A Hunting We Will Go, Well, Not Me

This is the house that Bob built.

Tis the season in Minnesota to see people dressed in bright orange and heading into the woods.

It's the deer hunting opening weekend here in my great state. Young One and D are heading up North to the family log cabin that my dad built. They'll bond, scratch, shoot stuff, and generally have a good time. It's their thing.

If my cold gets better, I'll visit my grandma and we'll have dinner with the hunters on Saturday night. Can't go exposing her to the germs, so I'm hoping this is short lived. If I'm still sniffling, I'll stay home and have some alone time.

My Favorite DayIn My Backyard--Lake Superior's North Shore

The Big Lake!

He doesn't fall for the "throw rocks in until the lake is filled" anymore. Bummer!

North Shore Coastguard Station, Grand Marais, Minnesota

At the tip of Artist's Point. I bet he didn't realize there was a seagull behind him.

Artist's Point


A couple of beach bums.

North House Folk School's Hjordis. I love this organization.

Another peek. It's just too beautiful.

Grand Marais Harbor.

Frogger

Who needs electronic entertainment when there are frogs and minnows and crayfish (translation crawdads, crawfish) to catch?

Happy Homecoming

Doctor ordered rest is not received well. So, Dr. Wifey had to step in. Where do you take a Type A workaholic to rest? Yep, where there is no cell phone reception.

We had a blissful week of family togetherness in the Northern Minnesota woods.

Here's a little peek. The last one is where I am now. Call 911 if you don't hear from me in a few days. I may be trapped beneath Mount Laundry.

North House

I want to talk about a place that I love. I think we all have these hidden gems close to home that we just love to visit. My favorite place on Earth is Grand Marais, Minnesota. It's nicknamed the Cape Cod of Minnesota. It's a quaint, part artist colony part rustic, village that sits on the shore of Lake Superior.

I've written about this village before, but I've never really talked about one place there that I admire so much, there. And that's the North House Folk School. On a trip there many years ago, I spoke with some people who were just getting the school up and running. Their idea? To have a place where some of the dying arts could be taught to keep them from disappearing altogether. Things such as knitting, artisan bread baking, boat building, snowshoe making, tool making, woodworking, fiber arts, make your own clothes, and outdoor ecology. They asked if I'd be interested in supporting it, so I did. For years, I was a supporting member of this fine institution.

Sadly, I've never been able to attend a class there. I intend to, when my life becomes more of my own again. Or maybe when I actually just set down, pick a class, and mark it permanently on my calendar. I wonder why I've waited for so long. I'm so interested in so many of the things they teach.

I've vowed that I'm going to do more for me, this should definitely be on the list. Actually, I think I'd like to do something with my whole family. I think we'd all benefit. Young One would love a lot of the classes.

This organization has flourished. It's an absolutely amazing place, with amazing people, and yes I'll say it again, amazing classes.

Are there places like this in your community?

My Favorite Day--Laura Ingalls Wilder Territory