Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Norwegian Mittens


I should dedicate this post to my young friend, Sasha, whose mittens look as gorgeous as these! Guess you have to be Norwegian to knit so that your mittens look like this!


After reading about the Norway House on Franklin Avenue, a friend and I went there yesterday morning to check it out.  Located behind Mindekirken, the Norwegian Lutheran Church, this small coffee and gift shop is a little gem.  The mittens are beautiful, and I am sure they are worth $60.00, but it was a little pricey for my budget.  Aren't they beautiful, tho?!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Autumn on the Mississippi


This is one of many seasonal photos I have taken over the years along the shore of my beloved Mississippi River in the Twin Cities.  Autumn is arriving late this year, which is just fine with me since these glorious colors are so ironic when one considers what follows: frigid temperatures, snow and ice.  I can wait!!

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." George Eliot



Monday, September 28, 2015

Southwest Writer


Tony Hillerman
Prolific Southwest Writer
Navajos' Best Friend

Because I have a love affair with  New Mexico, and I miss it when I am not there,  I decided to read many, if not most, of his novels.  Have collected 12 used paperbacks in order of publication, and I am on a journey with Hillerman and the Navajos!

Sunday, September 27, 2015

The Real Deal!



Looking out to sea
Beautiful Adirondacks
Down with plastic!

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Tiresome Road Work


Road work in Minnesota:  will it ever end?

Friday, September 25, 2015

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.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Untitled



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

unawakened.” Anatole France


Wednesday, September 23, 2015

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?

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Monday, September 21, 2015

Oktoberfest Revelers


Looks like everyone is having a good time.



Sunday, September 20, 2015

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.




Saturday, September 19, 2015

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.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Fleeting Memory?


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


Thursday, September 17, 2015

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!!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Jeep Wrangler


I think this could be characterized as bilious green!

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Big Bikes


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

Monday, September 14, 2015

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!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

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.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

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.

Friday, September 11, 2015

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. 
******************
I cannot let the day go by without acknowledging the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

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!!

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

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


Tuesday, September 08, 2015

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

Monday, September 07, 2015

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!




Sunday, September 06, 2015

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!







Saturday, September 05, 2015

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)

Friday, September 04, 2015

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

Thursday, September 03, 2015

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!