Minnesota – Page 4 – Valerie's Voice

Root River Trail and Beyond

It was a sandwich board that caught my attention while biking on the Root River State Trail.

I saw the words “lefse chips” and, being the Norwegian that I am, all things lefse makes me curious. So we veered off the trail and biked a block into the small town of Peterson, population 227.

We found the store (not too difficult) and walked through the middle of the magnetic screen door – a great invention.

This screen door is flexible. The two screens come together in the middle and latch with magnets. One can easily walk through the door. It was unique.

Tiger Trail Lefse Chip Co. is a small store that makes and sells lefse and lefse chips. I had never heard of lefse chips (much like Mexican tortilla chips) . They sell mainly online, and mostly to breweries and wineries. However, in this small storefront there were several samples of the lefse chips to taste. We liked them all. We bought a bag of the Hot Honey BBQ chips to bring home (and support this small business).

More cyclists stopped to explore the store too, and it felt festive on this chilly morning in this small town… that has big displays of gnomes, including statues, flags and wall murals.

This mural is painted on the side of the Post Office.

The light poles in the town of Peterson have banners with gnomes on them, in multiple colors.

After a good rest, we got back on our bikes to ride the “rail to trail” bike path that runs along the Root River. Yellow coneflowers, goldenrod and black-eyed susan’s were blooming along this beautiful portion of the trail.

Even though it was a chilly morning, the sky was partly sunny and the trail was busy with hardy bicyclists. Earlier in the morning we left Northfield and drove a couple hours to get the trailhead. It was about 50* when we started to bike.

After our ride, we ate our picnic lunch outdoors, at the Rushford trailhead (it had warmed up by then).

An old jail house. Through the windows you can see the bars of the small, cell inside.

The old train depot, in Rushford, is currently being renovated. Next door was an old school, a chapel and a jail house. Presumably those three buildings, along with the depot, will be part of the trailhead museum when all is finished. The town of Rushford, population 1,852, seems to be growing.

The Root River trailhead in Rushmore, Minnesota.

After lunch we continued to drive to Marquette, Iowa for an overnight stay. The drive took us through southeastern Minnesota bluff country and along the Mississippi River.

It was picturesque with green bluffs, the blue skies and puffy white clouds. A great day for a gorgeous drive. The place we stayed had some beautiful annual hanging baskets that are still vibrant.

We stopped to observe an interesting boat while driving back from the restaurant that evening.

It was intriguing to see this “pushboat” resting on land on the banks of the river, near Prairie du Chien. (This is when the internet is so useful. We found the faded name of the boat, on the outside of the bridge, so we looked up Wade Childress and found information.) We learned it had sunk near Fort Madison Iowa in 1985.

It was a fun day of discoveries.

Barn Bluff

We have hiked Barn Bluff before in Red Wing, Minnesota, but I had not known the Native American He Mai Can name meaning Hill, Water, Wood. And I had not heard the Native American legend before.

A sign at the beginning of the Barn Bluff trail tells of this legend, and it also lists names of a few famous people who have hiked the trail, including Henry David Thoreau.

The legend is told by Henry Lewis (1819-1904), an artist famous for his paintings of the American West. It reads:

Many hundreds of years ago a mountain twice as big stood in this place. The inhabitants of two Dakota Villages quarreled over possession of the mountain, and to settle the dispute without bloodshed, the Great Spirit divided it into two parts. He left one part here and moved the other half downstream to a second village. The portion that was moved, according to Lewis's interpretation, rises above today's city of Winona and is called Sugar Loaf.

I have not climbed Sugar Loaf Bluff, but I have seen it while visiting Winona.

We had a perfect weather day as we hiked up Barn Bluff: sunny skies with puffy white clouds, low humidity with temperatures in the 70’s.

We enjoyed our hike to the West Overlook, which offers great views of the Mississippi River, Red Wing and Wisconsin.

Henry David Thoreau’s quote on the sign described the view as, “Verdant plains, fruitful meadows, and numerous islands abound with the most varied trees,…But above all, reaching as far as the eye can extend is the majestic, softly flowing river.” I imagine the river is much the same, although the landscape is very different since Henry spoke those words. I like his description of the mighty Mississippi River, as softly flowing.

“…the majestic, softly flowing river.” Henry David Thoreau

After our hike we drove through Colvill Park along the river in Red Wing. This is a great eagle viewing area in the wintertime. We thought we’d check for eagles on this summer day, and we did see two eagles perched high in a tree.

Two eagles in the tree tops in Colvill Park.

We ate lunch in Lake City, at a restaurant that has an outdoor patio on the shores of Lake Pepin. There we saw another eagle. This one sat in a barren tree, keeping an eye over the patrons the whole time we were at the restaurant.

On our hike we encountered a woman with four young children. She may have been a grandmother (but seemed more like a daycare worker). I thought to myself, “good for you to bring these kids out for a hike in the woods”. It was encouraging to see children enjoying nature.

Later, while in driving through Colvill Park, we saw this same woman with the four children having a picnic lunch. Colvill Park is a large park, with a massive playground, and it struck me that they were the only ones in the park. These four children are very fortunate to have a caretaker who values the out-of-doors.

The flag flies on the top of Barn Bluff.
The sumac was already turning color…oh my!

Soybeans and such

Last week friends from out-of-town came for a visit. We had a great time showing them our new home, the thriving, yet quaint town of Northfield, and some southern Minnesota landscapes.

I noticed this “new to me” mosaic art installment on Bridge Square. From this angle, it frames the original Ames Mill and the dam on the Cannon River.

One of the evenings we were sitting out on our patio enjoying dinner and summer offerings…comfortable weather, sunny, blue skies fading into dusky skies, and no mosquitos!

My friend and I gazing up at the night sky.

My friend and I even laid down on the grass for a while, to watch the stars come out.

This seemed to be a good time to pull up a soybean stalk from the field behind us. I’ve been waiting to do this. I have never seen a soybean plant up close. All summer we have been watching fields of soybeans grow in our “backyard” and I was curious what they looked like.

So, Gary climbed down the small incline and pulled up a plant, roots and all. It was about three feet tall and had several fuzzy little bean pods hanging on the stem.

We put it in a vase of water and stuck it in the corner of our patio for future reference, and for decoration. It’s slowly fading away, but the crop of soybeans in the field behind us is thriving.

A Hummingbird Haiku

A daily affair.
In mornings it comes to drink,
Sipping sweet nectar.

It flutters in place
Near a pot by the glass door,
Bringing much delight.

As it twirls around
Its beauty and its splendor
Makes my world stand still.

Valerie Bollinger 2025

Vintage Band Festival

Last Saturday, at the Vintage Band Festival in Northfield, I wanted to go up to the several young people who were dancing in the street, and tell them to never stop dancing…dance as much as you can…all your life.

I didn’t.

I so enjoyed watching these young folks dancing in sync, not just moving around like we do sometimes. They definitely brought a smile to my face, and many other onlookers (I could tell by their looks!)

Program for the 2025 Vintage Band Festival.

The Vintage Band Festival is a free, annual event, that started in 2006. It alters from a one-day to four-day event. Multiple vintage bands come from all over the Midwest to play on the outdoor stage on Bridge Square.

It’s a very enjoyable event, and last Saturday was a lovely weather day in Minnesota. Prime for an outdoor concert. Folks bring lawn chairs and sit a while (or all day) and listen to the music. Or, it’s great background music for walking around the River Walk Market Fair to shop for locally-grown produce or locally-made handcrafts.

This past Saturday I did both; set up my chair to sit and listen to the music for a while, and I got up in between bands to shop the farmer’s market.

The River Walk Market Fair extended over the 4th Street bridge.

I went home for a break, then Gary and I came back in the afternoon to listen to more music. The festival began at 9 am, and a new band started every hour, on the hour, until 9 pm Saturday night. It’s a popular event in Northfield, and always well attended.

Tin Lizzies

The town of Owatonna, Minnesota hosted the Model T Ford Club’s International 68^th Annual Tour last week.

I don’t know how they choose a location each year, but special events are planned all week for the club, wherever they end up.

The town hosts an evening for the club to display their Model T’s, also known as Tin Lizzies. The cars lined up on Broadway Street in Owatonna, for folks to come and ooh and aah over the classic cars. Most were refurbished and shiny, others had their original patina.

I learned Model T’s were made from 1909 – 1927. They do not all look alike. There were various body styles made, such as sedans, coupes, touring cars and roadsters, plus others.

This was called a Depot Hack – used to pick up passengers and their luggage at train stations…

I always like the whimsical…that the owner put a “stuffed animal” skunk under the wheel was fun!

Cedar Avenue, in downtown Owatonna, was closed off to vehicle traffic that evening. Many market booths and food trucks lined the street. There was a band in Central Park, at the end of Cedar Avenue, where we set up chairs under a shade tree which offered relief on the hot and humid evening. We listened to the music and ate our food we ordered food from a food truck. Later, we found our way to the ice cream shop…

The cars were fun to look at. I took a few photos of the ones I liked best, not knowing anything about them. But I do know, there was a proud owner for each car on display.

I especially liked this round windshield (driver’s side only), with the owner’s goggles hanging on it. It’s hard to see in this photo.

A bright yellow two-seater with riding goggles hanging on a round windshield.

We Shall Overcome

I have been singing We Shall Overcome over and over in my mind since we attended a John Lewis Rally last week, at Ames Park in Northfield. It wasn’t a lengthy rally, but it was a powerful one. We attended the event to lend support for non-discrimination and fair treatment to all human beings. It was a beautiful evening and a good turnout.

There was a short program about John Lewis’ life and a few songs were sung, We Shall Overcome being one of them. And then we marched together, a re-enactment of the ’65 marches in Selma, Alabama in which John Lewis participated. The marches were a non-violent protest against discrimination in the 60’s.

The long line the rally group created was impressive as we walked two abreast over the 5^th Street bridge to downtown’s main street, which was closed off to vehicles. There we linked arms, and walked together four across, to mimic what they did in Selma. We walked down one block on Division Street, through Bridge Square to the Fourth Street bridge.

As we were walking the man linked on my left abruptly ran off to the side and started hugging a man on the sidelines. His wife said he must have seen someone he knew. When he fell back in line, he linked up arms again and explained he noticed the Hispanic man on the sidelines watching us march and he was crying, so he ran up to give him a big hug. I had not noticed the man on the sideline, nor noticed his tears, but I’m glad my line-partner did.

John Lewis’ quotes are words to remember during these unsettling days.

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.”

Lilies of the Fields

Garfield Gardens is a daylily garden outside of Northfield, just off Highway 19, on the way to Lonsdale.

One view of dayllies at the Garfield Gardens.

The garden was started several years ago, by two siblings with the help of their dad, to provide summer jobs and income for the kids, who have now completed college and have other jobs. But the lily farm grew into a good business, and so the kids decided to keep it going.

They have an “open house” each summer, when the lilies are in bloom. This year it’s July 12 – 27. Of course, you can order plants online all summer. The website is: https://www.garfieldgardensmn.com

It works like the Aspelund Peony Gardens…you walk through the fields and see the many varieties and pick out the ones you like. At the daylily garden, they will dig up the plant right there and you can take it home with you that day.

Several years ago, we bought some lilies from Garfield Gardens, and planted them in our gardens at our previous house. They did well. The were healthy, grew tall, and bloomed beautifully every year.

The day we stopped at Garfield Gardens was a pleasant summer day; sunny and warm. We told them we stopped just to look – and they were happy to have us do so. It is always a pleasure to leisurely walk through fields and peruse the different array of flowers and their vivid, bright colors.

I wasn’t going to take any photos, but I couldn’t help myself…so I am happy to post an assortment of the lilies we saw that afternoon.

Matthew 6:28-30
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"

Minnesota Mosaics Guild

When I think of mosaics, Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel is the first place that comes to my mind.

On of the mosaic angels in the Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel.

Inside the chapel is a magnificent display of mosaics, made from 10 million tesserae (marble, stone and glass) tiles, creating angels and other beautiful figures on the walls and overhead on the domed ceiling. They are stunning.

And then, I think of Duluth MN, where there is a great mosaic panel along the Duluth Lakewalk.

The mosaic mural on the lake walk in Duluth, MN.

On of the scenes on the Duluth mural, depicting the quarter inch tiles used in the mosaic.

It is made of ceramic tiles and illustrates different Lake Superior scenes. It’s fun to see this amazing public art display.

The letters to create this sign was fun to see. Each letter is a mosaic.

So, when I noticed the Paradise Theatre in Faribault was hosting an exhibit by the Minnesota Mosaics Guild, I was excited to check it out. There were several pieces on display…all of them impressive and one-of-a-kind.

These are two mosaic letters, i and l, from the word Guild.

There were three pieces in particular, that stood out to me.

“A Sunday Afternoon” by multiple artists.

The first one was a mosaic made to capture the painting A Sunday Afternoon (on the Island of La Grande Jatte by George Seurat painted from 1884-1886). It was larger than the others on display, and the picture was divided into 18 equal sections, each section representing a portion of the painting.

Four sections from The Sunday Afternoon painting made into individual mosaics.

Each section was a mosaic created by a different artist and had its own form of medium to re-create a portion of the painting. Then it was assembled together, like a quilt, for a spectacular piece of artwork.

“Counting Sheep” was another a delightful mosaic that used glass, metal, paper, ceramic and shells. It was detailed and creative, with an old watch incorporated into the picture.

An old small pocket watch is a piece of the “Counting Sheep” mosaic.
Part of the back drop is made with pages from a Bible.

One of the mosaic’s sheep, up close…button nose, shell ears etc…

I would have liked to bring this “Counting Sheep” mosaic home with me.

“Bouquet for Mom” was bright and colorful, and stood out. It was made of stained glass and beads.

Other great works:

“The Blue Willow Bunny”, using dishes/china, glass, beads, by Lisa Van Wyn.

“Mane Avis Tessellis”, using stained glass and broken dishes, by Maureen Rath.

It was fun to read an open invitation from the Minnesota Mosaics Guild to anyone who is interested in this art form, to join the guild and create…whether you have any previous experience with mosaics or not.

“I want to ride my bicycle”, glass and slate, by Laura Lee

The exhibit was not large, but it packed a lot of creativity into one room.

“Madness is meaningless”, glass, slate, stone and shell, by Laura Lee.

Mosaics are a whimsical, and amazing art form.

The Lightning Bug

My simplistic rendition of a firefly since I cannot capture their images with my camera. 😉

We are seeing a delightful show each night in the field behind us, put on by a multitude of lightning bugs (fireflies) so I wrote a poem…



The Lightning Bug

On a summer’s evening
I’m a witness to small wonders.
A dazzling light display
When darkness descends upon the earth.

Beautiful, twinkling lights.
One here, one over there~
A multitude dancing 
Filling the wide-open space.

Bringing joy and wonder
By the simple act of being who they are,
Doing what they were created to do.
The lightning bug.

Valerie Bollinger 2025

And, we had an added perk last night as we watched the full moon rise. It’s so amazing. I love the moon.