Amber Waves of Grain

Current photo of our yard - we purposely have "no mow" grass.  For the last seven years, it grows 6-8 inches and lays over - which is what we want.  We sold the mower when we moved.  Well, this year, the grass has done this.  It looks like "amber waves of grain" from the song "America."

$40 Pie

Here I am with my $40 blueberry pie!  It sold at auction at the Moose Lake Fest sponsored by the Lions Club we are in.  We raise money for good causes through this day-long event.  One part of it is the Pie auction  In the photo is Alyssa, the sweet little girl walking around showing the pies as people bid, me, and the pie-buyer, a friend of ours who lives on Moose Lake.  His wife Jan took the photo.  Left background is the auctioneer in a cowboy hat auctioning the next pie.  Right background is the bloodhound and handler for Sawyer County.  If you get lost and incapacitated in Sawyer County, those are the faces you will see when you regain consciousness.   All in a day's fun in the Northwoods. 

                      

 

The Green-Eyed Monster

Case got a new kayak.  His other one was cheap and terrible to paddle.  I made him sell it.  He ordered a new one - two month back ordered - made in the USA.  It is a Dagger with all the bells and whistles that a kayak can have.  It arrived today and we took it right out.  He said that it is great.  Of course, my kayak looks like the poor cousin now.  Wish I had a new one...no justification for that.  Photo of the Dagger and Case to follow.

A Pleasant Paddle

I was out paddling one morning humming some Gordon Lightfoot tunes that I had been listening to in the car on my cassette player - the perks of having an older car (it also has a CD player).  I found myself in the middle his most famous song the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The wind picked up and the waves were getting bigger.  Time to paddle home...

Red Wing Boots

I bought a pair of Red Wing boots after I hurt my foot in 2002.  Been wearing them ever since, planting trees, moving dirt and rocks, and recently, logging.  Last month, the sole of one fell off.  After 13 years, it's time for a new pair.  Of course, I want Red Wings again.  We were traveling to Lucyna's in Iowa so we went through Red Wing, Minnesota to visit the flagship store.  No luck in the downstairs outlet so on to the main floor.  Even though they didn't carry the style I was used to and wanted again, I found a pair -aluminum toe to cut down on the heaviness.

Flagship store has the world's largest boot as seen here with me and my new purchase.

Before heading out we went upstairs to the museum which was, basically, Red Wing boots in display cabinets so we did a quick lap.  Something did catch my eye...IT WAS MY BOOT IN THE CABINET.  There it was, why didn't they carry that any more.  Then a question came to mind: what size is it? and do they have the mate to it?  I won't even ask so I took a photo and left.

Happy ending as the new boots feel great and are very sturdy. 

Milsie, the Lovebird

Haven't blogged in a while...our last pet bird died from old age.  The last few weeks I arranged his cage to be handicapped accessible so he would be comfortable.  He was 15 years old and has been a part of our lives since the kids were in grade school.  The house seems too quiet now.

Photo from March - Milsie enjoying his favorite spot inside my shirt!

Also, May is a busy month because all my volunteer organizations have events in May.  Plus there is Tad's birthday (28) and our anniversary (39th) and Kata's first visit to Hayward.  And May isn't over yet.  The trees have leafed out and summer has arrived.

First Perfect Day

Everyone has something special they do on the first perfect spring day of the year.  At Homer High School I would drive home with the windows down and my hair flying.  Before Lucyna and Tad drove, I would sit at the St. Viator High School parking lot watching the upperclassmen drive with the windows open speeding down Dryden.  (Arlington Heights' finest would be on the lookout after that day, but it was a surprise when the first day was and it was a freebie.) 

This is what I do now on the first perfect weather day...

We were driving home from verifying the election results in the town and there in the ditch was this birch tree that the town workers had felled for some unknown reason.  We had no chain saw.  We had no tools.  We horsed them in the truck and drove home with aching backs.  There is almost 3 weeks of winter fuel...all on the first perfect spring day.