Trip to Steph's

Last weekend, the dogs and I went to see Cullen and Stephani in southern Minnesota.  They live 8 miles south of Pipestone, MN.  The dogs were so excited to go that they almost mowed me down to get into the back of the car before I could even get the door open!   Happy Dogs!!!!!

Then I got a blanket on the passenger front seat, because as soon as I close the door, Hooch crawls through or under the guard to get up front!  So he sits there the whole ride while Odda is content in the back.  Looks like I need to tighten up the dog guard, as it is moved and the bars are crooked.  It sure does the trick tho.  Easy to install or remove, and I don't have to worry about Odda.

Left Thursday afternoon and got there about 7:30 pm.  They were just finishing up with their chores, and we went out for pizza at Dar's in Pipestone.    Steph took Friday off and after she did chores, we went to Sioux Falls to a big craft show.  It wasn't as good as last year - I didn't see anything new that said "buy me"!   All I got was a Lotion Bar for Steve and his itchy skin and a hot/cold neck pack made with of cherry pits.  Put it in the microwave for two minutes, or can use cold for sore muscles.  The lotion bar is made out of shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax and coconut oil.   Koelzer Bee Farm from Corning Kansas makes and sells it.  I think I'll try it too.  There was one booth that was selling childrens clothing - coats and hats made out of polar fleece in solid color pinks with black trim collars and cuffs, and hats to match.  They were so cute, but the jackets were $46.00 and higher and the hats $16.00.  I wanted to buy Renee one, but a little voice in my head told me "No - you can make that!"  So now, I may try to do so.  It won't be hard.  They weren't lined, and there just had snaps instead of buttons and button holes.  That booth was really busy.  A lot of Grandmas buying for grandchildren!  After we left there, we went to several 2nd hand stores and then to Sams and Michael's.  Later we met Cullen and had steaks for supper.  A very good supper at Texas Roadhouse.

Steph and Cullen

Hooch helping Steph do chores!

Looking out Stephs driveway to the north.  See the wind mill - there are three new ones that have been installed since this spring.  This area has many wind mills, as this Buffalo Ridge area is a glacier deposited ridge that runs diagonally across the state of Minnesota.  There are now over 1200 wind mills in the state of MN with 800 just in the Pipestone area.  Wind energy is the fastest growing energy source in the world today.  I know there is an area in northern Minnesota that is putting up many wind mills too.  In 2007, then Governor Tim Pawlenty signed into law a renewable energy requirement that 25% of the electricity produced by state utilities is to come from renewable resources by the year 2025.  In the Pipestone area, the wind turbines each produce about 2,000,000 kilowatt hours per year, enough energy to power as many as 500 typical homes at 12,000 kwh per year.  The land is leased from local farmers, and each unit takes up roughly 1/3 of an acre for the euipment and access road.  The farmer receives a percentage of the revenue from the sale of electricity from each turbine.  Minnesota is noted to be the ninth windiest statem, so there are wind mills going up all over other states as well. 

On my way home - lots of wind mills!

Stephs house

Now the dogs and I are home again.  The dogs were glad to come home.  Like always, it's nice to go somewhere, but always nice to get home again!

Will have to show you soon what I've been busy working on here at home.

Have a great day!

Sunrise over Lake Superior

I was up at 6:30 am to sit by the lake to get some sunrise picutres.  I tried several different settings on my camera, but didn't write them down as I did it, so can't remember which setting this last one was.  I know the first was on auto.  Think this may have been on landscape.

I'm on the road again this weekend to see daughter Stephani in southern Minnesota, a 5 hour drive to get there.  I'm going to take the dogs with and leave Steve home to do farm chores.  I know he may try to combine some corn.  Steph and I plan on going to a big craft show in Sioux Falls on Saturday.  That should be fun.  Can't forget my walking shoes!

Oh - my finger is healing very good.  No band ade on it now.  Just hurts if I bump it.

Take care everyone and have a great weekend.

Asking for continued prayers for Tricia

Our friends Connie and Gene are traveling to Fargo, ND today, as their daughter Tricia who had a heart attack this past weekend is being transferred from the Bemidji, MN hospital to Fargo, ND today by ambulance.  So Connie called this morning and I will be taking care of Chance today.  They plan on coming home tonight, so I'm sure she'll post then, but thought that I'd ask you to continue praying for Tricia.  She is 38 years old and same age as our daughter Stephani.  They would ride horses together as kids and their girls are just like our daughters too. 
The doctors will be doing some more tests to the left heart chamber, so I think she'll be there awhile.  Now this extra traveling will bring more stress to family members, and Tricia's girls are still going to school in Bemidji, so I'm sure Tricia will be worried about them.
I know a lot of my blogging followers also follow Connie's "Far Side" blog - but if you haven't you can go there and read what Connie has written.
Thank you all - prayer does help!!!!   jo

More Gooseberry Falls Pictures.

There are at least 3 levels at Gooseberry Falls.  We were at the middle level, and this is looking over the edge to a lower level, with the next picture looking toward the upper level falls.

In the pictures below, the trees growing right out of the rocky cliffs amaze me. 

Look across, and  there is an area that looks like a face - with sun glasses, and huge nose.

Click to make larger, and look closer, there is a cave there.

And some beautiful red leafs.  Haven't seen as much red this year.  Maybe it's been too wet, and we've lost a lot of our color now.  What does that mean?   It's going to get colder, and soon we'll have snow!

Gooseberry Falls!

Already posted on the light house, but here is more on our weekend trip:

Living in Minnesota most of my life and having to say I'd never been up the North Shore of Lake Superior was embarassing to say the least!  In fact hubby had not been there either.  I used to work many weeks in Duluth in the late 80's, but that was work at our home office and no daylight hours off to tour the north shore.  Well, we finally made it north!   We left home on Friday, hoping to see alot of beautiful leaf colors.  We are 3.5 hrs west of Duluth, and it was a nice drive, but as we got closer to Duluth we ran into light rain!  There was no rain in the forecast for the weekend -  Go away rain! 

Our first stop was to check out the winter time sliding hill near Walker MN, called Shingobee Hill in the Chippewa National Forest.  We're standing at the top of the hill, looking out - not down!  It is a really steep hill.  Aren't the colors pretty, however, you can see some bare trees, where the Poplar or Aspen leaves are already done.

It was a beautiful day driving on Friday, and as we got closer to Duluth, we could see they were having rainy weather.

Stopped to take a couple of pictures of Lake Superior, and then things started to clear up.

Looking back toward Duluth from the roadside area where I was taking pictures.  The famous lift bridge at Canal Park.

Sun over Lake Superior on Saturday morning. 

We stayed with Germ and Sue (Steve's brother and wife) in their camper.  There were 8 of us there.  Steve's two sisters and husbands each had campers there too.  They all go camping several times together during the summer and this fall outing they have done together the last few years.  So we were the only ones that had not been this far north before. 

                             Saturday outing was to Split Rock Light House and Gooseberry Falls.

I'll have to do another post with more pictures.  I've had trouble all day pulling pictures over.  Things lock up.  Don't know if it my computer or the blog system.   So will do more later.

Split Rock Light House on Lake Superior

100 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR!

A wonderful tour of this lighthouse, and keepers homes.  It is so hard to believe how 100 years ago all this was built on this ROCK!  No road to deliver building material.  It all had to come by ship from Duluth , and lifted up by derrick  up the 100 foot cliff face from boats tied below. Over 310 tons of building materials were lifted up by derrick before a tramway was built.  Gusty winds made this a very difficult routine.  

Yup! the picture from yesterday, is a portion of this hugh lens of the Split Rock Light House that flashed light at 10 second intervals across 20 miles of Lake Superior's navagation waters.  The 6.5 tons of precision equipment traveled from Paris France and was assembled prism by prism in the lantern room.  The French came to install it, as they were the only ones that could install it.  The beacon is 168 feet above the water level and was in service for nearly 60 years.  Kerosene was used to keep it moving (it burns so dirty) and therefore every morning the keeper and wife would clean each prism of that hugh lens and also the windows, so that it would shine brilliant for that night.  What a responsibility!   Inspectors would come unannounced to white glove check the light lens. 

Hubby Steve going down the narrow stairway.  I believe that there are 32 steps to get to the top.

Stairway going down to the lake.  Very steep, and you see remains of the cement base that was built in 1916 for a tramway that replaced the derrick that lifted all building material and later monthly goods needed by the keepers.  The tramway was used until 1934 when a road had been built from Duluth, and the station received a truck to haul its supplies. Storms destroyed the dock for the last time in 1939, so there are no remains of the dock or boathouse.

It's wonderful what the Historical Society has done to keep these memories alive.

The use of radar on ships made the station obsolete and it was closed in 1969.  The State of Minnesota obtained the property from the federal government in 1971 and in 1976 the Minnesota Historical Society began to preserve and interpret the station as a museum and nationally known historic site.  The adjacent State Park offers hiking, biking, camping, picnicking and exploring the lakeshore.  I am so glad we finally went to see this famous light house.

What is this?

We were gone for a couple of days, and I took many, many pictures.  Before I can sort what I have  and figure out what to write about, I'll give you a taste!!!!  

Can you guess what this is?