This is a vacant lot above Minnehaha Creek that we walk by every morning. It's hard to see, but below the creek is at the top of its channel and running fast.
Saturday, July 27, 2024
Bowling for Soup
We hit First Ave. for the 20th anniversary tour of Bowling For Soup's album, "A Hangover You Don't Deserve". They played it in its entirety, plus another 10 songs. The boys grew up listening to this music in the minivan. The opening band, Keep Flying was my favorite - lot's of energy.
This was JP's first time at First Ave., and she had a good time.
Farmer's Market @ Work
We are working with a charitable group that puts people to work farming. They are now coming in every week with fresh produce at work.
Smoky Sunrise
We have not had the forest fire smoke like last year, but it still noticeable in the air. The sunrise on my way to work was strangely orange.
Gas Leak
We love our squirrels, but they are testing our patience. First it was JP's tomatoes, and now it's the gas line to the grill. Not only did they chew thru the rubber outer coating, but they also managed to pierce the inner metal-protected core and cause a gas leak.
Destroyers of Tomatoes
JP has been so excited about her tomato plant this year - she planted it on the south side where it gets full sun all day, we've had rain every day, and she wrapped it in chicken wire. She as a bunch of tomatoes, but as soon as each one turns red, a squirrel manages to defeat the chicken wire and take a bite out of it.
International Traveler
CP went on a business trip to his factory in Mexico. He was told on Friday that he needed to be on the Monday flight down there. He had a good time, and we were very anxious to get him back safe & sound. We watched his flight status in anticipation as he made his way home. He returned the day before the big computer meltdown - he could have been stuck there for another week.
Dog Walk Sunrise
I never tire of catching sunrise on the lake for our morning dog walk. We're a month past the solstice, so it's getting easier.
Windstorm
We had a severe thunderstorm blast thru in the middle of the night. It took out at least one major tree on every block.
Pub Crawl
DN had a hankering for a walleye sandwich, so we hopped on the bus and headed downtown. We hit Gluek's, Minneapolis' oldest bar and home to the best walleye sandwich in the Twin Cities. It was pouring rain when we left, so we ran across the street and had a pint at Kieran's.
We darted from pub to pub for the rest of the afternoon. It was very therapeutic to explore and sit & chat about life, kids, & the upcoming next stage of life: retirement.
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Lift Bridge
After lunch, we wandered out on the breakwater along the port entry. The lift bridge is HUGE!
After enough walking in the stifling heat (it was 90°), we took a drive up the hill. It is STEEP, but it gives an incredible view of the city, harbor, and lake. I cannot imagine driving up/down the hill in winter or with a manual transmission. We had it floored and could only go 30 mph up a couple streets.
Canal Park
Hoping to get away from the heat, we headed north to Duluth. We have driven thru multiple times every year, but this was our first time actually stopping. We wanted to try the legendary Grandma's in Canal Park, but it was infested with children running around.
We found a nice quiet place that was cool and calm. Our food took an hour, but we didn't mind relaxing in the coolness. DN ordered "fish & chips" that was pan-seared halibut with boiled fingerling potatoes (to be clear: this is not "fish and chips" by any stretch of the imagination). I ordered the chicken curry, which turned out to be a drumstick & thigh in a pool of curry sauce with a yummy rice cake. I prefer my curry to be able to be eaten with a spoon, but it was pretty good.
Jay Cooke
With all the rain we've been having, we hoped that the St. Louis River at Jay Cooke was also running strong. It was running strong, but nothing like the spring snowmelt.
Minnehaha Falls
M&DN came up for a weekend break from their heat. Unfortunately, it was hot here, too. We hit all the water-related sites.
With all the rain, the falls are running at full speed. Hard to believe that at this time last year, they were but a trickle.
Drippy Roof
With it raining every day, we're running into new territory with the 100 year old house. The roof over the entryway is leaking so that we're getting drips from the trim under the gutter & flashing. The shingles have sagged and are allowing water to run between them. Action plan: stick some shims under the last row of shingles to flatten them. Fingers crossed.
Breakfast Pizza
We let Mom sleep in and tried our own hands at breakfast pizza. It's made from a ball of leftover dough from pizza night. Instead of red or pesto sauce, we use sausage gravy. Mozzarella --> cheddar, and Italian sausage --> breakfast sausage. GP was very concerned about my ability/skills and was helpful in correcting my mistakes. Overall it wasn't bad, but I forgot the red pepper flakes and the sausage from Lunds is meh.
Patio Cleaning
We spent a day cleaning up the patio. It's in shade and the moss/mildew gets going on it.
Elbow grease is awesome! And it's free.
Friday, July 05, 2024
Wet 4th at the Ballgame
We hit Target Field for the afternoon July 4th ballgame: Tigers vs. Twins. It was grey and rainy, but not as much as the last time we went and got rained out.
We chose seats up under the overhang, so we were out of the light rain that went on throughout the game.
By the time we reached the 7th inning stretch, the field was getting sloppy and ball control was becoming an issue. One of our batters was nearly hit in the head. That's when they called the game. Twins won 12-3!
Thursday, July 04, 2024
The Band the Fell to Earth
2024 is turning into the summer of concerts in the park for us. We walked over with CP & S and met the Ks for an excellent David Bowie tribute band. They played non-stop hits for two hours. The dance floor in front of the stage was packed.
We figured out that our spot is on a blanket center stage just off the patio. The music sounds good, the view is OK, and S gets to lay in the grass. CP got him some ice cream and cheese curds and he thought that was a good idea.
Jumping Fish
The best morning dog walks are when we catch sunrise just popping over the trees and there are ducks swimming, loons calling, and fish jumping.
Rising Water Levels
We have been getting 1" or more every other day. The lake and creek are higher than they've ever been. S's dock had three inches of water flowing over it and the beach is only big enough for ducks.
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