of a narcissist so naturally all three children have issues. In an uncharacteristic act of selflessness, Ronnie maneuvers to repair some of the damage she has done by getting her daughters together again. Ronnie figures the adult daughters could use each others help in navigating their lives. Nell and Meredith are the two older siblings. They took Ronnie's sarcasm and harsh words personally their entire lives. Lizzie, the youngest, had thicker skin or maybe she is too much like her mother to let anything or anyone bother her. The manner these three women fight and make up, over and over, is believable and entertaining.

Paddle Paddle Paddle

Today was the 28th annual canoe trip down the Saint Croix River. We put in at Taylors Falls and took out at William O'Brien State Park. The weather, wow, the weather has never been better than today. The sky was blue with white puffy clouds and the wind didn't push us the wrong way this time. The humidity was low. The seven of us had a great day on the river. I wore a wide brimmed hat, a sun shirt and yoga pants that went down to mid calf so my only sunburn is on my chin and the tops of my hands. Despite the 1.9 inches of rain that fell on my house last night the river wasn't flooded. The sand island was visible by the petroglyphs. The canoes and kayaks were flying out of the rental office. We had three canoes and I had my little kayak. The Taylors Falls paddle boat snuck up on us.I moved to get out of the way and the paddleboat followed me so I cut back to the side I came from. We waved at the people on the paddleboat. Many people were enjoying the day on the water. We saw bald eagles, turkey vultures, great blue heron, goldfinches and swallows flying. We saw two guys on paddle boards fishing while standing. That has to take some coordination to stand up and paddle and fish at the same time. We stopped for lunch at the Osceola landing. Coincidentally all seven us of packed peanut butter sandwiches. We decided to go on to William O'Brien. The traffic on the river lightened up past Osceola. Sometimes pontoon boats, fishing boats or bass boats went by. I enjoy a gentle rocking now and then. We saw osprey on the nest at the train bridge. Sometimes we went to the Minnesota side of islands and other times we went to the Wisconsin side of islands. I saw one sandy island ahead and thought I would stick to the Minnesota side. Big mistake. I got stuck in the shallow water. I wasn't the only one to get stuck. I had to get out to pull my kayak. In the process of getting out I sat down in the river soaking my pants and the sleeves of my shirt. Wow, that was refreshing. I had to wear wet pants the rest of the trip but that was okay. I was sad to see the state park signs ahead because I knew that meant we had only one mile left of our trip. I was lagging behind the others by this point. I didn't care. I enjoy my time on the water. I watched people walking on the path in the state park who didn't know I was watching them. Eventually I came to the end of this river journey. I paddled to the boat landing and got out with the help of a nephew. I ditched my kayak in the weeds to pick up later. I walked to the restroom. Walking back from the restroom a two year old boy said to me, "Hello Grandma!" I said hello back and asked how he knew I was a Grandma. His mother explained that his Grandma has the same hat as I did and she was going to tell the real Grandma about this encounter. After waiting only a short while a van came to pick us up. Some family members helped load the canoes on the trailer. Ironically there wasn't room for them on this van. I rode the van to the Osceola landing where I got on a bus back to my car. Once in my car I drove back toward my kayak, waving at all the shuttle buses and vans in case my family members were aboard. I saw my kayak was still there so I stopped to pick it up. I started dragging it through the grass to my car but a strange man offered help so we carried it to my yellow car. I loaded the kayak and headed home through Marine On The Saint Croix, Centerville, Lino Lakes, Blaine, and Anoka. Today was a good day!

A Quiet Friday Evening At Home - Not

Hail this large is very loud and is disturbing my peace.

Urinetown

On Thursday I went to see a musical play in which my nephew played the part of Senator  Fipp. This play is a satire about unpleasant topics such as bodily functions, corruption, poverty, corporate greed, the legal system, dysfunctional families, and local politics. The story is narrated by a police officer, Officer Lockstock. Officer Lockstock had a tremendous voice. She was so much in character that she heckled us ladies in line during intermission and was, frankly, a little scary. I thought I might have to pay to use the toilet. Paying to use the toilet is what happens in Urinetown. Those who don't pay are severely punished. I have run into situation in my life where I had to use the toilet. When I was a kid we used to pick up our west coast aunts from the airport. At the airport the toilet cost a quarter. We crawled under the door instead. I was smaller then. Also in France I had to pay to use the toilet. I think that was in 2002. If you have to go bad enough you don't mind spending two Euros to use the facilities. Also earlier this year at a bus station in Greece we had to tip the person waiting in the restroom. I can't say Urinetown is my favorite musical but it was interesting and entertaining and thought provoking.

Side Effects of Bird Watching

I had a busy day today. I was too busy to even take my morning walk by the lake. I ended up spending a full eight and a half hour day without breathing a breath of fresh air or feeling the sun warm my skin. So once i got off work the fresh air could begin. As I collected my eggs from the chickens the tree wren talked to me from the crab apple tree. I looked at it talking and soon another tree wren in the very same tree started talking too. As I watered the plants on my deck the barred owl (perhaps the same one I saw last night?) started calling. Blue jays are yelling now. A hummingbird flashed the ruby throat at me before it went under the deck and levitated on the far side of the hummingbird feeder. Maybe he didn't want me to see it but I watched as he perched in the oak tree to rest and flap his wings a few times. Watching birds has a side effect of putting all the issues of the day aside for a few minutes and focus on the beauty at hand.

Properly Thrilled

I just got home tonight about 9 o'clock. I park the car by the mailbox to retrieve the mail. As I get back in my car and move slowly forward I see a large bird moving from one hack berry tree that lines my driveway to the next. What is this big bird?  Is this the Cooper's hawk I have seen several times in the past two weeks again? As the bird lands in the second hack berry tree it swivels it's round head and I look into the deep brown eyes of a barred owl. The owl takes off toward the south. This is the first time I have spotted an owl on my property and I am properly thrilled.

Camping Where We Almost Caught A Duck

On Sunday my good friend sent me a picture from, oh, probably 28 years ago. I am seated on a picnic table in front of an unfamiliar blue tent. I am wearing a pink flowered top and a pair of faded jeans. Offspring #1 is on my lap on his back and his shoulders rest on the picnic bench. His mouth is open and laughing as he looks at the camera. Offspring #2 in also on my lap on her tummy and she, too, is laughing and looking at the camera. I am just laughing. I could not figure out where this was taken. My friend reminded me of the time the five of us went camping at Charles Lindberg State Park.The blue tent was her blue tent. I brought the pick up truck with the pop up camper and a fishing boat on a trailer. We tried to launch the boat in the Mississippi River. I remember getting frustrated with backing up the trailer that I could not see because of the camper. I ended up taking the trailer off the hitch and walking it down to the water. We fished on the Mississippi River. We were fishing for fish. Unfortunately a flock of mallard ducks kept eyeing out bait and diving at our lines. We had to reel our lines in fast to avoid catching a duck. Lucky for us we caught a few fish and zero ducks. After camping I drove home on Highway 10. As I came to the spot on Highway 10 where the road from Monticello crosses on the way to Santiago. The crossing is at a diagonal. At that time there was no stop light there. A car from Monticello made a poor choice and tried to cross Highway 10 when cars were coming east. I was in the fast lane towing a trailer. The car in front of me smacked into the car crossing Highway 10 so hard I saw both cars lift into the air a little bit before coming back down. I had time to pull over onto the median safely. I told the kids to stay put. I ran to the car in front of me. The driver got out of the car and began walking in circles talking about a headache. She definitely had a concussion. Her passenger in the front seat was quietly sitting there. The ashtray in the car was open when the impact happened. Her shin hit the ashtray and some of her leg was now in the ashtray. Her leg was bleeding profusely. I asked her if she had a towel. She said she did in the back seat. I got the towel and applied pressure to her leg while the driver kept walking around in circles and repeating herself. I was freaked out big time. What was I doing abandoning my two offspring? I hoped they would listen and not leave the truck. The woman with the injured leg said she was in a lot of pain and asked when the ambulance would be there. I started talking in a reassuring manner mentioning the hospital in Monticello and the hospital in Saint Cloud. When I get nervous I get talkative. Soon someone appeared at my left shoulder. He said he was an off duty paramedic and asked if I wanted his assistance. I was happy to give him the job. I walked back to my truck trembling. As the traffic cleared we drove home. Offspring #1 was sure I would be on the television show called 911 that evening. I kept my fear and anxiety under wraps so as not to upset the children. When I got home I called my camping friend. She and her daughter had been unpacking for an hour already. With her I could unload my fear and anxiety. I told her if I had left ten seconds earlier I might not be alive to call her now. I told her about the accident. She listened. Sharing the story helped deflate the emotional turmoil and I could calm down. The camping weekend was fun but the drive home put a damper on the trip. I was glad we made it home safely.

Luau

Last night my chapter of master naturalists met for a luau. We listened to Hawaiian music while we visited, ate and drank. The food was delicious. We talked and listened and soon enough three hours flew by. We took our desserts outside to talk about future plans for the chapter and kept at it until the mosquitoes chased us inside. Everyone in the group was fascinating to me. All are people from whom I can learn. Several people there volunteer more than 500 hours per year. I am no where near that free with my time but I do admire their dedication.

Hawiian Chicken Salad

Tonight I am going to a luau so I decided to bring Hawaiian chicken salad.
Ingredients: 1 box Quorn (fake) chicken cutlets nuked and cubed
1 cup celery
1 7 ounce can water chestnuts sliced
1 18 ounce can pineapple tidbits drained
1 bunch green onions diced
1 cup red grapes
1 cup green grapes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 yellow bell pepper julienned
3/4 cup almonds
Dressing 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup yogurt, 1/2 tsp salt

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Aloha!

Safety Tips

Sing Along At Work Today

"Alice, where are you going?"
"Upstairs, to take a bath."
Alice, with legs like toothpicks
And a neck like a giraffe!


Alice got in the bathtub,
Alice pulled out the plug.
Oh, my gracious! Oh, my soul!
There goes Alice down the hole!

Sick: A Memoir

 Today I had a meeting in Blaine at this one guys apartment. I have been going to this apartment for years in the summer. As I parked and we walked in the apartment through the sliding glass door window I remembered the same meeting five years ago. The weather was warm and humid, like today, but the AC wasn't on and cool air was coming in through the patio door. As I sat in my chair looking at the rain falling and the curtain blowing in the wind I realized I was sick. I had cellulitis in my right shin. My body temperature went from hot to cold to hot to cold. I had a funny rash on my leg. Actually I was in the beginning stages of sepsis. After the meeting I went back to work, gathered my stuff, and went to urgent care. Urgent care sent me to the emergency room. I sat on my cot in the emergency room and put pillows under my right leg. I was hoping to get an IV of antibiotics quicker than later. That was a tough day. My right shin still has some neuropathy but the area that feels numb gets a little smaller every year as the nerves grow back through the injured muscle. I try not to dwell on what is wrong with me but on what is right with me. Ironically today I finished listening to Porochista Khakpour's memoir about being sick with Lyme's disease. Like a car tire spinning on ice Porochista goes on and on and on and on about her symptoms. She can't sleep. She really can't sleep. She lost weight. She lost more weight. I get it. Lyme's disease is real. I have friends and relatives who have Lyme's disease or who have had Lyme's disease. Unlike Porochista, their symptoms do not get worse after the Paris riots. Their illness is not brought on by political strife. To give her some credit, she also had a head injury from a car accident but honestly, I am glad to be done with this book.

Adventurous

Today I went to a funeral of a woman I admired greatly. She was described as adventurous. She liked adventure. I guess so because after she graduated from high school she left the farm and moved to New York City where she lived in a YWCA. That act is adventurous. So that got me thinking about adventure. What makes an adventure? Did Alice had adventures in Wonderland? Well, yes Alice did but those were imaginary adventures in the mind of someone who might have been under the influence of some mind-altering substances. Usually when my good friend calls me she asks how I am and then asks what is my next adventure. She thinks I am adventurous and I like that. I think adventurous is doing something a wee bit dangerous and not without risk but not so reckless as to be completely stupid. Although I have done some things that were completely stupid and I was just lucky not to get into too much trouble. So far I have not been to jail except on tours. Like Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." I don't want my life to be nothing. I think adventurous is one of my new favorite words.

Moving Lime Stones

I wrote out a dozen things to do this weekend. Digging up these lime stones was not on the list. So naturally, after spending a sweaty hour at the task, I added it to the list and checked it off. These lime stones were there when I moved in and some of them had sunk to ten inches below the surface. Many bugs and worms and roots were displaced. I put some of the lower rocks on top dirty side up so the storm that is brewing today can wash them clean. I think they look better than they did before I started. Plus I got quite a few buck thorn, crab apple, elm, oak, red cedar and maple trees pulled out in the process.

Throwing Buckets

It wasn't until I got to 8 minutes ad 29 seconds that I realized I have been throwing buckets off a bridge for ten years now.  How time flies!

Once In A Blue Moon Lodge

Patty Jane from Patty Jane's House of Curl is back in this book by Lorna Landvik. In Once In A Blue Moon Lodge Patty Jane's daughter, Nora, is the main character and the story goes along for twenty years. Four generations of family members struggle and succeed in Minneapolis, northern Minnesota (where the lodge is located) and in Norway. There is a good quantity of dialogue in this story some of which flows smoothly and a small amount is so corny it made me cringe. The story is about real people with real problems. I found it to be a nice distraction from my own problems.

Shaken

Last night I met a friend for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Coon Rapids. We met, we ordered, we ate, we were still talking when the man seated behind me reached across the table and smacked a woman in the  face. His sudden action jerked my booth seat. I heard the sound of fist meeting cheek and was horrified. Right away I thought I had to get out of here. This was not a safe place. All the diners in the room looked up in alarm. I heard a woman behind me say, "That was your fault. You provoked him. You should have never showed him that picture." The man wearing jeans and a white sleeveless tank top stood up and walked out of the restaurant. The victim quietly asked someone to call the police. The wait staff called the police. My friend and I stood up and walked to the cashier at the front door.  None of the restaurant staff heard or saw the commotion. I was shaking. We paid the bill and stood outside to talk. The man was no where to be seen. I was still standing  there and shaking when a city police officer with a nice smile and a blonde pony tail walked by. She asked, "Should I shake you up?" I said no thank you, I was already shaken up. She was kidding. She went into the restaurant while my friend took me for a walk to calm down. We walked six blocks and came back to the restaurant. We got in our cars to leave and had backed out of the parking spaces when the police officer returned to get our statements. Since my back was to the assault I had little to offer. My friend, however, gave a statement that corroborated the victim's statement. That man assaulted a woman. That man ruined my dinner and the dinner of everyone in that room. That man terrorized us. What is the world coming to when you can't have a peaceable dinner at a public restaurant? What about the woman who said the victim provoked the assault? She is dead wrong. No picture is worth a punch to the face. Her statement indicated what the man did was okay and it is not okay to assault someone ever.

The Nature of the Beast

My book club chose this mystery by Louise Penny called The Nature of the Beast. Everyone except me loved it. Turns out Louise Penny is a prolific and popular mystery writer who lives in Canada just north of Vermont. This time I didn't tell the group that I read the last chapter first and then started from the beginning. People who enjoy mysteries don't like hearing that  kind of literary blasphemy. I will agree that Louise Penny is a good writer though.

Camping in New Ulm

We camped in Flandreau State Park in New Ulm over the holiday. The first day was sunny and warm and I went kayaking. On Friday the sky was  cloudy and it looked like  rain all day. We walked around New Ulm in the morning. I wanted to find the only wooden structure that survived the conflict in 1962. We did eventually find it after walking right past it a couple of times. New Ulm is a cute down. We went back to the camp site to make lunch. After lunch Offspring #2 wanted to go on a tour of Schell's brewery. I have not been to this brewery in thirty years but I did remember the beautiful gardens and the peacocks. We got there for the one o'clock tour but it was full so we hung out until the 2:30 tour. At 2:30 we got a tour of the brewery and the museum. I did not know that Schell's bought out the Grain Belt line of beer and that beer is also brewed here. I also didn't know they made the 1919 root beer. We walked through the factory and past the beer bottle fillers. We learned quite a bit about making beer. I am not a beer person. I just don't like the taste. So when we got to the end I gave my five two-ounce samples to Offspring #2. I also gave her my full glass of beer which is called sangria beer. I tasted that one. Sangria beer tastes like juice. I don't really like juice except tomato juice so I have her that one too. After the brewery we went back into town to see the five o'clock show of the Glockenspiel. As the song finished rain started to pour down. We left. We did not feel like going back to the campsite in the pouring rain to make dinner or to try to start a campfire. We decided to go to Turner Hall for dinner. This hall was built by the Turner society. A group of German descendants decided to congregate in New Ulm and build a gymnasium and encourage gymnasts. This hall has the oldest bar in Minnesota. We had a delicious dinner and when we came out rain was pouring down so hard the street was flooded. So here we are, camping near a river that is already flooded and it's raining cats and dogs. The only logical step to take was to rent a room at the Econolodge which is what we did.

When Crickets Cry

I read about Charles Martin's book When Crickets Cry in the newspaper. The person who wrote the review loved the story. This is a very popular book. The waiting list at the library was a mile long so I didn't expect to see it anytime soon.  Much to my surprise it was waiting for me at the library last week on Wednesday. I got an inter-library loan. This book was from the Dakota County library. I thought I had better read it right away so the next person could get a chance. I took the book camping over the weekend and was super careful that it didn't get wet. I really didn't like it though. The story was contrived and just a little too "Nicholas Sparksy" for me. I finished the book though while grimacing at the obvious pulls at my heart strings.

On the 4th of July we packed up our stuff and drove to New Ulm to go camping at Flandreau State Park. I brought my kayak. After arriving and setting up the tent I decided I would try to navigate the Cottonwood River. I printed a map of the river but I needed a magnifying glass to read the small print. The water was high so I thought a short trip would be best. My plan was to put in up stream from the state park but that didn't work out because the nearest put in point was six miles upstream. I wanted a shorter trip. So I put in at the state park and got out at the county road 15 bridge. First we drove through New Ulm to the Highway 15 bridge. I wanted to see what to look for when the time came to get out. After looking around I thought I could handle this trip. All I had to look for was a bridge and then get out on the right side of the river. Not too difficult for me. Then we drove back to the park and it was quite a long drive.  I had not been to this state park in over 30 years. The last time I camped here we had a golden canvas tent and a brown Datsun pick up truck plus two two year old boys along (Offspring #1 and his cousin). So when we drove the kayak to the river I was very surprised to see a swimming beach with a life guard. At some point in the last thirty years they put in a human made lake for the kids to swim in. The picnic area and beach were crowded with families. Kids were laughing and crying and wandering through the parking lot without looking for cars. I ended up parking quite far from the river. I got out of the car to find the carry-in location for boats. I came back to the car and we carried the kayak across the picnic area and down some steps to the Cottonwood River. The river was flooded and running fast. The water looked very silty and brown in color. I was concerned that I saw no other boaters around. I considered backing out of this adventure but then decided to go ahead. We set the boat down. I stepped on the mud to get closer to the center of the kayak. The mud on the Cottonwood River is as slippery as ice and I fell. Now I had a huge mud stain on my rear end. I took awhile getting in but I made it. The water pulled me forward but I had to navigate under the trunk of a fallen tree. I could not paddle because there was no room so I just bent my head backwards until I cleared the tree trunk and away I went. The water was fast. I didn't want to paddle forward because I was already moving so fast. I basically steered the entire trip. I came upon a huge cottonwood tree in the middle of the river. As I zipped by in my kayak I could see this tree once held an eagle nest. The nest was mostly above water. I could tell some branches of the nest had come off but there was still a huge nest in place. I saw no houses, no signs, no docks, no electric lines and no signs of humans around for a good 45 minutes. I saw rapids made from trees under the water. Sometimes the shore was sloped gently and sometimes there was a cliff to one side. The currents under the water kept turning my boat around. I felt like there was a presence under my boat that wanted me to look this way then that way so I just let it happen for awhile. But then there was a commotion ahead. On the left were several downed trees and the water was rapidly going through those branches. Ahead was a cliff. To the right was a marsh. Ahead on the left was a sand bar or possibly an island. I didn't know which way to go. I avoided the downed trees and went forward to the cliff. I knew the river wasn't going into the marsh so I had to go left. I hoped the river went behind this sandy spot and luckily it did. I calmly floated around the sand island. Once I got past the island I looked back at what I missed and I was glad I made the choice because going through those trees would have been more treacherous. I saw a soft shelled turtle leave a sandy bank. I saw the white tail of a deer in the tall grass. I said, "Hi deer." The deer looked up at me totally startled and I laughed because I saw it before it saw me. Then I saw a brick building and some town homes. I know I was paddling right through New Ulm but I only saw maybe 12 homes. Why so few homes on the Cottonwood river? Maybe the people of New Ulm prefer the view of the Minnesota River which also runs through town. Before I wanted to see the bridge I saw the bridge. I got myself over to the right side of the river. I managed to get out of the kayak without falling. I pulled my boat up to the parking lot. My hands were shaking from all the adrenaline. I wondered how I would be able to open my dry bag and dial the phone to call Offspring #2. I looked up at the road and saw her sitting in my car so I just yelled, "Yooo Hooo!" She helped me carry the boat and load it in the car. Although the river excursion was a tad frightening, I sure had a good time on the Cottonwood River.

Happy Fourth of July

via GIPHY

Sparks Contentment

Today was a super busy day at work. I had three meetings in the morning. A couple emergencies came up so I helped with that. After lunch I had scheduled time to move my office. I believe I moved to this office with the nice window in 2005. If that is correct, I have squatted in here for 14 years. Ironically today I moved back into the office I first moved into when the building was built in 1991. So I had 14 years in one office and 14 years in another office. How strange. I lugged all my belongings back and I thought to myself, "Self, do you really need all this stuff? Today might be a good day to lighten your load." I haven't completely unpacked all my stuff but I decided that the item pictured to the left was an item it was time to let go of. Offspring #1 made this for me in first grade out of clay. The blue lower left corner has holes from when he pushed his little fingers in the clay to make pencil holders. The pencil holders never really held pencils because the pencils always fell out. I loved it when I got it and I love it now but I'm not going to keep it. I took a picture of it, thanked it for it's service, and threw it in the trash. I know some people think it's odd that he wrote my name instead of Mom but that never really bothered me. I have a wonderful four day weekend coming up to think about it. If I really want it back, I can take it out of the trash on Monday morning. I read that book about tidying up by that Japanese woman. She advised all readers to ask if the item sparked joy. If the item sparked joy you should keep it. If it didn't spark joy get rid of it. This red desk organizer does not spark joy for me. Instead it sparks a pleasant memory and a feeling of contentment. 

First Frost

I got lucky when I picked up Sarah Allen's book First Frost. I have been spending more time reading books lately for some reason. I spent two weeks trying to read Theodore Roosevelt For the Defense by Dan Abrams. I finally gave up on that one after day after day spent in the courtroom.  All the legal contention was  wearing me  down so I gave it up. This book was a breath of fresh air after that. This book is about a pair of sisters with the last name of Waverly. Claire and Sydney have a close relationship. One is a cook and the other is a hairdresser. The family and friendship relationships are charming. If I had one complaint it would be this. The book talks about a famous family recipe for fig and pepper bread. The sisters both claim  to be the fig and the  other sister to be the  pepper. At the end of the book is the recipe for fig and pepper bread. None of the ingredients in the recipe is pepper. How did the editor miss that error?

Forest Removal

Last week a triangle  of oak forest was completely removed. Bulldozers were brought in and the big oak trees were chipped into mulch so quickly I could hardly believe my eyes. The oak forest used  to be on the north side of Highway 10  in Coon Rapids between the railroad tracks and the Holland Truck firm which is very close to Coon Creek. I wondered how this disruption of the environment would affect the water clarity on Coon Creek. On Thursday I got a secchi reading on 22 centimeters. I could only see through 22 centimeters. I have never before seen so much sand and silt in Coon Creek before and I have been checking it for 8 years. Wow. If you want  to see historial data on water quality on a body of water in Minnesota near you, check out this website.