I have just returned from a week’s vacation to my previous home state of Washington. Accompanied by unusually cool temperatures and a handful of my dear friends I was able to walk and hike my way through old stomping grounds, and even explore some new ones. After a 5-mile Rampart Ridge hike at Mount Rainier we found the perfect way to relax — beers on the porch of the National Park Inn with a view up the valley to the mountain. A few days later I was walking along a 2-mile boardwalk over the Nisqually River delta while the tide was returning. That was followed by exploring the Lavender Festival and various artist’s studios while in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. And my final “hike” was an urban one around Green Lake in Seattle, followed by a great seafood dinner. My rainy and cool trip to the Pacific Northwest ended with a late-night flight back to the heat and humidity that’s gripping the midwest. Traveling east we flew past the mountains and across the plains, leaving the pinks of the sunset behind us. And with towering thunder clouds and lightning storms off to the north, we landed into the bright lights of the Twin Cities. A quick trip filled with shared conversations, laughs, great food, abundant memories, and a bevy of best friends!
summer
Savoring summer
Although Minnesota is known as the land of 10,000 lakes that is actually quite modest as there are thousands more. The advantage for those of us in urban areas in the state is that we are never very far from a wonderful lake. Within a 10-mile radius of our home are a dozen plus lakes to enjoy. On a calm summer’s evening earlier this week, we launched our canoe for a leisurely paddle. We took along a light dinner to enjoy, a transistor radio to listen to the baseball game, and good attitudes to relax and appreciate the beauty of summer in Minnesota. The colors of the sky and sunset reflected in the quiet waters of the lake. In this photo you can see the power lines and electrical towers of the city, but you can’t see the interstate highway that is just on the other side of the far tree line. On this evening there was no noise audible from the traffic, and we were serenaded by the call of a loon that was residing somewhere on the lake. Except for the power lines, we could have easily been miles away from our urban life. We were out on the lake for only a couple of hours but this short respite from the hustle and bustle, the noise and cacophony of the city life was a wonderful way to appreciate and savor the best of the summer season.
First try at fly fishing
A few weeks ago I signed up for a fly fishing workshop that was jointly sponsored by the National Park Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Federation of Fly Fishers. The event was targeted for beginners and was held at a nearby state park. Lasting about five hours it included information about the history of fishing, information about nymphs and flies, a casting demonstration, and a chance to tie your own fly. Then after lunch we were all loaned fly fishing rods and were able to get individualized help with our casting. This whole experience was new to me. Like many people, fly fishing seemed to me to be a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors and I thought it might be another way to explore and enjoy my home state of Minnesota. So yesterday I purchased a fly fishing outfit (a rod and reel combination) and decided to try my luck today. This morning we headed out early with our canoe to a local lake. During all of my practice-casting at the workshop I had been standing up on dry land, and now today I was seated in the front of a canoe and trying to remember everything I’d been taught a few weeks ago. My first cast was a little weak, but I told myself I was just a beginner and I was using a new rod and reel for the first time. My second cast looked much better, but even more surprising was that I caught a fish! Of course at the workshop we hadn’t been given any instruction in how to reel a fish in or how to land it. And this fish was bending my new rod and trying to swim under the canoe. With some great assistance and coaching, I was able to bring in my first large-mouth bass — a whopping two-pounder. OK, maybe not whopping, but this fish did it’s job of “hooking” me on fly fishing. Although we didn’t have much luck the rest of the morning, I could always think of that second cast and landing a bass. Later this afternoon I was reading a fishing article in the newspaper. The writer referred to a saying that I would agree with: “The hours spent fishing are not deducted from your lifetime.” I had just spent a blue-sky summer morning on a Minnesota lake with my canoeing and fishing partner, and had even had some fishing success.
Wisconsin’s wild lupine
We ventured north this weekend to the shores of Lake Superior. After a miserably cold and rainy week the weather cleared in perfect time for the weekend, and with little to no winds and mild temperatures it was a wonderful time to explore new areas. We wandered the highways and county roads of northern Wisconsin and even went to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After the wet and late spring we’ve had, the roadsides are now in full bloom. We were first treated to the white daisies and orange hawk weed that were abundant throughout the central part of Wisconsin. Then as we reached the south shore of Lake Superior and continued to the north in Bayfield County, the lupine were in their prime. I had seen photos of the wild lupine in the Bayfield area before, but they appeared to be in a large garden area. I was not prepared for the plethora of blooms that were gracing the sides of the highways. This photo was taken along the side of Highway 13 just north of Washburn. With their blue, purple, pink, and white spikes they were a treat to the eyes and a reminder of how much we appreciate the colors of spring that replace the white of our winter season.
The time of peonies
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about memories and the ability of something or someone to bring an avalanche of thoughts and feelings to the forefront of one’s mind. In the past week and a half our yard has been filled with the sweet scent of peonies in full bloom. The blooms has been so large and heavy that they have weighted down the long stems of the plants, causing some of them to droop all the way to the lawn. Unfortunately their blooms and aromas are short-lived, and yet maybe that’s one of the reasons they are so appreciated when they are in their full bloom. My parents have always had peonies in their yard and I’ve been lucky to bring a couple of their plants here to Minnesota to add to our yard. Needless to say, my memories of peonies include my mom and dad, as well as their parents whose gardens and yards also were filled with peonies. It’s a delight and an honor for me to be able to continue this tradition.
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