Tour de minnesota

I've always thought riding in RAGBRAI would be such fun (the Iowa 400 mile trek from river to river). After this weekend I know I would never survive. (or I would have to do one heck of a lot of training for it!!) We did a biking/camping weekend in a campground on the Sakatah Bike trail near Mankato, Mn. What a beautiful area. What a wonderful campground we were in! But we were in the middle of two small towns and biking either way was going to be a distance. At 10 in the morning it didn't look so bad, but by the end of the day I was wiped out. I peddled slower and slower and slower. It got hotter and hotter. We biked 16 miles. We took a picnic lunch and then were able to explore the small town of Elysian. We checked out their ice cream and the new Elysian Queen was serving. That always helps the taste- it was pretty good. They were having a bean bag throwing contest while we were there and, darn, we were going to miss the 4th of July turtle races. (bring your own turtle) I brought back some great pictures, sore muscles and lots of dirty laundry. i have to say, too, that I love our camper.

Routines

Mornings have taken a new turn for me lately. I have to be to work by 7:30 a.m. , if you can imagine an early riser doing such a thing! That means the walk has to be done by 7 for sure. The dog has to do with shorter walks, too. Poor thing. I am champion at the 5 min. shower, however, but I do miss the leisurely cup of coffee with "Good Morning America". I have to take the coffee with me instead. So it looks like this: Race home from the walk (or swim) turn the coffee on, walk the dog, home and shower, drink coffee and eat a quick bite, wash the lunch apple, pour the 2nd cup into travel mug, bike to work.....

Mornings at the library are the quietest time of all. I must admit I enjoy that a lot! I have also been swimming on my 'off' days. That is when my partner has to be to work by 7!! (imagine such an early hour) It's another reason to enjoy summer anyway. It's a different kind of exercise altogether. But I have been plagued with water in my ears since. Anyone have any suggestions besides ear plugs?

All things free. What's on your list?

I think summer is my favorite time of year. The heat, the humidity aren't a big deal (probably due to an airconditioned house and workplace) even when I have to be out in it. It's pure joy being outside right now. I can go anywhere on my bike and often do. We grill out for evening meals and enjoy them on our deck. If not that, we can wander uptown on Thursday evenings for the Brats or burgers that are always being served. On Wednesday or Thurs nights we can enjoy concerts in the park and the rest of the week enjoy the concerts that the neighborhood kids put on with their play. Or how about this, drop everything and head up to the coffee shop for a smoothie or iced coffee. I was able to get the first of the fresh peaches at the farmers' market in Lincoln on Saturday. They were a bit pricey I admit, but we ate them tonight in a cobbler and , Oh My! That was every bit as good as I remembered. The fresh strawberries are done now, but there's more of the summer's bounty to come...Tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh veggies, sweet corn. I don't know why everything necessarily revolves around the good food. Lots of other things about this time of year make it the best too. I've been swimming, walking, canoeing, camping, biking and reading! These are everyday joys. I am truly blessed.

Intensity

No question, when we do things we're intense about it. Whether the family gets together for playing games, eating, talking or... going to the zoo we always go whole hog. The daughters in law have these rules for themselves when it comes to some things (no playing of certain indoor games as they often end in fights) But here we are anyway..playing games (we're great as long as we have the rules down ahead of time!) checking out the animals (big and little contrasted all in one) and heading to the next one... (whatever that may be) I have a feeling our littlest ones will follow the footsteps that are in front of them.

Family time

I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend than with family. This trip has been in the works for awhile and it went off without a hitch! We visited the Omaha zoo on Friday and we had a great time. Isaiah was so enthralled with the aquarium and it made it so much fun to watch! We rode the train, sat on animal statues, rode the carousel ... it was wonderful. More pictures to share with you later on this week.

Doorways

Doors. Thresholds. Beyond lies the unknown.

Sunday Afternoon drive.

It's hard to believe that someone, in this day and age, would do the equivalent of a "Sunday afternoon drive" but that's what we did. We are truly joining the ranks of our elders. ARGH! Anyway, on a day like this (hot and humid) we had to go to Bob's for his world famous shakes. (make mine peanut butter, please!!) then we did a tour of Le Mars (that lasted 3 minutes. What's in LeMars anyway?) and headed for home. My mom has been going to St.Mary's in Alton since she got here in May and she invited us to go take a look at their fabulous remodelling job. WOW! is all I can say. The stained glass windows tell the whole story of Christ from the angel's announcement to Mary to his resurrection and beyond. These windows are from Germany orginally and they are gorgeous! Not to mention the painting, the statues, and the gold gilding to complete the beautiful building. Wish I had a picture to show you, but I guess you'll just have to head over there yourself and check it out!

Buster sat outside.