I was unloading groceries the other day, when my husband brought in the mail. With a quick glance I noticed a gold envelope which was set apart from any bills and advertising, so I took a closer look. Sure enough, it was a hand-written letter from an old friend. I stopped what I was doing and opened the envelope and began reading…it was so fun to receive. Forget the groceries, this was much more important.
I’m not too surprised at my reaction. I don’t get many letters these days and it sure was a fun surprise. She told news of her family, and gave a response to a story I had written. She also included a poem and a haiku… It was great to hear from her.
Getting what has become known as “snail mail” these days is unusual, but a delightful and welcomed gift…if anyone is so inspired…it can make someone’s day.
We were camping recently in a Minnesota State Park camping cabin. The cabins are so cute, as only camping cabins can be. HA They have two large bunk beds, a table with benches, electricity, a ceiling fan, and a screened-in front porch. Compared to a tent, it’s luxurious.
A camping cabin in a Minnesota State Park.
Gary and I have always enjoyed camping, and have camped many times over the years, using a tent. Now we like the camping cabins.
When Gary and I first got married one of our first major purchases were sleeping bags. We paid a lot of money for good ones forty-four years ago, and they are still in great condition, and have served us well.
Our very old Coleman camp stove.
Another camp supply that held up well was the green, Coleman camp stove. Gary owned it even before we were married. We used it a lot over the years, even converting it to the new canister-style propane mini-tanks a few years back. But, finally, it started to rust out and we decided it was time to buy a new one.
Our new Coleman camp stove.
So, on our recent camping trip we had the inaugural test run of our new Triton Coleman camp stove. It is so sleek and clean, and it passed with high marks!
Our new Triton Coleman stove with our very old, nesting camp pots and pans. Hmmm…
We will not be using this stove for forty-four more years, but we think it will serve us well when we need it in the coming years…
The Minnesota State Fair is in full swing now, but we will not be going to it. However, we were encouraged to go to the Steele County Fair a couple years ago, and went to that fair again this year. We like the size, and the entrance fee. There is no charge to get in. When our boys were young, we did take them to the Dakota County Fair for several years, and the Minnesota State Fair once or twice, but that’s about it for fair attendance.
This year, we were especially thankful for the free entrance fee, as it started to storm after only an hour and a half after we arrived at the fair. Fortunately, we had found a close parking spot…someone must have just pulled out, since the cars were lined up and down the curb for several blocks. When the rain started falling, we started running. Even though the car was close we got very wet. But, actually…it was kind of fun…running in the rain that is.
A dromedary camel.
We managed to get dinner at the fair before the rain started. Walleye fingers from The Depot’s fair stand, a sandwich from the 4-H stand, and we were drinking our Dairy Association chocolate malt when the wind started blowing and the rain started falling.
A red kangaroo.
My favorite state fair food, mini-donuts, which I was saving for dessert, had to be forfeited.
A coifured llama.
I like going to the exotic animal display at the Steele County Fair, and enjoy petting a few of the cute animals. It was the first place we stopped after getting our first “tastes” of the fair.
Mama goat with two young ones.
There are hand washing stations in several places which I really appreciated, especially after petting animals.
A few hand washing stations were scattered throughout the fair.
We also meandered through the horse and cattle barns. And, I learned something new…
Having grown up in the city, I never learned much about farm animals. While paying attention to one particular Holstein cow, I noticed the ears…they had fuzzy fur sticking out of them. It looked so soft, unlike their smooth coat of hair. And that surprised me. I asked Gary, who grew up on a dairy farm, about the ears and he said yes, cow’s ears have fur, and some farmers shave the ears, especially to “show them” in a fair. Hmmm…who knew…
Furry ears on this holstein.
After that initial discovery I looked at cow’s ears while walking through the cattle barn and sure enough…many cows had furry ears…
And I also saw a cow in a stanchion, being all trimmed up…including the ears…
So laugh if you will…I did…when I learned that fun fact about cows.
Yesterday I took a morning bicycle ride on the Dundas Trail. Even though it was cloudy, it seemed like the sun was shining…
because bright sun flowers were blooming profusely on both sides of the trail.
Golden rod was already blooming yellow in a few places too, adding to the vibrant yellow color all around.
Golden Rod, a sure sign that fall is coming.
To top it off, three yellow (gold) finches flew across the trail in front of me. I didn’t capture any photos, but they are always a delight to see, and added much cheer to the already lovely, yellow scenery.
I don’t know the name of this variety of sunflower.
Also, I’m grateful for the garden club who tends to the flowers in these bicycle sculpture baskets that are on the Dundas Trail.
Libraries are a gift to any community. I have come to love and appreciate Northfield’s public library.
The Northfield Carnegie Library was built in 1910, with a major addition built in 1985, and renovated in 2015-16.
I think of Andrew Carnegie, whose mission was to provide libraries to many communities throughout the world. A total of 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929.* Northfield’s library is a Carnegie library.
“His [Andrew Carnegie] philanthropic interests centered around the goals of education and world peace. One of his lifelong interests was the establishment of free public libraries to make available to everyone a means of self-education.” **
Northfield Public Library
Over the years I have used a variety of our library’s helpful services. I realize my list is a fraction of what libraries have to offer.
My list includes:
When our grandkids lived with us a for a few months, we went to weekly children’s story time. And after story time, I took them to the children’s area and they picked out books to check out and bring home.
I’ve attended author’s talks at the library.
I’ve had help with my computer from a librarian.
I’ve had help finding books and audio books for myself from a librarian.
I’ve had help finding children’s books from a librarian. I have gotten ideas for children’s game.
I’ve found nooks to sit in and write for a spell. It's a peaceful place.
I can order a book from home and the librarian will find it and put it on the hold shelf for me...I just stop in and pick it up! Quick and easy.
The library offers daily newspapers to read.
Tromsø City Library and Archive was opened in 2005. It was designed by the Norwegian architect Kjell Beite
When we were in Tromsø Norway, we visited the public library. Tourist information for Tromsø includes a visit to the library. It has a beautiful, architectural design. We did purposely walk to see it, and then one day, when we needed a place to rest while walking around town, we found shelter in this beautiful public library. It felt so right, so peaceful. It was comforting to know we had a place to sit for a spell, and to get a drink of water, use the restroom.
Buckham Memorial Library, est.1930. Faribault, Minnesota
There was a seed exchange program at the library in Tromsø. I’ve seen the same seed exchange program in Faribault’s Buckham Memorial Library. What a wonderful idea.
On a side note: In Svalbard Norway, far above the arctic circle, there is a Global Seed Vault, that stores seeds to provide “security of the world’s food supply against the loss of seeds in genebanks due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts, war, sabotage, disease and natural disasters.” ***
Libraries: the concept is appealing… and I believe, it’s called pooling and sharing our resources!
Here are a few photos I’ve taken over the past couple of weeks…No particular order, no particular theme…just nature showing off.
A still, quiet morning, with mist lingering over Daggett Lake.
An early morning sky.
A rainbow… a promise. The bright colors were not captured with my iPhone camera, but it has been awhile since I’ve seen a rainbow, so I kept the photo anyway.
Montgomery, Minnesota is a small town 24 miles west of the small town where I live. The population is 3,249 and it claims to be the Kolacky Capitol of the world.
Franke’s Kolacky Bakery
Franke’s Bakery made Montgomery’s kolacky’s famous. Click this link for a brief history about the bakery and its famous kolacky’s.
Montgomery seems to be a fairly active town. It celebrates its Czechoslovakian heritage with Kolacky Days every July. In the downtown area there is an Arts & Heritage Center, Hilltop Hall (a music venue), Pizzeria 201, a restaurant serving delicious pizza and other Italian offerings (but only take-out since 2020) and other small businesses, plus a few churches.
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Montgomery’s main street also has an interesting drug store, Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy, which was my destination on this particular sunny, summer day.
Years ago, I discovered a lip balm that I really liked while on vacation on the west coast. I hadn’t been able to find it for years, but came across it on a different vacation and bought another tube. I decided I still really liked it and wanted to find more. At that time, the era of websites and ordering online became doable, so I looked it up on the internet and ordered it online, for several years.
But now, the shipping charges have become more expensive than the actual product so I decided to look around for the lip balm again, in retail stores…without much luck. So I went back to the their website and found a chart of retail stores where they sell their products…which wasn’t many!
The list was short for retail stores where it is sold in the US (about 56), and only a handful of stores in Minnesota (13). But interestingly, the closest store to me, was Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy in Montgomery, MN. What???
Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy on mainstream in Montgomery.
I have been to Montgomery before, and I enjoy visiting small towns, so taking a road trip 24 miles down the road to find my beloved lip balm was exciting. I wondered if the store would have the “original” lip balm, which I like best.
Well, it did, and a lot of it! I told the clerk why I was there and she showed me the display. I told her I wouldn’t buy her out but I wanted 4 of the 6. She said she had a lot more in back and brought out a tub, half-full, of the lip balm. I laughed, and bought more. I admit, there was great satisfaction in that moment.
Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy (established 1884) serves as more than a drug store. It is a small variety store for the town…with gifts, kitchen supplies, greeting cards, wrapping paper, baby supplies, jewelry, even some clothing and purses. It was a lot fun to spend time in the store looking around at all the variety of wares. I added a few more things to my purchase that day…to “help support this small-town store.”
There was a sign identifying this as Mary’s prayer garden near the church.
And, I have to confess…we stopped in at Franke’s Bakery first thing upon arriving in Montgomery, to buy coffee and a pastry (no kolacky for me though). We brought our treat outside, to a nearby picnic table, next to a beautiful church, and enjoyed their grounds on this lovely morning.
On the beautiful catholic church grounds.
A huge, magnificent flower pot outside a building in Montgomery.
Our delightful day trip was fun and interesting in the small town of Montgomery, Minnesota.
This wraps up my series on our trip to Norway. However, other stories may pop up in the future.
In Norway, being close to the sea every day, surrounded by amazing beauty, was an incredible gift.
A scene off the western coast of Norway.
I felt so at home. I felt I belonged.
By the sea, and lovin’ it!
In Minnesota, my happy place is on the shores of Lake Superior. I felt the same feelings in Norway, as I do when I’m up on the north shore.
The shores of Lake Superior.
I’ve been told my Grandmother Elizabeth loved being up on the north shore too. It reminded her of the homeland she left behind in Norway, when she was a young woman. I like to think about our connection. She died when I was ten years old.
I love my rich Norwegian heritage, and am proud of it!
I am wearing my American cousin’s Norwegian bunad. It represents the Hardangerfjord, the area where my relatives live in Norway. I borrowed this costume to wear to work in 2011, when Norway’s King Harald V visited St. Olaf College.
I was grateful that Gary made so many travel arrangements to make this trip happen. And that he embraced my relatives, and they embraced him.
Gary and me.
And, of course, I’m grateful to all my many relatives in Norway for the marvelous and abundant hospitality shown to us.
My heart is full, yet part of it was left behind Norway.
We boarded a few boats during our time in Norway. First, we were cruising along the western coast of Norway on the ferry/postal ship, the Hurtigruten.
The Hurtigruten
We also took a number of ferries as part of our road trips. It’s just a natural and reliable way of life, and transportation, in the area where we were.
The electric ferries carry big loads.
On the ferry…you can get out of your car and stay out on the deck or sit inside.
And, we took two more intimate rides in a boat that Heine and Kari have at their cottage. It seats six comfortably, and they graciously took us for rides on the Norwegian sea.
Going for a boat ride.
A fun place to be!
I love the water. I love being on it, or beside it. This was a special treat.
The scenery was stunning.
The scenery was breathtaking.
The scenery was colorful.
The scenery was pastoral.
On one trip we docked in a town called Fitjar, where Kari grew up.
Enjoying ice cream in Fitter.
We disembarked and found ice cream treats, before getting back on the boat to continue our fabulous ride.
The scenery included many styles of boathouses along the sea shore…
and hilly and rocky shorelines.
What a pleasure it was to be on the water, taking in a different perspective of this absolutely, beautiful country.
Our drive to the cottage took us through beautiful countryside across the island of Stord. And once at the cottage, we were able to go on two hikes in the countryside, during our stay.
The start of our hike up to the wind turbine.
On one hike we walked up to one of many wind turbines in a hilly area along the coast, close to the sea.
A view of the wind turbines from the boat.
At the top, the view overlooked 365 islands off the coast of western Norway. Even though it was partly cloudy, we could see for miles, and we could see the North Sea beyond the islands.
Due west is the north sea.
At the top.
Three sheep met us on the way up. They walked toward us, stopped, and then turned around as though they wanted us to follow them. When the sheep turned off the main trail, they turned and looked at us quizzically, while we kept going straight.
Three sheep wanting us to follow them.
We continued to hike to the top, looked around, then headed back. The sheep met us, once again, on the way down. They seemed to be wondering why we didn’t follow them the first time, and they were willing to give us a second chance!
The three sheep, wondering where we were going.
A different hike took us through a forest to a trail that was dotted with interesting characters and trolls along the path.
Signs: The Adventure Road. The Troll Forest.
Apparently, the displays began with one man creating dioramas and placing them in the forest, along the side of the trail.
One of several dioramas.
It turned into several more figures being created, and added, to the trail.
Hello
Now it is a fun place for children, or for those of us young-at-heart, to look for these special creatures.
I see you.
Adventure Road is close to a city so children can visit the forest easily, and walk on the trail to find the treasures.
Are these the three billie goats gruff?
Our hike took us to this unique Troll Forest. It was a fun adventure.
The fairy tree, where seven different fairies meet, including Tinkerbell.
