Valerie – Page 48 – Valerie's Voice

Rocky Mountain National Park – Take Two

A view in the park…below the alpine ridgeline.

I had the opportunity to go to Colorado for a week to help take care of my two adorable two grandchildren who live there. Their mother went to her sister’s wedding while my son and their two children stayed behind. So I gladly offered my assistance.

While there, my son and grandkids and I took a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Our son’s new home in Colorado is about an hour from the park. My husband and I visited the park when we drove out to Colorado in late April so this was my second trip to the park within six months.

The beginning of the Old Fall River Road, and the beginning of snow (late April).

In April, the Old Fall River Road was closed to vehicles. It is only open for traffic July through September so Gary and I decided to hike along the popular, historic road to Chasm Falls, a couple miles up the road.

Old Fall River Road – hairpin turn in late April.

As we started hiking… it started snowing… so we had a peaceful hike up and back down the hairpin-curved road, with snow-globe style snowflakes gently falling.

The beginning of the Old Fall River Road in RMNP, in August.

In August, the Old Fall River Road is open to traffic so my son slowly drove along the winding, nine-mile dirt road to the Alpine Visitor Center, one of the highest points you can drive to in the park.

I love this photo of Ezra…he is color coordinated with the colors surrounding him in nature. Photo by TB.

We parked the car at the Alpine Center and continued hiking up a trail to the top – 12,005’.

It was a beautiful day and the vistas were fantastic, at the top and all the way up the mountain.

My son near the sign designating the altitudle.

We drove down the mountain on the Trail Ridge Road since the Old Fall River Road is one-way only.

The Trail Ridge Road is a wonderful smooth, paved road that crosses through the park. We stopped for a picnic supper part way down and continued to enjoy the beauty surrounding us.

A colorful wildflower in bloom, the Indian Paintbrush.

During both visits to the park, in April and in August, we saw elk.

I’m grateful I was able to be in RMNP with my son and my grandchildren. I’m grateful to have a senior pass that gets me, and the passengers in the vehicle I’m in, free admittance to national parks. I’m grateful we have so many national parks in the US to explore.

The Grand Rounds

Last week, on one of those gorgeous Minnesota summer days, Gary and I decided to head to Minneapolis with our bikes and take off on the terrific trail system called the Grand Rounds.

The Grand Rounds has over 100 miles of paved walking and biking trails that meander through urban areas connecting different city parks and lakes.

This system has been around a long time. It was conceived by Horace W. S. Cleveland in the early days of the Minneapolis park system and has been well maintained. It has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

We started our tour at Minnehaha Falls and rode our bikes along Minnehaha Creek, past Lake Nokomis, then along one side of Lake Harriet, continuing around the loop of Lake Bde Maka Ska…..(formerly known as Lake Calhoun).

The new name for Lake Calhoun – Lake Bde Maka Ska.

We stopped for lunch back at the Bread and Pickle on Lake Harriet. We ate a delicious egg salad sandwich, which we were surprised to see on the menu, and then surprised at how tasty it was. It was lovely setting: looking out on the lake, seeing sailboats, and watching people.

After lunch we finished the Lake Harriet loop, rode past Lake Hiawatha and back to Minnehaha Falls. We treated ourselves to ice cream at the pavilion in the park, after clocking 20 miles.

Minnehaha Falls…I had to take the picture looking into the sun so the colors are distorted.

We viewed Minnehaha Falls – the falls were full and beautiful – encompassed by lush green trees and shrubs. There were many folks out enjoying the gorgeous scenery, and weather, on this weekday afternoon.

I had a great time riding my pedal-assist bicycle. We did stop at one garden…because… well, it’s just hard to resist gardens.

It is also fun looking at all the houses along the Parkway and the lakes. There are so many charming homes and biking past them is a great way to see them.

Wabasha, Minnesota

Many scenes in the 1993 Hollywood movie Grumpy Old Men were filmed in the small river town of Wabasha, Minnesota. It put Wabasha “on the map” and was their claim to fame for a long time. However, there is another cultural highlight in Wabasha…it is home to the National Eagle Center. The organization began in 1989 and built a beautiful building along the scenic Mississippi River in 2006.

Our book club took a field trip to the center one day in July, and it was very interesting.

The bridge in Wabasha, between Minnesota and Wisconsin, over the Mississippi River.

After taking a coffee break at the Chickadee Cottage in Lake City, we happened to arrive at the Eagle Center right before an eleven o’clock presentation. The presenter was very interesting and informative, an educator, and part entertainer! She kept us engaged for an hour and we didn’t want the session to end. She said she could have continued speaking because there is so much to teach about the eagles.

Was’aka, one of the eagle ambassadors. (Our presenter is not in the photo.)

When we spoke to her after the program she told us she became interested in eagles (and sharks!) at a young age so when she retired (from being a lawyer) she felt it was a good time to step in and volunteer at the eagle center. We were fortunate to be a part of her class session.

A few tidbits…eagles weigh only 6-8 pounds, keep their nests very clean by “shooting their poop” out of the nest about eight feet! They get their white feathers about the age of 5, and they do a beautiful cartwheel dance as part of their mating ritual. But there is much more.

My photo of a photograph of two eagles doing a cartwheel dance.

The eagles at the center are there because they no longer can survive on their own in the wild. They get quality care at the center while the researchers study them. The center has a viewing platform and is a great place to spot eagles along the river, especially in the winter because there is open water at this site, and that’s where eagles gather.

During the program an eagle, Was’aka, was brought into the room to show off to the audience.

There are plaques describing each bird on display.

Was’aka is blind in one eye, therefore he cannot hunt for himself. He is beautiful! There were additional eagles available for viewing also, including a golden eagle.

We did succumb to a Grumpy Old Men’s icon and ate lunch at Slippery’s Bar and Grill, apparently made famous by the movie. However, we chose it simply because it was the only place we could eat outside, along the mighty Mississippi. The food was good.

A bench in town depicting the two grumpy old men from the movie: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

Wabasha is little over an hour’s drive from Northfield so it’s an easy day trip and well worth it.

Home Again

What a wonderful week we’ve had weather-wise…sunny, seventy’s and low humidity. Perfect for being anywhere, especially up in northern Minnesota. I was on the Whitefish chain of lakes with a friend, staying on her porch, with a cabin attached. Our days were relaxing, and among other things we did some boating and a lot of reading.

We went out on her pontoon which was a highlight for me. We left the jet skis docked this year, and my cell phone in the cabin. In previous years we’ve taken out the jet skis and had some…let’s say…complications. Then there was the year my iPad fell off the dock into the drink during early morning quiet time. So I tried to avoid any type of fiascos this year. Success!

The evenings were still and cool so we slept on the large porch listening to the loons calling as we fell asleep.

Before I left home for the cabin I had fifty pages left to read in my latest political thriller. So when we arrived at the cabin Sunday afternoon, after unpacking the car, we immediately got out some lawn chairs, set them up near the lake and started to read. I quickly finished the book. I brought along three non-fiction books so I had plenty additional reading material.

One morning’s sun reflecting on the lake that looks like clear glass. Beautiful.

When it was time to leave the cabin four days later, I had fifty pages left in one of the other books I had started reading up there. However, when I arrived back to our house in Northfield things changed… I no longer felt I could just sit down and finish the book right away….there was unpacking to do, laundry to throw into the washing machine, email and catch-up conversations, plus weeding flowers and so forth. So instead of sitting down to finish my book I did chores instead. I felt I needed to get something accomplished before enjoying more reading time.

Daggett Lake, a lake on the Whitefish chain of lakes.

I guess that’s why it’s always good to get away. At home we see all there is to be done (although my friend saw things that needed to be done at her cabin while we were there), but we had a delightful time on our annual trip to Daggett Lake.

I came home to my Star Gazer lilies in bloom.

Fly Me to the Moon

50 years ago today, July 20, 1969, the famous Apollo 11 mission allowed the first man to step on the moon. We all know he was Neil Armstrong who died in 2012 and is not here to help commemorate the anniversary of this historic event. Buzz Aldrin was the 2^nd man to step on the moon, while Michael Collins remained in the command module. There are lots of celebrations being planned for the 50^th anniversary, and many remembrances retold and some revelations of seldom told stories.

One story being that Buzz Aldrin carried communion elements along with him to the moon and asked for a private moment to take communion and read a verse from the gospel of John after they landed on the moon.

From Fact Check – Snoops -This is Buzz’s own account of what happened:

“In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.’”

I like that story.

And another very little known story from that era… when I was a teenager I sent a letter to Pan Am Airlines asking to be put on their waitlist to go to the moon. And, believe it or not, they wrote back and told me the wait list was full! HA!

I guess I’ve always been adventurous. I wonder if any airline is taking reservations to the moon at this time???

Political Thrillers

I’ve been side tracked this summer since my husband recommended a book for me to read…The Kremlin Conspiracy, a political thriller.

I would say I never thought I’d be a fan of political thrillers, in fact this was the first one I’ve read, but it was very engaging. I read the first book in about three days…then I wanted to begin the sequel, The Persian Gamble, right away. It had just been published (2019) so I wondered about its availability however, I was able to get a copy from the library quickly and finished that book in a couple more days.

I’m so thankful I’ve not had any urgent business to attend to…and am able to enjoy the luxury of reading. These books are page-turners and hard to put down.

Among the author’s many books, there was a trilogy recommended to me, and I started the first book thinking I would only read one…

I finished the first book in a couple days and ordered the next book from the library, and then the next. After I’m done with this series of three I will not pick up another book by this author for a while because they are addictive and I need to resume other fun summer activities!

Click here to link to the author’s website: Joel Rosenberg.

He’s a Jewish Christian and is very knowledgeable about the goings on in the Middle East. His writing is easy to read and clean, but there are graphic war scenarios. Most of his books are fictional stories, with great characters involved in some sort of scary, realistic, modern day plots.

Garden Tour

There were six gardens to visit on Northfield’s garden tour so I donned a flower dress and took off to enjoy the beauty.

Two gardens were in public places but it was fun to get into the yards of four residents in Northfield. There were artists stationed at each place, which adds to the fun.

The garden is a simple rain water garden. Some of the artist’s works were displayed as he was painting another picture, and visiting with the guests.

The theme this year was water so there were a few water gardens. I learned you can apply for a grant from the city of Northfield to cover up to $250 if you plant a water garden in your yard.

I so enjoy flowers and am amazed at the beauty and uniqueness of each one. I like learning of new plants too.

It was hard to capture the enormity of this flower pot. When I asked for the name the gardener said the official name at the store was, “Big Pink Begonia”. I guess sometimes you just call it what it is! This size begonia was new to me.

Someone asked me if I got inspired while looking at the gardens and I said yes… but then I know it’s too hot this time of year to change my garden so I don’t do anything now.

Another new to me flower: a hanging begonia. The white blooming flowers draped over the pot.

But, I do tuck away ideas for next year…

The blue glass tulip shades from an old lamp was used as garden art mixed in with white hydrangea.

It was fun to see the sculptures people use as gardens art, as well as the visiting artist’s creative works.

The last home I visited on the tour was at the top of a high hill.

It’s hard to see the swing hanging from the tree near the gardens in this yard, but it’s easy to see the expansive view.

A watercolor artist was stationed in the screen porch of the house at this garden, so we could peak into the house to see a bit of it’s loveliness. I noticed dinner plates and crystal goblets on the dining table, gathered for what looked like an upcoming party.

I thought this was clever…two arborvitae woven together at the top to form an arch.

While meandering in the gardens the owner said they were having a garden party that evening since they already had spent a lot of time grooming and weeding and getting their gardens ready for the tour.

Beautiful gardens at this beautiful house on the hill where they were planning a lovely garden party.

They had lights wired in the garden and on the lovely patio with a water fountain. I’m sure it would look awesome at night. I wanted to stick around for the party!

Look, the winter is past,
    and the rains are over and gone.
¹²The flowers are springing up,
    the season of singing birds has come,
    and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. Song of Songs 2:11-12

Earthquakes and Fireworks

Bearutiful Santa Barbara: Ocean on one side, mountains on the other.

We were in southern California last week, with our son and his beautiful family, when a 6.4 and 7.1 earthquake hit, on two separate mornings. The significantly high-magnitude earthquakes happened over 100 miles from where we were staying. We didn’t feel any tremors from either one, but a lot of folks in our area did. It was interesting to find out about the earthquakes simply by hearing others talking about their experiences. I’m grateful there were no injuries, and we were safe.

Another event of significance on our visit to southern California was the Independence Day fireworks.

We were able to witness some outstanding fireworks set off over the ocean beach, and we were able to watch them from the rooftop pool area of our hotel, one block away from the water. The rooftop area has incredible 360* views and it was a special place to ouuu and ahhh over the stunning display.

Lemon trees growing in pots…their fragrance is delightful.

Various flowers growing all over the waterfront area added additional color to our 4^th of July trip to Santa Barbara. Here are a few photographs.

Villa Louis

We toured an old historic mansion in southwestern Wisconsin called the Villa Louis. I always enjoy looking at houses…old and new.

A bit of history: The Villa Louis sits on 25 acres along the Mississippi. An original brick house was built in 1843 by Hercules Dousman. He earned his fortune in fur trade, lumber trade and being a “frontier entrepreneur”. Hercules Dousman died in 1868 and his wife (Jane) and their son, Louis, inherited the house.

The side of Villa Louis that faces the Mississippi River.

Louis had it torn down and rebuilt in 1871. Louis died at the young age of 37 and the house was left to his widow and five children who lived in the house until 1913. The estate stayed in the family until the Wisconsin Historical Society acquired it in 1952.

The dining room set up for a 10 year old’s birthday party. Note the photo in the foreground…photos were used to help restore the room to it’s original look.

In the mid-1990’s the Historical Society began a major project restoring the house back to how it looked in the years between 1893 to 1898.

The restoration of this particular home is unique because there is a large collection of historic photographs showing different areas of the house, from the late 1800’s, and they were used to re-create the rooms.

I liked this wallpaper on the main level. It was reprinted for the restoration project.

In addition to the photographs, the historical society acquired 90% of the original furniture. When the family was notified of the restoration project by the historical society, three of the four siblings (the fifth child had died) gave back their possessions, which they inherited when they sold the house. The brochure states the restoration project was “unusually well documented.”

The day we visited was hot and humid so it was great to walk into the air-conditioned mansion…air-conditioned to preserve the antiques. Our young tour guide was knowledgeable and delightful. The photographs and original furniture makes the house feel authentic as you step inside, and step back in time. It was charming and lovely.

A different view of the beautiful dining room.

There are several events that happen at the Villa Louis. One is the annual Villa Louis Carriage Classic, a carriage parade and driving competition, with folks dressed in period costume. That sounds like a fun event.

The Laundromat

Our washing machine died. After 25 years – a good life – it stopped working. The dryer was still working even though it is the same age as the washing machine, but we decided if we’re replacing one we might as well replace the other.

The old washer and dryer ready to be hauled away.

So off we went to the local appliance dealer to buy a new washer and dryer. We knew a sale was coming at the end of the month so we decided which set we wanted, then asked if the store would hold them until we could get the sale price, about three weeks away. They agreed.

In the meantime, we would go to the laundromat to wash our clothes. On the way home from the appliance store I told my husband it’s not a bad thing that we have to go to a laundromat to wash our clothes for the next few weeks…it is good to be reminded how fortunate we are to have the luxury of a washer and dryer in our own home.

Inside the laundromat where we went to do our laundry.

Forty-one years ago I still remember moving into our first house and thinking one of the best parts about living in a house was having a washer and dryer and being able to wash clothes at home, whenever I wanted.

The laundromat we used is about two miles from our house. It is clean, quiet and adequate. The only surprise was the cost increase. It now costs $2.75 to wash a regular size load.

Our new washer and dryer have been installed and we’re back to doing laundry at home, but this experience was an opportunity to remember to be grateful. And we are.