Silverwood

Today I visited Silverwood Park in New Brighton. This photo was taken from the bridge that connects the nature center to the island. You can see where someone has plowed a skating path from the shore, around the island, and back to the shore. I could hear the ice creaking and groaning. If we get another cold spell, this would be a good place to skate.

 

Days Like Smoke

 Days Like Smoke was published after Jon Hassler's death. His good friend and assistant publisher, Will Weaver, edited the memoirs for Jon knowing how he would like things to read. The story details his family history and his life living with his devout parents in Staples, Plainview, and Minneapolis, MN. He writes about his teachers and his fellow students. He wrote about the time his cousin came to Plainview to watch a softball game. Her beauty ground the game to a halt. He writes about his good deeds such as visiting a fellow alter boy weekly until the boy died. He writes about his sins such as punching another second grader in the nose and drawing blood. If you like Jon Hassler, as I do, you will like this one.

80%

This morning I had an eye appointment in Minneapolis. With dilated eyes I thought the Stone Arch bridge looked wonderful. Construction on the downtown side prevented me from walking all the way across but I did get 80% across.

 

History Center

Today I met my family at the MN History Center in Saint Paul. We started off with the greatest generation exhibit. After that we went to the from here to now exhibit. Then we went to the girlhood, it's complicated exhibit which was very good. We played a trivia game. We each held electronic devices that recorded our guesses. Out of ten questions I got 3 wrong. We had a lot of fun. After experiencing what it was like to be killed on a plane on D Day, we lightened our moods by making shrinky dinks.

The foggy morning hid the gold dome on the capitol. By noon the sun was out. We had lunch at the Market at Malcolm Yards which is a great place to go for lunch because they have so many options for food and drinks.

 

Neverwhere

 I listened to the audio book Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman but didn't finish the last half hour. I head heard about too much blood, too many blows to the head, and too many gunshots to the belly. Plus the author has been recently linked to sexual assaults against women.

Happy Holidays!

 

Brrrrrrr!

 

One More Sleep

 

Lake Phalen

Today I had a pleasant walk around Lake Phalen.

Some of my walk was on a tarred path and some of it was on the road.

 

Does This One Fit?

 

Snow In The Middle Of The Street?

This afternoon, after visiting the awesome library in Hastings, I decided to take another walk in the park. Look at the beautiful piece of art hanging in a tree at Levee Park!

I went across the street because I thought I saw some ice houses on the river. Turns out they were on dry land.

I went to the Post Office and was surprised that they leave snow in the middle of the street.

 

IChippy is In Favor Of Recycling

 

LeDuc

After dinner tonight I walked the 15 minute path to the LeDuc Mansion where they were having a solstice event. I went into the shed to get a glass of hot chocolate first.

Then I walked over to the fire pit where people were sitting around, talking, watching the fire, and making s'mores.

I felt fortunate to be able to visit. On the weekend after Labor Day they have a Civil War event. People camp in the grounds. Delicious bread is baked in the Dutch oven outside. Vegetables from the garden are harvested for food. Can you see the girl doll peeking out of the window on the left?

I spoke with 2 ladies who volunteer here and they were a wealth of knowledge. They told me the chickens are beautiful. Heritage breeds are used. One black chicken has iridescent feathers like a peacock. The upper two floors were for the servants. There are no fireplaces up there. In the winter it was too cold and in the summer it was too hot. I felt bad for the servants. Now those floors are used for storage. On the top floor, in the circular part, was a chapel.

I would estimate I saw 100 people. A man from the Hastings Register was interviewing a woman who works in the gardens. She has been volunteering here for 10 years.

Outside the men were talking about the original owner and his political views. One woman said her husband put LeDuc's essays on the computer, edited them, and published it.

Now my clothes smell like smoke so I need to wash them.

 

Oh, no!

 

Stonehenge

Okay, I will admit I didn't go to Stonehenge. I went to the Belwin Conservancy in Afton. I felt like I had been to Stonehenge though.

I was super disappointed that I didn't see the bison. Later a staff person told me the bison aren't here in the winter. That made me feel better.

There are deer hoof prints in the snow. How did a deer get inside this enclosure?

Nice sunset!

The Winter Solstice event started at 5. I paid ten dollars. I had 2 cups of hot apple cider and a cookie. Children and adults took night hikes with a naturalist. I met a young woman with Downs Syndrome. She was with her sister. She lives in Chippewa Falls. She has traveled to Australia and New Zealand. In January she will be in Hawaii. These two sisters were very loving. I enjoyed talking with them. They sat next to me and danced with their upper bodies. She sat in her sister's lap.

 

The guy on the left is playing a pan flute. The woman in the middle is the mother of the man on the right. They are from northern Chili. They made beautiful music together. A photographer from the Star Tribune was taking pictures.

The drumming was magical. As I left I used my phone to scan a QR code to fill out a survey. I told the man and woman standing there that this was like Stonehenge. He said Stonehenge had stones that were set there by aliens from outer space. I walked to my car laughing. I drove through the town of Afton on the way home. Stars twinkled in the sky. The Xmas lights were beautiful. Today I saw 5 red tailed hawks, 2 bald eagles, and two white tailed deer. 

 

Leaving On A Jet Plane, Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again, Oh, Billy, I Hate To Go

 

An Otter As Tall As Me?

I was reading an article in the Conservation Minnesota about river otters. I was astounded to read they are between four and five and a half feet long. I am not even five and a half feet long or tall. That blew my mind.

 

Jingle Bells Batman Smells

 

Vermillion Falls In The Snow

 

Fire Exit

Morgan Talty is the author of Fire Exit. I listened to the audio book. This is a debut novel about a guy named Charlie who grew up on a reservation in Maine.  His beloved step-father died in a hunting accident. Now his mother is progressing in her dementia. His best buddy, Bobby, is an alcoholic. Bobby helps Charlie car for Louise. Charlie has a daughter he has only seen once. He is desperate to get in contact again. This is a compelling story about culture, family and whether we owe it to others to tell the truth.

 

Stunningly Gorgeous

Today I drove to Winona to look at an apartment. I was early. I remembered that one talkative guy told me about a zigzag road that took you up Barn Bluff to Memorial Park. Dang, today they locked the gates. I kept driving until I came to Coleville Park.

I saw a couple of guys putting in a boat. I thought they were dedicated anglers. I looked again and one man was wearing waders and stood next to an orange fence similar to the ones I saw to protect the wild rice from the geese in the Saint Louis River. On my way back I saw the sun shining on the Wisconsin side. The area around here is stunningly gorgeous.

 

I Took Suggestions

Last night I met the site steward at the Lost Valley Prairie Scientific Natural Area.

So this morning I went there. I met a young guy about to drive off in a Bobcat. He said they were cutting down trees and gathering brush.

She also suggested I visit Grey Cloud Island.

So I went there too.

A bald eagle flew toward me and went right over the top of my car.

 

Party

 Last night I went to a holiday party and had much fun. Free food, free drinks, people I know,  conversations had, it was terrific. I am so glad I joined the MN Master Naturalists.

An Amazingly Lucky Day

Today I got a message from a friend of mine. He and his wife went to Berlin because she loves Bach and her cousins live there. He made a You Tube video of their trip. Now I want to do that for my next trip. I went to the library to get a book on Japanese language. They didn't have any books but I found one on Libby. I drove to Kaposia Landing. Incredible. Simply Incredible.

I met a friendly couple. They said they were going to take the path down the hill to get out of the wind. We could hear the eagles talking to each other. He got some great photos. He used to work for NW Airlines. He said that to test the engines they would throw a frozen chicken into the engines. He met 3 birders at Silverwood Park in New Brighton. They were all doctors. One was a doctor in Peru. They went birding in Peru. He said he was in Costa Rica. I said I was going to Costa Rica soon. I said I wanted to see a Harpy eagle and a toucan. He showed me pictures of both birds.

I didn't get the apartment I wanted in Winona but the second choice is also good so maybe I have found an apartment. That is cool.

I will tell you the other lucky stuff tomorrow.

 

All Things New

 I have a new favorite historical fiction author and her name is Lynn Austin. I just this morning finished reading All Things New. Set in the south, just after the end of the Civil War, Josephine is adapting to the changes around her but the rest of her family is not. Her mother thinks it's terrible that she works in the garden or sews a dress. Josephine doesn't like being bored. Josephine makes friends with Lizzie the slave. Her mother, brother, and younger sister are appalled. Josephine is right but will the rest of the family come to that same conclusion?