Lock And Dam

Today I drove down to Lock and Dam #2. I met a guy named Richard walking his dog. He said normally the gate is open this time of year but not today.

Richard and I walked together. He was the parks and rec director for Hastings until he retired. He is also a MN Master Naturalist. He knew Amy R. and John L. He knew Kim Eckert and Clinton Neinhaus and Sparky Stensaas. He explained that one side of the dike we walked across is Lake Rebecca and the other side in Spring Lake Park. The city has a plan to make a portage spot at the end of the dike so that people could canoe up from Winona and onto Saint Paul while avoiding going through the lock. He said Sand Hill cranes nest on an island in Lake Rebecca. He scanned hundreds of Canadian geese looking for something unusual. He volunteers at the Carpenter Nature Center.

He said if I go left at the top of the hill I would find a ranch with horses. He had to head back to his car so I walked alone.

I was walking back to my car to have lunch when my phone buzzed. Shoot! I have a Christmas concert at the Hastings Middle School starting in 10 minutes.

I was five minutes late but I am glad I went. This is a local wind band with musicians ranging from a senior lady paying the saxophone to a teen girl playing the sound of the whip in the sleigh ride song.

Soon the Spiral Singers came on stage. These looked like middle school boys and girls singing some very funny songs. They did a great job. After an hour the concert was over. I am just finishing up a Christmas craft project. I went to the dollar store for more craft supplies.

After the dollar store I decided to go for another hike near the Vermillion Falls. Next to it is Ardent Mill. Established in 1853 this is the oldest mill in Minnesota. This mill was the first all roller mill in the United States. Originally powered by the Vermillion River, the purifier, patent barrel, and graham flour were invented here. They collect wheat from western states and Canada.They receive winter, spring, Durham and rye wheat from trucks and trains.