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 Jack Brass Band.
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.
The Sheldon Theatre Brass Band.
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.
Lovely Bridge Square in Northfield.
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.
The town of Owatonna, Minnesota hosted the Model T Ford Club’s International 68th Annual Tour last week.
The Classic Black Model T.
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.
Fire engine red…
A four seater…
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.
Funky horn…
Shiny blue…Another beautiful blue…
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…
Even a beer truck…
A Ford service vehicle…
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.
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 5th 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.”
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?"
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” by Laura Lee
“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” by Lisa Van Wyn
“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
“Lily”, stained glass, by Maureen Rath
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.
The other morning we biked on the Sakatah Singing Hills Bike Trail in Faribault. To our delight, we were gifted with several bird and animal sightings.
A beautiful egret.
As we drove to the bike trail, we passed an egret near a pond, standing tall and beautiful.
A regal egret.
A little later I saw a majestic eagle flying overhead. I never tire of seeing eagles.
On the trail, we noticed a pretty bluebird going into its house, several red-wing blackbirds flying by, and heard cardinals singing.
Sandhill Cranes are large birds and are usually with their mate.
We stopped to watch a lone sandhill crane look at us and then walk across a field…I wonder where his mate and friends were? (Two days later we saw a pair of Sandhill cranes in a different field.)
A pair of sandhill cranes.
We saw several bunnies darting in and out of the grasses along the bike trail. We spotted a “spotted” doe, and saw a snake slithering across the trail (not too thrilled about that!)
As we passed a farm field, I noticed Holstein cows running down an incline in the fenced in farmyard. That was an unusual sight…running cows.
All this time we’re pedaling our bikes down the paved trail, getting some exercise as nature put on a show for us, complete with music from the birds serenading.
I begin last Sunday afternoon, sitting outside on a hillside overlooking a lake, listening to music in the background, visiting with friends.
Monday morning I’m having coffee and catching up with a friend.
Tuesday evening we make a shuttle run to the airport to pick up friends and bring them back to their home in Northfield.
Wednesday was a beautiful evening for a pot-luck dinner and grilled hotdogs and a leisurely tritoon ride on Cannon Lake (toons and biminis…is this Dr. Suess influence?) and we celebrated a birthday.
Another birthday to celebrate on Thursday… flowers and a meal at Cosetta’s… with a lovely trio of multigenerational women.
Friday, being the Fourth of July, is yet one more birthday to celebrate – our country’s. We ate a piece of homemade pie and listened to a concert at a countryside gathering which claims to be the oldest 4th of July celebration in Minnesota. Later in the evening, we enjoyed a great fireworks show back in Northfield.
But also, death came this week, to a dear friend and we gathered together to remember.
The house we sold and moved out of is only one mile away from our current twin – home. We often walk the same walking paths. Recently, I walked by our old house and was admiring all the flowers in the gardens I had planted over the years, that were now coming up (and that I no longer take care of). They were fun to see.
The new fairy garden along the sidewalk at our old house.
I noticed a fairy garden in the back garden near the sidewalk. It made me smile. My fairy garden used to be tucked under a rose bush in the same garden. Their fairy garden (more like miniature do-dads) is more out in the open. The flower garden borders the public sidewalk, that leads to the walking trails around ponds nearby. The fairy gardens can be seen by many people walking by.
When our house was on the market, the photographer took a picture of my fairy garden and added it to the house photos on the listing. I’m hoping that is why the new owners created a fairy garden for others to continue to enjoy. I have not found a place to set up a fairy garden at our new house.
On a different note:
Fallen tree…photo by ST
While we were traveling last month, our previous neighbors sent a photo of a beloved 30-year-old locust tree in the front yard of our old house. It had blown over in a storm. Fortunately, it fell away from the house and into the street. It was one of my favorite trees we left behind.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I really am impressed with our Northfield Public Library!
I arrived at the library this morning and it was buzzing with lots of folks, including a lot of children in the children’s section. It was wonderful to see.
First, I went to pick up the book I had requested. A great system…you request the book, the librarians find the book and set it aside, you walk in and pick up the book off the hold shelf, and self-check out. Slick.
Then, I went upstairs to ask questions of the librarian and she took her time showing me the new system. I also had a question about WORD docs and she was able to help me with that too. I thanked her and told her how much I appreciated her help and how much I like our library!
On my way out I ran into a friend I haven’t seen for a while, and we were able to chat a bit.
