a special visit

We have just had a fabulous weekend with these 3---

Dan, Jessica, Sage

They are on a vacation road trip from the far reaches of Montana to West Virginia, with a couple of stops in between.  It's wonderful to have "my boy" back home, and it's nice to have him settled back into his spot here, however briefly.  And to have a chance to meet and know Jessica for more than just a moment was perfect!  And Sage is like the "cherry on top"!  Such a calm and patient dog.  She's very quiet, not barky at all!

Dan hadn't been here for a couple of years (we've been together in other places over that time) so there was some reminiscing to do and that was augmented by the fact that we sat down to sort through some of his old things that remained stashed here for quite awhile.  We set aside the things that were important for him to keep but couldn't go with him right now, and found a good bit of stuff for the garbage and donation.

We did some sight-seeing and visiting places both new and familiar--

We wanted to visit the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center in downtown Minneapolis.  But we discovered that it is not open to the public and very much under construction!  This picture is taken from the footbridge that connects to Loring Park, so we could still see a bit of the cherry and spoon amidst the rubble.  We will have to designate a time to visit about a year from now when it's finished!

We walked around Loring Park, a great little urban oasis.  Then down to the Uptown area of the city to walk and explore places like LynnLake Brewery and shops on Hennepin before crossing the river to St. Paul for the Surly Brewery experience.  That's a fun place to visit, and we had some real good brisket there along with a couple of beer selections.

We did some biking/roller blading around the neighborhood and gave Sage a run.  And then we made another little field trip to Pine Tree Apple Orchard (which was a very popular place to be on a sunny fall weekend) and found this wonderful tall corn that's part of their corn maze.  This corn patch must be on a fertile spot, because it was looking very healthy!  Dan is over 6 feet tall, so these were some good-sized stalks!

Much sooner than we wanted, it was time for them to pile back into their car and continue on down the road.  I hope they have a wonderful and safe trip, and plan to come back again, sooner than 2 years!

my ticket to paradise

Here's an example of a very good idea. Finnegan's Beer, which is brewed by Summit (local brewery) exists solely to support good works. All profits from the beer-making go back into the community. They focus on charities and projects that make a difference for homeless and working poor populations. Luckily, I do not fit into those groups, but bad stuff happens to good people who need a little help. I love Finnegan's philosophy, and the beer tastes really good, too! Just the idea of getting a box full of credits in heaven is making me think that life is good!

My lovely beer glass, above, is from Mammoth Mountain in California. Beautiful place, fabulous snow sports, nice people and my favorite son all combined in one special spot. Which was the scene on Sunday for their annual Pond Skim, a good excuse for a party! This is not the first time Dan has attempted to slide across the water, but it was the first time dressed as Uncle Sam! Helping promote the fact that they are open for skiing and snowboarding through the 4th of July--it's a tough job, I know. The pictures look like it was a great day. Sadly, Uncle Sam didn't make it all the way over the pond, needed water skis, I guess. I hope the suit and hat survived!