I had a short time between appointments last week, so I decided to tuck into a gift shop in downtown Northfield. There were fall items on sale, but a large part of the store was already decked out for Christmas. I wasn’t planning to buy anything.
A 5″ x 6″ Wooden Plaque: Primitives by Kathy ~ Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
But, the moment I saw this painting on a wooden block, I knew I wanted it. It was a totally impromptu purchase, which I rarely do, but I loved the image and the joy it brought to me. Maybe it’s because I had been out to helping on the farm earlier this week; feeding two horses, two donkeys, two goats, two Nigerian Dwarf goats, two sheep (they’re new), eight chickens and four cats. I have grown fond of these beautiful creatures.
Most of the farm animals I work with are represented on this picture plaque. The horse, donkey, sheep, goats, and rooster are so familiar to me. The picture made me feel happy and joyful, and worshipful even. I loved to see the animals gathered around the manger, worshiping baby Jesus. Although it is a Christmas scene, I plan to keep it up all year long.
And on that a farm…ee-i-ee-i-o
Later that same day I was driving to an art exhibit and passed a farm. “And on that farm” was a row of sheep that caught my attention. Several sheep were all lined up along a long wooden fence, with their heads hanging through the first horizontal rail. All their heads were lowered…they looked to be eating something off the ground. And then I noticed one, big brown (black?) sheep (or possibly a goat) facing the others – outside the fence. The whole scene made me smile and I turned the car around to go back and take a picture.
Artist: Julie Fakler – Pet Portraits in acrylic paint & clay.
I went to the art gallery to see one exhibit, and afterward was lured in to another studio with a special exhibit of animals painted on clay, and other mediums. Farm animals seemed to be the theme of my day, so I took more photos.
Artist: Jule Fakler – Pet Portraits in acrylic paint & clay.
Artist Julie Fakler offers a variety of pictures to choose from on her ‘Pet Portraits” business cards. She is a local artist in Faribault, MN.
I do love animals. It was a good day.
All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. Stanza 1 by Cecil Frances Alexander
I took this picture from our car window driving up Cedar Avenue towards the airport last night, November 5, 2025 at 5:01 pm. The coloring changed so much from 8 minutes earlier.
The most common name for November’s full moon is the Beaver Moon. Apparently it’s so named because beavers are busy building their winter dams in November.
The is the first picture I took from the car of the full moon rising. I zoomed in and the photo is a bit grainy. (11/6/25 4:53 pm.)
November’s full moon has two names…it can also be called the frost moon, because frost is usual in Minnesota during this month.
November’s full moon, on November 5, was a supermoon. It was the largest and brightest moon of year (the distance from the earth was the closest). There are three supermoons in 2025…October, November and December.
No matter what time of the year, it’s always spectacular to see the moon.
November is Epilepsy awareness month. A close family member was diagnosed with epilepsy. We didn’t really know much about this disease. In the past, I have donated items for the Epilepsy Foundation, but that’s about it.
The book cover – written by Hailey Adkisson, Illustrated by Kelsey Diaz.
We were gifted the book What is Epilepsy? A simple explanation of a complex diagnosis. It is a children’s book, which is very helpful in keeping explanations simple and easier to understand.
The book starts out explaining our brains are electric, and our brain power “sends messages to your entire body. But in some people, the electric activity in their brains becomes stormy and chaotic, causing a seizure.”
Descriptive illustrations.
It goes on to say, a special doctor, who studies the brain, is called a neurologist. He studies pictures of the brain to see how it’s working.
And, “There are many different reasons people can have epilepsy.” And, “No matter the reason for someone’s epilepsy, it is always very important to try and stop seizures from happening.”
According to the website cureepilepsy.org, each year more than 150,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy.
At this time there is no cure, but as with many diseases, researchers continue to discover more and more about epilepsy and possible cures.
The color purple is associated with epilepsy awareness month. I have a purple wristband I will wear as a reminder to think about, and pray for those living with this disease.
We are delighted with our new twin house, and love it when friends come to visit. This past spring, some friends came over and gifted us with an unexpected present and a card. It took me awhile to unwrap the gift because I was admiring the picture on the front of the card. It was colorful, festive and joyful. It looked like people were celebrating, but it wasn’t quite clear what they were celebrating. My friend was watching me closely as I read the sentiment. In her own handwriting she wrote out a blessing for our new home…she wrote it underneath the sentiment printed on the card, which was printed in another language.
I looked at her and she smiled as she told me the story behind the card. She found the package of cards while she was on a trip to Iceland. She liked the picture on front of the cards and asked the clerk if they were blank inside. The clerk indicated they were blank (possibly lost in translation?) so my friend purchased the beautiful cards. Back home, she was surprised when she opened the cards to see a sentiment printed inside, and it was not in English. What to do? She decided to ignore it. She did not even look up the phrase to see what it meant, and decided use the cards anyway… for any occasion she needed…she just wrote her own sentiment underneath the printed one.
I laughed when she told me that story. I liked her idea a lot, and was delighted to get one of these special cards.
(I did look up the translation and it says “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year” but I won’t tell my friend that. Obviously, she doesn’t want to know.)
Growing up, my mother made the best peanut butter bars, and I loved them. Actually, everyone loved them. I have her recipe…and I tried making them a many years ago…but they didn’t turn out as good as I remembered.
But, a special friend from my past was coming to visit, so I tried making them again. They had improved some, so I put a few on a serving dish. When my friend walked into my kitchen she immediately asked, “Are those your mom’s peanut butter bars?” I knew she would appreciate them, and I got the desired reaction I was looking for. And they tasted oh-so-much better when shared with her!
Peanut Butter Bars…
That was the start of our fun conversation with her and her husband, and Gary and I. She (Diane) and I grew up across the street from each other…in Northeast Minneapolis…and we shared a great childhood in the 1950’s. Her mom and my mom were best friends, her family and my family lived in houses across the street from each other until “the kids” were out of the house. During our childhood Diane and I were together almost every day, playing together (after chores – I’d wait for her or she’d wait for me). Sometimes we’d play with her sister and often with the other neighborhood kids. Our families attended the same church, camped together, played together, vacationed together and created multiple memories over the years.
Me and Diane. October 2025
Diane and I have kept in touch by sending the same birthday card back and forth since 1979, (I blogged about it here in 2016) and through exchanging Christmas cards and a few messages throughout the year, but we haven’t seen each other for many years…maybe 10? So it was time. They came down to see our new house. We talked and laughed and reminisced a bit, and we said we would not let so much time lapse before we meet again. And I’m confident we won’t (we probably can’t!)
1958: My brother, Donna (Diane’s sister), Diane, me.
There’s something special being with someone you’ve known all of your life. Our 72-year-old friendship is precious. I am blessed.
The entrance to St. Olaf College, off Hwy. 19, usually has the best color in town. 10/17/25
And St. Olaf has the best potted plants…
And the best mum gardens too (at St. Olaf).
I love it when the trees have multi colors…
New to me this year…I saw this very large (probably 10 ft diameter), happy, inflatable pumpkin.
Heath Creek Trail., in Northfield. 10/17/25
Very few wildflowers in bloom…this hairy aster is a hold out.
Heath creek, Northfield. 10/17/25
Lime-green mossy log.
Another gorgeous tree. 10/17/25
A friendly ghost and large, inflatable black cat. Fun holiday decorations.
Bright red-oranges and yellows…down our street. 10/20/25
Evening glow over downtown Northfield. 10/20/25
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96: 11-12
We have hiked many trails on the north shore over the past forty years…some trails we hike every time we are up there, but we are still discovering new trails to hike and explore.
Illgen Falls.
This year it was Illgen Falls, a part of Tettegouche State Park.
It’s a short trail to Illgen Falls, but a rugged one.
The trail to Illgen Falls is one of the shortest walks to a North Shore waterfall, and it leads to a beautiful 40’ drop of tumbling water in the Baptism River.
The mouth of the Baptism River, where the river flows into Lake Superior.
After the delight of seeing scenic Illgen waterfall, we hiked to High Falls on the Baptism River. It’s a longer hike, with a steep set of stairs (and currently the bottom of the stairs are washed out). High Falls is a 63’ falls. It’s very majestic, yet dangerous. A man tried jumping from High Falls in August 2025 and died.
High Falls.
We hiked up Oberg Mountain which is a trail we walk up annually.
An awesome view of Lake Superior from Oberg Mountain.
Although it was past fall-color peak (the red and orange leaves were mostly blown off the trees already), the yellows and greens were lovely.
Oberg Lake. Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees.
There are no waterfalls on this hike, but there is a beautiful view of Oberg Lake from one of numerous panoramic overlooks, and also a few of Lake Superior and the inland forest on this loop trial.
Hiking the loop trail on top of Oberg Mountain.
The greens and yellows are pretty.
We saw waterfalls at both Temperance River and Cascade River State Parks,
Temperance River Falls.
Cascade Falls.
all intermixed with spending time sitting on shores of the Lake Superior;
Our deck off the cabin…
either reading, eating our picnic lunches,
Beachcombing.
Lovely shoreline.
Naturally tumbled rocks.
beach combing or just contemplating…it’s always refreshing, rejuvenating and relaxing.
A stop at Grand Marais is always a treat. This year we discovered Superior Creamery. A small business that daily makes their own ice cream. It was delicious. The best vanilla I’ve tasted!
A perky sunflower outside Superior Creamery.
The harbor in Grand Marias…the water is percolating…and pretty.
The wall and rocky ledge to the Grand Marais lighthouse.
There were splashes of orange color still lingering on a few trees.
Rain was predicted for our time up on the north shore, but we ended up with stunning weather; clear, fall-blue skies and warmer-than-usual temperatures every single day. What a gift.
A gull enjoying a flight over the water near Gooseberry Falls.
We’ve been going up north once or twice a year for forty years. We are always refreshed and rejuvenated by the magnificent Lake Superior.
The lovely blue water of Lake Superior – photo taken off the deck of the cabin where we stayed.
A practice I started years ago was to check the time for sunrise. It is so precise! If it states the sun will rise at 6:56 you can count on seeing the orange ball pop up over the horizon at 6:56.
7:15 am sunrise on Tuesday, 10/7.
I make sure I’m up to witness this event, and will set my alarm if need be – that is determined by the time of year. It is awesome to see the sun rise over the big lake. I have hundreds of stunning pictures of a Lake Superior Sunrise.
I first saw the moon rising at 6:38 pm on Tuesday 10/7.
This year however, for the first time in forty years, we saw the moon rise over the lake. We have often seen a full moon shining on the lake (and a few times soon after it rose over the lake), but we’ve never seen it rising.
I knew we would be up north for October’s Harvest, or Hunter’s, supermoon, but I wasn’t expecting the event to happen until later in the evening.
Moon shimmering over the water, 7:36 pm Tuesday 10/7.
But I happened to walk out onto the deck and looked east and there, larger than I’ve ever seen it, was the moon already half way above the horizon. I continued to watch it (and videoed it). I was so giddy to see this stunning site. It was huge, and it was rising, and it only took about 30 seconds to come into full view.
It was another amazing gift.
This photo was taken the next day… as the sun is shimmers on the calm lake in almost the same place as the moon was at 7:40 the night before (10/7). This photo was taken at 9:40 am on 10/8.
Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures forever. the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever. and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.
When I was younger, I wrote a letter to Pan Am Airlines (a viable airline at the time) asking to be put on their waitlist to go to the moon. They wrote back (I was amazed), and told me the list was full!
I guess I’ve always been fascinated by the moon. I do enjoy the moon, and especially a full moon. Seeing the moon’s reflection on the water is always spectacular. But, crescent moons are sweet too…like a wink, or smile from heaven.
Full moon over Lake Superior, Minnesota 2020.
So, when I saw on Idaho’s map, Craters of the Moon National Monument, I added it to my list of places to see in Idaho. It is a 750,000 acre park. According to the internet, the difference between national park and national monument are:
“...are their establishment [1] method, [2] primary purpose, and [3] scope of preservation. National parks are created by an Act of Congress to preserve a broader scope of natural and recreational values, while national monuments are designated by the President under the Antiquities Act to protect a singular, significant natural or natural object.”
It was a sunny, but chilly day when we visited the Craters of the Moon National Monument. It features vast lava fields deposited from volcanic eruption of deep fissures years ago. At the Visitor’s Center we picked up a map of a seven-mile driving loop through the park. There were designated stops along the way to get out for a scenic overlook, or take a hike. We did both.
The short hike through Devil’s Orchard was level, and paved, and I felt like we were walking through a strange botanical garden. Although we missed the peak for wildflowers in the park, there is amazingly diverse plant life in these lava fields. Most common is the sagebrush.
Walking through the Devil’s Orchard.
Dwarf buckwheat is an interesting plant…they look like white spots dotted almost evenly on the black lava rocks…
Dwarf Buckwheat
Dwarf Buckwheat growing like polka dots on the dark terrain.
There are numerous mini volcano formations known as spatter cones and cinder cones. We hiked up a cinder cone named Inferno Cone.
Climbing up Inferno Cone, 6181′.
A cinder cone is formed from the accumulation of gas-charged volcanic fragments (cinders) ejected from a single vent.
On top of Inferno Cone…the top is level, but the cinder line on this photo is where the steep conical sides meet at the top.
The hike was a steep climb, but worth the view at the top.
At the top on Inferno Cone.
It’s so hard to show depth in a photo. This tree is hanging over the edge of the cinder cone.
From the Craters of the Moon brochure, “astronauts confirmed that most lunar craters resulted from meteorite impacts, not volcanism. The craters of Craters of the Moon however, are definitely of volcanic origin…. from a series of deep fissures known collectively as the Great Rift that cross the Snake River Plain.”
I may not have gone to the moon with Pan Am, but I think I am satisfied with seeing Craters of the Moon and its diverse landscape. When you enter the park and drive through this amazing area, it sure looks like you are on the moon!
It was a great adventure.
Although not related to the moon adventure, we visited another site in the Idaho wilderness worth mentioning.
A barrack and the mess hall at Minidoka Internment camp.
The Minidoka National Historic Site is remnants of a Japanese Internment camp. We drove miles into the desert to find the visitor’s center and the remains of a few camp buildings. During World War II this camp held over 13,000 (out of 120,000) Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated without due process of law.
A root cellar built by those incarcerated to store crops grown at Minidoka. It is surprisingly large.
As most Visitor’s Center are, this one was full of information. And to make our visit even more interesting, the National Park ranger we talked with was a granddaughter of one of the incarcerated. Her grandfather was interned at this very Camp Minidoka. She was passionate about its history and she could answer any question we asked. The site preserves a real, but sad chapter in our history.
When I told others we were taking a trip to Idaho most people asked why. I explained. “of the fifty states, Idaho is the only state I haven’t been in” (although my brother told me we were on a road trip with our parents and drove through Idaho to get to Washington when we were young. He is four years older so he remembers.)
Delicious potato chips, made in Idaho.
Now, if people were to ask me, “Why Idaho?” I would say because it is a beautiful state with a lot to offer…including a large portion of the Rocky Mountains and 3,500 miles of rivers. We spent a lot of time by the Snake River.
This ice cream is shaped to look like an Idaho baked potato with sour cream. It was fun to try.
Idaho is known for its potatoes. While doing some research I learned about Westside Drive-In in Boise, that offered potato-shaped ice cream. That was curious. We made the drive-in our first stop out of the airport. It was tasty treat and a great way to start our vacation. Then, we drove two hours to Twin Falls and settled into an AirBnB in southeastern Idaho. We took day trips from there.
The amazing Perrine Bridge.
We spent a lot of time along the Snake River viewing canyons, gorges, water falls, and watching Base jumpers jump off the Perrine Bridge…counting on their parachutes to open and land safely on the ground 486’ below. It was fascinating to watch.
An experienced jumper attaches another person to his harness for a tandem jump. Unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how to post the video of this endeavor.
This screen shot is of the BASE jumper from one of the videos.
The Perrine Bridge is a stunning arch bridge and stands 486 feet above the Snake River, and has the distinction of being the eighth highest bridge in the United States. The Perrine Bridge attracts BASE jumpers from all over the world because it is one of the few structures they [jumpers] can use without getting special permits.
Trying to capture how deep this gorge is…this is looking down at the river…ripples from a motor boat and a kayak in the picture too.
(BASE jumping is an extreme sport where an individual leaps from a fixed object and uses a single parachute to land. The term “BASE” is an acronym for the four types of locations: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and the Earth (cliffs).) We were fortunate to witness four jumpers, (one tandem) while walking next to the bridge.
At the visitor’s center, on the other side of the bridge, was a temporary 911 memorial display (we were visiting close to that date). The group hung a gigantic American flag on a cable over the gorge. It was impressive.
Shoshone Falls…there is not much water flowing over the falls this time of year. (Twin Falls is considered high dessert.) However, in the spring Shoshone Falls is called the Niagara of the west and the falls are gushing and look very full (in photos).
We picnicked at Shoshone Falls, and saw Perrine Coulee Falls and many other miscellaneous waterfalls.
Perrine Coulee Falls.
We also walked to the Devil’s Washbowl, a waterfall within the Malad Gorge in Thousand Springs State Park.
The waterfalls in Malad Gorge.
Looking down on Malad Gorge, formed by the Malad River that flows into the Snake River.
We hiked in Adams Gulch and caught the beautiful sight of quaking aspen trees, their leaves turning from green…to lime green… to a brilliant yellow, that contrast beautifully with the green evergreen trees.
The striking contrast of the yellow aspens and evergreen trees.
We hiked on a well-defined hiking, and mountain biking, trail.
We drove to Ketchum, the ski village near Sun Valley Resort, nestled within the Rocky Mountains, specifically in the Wood River Valley at the base of Bald Mountain.
Beautiful Bald Mountain and the Sun Valley Ski Resort.
Sun Valley was America’s first destination ski resort.
One big bicycle near Ketchum.
The mountains are inviting so we continued to drive north of Ketchum for several miles to see their majesty.
On our way up a mountain…and then down into a valley.
Looking at a valley from Smiley Lodge. We turned around here and drove back up the mountain pass.
We also spent time in Craters of the Moon National Monument. I will write about that another time.
Our final evening, a farewell dinner on the deck at Redhawk Gastropub, overlooking the Snake River.
Our time went fast, as it usually does while on vacation, but I’m glad we were able to see a few of the wonderful sights in beautiful Idaho, and to make some fun memories there.
And I did it! I can say I’ve been in all 50 states.
