Month: August 2019

She must be having a wonderful time running with the wind.

Love you sweet girl.

Watch out Sun, here comes the clouds!

Storms just to the north of us. Looks like they may miss us today.

This weekend was a busy one.

The wedding of a niece.  Brought family to visit.

Youngest daughter with her two little ones from Chicago.  Oldest daughter with her son and husband.

At reception with Mother in law.

While at the house:

 

 

 

 

Never a dull moment!

We did go to the Oliver Kelly Farm to see what was happening there:

Summer garden was in full swing.  It was Pickling weekend there.

Beautiful August wildflowers.

Maple the cow.

 

Fixing things out in the shed by the barn.

Roosters just hangin’ out.

A little dinner – first french fry EVER… 😉  Nummy!

Then in the backyard for a little play time.

Hummm….

Looks like trouble:

Maybe double trouble…

Yep!

And it looks like I was wrong about the storm missing us:

It is getting darker by the second.

Just went out to move in the lawn chairs.  The wind has greatly picked up and is cool. Also smells strongly of rain.  So what time is it?

Jordie says – time to get going!

Happy Tuesday!

Mandy a few days ago – our senior girl.

Hot Stuff Amanda when she first came to live with us.

Our precious girl has gone on to meet ALL of her brothers and sisters who came before her at the bridge.

Though she has left us feeling pretty sad, she will have SO much company at the bridge I know she will be very happy.

It was actually last Wednesday that she said her final goodbye as she made her way into the sky to become the brightest star in the night, sending her love down to everyone each night.

This was the sky at sunset that evening…beautiful just like she was.

Before Mandy left she did have one request:

Mandy: Please tell that cat the pink fuzzy bone is all his now.

Her request was honored.

We love you Miss Pants.  We will miss you terribly.

Mandy January 1, 2008 – August 14, 2019.

Run Free Sweet Girl!

You will always be with us in our hearts.

Sunrise!!

There it is!

This last weekend we camped at a KOA near Duluth.

The following are photos from that trip.

First time we have eaten here.  Great with the Gluten Free items…NO complaints about this place. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Food was very good. A large selection for those with Celiac’s Disease!  Had a nice time there.

 

 

It’s in Carlton.  However, it is not Carton that is crooked, it is my photo…as I was crossing the street.  AKA a quick snap. 🙂

Carlton is a pretty small town but is know as the:

(Gateway to Jay Cooke –  a great state park)

They also had a park there that was for big and little kids both.

This netted climbing area with a ‘crow’s nest’ led to a totally covered slide.

A ‘zip line’ which we all rode it I believe, sometimes together.

Then Saturday we went into Duluth with a stop or two on the way.

One of the stops was at:

A Japanese Peace Bell Garden – so beautiful there. Lots of flowers so well kept.  And of course the rock garden.

You can ‘bong’ the Japanese Peace Bell

Go up the tower for more spectacular views.

 

Hummm…who ARE those people? 😉

Over looking Duluth and the lake from the hill in the park.

Then on into Duluth:

Some fog was pushing in to the city, so you could feel the temps drop about 10 degrees. Was a hot day, so it felt pretty good. Above is the Lift Bridge in the mist of the fog that was moving in.

We walked down the boardwalk, but it is gone…due to severe weather that tore up the wooden planks, you now walk down a dirt and gravel path.

Still a nice walk…that took us to:

You know it!

But me being a Celiac…I have problems at most Breweries. Except here at the Canal Park Brewing Company they have:

Yep, a Gluten Free Beer – just happens to be one of my favorites for the moment.  We go down to the Burning Brothers tap room on Friday nights from time to time …here in the cities.  They have food trucks that come and feed us gluten free food while they are there.  Ya gotta’ love that.  But this really isn’t about them – this is about the place we were having lunch/dinner at.

They also do really well with the Gluten Free food. Lots to choose from. Nice atmosphere. We always try to go there when in Duluth. Usually a wait to get a table.

 

We also walk through the shops there in Canal Park:

As we were in one of our favorite places to browse, this happened:

I was confronted by a very large cat!

Okay, ya got me THIS time…. now put that back. 😉 My entire family – clowns…all of them.

Then driving through Cloquet we saw this, interesting because:

It is the only Gas Station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The famed architect designed this gas station of the future with a lookout tower. In 1927,  he designed this gas station as part of a Utopian city plan that he championed throughout his professional life. This little piece of Wright’s utopia was intended for Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo station was never built, but 30 years later, the master architect got his gas station – this one in Cloquet, Minnesota and it’s still in business today.

Weird and cool at the same time.

And that about sums it all up.

Happy Wednesday!