We have arrived safely home from our 4,690 miles road trip, through eleven states in southeastern US. We saw a lot of beauty in nature, and beauty in the many friends and family we were able to visit. We are grateful all went well, and we had a great time!
There have been unusual weather patterns all across the country. It was warm here in Minnesota during February, with little snow fall. And it was cooler than normal in the southeast, where we were.
February 26, 2024 in Iowa.
In Iowa Monday night, February 26, it was 72* and we ate dinner outside on a restaurant patio.
February 28, 2024 in Minnesota.
But our welcome home present was a cold snap. As we drove closer to Northfield the next day, the temperature kept dropping. When we arrived home we unloaded our car in 25* temperatures. It also started snowing. Sigh. We woke up to 5*!
It is predicted to remain cold for one day and then the temperatures will start climbing back up again. What a roller coaster. I wonder what kind of weather March will bring?
I didn’t know much about Hadrian’s Wall when we chose to hike it. I loved the idea of hiking from inn to inn, and I’ve enjoyed seeing pictures of England’s countryside, so why not there? We hiked a thirty-four mile section of the Hadrian‘s Wall Path, which is an eighty-four mile coast-to-coast trail in northern England.
It was interesting to learn about this path that follows the course of an ancient Roman fortification wall. The construction of the Roman wall began in AD122 under the orders of Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was considered both a defensive barrier and a marker of the northern reaches of the Roman empire.
The original wall was 20 feet high and 10 feet wide. At each one-mile interval they had stone structures called milecastles which housed 32 soldiers.
Evenly spaced between the milecastles were two stone observation posts called turrets. Additionally, the Romans had built numerous forts in proximity to the wall.
Back in its day, there was a garrison of around 20,000 soldiers from across the empire at Hadrian’s Wall. After three centuries the Romans left, and many stones were pilfered to be used to build stone fences, and stone houses, by the local people.
John Clayton, in the 19th century, spent 50 years excavating Chesters Roman Fort and many other Hadrian’s Wall sites and is credited for saving Hadrian’s Wall. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a museum along the way, next to Chesters Roman Fort, with amazing artifacts that John Clayton excavated and collected. It was fascinating.
Today, the stone wall is intact in several places, up to 20 feet high, but then only a remnant stone, or nothing visible, in other places. Foundations and remnants of forts, milecastles and civil settlements were enroute with spectacular English country landscapes as the backdrop.
We hiked mostly in open countryside, although there were trees in the periphery… in the farm pastures and beyond.
One lone sycamore tree at the bottom of a gap along the Wall is very picturesque, and been seen in several movies apparently – one being Robin Hood. If you hike along the Wall path, it takes you down the gap to the tree, and then you walk back up the other side. The tree is stately and magnificent (and 300 years old!) The area is known as “Sycamore Gap”.
There was a small portion of the trail that goes through a wooded area…a fairy forest we called it.
And there was a copse of trees with protruding roots that provided a perfect place for us to sit and eat lunch one day.
Beauty surrounded us on our hike, and we were grateful for the opportunity to walk this Walk through this amazing setting.
As we drove away from our son’s home in North Carolina, we headed north through rolling hills of North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. It was scenic! And bright sunshine added a nice touch for a lovely drive.
Redbud trees were blooming everywhere…like weeds in the forest. They were beautiful. This photo was taken in Indiana, a day after the scenic drive in the Virginias, and not as scenic.
In West Virginia, we pulled off the highway for a break and then it happened so fast…
We heard the crash…it sounded so close…
Then, instantly we felt the impact…the car behind us was pushed into our car by a third vehicle behind her.
We had stopped for a traffic back up. A red car was stopped behind us. A third car – a gold car – rammed into the red car which rammed into our car.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, including the little doggie in the middle, red car.
Thankfully, our car was drivable since it was the first day of our journey home to Minnesota. The middle, red car was able to drive away too. The third car had to be towed away. It looked totaled.
Thankfully, the damage to our car was minimal.
Thankfully, the police were quick, kind and efficient.
Thankfully, it was afternoon and we were soon going to stop driving for the day.
Thankfully, we have insurance.
We have a lot to be thankful for. It could have been much worse. A reminder, life can be changed in an instant.
Thank you for all the wonderful happy birthday messages.
I was delighted to read each one.
The sunrise over Lake Superior, the second day.
We had a very relaxing and refreshing birthday/wedding anniversary trip to the north shore of Lake Superior. Our cozy cabin had a wood-burning fireplace next to patio doors to the deck overlooking the lake.
Enjoying a fire while viewing the lake from the cabin.
We had fires In the morning and fires in the evening…and enjoyed watching the lake with its many moods. On Tuesday the lake was churning with huge waves crashing against the rocky shore. The other days it was much calmer.
Huge waves crashing and spraying high above the rocky shore.
Mesmerizing Lake.
All our attention goes there,
It’s restorative.
A calmer day…photo taken from the deck of the cabin.
However, we did bring along our cross-county skis, snowshoes, and Yaktrax to get out for fresh air and exercise.
We hiked at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.
This is the upper falls at Gooseberry Falls State Park, where we hiked.
A old Norwegian fish house on Stoney Point Drive…a nice walk from the cabin.
Our hikes kept us close to the lake, but cross- county skiing took us inland.
We usually ask locals for recommendations. Our resort owner told us about Korkki Nordic.
In the morning, the sun was shining and it was a decent temperature so off we went to ski this trail. Next to the warming house (a nice touch to this trailhead) was a guy standing near a snowmobile with trail grooming apparatus hitched on the back. We started a conversation and found out he is the regular trail groomer. Mark lives on the property and grooms four ski trails.
The trail groomer machine.
The ski season is, of course, winding down – it was the first day of spring after all- so he was not planning to groom many more times this year. During our conversation, we mentioned it was my birthday. He was a jovial sort and said, as a gift to me for my birthday, he would go ahead of us and groom the trail. It would make skiing much easier for us.
And so he did, and we followed about three minutes behind him, and the skiing was great.
That is one of the more unusual gifts I’ve received for my birthday. It was a random act of kindness and we were grateful.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:4-5
I was the benefactor of an unexpected gift recently. I can’t remember the last time I received an unanticipated gift. A gift, intended only for me…for no reason…no special occasion. A friend just thought of me when she saw the gift, bought it and wrapped in up in a “brown paper package tied up with string”.
A beautiful surprise: a brown paper package tied up with string…
Wonder, why, love…were the thoughts and questions I asked myself as I read the sticker on the paper with the string forming a frame around the words, “Thanks for being you.” I was deeply touched.
I carefully untied the string and removed the brown paper. It was a small, vintage book titled, One year of haiku. What a thoughtful gift. I like books, especially old ones. I write haikus, and like to read haikus written by others. The gift inspires me…not only to write haikus, but to pay it forward.
Thank you, friend.
And so, I wrote a haiku:
Given from the heart
Unexpected gift tag read
Thanks for being you.
I have had a series of annual check-ups recently; dentist, mammogram, eye doctor, lab work and a wellness visit with my physician. All have gone well…I may need cataract surgery…but that’s to be expected at my age I guess.
As I’m driving to my appointments, I think about those folks in countries where they walk a long distance to get health care, and/or wait in long lines to see a health care professional, and/or do not even attempt to go because they cannot afford the services. I think about such things and am very grateful for affordable, accessible healthcare, right here within minutes of my home. I don’t want to take it for granted. What a blessing it is. I am grateful.
A photo of me and my grandkids in NC, taken on a recent visit.
As I’ve mentioned, one of the highlights of my week is zooming with our grandchildren in North Carolina. These visits will come to an end soon, because school will be starting.
I love visiting with them and reading stories to them. At the end of our time this week, I asked Alexa to turn the volume up and play “The Hokey Pokey”. And we all danced to the music. I was waving my hands in the air, abandoned and totally consumed by this amazing time together, although distant it felt close.
I had not heard of the communication app called Zoom until this pandemic took over our lives. Then Zoom quickly became a part of everyday language, like email and texting. So we downloaded Zoom and started using the “user-friendly” app to stay in touch with others.
We have used Zoom to connect with both our sons and their families at the same time. It’s so nice to see everyone: Gary and me in Northfield, our oldest son and his family in Minneapolis, and our youngest son and his family in Colorado.
We have used Zoom to connect with other groups too. I meet weekly with my book club.
My wonderful book club buddies.
I’ve participated in a church ministry meeting using Zoom, and small group. We connected with out-of-state friends over a “social hour” one evening.
I have also started a story time with my two grandchildren in Colorado…I set up the meeting and their parents get them situated on their end and then I start reading children’s books to them and they stay focused and seem to enjoy it as much as I do. It feels good to me to be able to connect with them this way.
Reading to my grandchildren on the other side of the screen…in Colorado.
We even had an Easter egg hunt over Zoom. On Easter Sunday Gary and I hid Easter eggs around our house.
An Easter egg hidden in our Christmas cactus.
Gary took his phone using Zoom and walked around the house letting the grandchildren find the eggs as he scanned the rooms. When the kids spotted an egg they’d call it out and tell us the color. It turned out well…it was fun to see all three grandkids engaged in this activity (the fourth grandson is a newborn). They may not remember this Easter egg hunt but we sure will. It helped me overcome my sense of sadness at not being able to gather together in person to celebrate Easter, my favorite holiday.
We collected the empty eggs into an Easter basket I made many years ago.
And so, the beat goes on…and we will continue to use Zoom to connect with family and friends. This pandemic would be a lot more difficult without the technology we have these days to stay in touch. I’m grateful for it.
I like to get outside and walk when I can. However, in Minnesota it can be challenging. The winter weather is not always conducive to walking outdoors.
Since I was a previous employee at St. Olaf College I have access to their indoor track. It’s a retirement benefit and I’m thankful for it…but walking outside is my preference. Even in the cold. It’s the ice that is the problem. And this year the ice seems to be especially bad…early on we had an ice storm and many public sidewalks were never cleared properly, leaving icy spots in several places and making it unsafe to walk, probably for the whole winter.
Behind my favorite tree on campus is the 1887 Goodwill Observatory (listed on the National Register of Historic Places).
Fortunately there are two colleges in town and both keep their sidewalks cleared of snow and ice for the many students walking across campus all day long. Carleton College is a little over a mile from our house so I tend to go there often to walk outdoors.
I thanked these two custodians for their hard work, as they walked by carrying shovels.
I can count on Carleton’s sidewalks to be cleared down to the cement with not many traces of ice anywhere…and pretty much within a few hours of a snowstorm…or at least it’s always cleared when I’m ready to get out for a walk.
Carleton College is a beautiful and interesting place to walk: the academic and administration buildings are impressive,
I believe this is the newest building on campus…still being worked on, Anderson Hall which houses Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Astronomy.
The curved elevated seating is an outdoor classroom space.
Another view of the outdoor classroom…in winter. I can only image how lovely it is in fall and spring.
the chapel is stunning,
Marvelous Skinner Chapel. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
and there are a variety of trees and ponds and bridges.
Beautiful winter-laden trees.
Interesting branches.
The sidewalks meander all over campus…some tucked away and fun to follow.
An inviting but obscure passageway.
And if one gets too cold you can always duck into a building to warm up for a few minutes.
It’s great to see the occasional bicycle…not a fat tire. It can ride on the sidewalks because they are clear.
Carleton College campus offers me, and the community, a safe place to walk outdoors and I am grateful.
