The snow has stopped for now and it is just bitter cold. There are always a few days like this in January, but Paul the weather guy who's statistical predictions are wrong 69% of the time, said our temperature might go from 2 degrees (currently) with negatory wind chills to +40 degrees by the middle of next week. Wacky! Revisit my weather pixie for the current weather.

We enjoyed a couple nights in a Kah-Nee-Tah cottage on the north shore of Lake Superior over New Years, and went snow shoeing for the first time. We drove 30 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais and found a 5k cross-country ski path, part of Superior National Park, that we followed. At one point we weren't certain we were going to come out! There was of course an obligatory visit to Sven and Ole's. NY Eve was Papa Charlie's at Lutsen, where the ski patrol put on a torchlight parade (with flares) down one of the mountains, and a 20 minute fireworks display-- all right out the dining room windows. I conquered the wood fireplace at our cottage and that was quite relaxing and nice, although kindling would have been nice (grr).

Complimentary pics follow:

This weekend is the 2nd annual Fall Harvest Jamboree! Only in Minnesota will you find an event titled "Jamboree" that is not a reference to kids, and that you won't want to miss. It doesn't seem to have the diversity and top line-up of the Winter affair in Plymouth, but it is still a new event. The free public jamming with no curfew is a big attraction for me. Now, if they have an awful snack bar with questionable greasy food like the Radisson always does, I'm sold.

http://www.minnesotabluegrass.org/calendar/harvest/harvest.html

Other Music You Won't Want to Miss
It's only one week until the fall HCA concert! Line-up includes The Hopkins Westwind Overture, selections from The Sound of Music, Dmitri Shostakovich's Folk Dances and more fun stuff. This performance was my second endeavor into the world of print layout and design, as I helped throw together a professional 32-page program chock full of sponsors, advertisers, fascinating program notes, and important info. Contact me for a PDF.

I enjoyed my day off this week in October by visiting Lifetime, which Christine and I (re)joined last week. It is fun getting back into the indoor exercise routine after a Summer of band concerts, picnics, music, biking and walking Kenny's Grass Lake and Minnehaha Creek/ Parkway. I also had a nice lunch with my sister, who visited from San Francisco this weekend, and Mom. Other favorite stops included the Ikea maze, Bachmans' Halloween shoppe, and of course my friend at Bloomington Honda. Yes, the hooptie Jetta has run its course with this owner. Replacement before winter is expected. Check back around Thanksgiving to see what I chose. All comments or emails boasting your vehicle of choice will be considered.

Here's a link to some folks with a different take on Columbus Day. Though apparently the extreme view, this disagreement with the principle of Col-Day is gaining in popularity: http://www.transformcolumbusday.org

I've realized that it's much more fun reading blogs with pictures. So in continuing my effort to show you all of the wonderful goings-on in Lake David, here are highlights from the past week.

Tuesday night: Twin vs. Braves at the Metrodome (big thank you to Dan and Becka and Luggage World for the nice seats!)

The grand celebration after the bottom of the 9th comeback and victory!

Saturday

Roofing project at Cory's phatty bachelor pad



Party on the roof!!



Wow, there were a lot of ladders!

Don't jump!



Christine with the Staple flogging machine:

Finish the night off with some Liberty frozen custard!

Over a 4-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, we went to Cathedral of the Pines on Caribou Lake in Lutsen, MN. It is Mt Olivet's camp property on the Superior North Shore which they've owned since the late 1940s.

The annual opening weekend activities included gratuitous eating, deep cleaning the cabins, getting a dozen lawn mowers and whip wackers working, repairing broken screens and screen doors, replacing dead light bulbs and more. This place houses 200 campers per week all Summer long, so the chore list was very long but it was fun team work, and nice being outside of life's daily amenities for a few days.

Enjoyable activities included 2 visits to Grand Marais, a camp fire with s'mores, a softball game, trivial pursuit and a 500 pc candybar jigsaw puzzle.

View my Cathedral of the Pines photo journal!