Finally got around to setting up a place to play. The ceiling in the basement is not insulated, so playing there isn't really an option. With the dehumidifier in the garage, it's reasonably dry and the walls and ceiling are all concrete and the door faces the alley. A perfect place to rock out and play Rocksmith. Just need to look into insulating the door.
The boys helped paint CP's room last weekend. It went from a poopy brown to a bright sky blue. Both boys thought that the original color was green. They are both color blind.
So far, we have painted the living room, sunroom, dining room, our bathroom, and now one of the bedrooms.
We heard that the comet was visible after sundown, so we took a camera and tripod down to the lake for the 9:30 dog walk. The sky was still way to light to see anything, and the mosquitoes were really going to town (this is the first time we've had issues with them on our walks).
We cruised home and juiced up with the deep woods bug spray and waited a bit for darkness to fall. When we got back to the lake at 10:30, we finally got to see the comet. It was so faint, it took our eyes a while to acclimate enough to be able to pick it up. Not bad for being in the middle of a metro area.
S has fully embraced swimming. He floats almost as well as an iceberg, but with only about 1/2% of him above water. He's not a water dog, but he thinks he is.
His new favorite activity is wading in the creek on his walk to chase dragon flies and cool off.
Minnehaha Creek is two blocks from the house, and the creek that drains Lake Harriet into Minnehaha isn't much further. JP likes it, too.
This weekend we explored the St. Croix River from Taylors Falls down to Stillwater. Our intent was to check out Interstate State Park, but it was overfull; we'll come back another day.
We stopped at William O'Brien State Park and hiked down to the river. There was a small creek flowing into the river there - it was crystal clear and maybe 50°. So refreshing! S did not mind at all. JP wants to book a canoe trip on the St. Croix before the boys head back to school.
JP ordered a new rug for the dining right after we moved in. It finally arrived!
Same with her loveseat for the music room sunroom.
We ventured out to the mall and found the perfect table for between the living room chairs. It's starting to come together. Just need to get some artwork on the walls.
A few weeks ago, I snagged a propane smoker that our neighbor across the alley was pitching out. We found a natural gas hose on Amazon and THD had the necessary brass fittings to convert it to natural gas. I also opened up the orifice from .038" to .062" to compensate for the difference in fuel heat capacity.
JP scored some pork ribs at Target. We tried our hand at trimming them up and doing a basic rub: pepper, salt, garlic, and chili powder.
It took a while of playing around with the vents and burner control. Close the vents too much, and the flame will go out.
It was a perfect day to sit on the patio and chat with our neighbor while keeping an eye on the temperature. Our efforts paid off, and we had some tasty ribs for dinner.
Last Sunday was another beautiful summer day. We walked S to the north side of the lake and rented a canoe. It was windy, but we had fun paddling amongst the sailboats. S really enjoyed himself in the boat. After paddling, we hit the Bread & Pickle for some sandwiches. On the way home, S was hot, so we let him for a swim. He jumped right in and chased some ducks! The water cooled him off, and he was full of crazy energy the whole walk home.
