Thanksgiving @ Nana's

We hit Nana's place for an early Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful drive down thru Wisconsin.

Her phone was kaput, so we hit the Verizon store and upgraded everyone's phones. 

The project of the weekend was to get the light on the right wired up. It has been there for 35 years as a decorative feature only.

 

Bird Feeder

The bird feeder attracts all sorts of birds & rodents. They, in turn, attract the next level of the food chain. JP was excited to see this hawk until she realized that he was dismembering a sparrow.

 

Winter Planters

Now that fall is behind us, it's time for the winter greenery out front.

So far we only had the 2.5" of snow on Halloween. It's certainly easier putting up the lights with no snow and temps above freezing.

 

Fall Puzzle

JP finished up her fall puzzle. This one is cute enough that it will get a frame and go into the holiday decor rotation.

 

Tom Papa

JP got some great seats for us to see Tom Papa at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul. He was jsut as funny in person as he is on TV. 

 

Morning Dog Walk

One of the niceities of weekend morning dog walks is that it's light out and the lake is peaceful and deserted. 

 

Fall Flowers

Despite summer being over and frost on the tent, there were a ton of flowers still in bloom at the campground.

 

SHT

We attempted to make it to Bean & Bear Lakes on the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), but between the weather and the 6,000,000 other people on the trail, we gave up and found a cozy spot for lunch.

There was a fair amount of mud on the trail. S didn't mind.

We had some great view of the big lake and fall colors.

 

Camping Accommodations

We sat out some rain in the tent. With a propane heater, it's quite comfortable.

S prefers napping in the camper next door.

We took a break from the campfire for a fun round of dominos in the K's camper.

 

Fall Road Trip

With the heat of the summer behind us, it's time for  a road trip up north!

We never stop in Duluth. It's on our list, but every time we pass thru, we are on our way to bigger & better things.

The campground at Split Rock State Park is still as nice as it was in the spring.

 

Let's Play Hockey!

For CP's birthday we hit a Minnesota Wild pre-season game against the Blackhawks. It was scorching hot so we stopped in at New Bohemia for a cold one. Looks like a great place to go back to for brats & pretzels.

We had dinner at a new supper club that opened last year, the Apostle. It was CP's first supper club experience, and he was not disappointed. We tried the Spam tacos. Even JP liked them.

 

Last Home Game (of the regular season)

Our new MN tradition is to catch the last regular season home game. Last year it was freezing cold. This year it was 72 and perfect. 

 

Squeeze and Psychedelic Furs

We caught the Psychedelic Furs and Squeeze at the newly renovated Uptown Theatre. As usual, we went with the Ks from next door. Squeeze is one of JP's favorite bands from the 80s. We tailgated at their friends' house on Irving, three doors down from the house where we originally put an offer in. 

The theatre is the perfect size - may 2,000 people. There are no bad seats in the house. We watched Squeeze from the side bar area and then moved onto the main floor for the furs.

 

New 50th Street

50th Street was completely repaved from France Ave. to Lyndale Ave. in two days. The first day it was ground down and the second day it was paved and striped. 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM both days. Almost like the Romans.

 

Cafeteria Food

One of the love/hate things at work is the cafe. I hate it because it's one of the main reason I have put on weight since moving to MN. The love side comes from the amazing freshly made food. This month is hispanic heritage month and the Mexican chef is loving it. Chilaquiles are my absolute favorite breakfast and his are top notch! 

Every day there is something new. This week one day was home-made corned beef hash and pork schnitzels. It just doesn't get any better than this.

 

Spotted Cow

We left on a Friday to go to IL. There was a big wreck on our usual route, so we took the scenic drive through WI. For the 1st time in 30 years, the timing worked out and we were able to hit the New Glarus brewery. They are closed on weekends, holidays, days around holidays, and usually any days that we are in the area. We arrived ten minutes before they closed. Just enough time to get some t-shirts and a pint of the best beer in Wisconsin: Spotted Cow. JP was very impressed with it all and gave a thumbs up for a return visit sometime.

Not many people know that the four-wheel-drive was invented in Lanark, IL.

We took the scenic route home, too. NW IL, SW WI, NE IA, and SE MN are beautiful and the drive is a full 50 miles shorter than the usual freeway route. We did not have to refuel along the way.

 

Painting the Porch

We were blessed with perfect weather for our fall trip to see Nana. We replaced a few board on the front porch and trimmed up some brush. 

Like mother like daughter. They like to paint.

 

Walk Home

On the days that I take the bus, my walk home takes me along the south shore of the lake. The bus ride and mile walk home take 45 minutes. By the time I get home I have read the day's news, gotten a few steps in, and enjoyed one of the city's best parks. 

Twins Win

We took in an evening Twins game with the Ks from next door. The Twins are doing excellent this season, and the good seats are getting sold out quickly. 

 

Dark Dog Walks

One of the indicators that summer is coming to a close is that the morning dog walks are in the dark again. I was hoping to catch the comet, but I think I was too early; it was still beneath the horizon and further to the south.