Annual Fall Trip to the North Shore (sans donuts)

Due to post-stem cell transplant issues, we've stuck pretty close to home this summer, but with our beautiful fall weather and the other half having a few extra days off from work, we decided to head North.  The colors are getting close to peak, so we were looking forward to a colorful drive.

It was a pretty day and being able to leave on a Sunday meant we were driving against the traffic.  Road construction wasn't a problem.

Even though we're not fortunate enough to live on Minnesota's North Shore, we are lucky to live close by so that we can visit often, and it's amazing how the lake can change from one visit to the next.  Strikingly blue and calm one day and steely grey and forbidding the next.  We've seen it locked in ice one day and free flowing by morning.  What a Great Lake!  Ha, ha.

This year, we happened to hit the colors and the weather just right.  Mostly brilliant blue skies and enough of a wind change to make each day a different experience.

While we were in Duluth it was calm and warm for the season.  We even saw one brave couple go in for a swim.  I can't even imagine what that was like.  I know that can be painful in the middle of August!  We were content to stick to shore.  We did tough out the chills of sharing a malted milk--brave souls that we are.

By the time we got up to Grand Marais, the waves were incredible.  We couldn't even walk out to the lighthouse because they were crashing and spraying over the pier.  Overnight things calmed down and by the next morning it was t-shirt weather and we were able to walk out to the point.

Tragedy did strike at one point, however, when we realized that the World's Greatest Donuts shop had gone to fall hours and would not be open while we were in town.  We could have cried.  Honestly, it's one of the reasons we go to that town.  My plan was to press our faces to the glass and look as pitiful as we possibly could, but the place looked deserted and I don't think it would have made much difference.  Even though it wasn't a freshly made sugar donut, we were soothed by walking down to The Angry Trout for dinner.

Summer? Fall!

Feels like summer, looks like fall.  What more could you ask for?  The squirrels know as well as we do that this won't last much longer, but let's enjoy it while we can.

Last weekend we had a "function" that brought us to Duluth and the North Shore.  Lucky us.  In past years, we haven't had the best timing for our fall trips North.  It's either been too early, too late, cold, rainy, grey.  Sort of nice, but not great.  This year I think we hit it just right.

The sky was intensely blue, the leaves gorgeous, and it was close to balmy.  Short sleeve weather.  And you know what I love?  That fragrant, musky scent that hangs in the air while your trekking along a trail.  I know it's the scent of decay, which isn't terribly poetic, but is there anything better?  Bottle that and you've got something!

Besides the scenery, we always look forward to visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the area.  Duluth has some of the best dining spots in Minnesota, and we always look forward to a dinner of fresh fish at the Angry Trout in Grand Marais.  And of course, breakfast has to include a World's Greatest Donut--or two.  (That name may seem presumptuous, but they do not exaggerate.)

Just a week later, the show of fall colors have come to us.  Maybe this weekend we'll take a drive closer to home to admire some scenery. 

Flu, Flowers, and Finishing Up

Yep. Lost a whole week to the flu. It's too bad that you have to wait until you feel like total crap to have a week like I did last week. Sometime I should just fake the whole thing and spend several days in a row in my pajamas, reading books, taking naps, watching old movies, and not doing one lick of anything at all resembling productive work. That sounds so good, except I was too darn sick to appreciate how great I had it.

With an energy level that is still mostly low, even I know that I can only be a slug for so long. A guilty conscience kicks back in again when a fever breaks. So, today was simply about getting up, getting dressed, and getting out to see something besides these four walls.

What could be a better way to snap out of a funk than a visit to Macy's Spring Flower Show? Not surprisingly, we weren't the only ones who thought this was the place to be on a cold day in late March. The crowds, however, were totally worth the show. This might be one of the best I've ever seen.

Gorgeous displays and color combinations, and all the flowers haven't even come to full bloom yet. We've even thinking about going back next week to see it again. I'm sure it must smell as great as it looks. (Not sure about that one yet.)

After we got our fill of the flowers and had a bite, we decided to swing by the Conservatory on our way home and see what they were showing for their spring display.

Como was nearly as popular--looks like every Minnesotan is craving some signs of spring. Another beautiful display, and even my stuffed up sinuses could pick up the fragrance of all the hyacinths in bloom.

It was tough to walk past the mountains of dirty melting snow to get back to the car. We could feel the orneriness build. Come on! Enough! Lucky I remembered the camera so I can remind myself that there are better times ahead, and soon, I hope.

Now that I think about it, I was somewhat productive over the weekend. Fun productive. I cast-on a new knitting project. Last week I had purchased and downloaded Kay Gardiner's (Mason-Dixon Knitting) Mitered Crosses Blanket Pattern.

The proceeds from the cost of the pattern will be donated to aid people in Japan who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami, so go buy it. Besides contributing to a great cause, it's such fun to knit and so pretty!

Warning: This pattern is addicting. The "one more row" syndrome is compounded by the "one more square", by the "one more border." Yikes.

Instead of using the prescribed Noro, for my Knitted Quilt I went with the more cost conscious Lion Brand yarns--Fisherman's Wool and Amazing. So far, it looks fabulous. (In my humble opinion.) Trust me, no need to look down your knitting nose at either of these yarns. They are perfect substitutions.

I also put the finishing touches on my EZ EPS Henley this weekend. Good old Elizabeth comes through again. Don't you just love her practical advice? She's a very liberating instructor. I only wish I would have gotten her books years ago when I was first learning to knit.

Color work is still not my favorite knitting technique, but it's definitely more doable when knit in the round.

A Brief Respite

Since Spring doesn't seem to be coming to us any time soon, we decided to go and find some on our own. The Como Park Conservatory seemed like the perfect place to take in the sights and smells that we miss so much during our long winters.

The minute you step in the door, you can feel the change in humidity. The coat comes off, and you just inhale. It's warm, it's tropical, it's green. I could stay here awhile.


The Winter Flower Show is full of fragrant lilies, cyclamen, and camellias. There are also many colors of amaryllis blooms and azaleas. This particular show lasts until March 20. It's hard to imagine that they can top this for the Easter display. Trust me, they will.


The 'La Mancha' Lily is the one that caught my eye. The blossoms are huge, and the colors are just gorgeous. It's a Zone 5 lily, so it would take some pampering if we had a tough winter, but I think I'll have to give it a try. My other lilies seem to be a favorite rabbit food. I'd have to work hard to protect this one.




Last, but not least there were all kinds of one of my all time favorites--the foxgloves. I've had mixed luck with these in my garden. Last year was the first time that I was really happy with the results. Apparently, there are some varieties now that will bloom in their first year. You just plant them like annuals. I'll have to put those on the list as well.


We finished off the afternoon with lunch at Brasa on Grand. Also a place that smells very, very good.

Spring was nice while it lasted; more snow is on the way tomorrow.

Apples, St. Brigid, and New Equipment

It was such a beautiful fall Sunday, that we felt compelled to visit our local apple orchard. Not surprisingly, a few other folks had the same idea. Pine Tree Apple Orchard was the happening spot with hayrides, live music, a corn maze, pumpkin patch...oh yea, and apples.


Watching the ALCS has been fun this weekend, too. (Go Rays!) It's also been a great time to put the finishing touches on my St. Brigid. It's all knit and put together, so I snapped a picture while it's getting a final blocking spread out on the living room carpet. This was my first KAL project which gave it a fun dimension, and it was the first Starmore pattern I have ever knit. With this project, I definitely feel like I've put another notch in my knitting belt. It was actually a pretty easy knit--no complicated sizing or difficult techniques. So, do I love it? I do. It's not a sweater that I will wear a lot. It's so very warm--almost like wearing a coat, but for the right situation, it is a beautiful pattern. I hope I'll have that occasion soon with the cool late October weather blowing in this week.

Those weather fronts always seem to bring in the first colds, too. So in between cups of tea and blowing through a couple boxes of Kleenex this week, I've also been working on setting up my new laptop. I hate buying new computers! I decided to spread out both the old and new laptops on the kitchen table along with an external hard drive that has all my files on it and set it to install, transfer, and search for drivers while I went about my business. I'm still working on getting it to recognize my old printer (I think this might be a lost cause), sync perfectly with my iPod touch (grrrr!), and remember all my preferences on Firefox. Here's hoping this laptop has a long life. I'm getting too old and impatient to do this too many more times.

Well, that's my life this week. And yes, I have already cast on my next knitting project. My son requested a knit hat to go with his new winter coat. I showed him a few of Jared Flood's hat patterns, and he liked the "Turn A Square" design. If there are extra innings tonight...