Minnesota – Page 21 – Valerie's Voice

Kings of Swing

Apparently the city of Faribault has been hosting concerts in the park for over 100 years. That’s impressive. Currently the outdoor concert series are held at Central Park. I don’t know if the concerts have always been at that location, but it is lovely, and there is a permanent band shell there.

We were alerted the band scheduled to play last week was a popular Faribault band, Kings of Swing. We have heard the band several times before and really liked their music so we packed up some drinks, a snack, our lawn chairs and headed to Faribault’s Central Park. We found a shady place to sit back, relax, and listen to some great, jazzy music.

It was well-attended and people did cooperate by physical-distancing themselves from others. There were folks of all ages enjoying themselves. We saw, and talked, to a few friends we haven’t seen since March, the beginnings of this pandemic. That was special too.

And we really enjoyed sitting there people-watching. Near us was a woman with a big bubble wand, creating giant bubbles and having a good time, while providing enjoyment for onlookers too.

Every once in a while a couple would get up to dance to the music together, on the lawn.

There was an over all sense of merriment in the air, so for an hour and a half we listened to some great music and the only way you knew we were in a pandemic was the presence of physical- distancing and some folks wearing masks.

A beautiful evening in Central Park, in Faribault.

This was the last concert of the summer series, although they announced a couple encore concerts planned for September 3 and 11.

I’m grateful the city of Faribault continued with their summer concert series in spite of the pandemic. It was a nice way to spend an evening. It felt “normal.”

Tree Trimming

The honey locust tree in our front yard, placed purposely outside our kitchen window 25 year ago, quickly became one of our favorite trees.

This is a view of the front of our house in 1994.
You can see the honey locust tree, one of the three spruce trees and a maple tree in the back that we planted when we moved in, in 1994.

This photo is from the same viewpoint as above in 2020, after the locust was trimmed.

We planted several trees in our yard back then, and we are very happy we did. They were small trees, and now they have grown to be very large trees! A realtor once said the best kind of tree is the one planted 20 years ago.

But many branches of our beloved locust tree have been slowing dying in the past few years so we needed to decide if we cut it down… or trim the dead branches off and hope it starts growing again. We had a hard time thinking of cutting it down so we chose the latter.

It was interesting to see three workers and two huge trucks show up at our house. One truck settled into the driveway. It had a cherry picker bucket that hoisted one guy towards the tops of the trees to start cutting the dead wood.

Two guys went at the trees fast and furious and seemed to know what they were doing (we only hope!). Another worker piled up the branches for the other truck to extend an arm with a claw and pick up all the debris then haul it away.

Our newly trimmed honey suckle, looking good in the evening sun.

And since the tree trimmer was coming we decided to have our crabapple tree get a good trim too.

The crabapple tree before it’s major trim.

I had an errand to run so I left before the workers were done and I came home to a cleaned up yard and two smartly trimmed trees about 45 minutes later.

Our honey locust, trimmed. I think my flower bed is back to a sun garden…

We will hope it isn’t too much of a shock for our honey locust and that it will start thriving again.

Still A Favorite

Cannon Valley Trail is a favorite bike trail that we ride several times a season.

The CVT is a sanctuary for me. A canopy of trees welcomes me and I feel I’m entering a special space. The trail is mostly shaded, and a lot of it follows the Cannon River, which adds to the ambiance of the trail.

When out of tree cover, the Cannon Valley Trail passes fields of wild flowers. I like that it was an old railroad line and therefore fairly flat, and it’s paved. And… it is close to home. After traveling to other trails to ride in new territory, it is always good to come home to this sanctuary trail.

Recently we discovered another trail that we really enjoyed. It’s the Trout Run Trail in Decorah, Iowa. Although it’s not very convenient location-wise, it is very scenic and now another favorite.

The route is only eleven miles but seems longer because there are many hills on half of the trail. It makes a loop around Decorah and travels through a farmer’s field, rolling hills, and city parks. The vistas at the top of the hills are breathtaking…beautiful landscapes, small farms and fields, winding roads, and green forests.

At the top of the first hill we climbed on the Trout Run Trail.

Through corn fields, on both sides of the trail.

This loop also passes Decorah’s Fish Hatchery where the well-known eagle cam is but we couldn’t spot the eagle’s nest. The rainbow trout in the tanks were fun to watch…several tanks filled with hundreds of trout in one tank, all swimming and splashing about. We didn’t see an eagle at the hatchery, although they are often seen hanging out there we’re told.

However, on our ride through a city park, along the Root River, we spotted an eagle in a field eating, what looked to be, a rabbit, and a vulture was close by waiting for leftovers I guess.

We watched this eagle eating his prey…In this photo the eagle took flight for a short distance.

At the end of our ride on a very hot and humid day, we drove into town and bought ourselves some ice cream from the Whippy Dip, a popular local ice cream place in Decorah.

Ice cream and bike rides go together. It’s a fun treat to look forward to at the end of a ride.

Corn Lilies

There are several beautiful yellow lilies growing in my front flower garden.

I don’t remember planting them, but I must have. I don’t know the name of them…but I’ve nick-named them “corn lilies” because they remind me of corn stalks. They start to shoot up around the time corn is planted in the fields and they grow very fast, they grow very tall, and their stem and foliage remind me of corn stalks. The blossom is yellow…it’s a mystery to me…I know there is an official name but I like the name I have given them.

When the corn lilies finish blooming my Star Gazer lilies open up. I remember planting them…they are my favorite lily and I look forward to seeing their blossoms every year. It will be a few more weeks before they bloom.

Another favorite flower that has just started to bloom is my Cardinal Wyszynski clematis. I bought this in memory of my mother and it climbs up the arbor on our deck, opposite the honeysuckle. I love the color of this clematis (and the name).

On my daily walk I pass a lot of gardens and wildflowers and enjoy seeing this perky sunflower in bloom right now.

Matthew 6:28-29 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

A Social-Distance Baby Shower

I was invited to a baby shower recently. A baby shower during a pandemic is difficult to plan. Originally it was going to be held using Zoom, the communication app that has become popular these days. However, as the date grew closer and the weather became nicer the event planners figured out a way to bring people together for the shower.

The hostesses created a festive atmosphere that adhered to “physical distancing” guidelines…(I heard a commentator say it’s not really social distancing but physical distancing – we still need to continue socializing). They also had Zoom up and running since there were out of town guests participating.

So, I put on a dress for the first time in months and added a touch of make up and headed out the door for an exciting event that almost felt “normal”.

It was a lovely Minnesota morning. The gathering was outdoors. Chairs were set up in a circle, all 6 feet apart, in a beautifully landscaped front yard.

Next to each chair was a white paper bucket filled with ice and a small bottle of prosecco and a small bottle of orange juice and a plastic flute glass to make our own mimosas. I thought that was a clever idea.

The individual goodie box placed on each chair.

On each chair was a box with a muffin from Martha’s (a local bakery), a jar of yogurt, a clementine, a cookie, and the paper and pen needed for games. No prizes were awarded however, due to the participants on Zoom…how would they get their prize?

The mom-to-be was able to enjoy opening her gifts with others surrounding her with love and attention.

People are definitely finding creative ways to make things work in this strange world we are living in right now.

Nine Mile Creek Trail

Last week, on a most beautiful Minnesota summer day, we took our bikes up to Edina and biked on the Nine Mile Creek Trail.

The temperatures were just right for riding, the humidity was low, and the sky was bright blue.

My husband rode on this trail with his bike club last year and found it fascinating. He wanted me to experience it, so off we went.

What set this trail apart from other bike trails is there are lengthy stretches of boardwalk…spanning over the marsh and through the woods with lots of shady areas. It runs along Nine Mile Creek but there are landmarks to remind you that you are in the city…a concrete bridge over Highway 100, a stretch along the back side of Edina High School, and other industrial buildings, shops and businesses…and then the trail bends and once again you’re back in the woods.

There were numerous bridges made from wood and one boardwalk was almost a mile long (.85 miles). The bridges are wider than a normal bike trail which added to the beauty of the trail.

It’s always fun to discover new trails…and this one was very unique. We are grateful for the many bicycle trails in Minnesota.

Mr. Turtle, the only wildlife we saw on the trail.

Lilacs

The fragrant smell of lilacs is a delight this time of year. I wish it could last a little longer.

There is such a brief time to enjoy the beauty of the lilac’s purple blossoms, and have their sweet scent fill the air.

I have two lilac bushes. One is a Miss Kim, a fragrant, smaller bush that is more tame and works well for the spot I tucked it into – just outside the side window off the kitchen. It is a late bloomer.

The other bush is the “old-fashioned” lilac bush that grows huge and spreads and is wildly wonderful. It is in our back yard and is blooming right now.

I have cut branches of lilacs off this bush to bring its loveliness indoors.

This wild and wonderful bush is offshoot of the lilac bush that grew in my parent’s yard at the house I grew up in. Years ago, when Gary and I moved back to Minnesota, after a short stint in Ohio, my mom was still living in that house. I thought it would be fun to dig a sucker from the lilac bush and plant it in the yard of the house we bought in Burnsville when we moved back. It took off and grew into a wild and wonderful bush.

Fourteen years later when we moved from that house in Burnsville to our new home Northfield, I dug up a sucker from that lilac bush to plant in our new yard. It, too, grew into a wild and wonderful bush, and is still growing. We’ve been here 25 years.

So when I place my purple, aromatic lilacs in vases and put it them around the house it not only brings beauty and fragrance into the house, but also brings back some special memories.

Bringing lilacs indoors…in the entryway.

On a different note: below is a photo of our crabapple tree in bloom right now, in our front yard.

Spring Wildflowers

We took a day trip to Beaver Creek Valley State Park to go for a hike. It is a ways away but it felt good to head out of town. The day was sunny, but cool. There were a few folks out and about but not many.

An abundance of watercress in the creek.

There were a lot of wildflowers in bloom in the park. I had my wildflower book handy but it is always difficult to identify flowers because it takes awhile to look them up and figure them out, plus it’s hard to keep stopping every few feet! I usually end up just enjoying viewing them.

This white flower, which I believe is an anemone, carpeted the forest floors. It was in many areas of the park.

At one time, several years ago, my friend and I took a lot of wildflower hikes, with and without naturalists, and could identify more flowers than I remember now.

Spring wildflowers are a wonderful sight!

Plus so many other natural wonders…

Interesting lichen and moss on this dead tree limb.

On a side note, we took many family-driving vacations when the kids were younger, and we camped and hiked in many national parks. Upon arrival at the visitor’s center in a park, I always bought a book of wildflowers found in that particular park, then I tried to identify some flowers on our hikes. It was fun and a nice souvenir of our trips.

Snippets from this Past Week

Here are a few photos depicting life these days…

This scene captured my heart…I feel it shows the essence of this pandemic…isolation. This young man sitting alone under the tree…contemplating these crazy times I’m sure.

Our online church services, including taking communion at home.

Learning to use new technologies…Zoom became a popular connection tool. These are my wonderful bookclub friends meeting on Zoom. We use Zoom to connect with our two sons and their families too.

Sadly, this fresh milk is going down the drain on my sister-in-law’s dairy farm in Pennsylvania. Evidently there is an over supply of milk due to the massive closings of schools and restaurants. Photo by sh

Picnic areas, playgrounds, and gathering spaces fenced off.

Cool Blue and his babe Lil’ Oaty sit on our deck railing watching children walk by on the sidewalk that leads to walking paths and ponds in our neighborhood. The Teddy Bear movement is making a bear or stuffed animal visible for children to hunt for while going for a walk.

Signs of spring and hope!…daffodils recently seen on my daily walk.

…and some bright color crocus’ too.
Photo by ba

Be still and know that I am God.     Psalm 46:10

As March Ends…

Each year I have a book printed of my blog postings as a birthday present to myself. March 31^stis my cut off for the previous twelve months so I wanted to record a little of what’s been happening in our world with this global pandemic.

An example of “social distancing.” I watched these two friends keep their distance as they chatted after putting their groceries in their cars. They walked toward each other but stopped to keep at least 6″ distance and visited for several minutes.

Life as we knew it changed dramatically this month (March 2020). About March 13 the WHO (World Health Organization) declared a Pandemic. Within two weeks we went from normal, busy activities to being ordered, on March 27 (State of Minnesota), to “stay at home” to keep the COVID-19 virus from spreading. Restaurants have closed and non-essential businesses have closed. People have been asked to work from home. Schools have gone to online teaching…no children are meeting in schools. Our church services have been cancelled and services are online now.

We’ve learned new terms such as “social distancing” – keeping six feet away from others when talking with or meeting a person, and “flattening the curve” – trying to slow down the number of people who are getting infected with the virus to avoid overloading the medical system. We are learning how to use online video applications such as Zoom to stay connected with others.

Some activities in our personal world right now…jigsaw puzzles, the game Bananagrams. And see “Cool Blue” the blue kangaroo in the window? People are putting stuffed animals in their windows so children can have stuffed animals to look for when they go for walks. I love that idea.

I’m grateful we are allowed to get outside and walk and bike. I walk daily. Gary continues to either bike or walk.

Many of us are experiencing grief…the loss of control in so many areas of our lives. No one knows what comes next. And no one has the answers. This is unprecedented.

There will be many financial repercussions too. This is a difficult story.

I lean on one of my favorite scripture verses:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
Lean not on your own understanding
Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways 
And he will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6

Coloring is another calming activity for me.

An article I read recently labeled the next generation as “Gen C’s”… C for coronavirus… since the world will never be the same from now on. Gen C’s will only know life after the coronavirus… life after the ”new normal” sets in.

Our world has turned upside down! I wonder what the new normal will be…