City Camping

One of our favorite things about driving home to Minneapolis is the skyline view.

Since we didn't camp on the North Shore, we did a campfire in the backyard with DK from next door.

 

35° and Rain

We were supposed to camp at Gooseberry this weekend, but they got a foot of snow last weekend and the forecast was for 35° and rain most of the time. We canceled our reservation and just did a day trip instead. This is the campsite we had reserved.

 

Portrait Mode

When my phone gave up, I switched from Samsung to Apple, primarily for its amazing camera. Between the long exposure, low-light, and portrait modes, it does everything I'm looking for. The wide-angle lens is something phone cameras have been short on for too long.

With scenery and models like this, it's hard to take bad photos.

 

Gooseberry Beach

From the falls we hiked downriver to the lake. With all the leaves down, we were treated to some nice views of the falls.

The sandbar at the mouth of the river was piled up with a winter's worth of driftwood and flotsam.

S was in his element all day. Unlike walking around Lake Harriet, we did not have to pull and coax him along. At Lake Superior, he's the one dragging us along.

 

Gooseberry Falls

We got up early Saturday and headed north for a daytrip to Gooseberry Falls State Park. With the record snowfall this year, the rivers are running fast.

Last fall when we were here, you could walk across the falls. There was barely a trickle running in a few spots.

No matter the season, there are always guys chasing big trout below the falls. 

 

Twins Afternoon Game

I took off an afternoon and we went to see the Twins take on the Yankees.

It was good to be back in our normal seats. We were able to stay until the 7th inning and then we had to move to some seats in the sun. In another month we will looking for shade.

The workers in the new left field high rise spent their lunch hour watching the game from their sky boxes.

 

A Girl and Her Dog

 

Mississippi Gorge Park

We are still trying to learn all the places to go in the metro area. This time, we checked out the Mississippi Gorge Park and walked a couple miles along the river. The park runs along the river on the Minneapolis side. With the snowmelt, the the gorge was full from side to side; no shorelines or beaches anywhere.

 

Pub Lunch with CP

CP comes over now & then on weekends to hang out with us. This time we walked down the creek to George and the Dragon for a light lunch.

G&D is one of our favorite neighborhood spots. It's on the walk home from the bus stop and sometimes I will duck in for a quick pint on my way. They have teriyaki ribs as an appetizer. They are incredible!

Following the Creek, it's just over a mile each way. By the time we got home, the lunch had been walked off.

 

Bitch with a Stick Painting Co.

JP is not one that can sit around all day. The warm weather got her motivated and she was on a mission to paint the upstairs hallway. We've been wanting to do it for a time, but haven't because some spots are 20 feet up above stairs. When I left for work I pleaded "Please do not try to paint up there. I don't want you on ladders on the stairs." 

She applied her ingenuity and devised a solution that did not require ladders: a paintbrush duct taped to a long handle. She was able to carefully reach out and get all the trimming done like a pro. She is going to hire herself out as the "Bitch with a Stick Painting Co."

The new color is a few shades lighter than what was there, and it makes an amazing difference in how light it is.

A side project is re-anchoring the banister into some better foundations. Two of the four mounts were only into plaster. Now all four are into studs and it's a lot more secure.

 

Big Bird Seed

We must have some powerful good bird seed. The birds keep getting bigger and bigger!

The squirrels don't seem to mind, but the cat & dog are taking notice.

 

St. Anthony Falls

Last weekend we hiked the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail downtown Minneapolis. It's a two-mile loop around the falls.

It was cold, windy, and spitting snow. We dressed for it and had a nice walk with the dog.

The river is way up from all the snowmelt (3rd snowiest winter!!) and the falls were roaring. The lock was open and it was like a canyon cataract. 

 

Iceout

The lake's ice disappeared overnight on the 12th. S is ready for swimming season. He gets in without a shiver.

With the ice gone, the birds and muskrats are back in action. We saw seven muskrats swimming on our morning walk the day the ice left.

 

IL Neighbors in MN

The old Illinois neighbors came up for a few days to enjoy the perfect spring weather.

We had lunch in Stillwater and checked out the high level of the St. Croix River. It has come up a few more feet in the past week.

 

First Sunburn of the Season

We ended up with three days in the 80s and the snow disappeared quickly. We took advantage of the sunshine and worked on restoring our depleted Vitamin D.

As weak as the sun is at 45° north, we all managed to get sunburned (except for JP - she wears permanent sunscreen). I did not think it was possible.

 

Warming Up

We had a few days of warmth and sunshine. It's sad to see that the snow is almost gone.

The dog does not like the warm weather. If it were up to him, we would have snow all every day.

 

Arcade Party

After the Twins' game, we went to a grownup arcade bar in Uptown for my friend's 40th birthday. In addition to the classics, they had some really fun home-brew games like "Death Ball"

Killer Queen is a crazy 5 vs 5 game that gets more than a little intense with 10 grown men playing.

 

Twins Season Opener

I took the afternoon off to catch the Twins season opener at Target Field.

It was hat day, plus season ticket holders got a hat with the new Twins logo. Score!!

There was still snow on the ground, so we found a spot out in left field to soak in some rays.

The game went into extra innings and the Twins won!!!

 

Grass Suit

For those that are really into grass.

 

Sunny Snow Day

We got the snow fort dug out and enjoyed a sunny afternoon around the firepit. The neighbors came over and S slept on his snow bed in the sunshine. I ended up with my first sunburn of the season.

 

Cheeseburger & Malt

After our attempt at skiing went south, we still wanted some outdoor time, so we hoofed it over to The Malt Shop. We have been wanting to try it out and we both had a snow-shoveling fueled craving for a cheeseburger. JP tried out one of their "boozy malts": It's a malt with caramel and a shot of Jameson. It was really yummy. The cheeseburgers and fries were good, too.

 

Last Ski of the Season?

After we got the snow cleared from our driveway and sidewalk, we grabbed our skis and headed down to the lake. I had waxed them the night before, so we were hopeful that we wouldn't get the ice buildup that cut our last effort short.

The streets had not been plowed, so we tried skiing the block and a half to the lake. Along the way, we were involved with helping three cars stuck in the snow. I'm not sure what goes on in the brain of someone who thinks that they can drive their Prius thru 8" of unplowed we snow.

The freshly waxed skis were noticeably slicker than before. We cruised along the path on shore. Then JP's skis started fouling on her to the point that they became snowshoes. Next year we will try some temperature-specific hot wax that is designed for warm weather skiing.