The Real Deal!

Looking out to sea

Beautiful Adirondacks

Down with plastic!

Tiresome Road Work

Road work in Minnesota:  will it ever end?

Delightful Dancer

A group of women from New Ulm, Minnesota involved the audience in their vigorous dances during Oktoberfest last week-end in Rice Park.  None of them wanted to be interviewed nor photographed except while they were dancing. Each of them wore various costumes with a variety of face and head masks.  Some of the masks were made of wood and were imported from Germany, which added authenticity to our Midwestern celebration.

Untitled

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains 

unawakened.” Anatole France

Bayard Street Blues

I recently posted a blue bench that sits in the backyard of one of my neighbors.  Yesterday I was startled to see the appearance of another in the front yard of another home.  I wonder if these two families are going through their own Picasso Blue Period?

The Vulcan Krewe

Oktoberfest Revelers

Looks like everyone is having a good time.

Oktoberfest

Detlef at Oktoberfest

86 year old year Detlef from Red Wing, Minnesota was enjoying Oktoberfest in downtown St. Paul when I met him in Rice Park.  Born in a town in northern Germany near the Elde River, he immigrated to the United States when he was twenty but moved to Red Wing when he was 26, living in that small Minnesota town for the past 60 years. Jim practiced his halting German a little bit with Detlef, but most of their conversation was in English.  Having some serious health problems typical of his age,  he wasn't entirely happy with our health care. Not a complainer, though, he was a friendly  man, enjoying the music, food, and the sunny day.  Discussing our ages, he told me that he would gladly wait for me to catch up with him.

Uncooperative

We are very generous hosts but these visitors are very elusive.  I cannot get close to them nor will they pose for me.   They refuse to leave, and we will be feeding and sheltering them all winter, too. I think that my fine feathered friend should be far more cooperative. I guess I'll just have to visit
 Cafe Grace in Perth to get pictures of colorful birds that are willing to pose for me.

Fleeting Memory?

Know that in a few short months these will be a fleeting memory, I just cannot get enough photos of flowers.

Maggi's Memorial

Maggi's Memorial

July 4, 2001-September 16, 2015

Maggi and Olivia-Growing up together

Maggi, the Road Trip Traveler

St Paul to New Mexico-Four times
St Paul to South Carolina-One time
St Paul to Wisconsin and Door County- Countless times

 A Packer Backer

Rest in Peace, Maggi—You will always be Number One!!

Jeep Wrangler

I think this could be characterized as bilious green!

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY

Big Bikes

It looks like our Canadian friends have come down to visit our world for awhile.

Linking to Our World Tuesday and Ruby Tuesday Too

Quilt Sign

This could not strictly qualify as a mural or sign, but  I think I could post it for either one.  On July 6th I introduced you to Lindstrom, MN, a small town that is proud of its Swedish heritage.  One of the photos was a barn quilt sign. I found another of these designs painted boldly on an upper outside wall of a house in Stockholm, WI on a recent road trip: large and very noticeable!

Linking to Monday Murals & Signs, Signs

Colors

Instead of my nondescript and drab black table and chairs on my backyard patio, I think I should get out a can of paint and brighten it up a little bit.  I think cobalt blue or turquoise would do the trick against our white brick house.  Then, again, perhaps red would be brighter.  Better hurry before summer slips away.

WWII Honor Roll

For a very small Wisconsin community, that's quite a few names of veterans who served.  I wonder if the starred name is the only fatality? Perhaps that plaque on the bottom right explains it; when I snapped the photo I did not notice it.

Parallels

 Still strong and sturdy yet ready to be of use and service, these benches are beginning to show their age.  Reminds me of life. 
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I cannot let the day go by without acknowledging the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

A Secret Garden

On a recent short one-day road trip along the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side, we stopped at the Pelican Bakery in Maiden Rock.  The garden next to the shop was beautifully in bloom with colorful, dainty flowers. Wish our climate would be more temperate so we could enjoy scenes like this for a longer period of time. Ssh, Jack, not a word!!

Swede Hollow

Swede Hollow is a very historic area of St. Paul, and in years past it was one that "welcomed immigrants" but alas it was also a place that was close to being a slum.  Read about it here. It is a different place today.  Since I haven't been to the Swede Hollow Cafe in years, a friend and I went there for breakfast recently.  It is still the same quaint and charming cafe, but renovations are under construction.  I was most fascinated by what is occurring on its property and how they are sharing its spaces.

Linking to signs, signs

Incredibly Inventive

This is an incredibly inventive way to avoid cutting the grass on a sloping lawn!

This is a much smaller rock on the boulevard.

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY

Labor Day

Since this in Labor Day, I want to show you (again) what the labor of our local farmers produces!  I will surely miss their labor this winter!

Copper

We have another canine "boarder" when our son's dog or one of his friend's dog needs a romp in our fenced-in backyard. Copper is a sweet little Beagle who neither barks nor digs.  He's a welcome visitor anytime!

Shiba Inus

I saw this beautiful Shiba Inu in the parking lot at Walgreens. A handsome young father with his infant son was waiting outside the store for his wife to emerge with their purchases.  As DH and I left,  he told me that I paid an embarrassing amount of attention to the dog while ignoring the baby.
Must mend my photographic ways.  Never did get a shot of the little boy!

The next day I saw a Shiba Inu puppy at a different location.  I think that they may be becoming a favorite breed.

George, the frisky puppy

Our son has a rescue dog that is part Shiba, and who spends a great deal of time at our house as a companion to our sweet dog Maggi.  They are both great companions and really love one another.

The Shiba Inu (柴犬 ^?) is the smallest of the six original and distinct spitz breeds of dog from Japan.

A small, agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It looks similar to and is often mistaken for other Japanese dog breeds like the Akita Inu or Hokkaido, but the Shiba Inu is a different breed with a distinct blood line, temperament and smaller size than other Japanese dog breeds.^] It is one of the few ancient dog breeds still in existence in the world today. (Credit: Wikipedia)

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters

Neighborhood renovation

I've been passing a building this summer that has been renovated in a very charming way.  I was hoping that it would become a cozy neighborhood cafe or art store/studio or an independent bookstore.  Not to be.  It's a financial agency with a somewhat humorless employee who answered my nosy questions about the old vs new building.  Well, based on its new appearance, someone in there has an artistic soul!

Linking to week-end reflections

Beach Boats

 Boats and rafts for the beach are part of the fun.

Added Later: Check yesterday's post to see that Gracie from Perth is the winner!

Half Hulls - ABC WEDNESDAY "H"

While visiting the Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Wi, I noticed some activity in an art gallery.  One of the staff members was busy taking down and storing some half boats that had been part of an exhibition.  A former resident of the city who had a large collection of sail boats and half boats donated his pieces to the museum to sell and then to use the proceeds for the museum. Many of the pieces had been sold and the others were being packed to use at other future exhibits. I couldn't resist and bought one of the half boats below.  Can you guess which one? The first person to guess correctly will get a card from me!! (I'll wait 'til tomorrow to publish the comments and identify the winner).

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY-"H"

Theme Day, September, 2015-Curiosities

Buoy and Sinker

Buoys have long helped in guiding ships safely to and from the port of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Numerous buoys are maintained by the Coast Guard to ensure that vessels can safely navigate the waters of Sturgeon Bay. This buoy has a cast iron sinker attached to it by a mooring chain. The letters "US LHE" indicates that this particular sinker was manufactured by the United States Lighthouse Establishment. The identifier dates the sinker to the mid-1850's.

Go here to see some curious and sometimes bizarre September Theme posts.