Or is it flakes of "cotton fluff'' falling from the trees...
Strolling along the Mississippi River in Baypoint Park, Red Wing, MN.
June 19, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Nature Valley Grand Prix Bike Race
Over two hours of pumping up and down the hills of the Cannon Valley for the second day in the Nature Valley Grand Prix Bike Race.
How do these bikers survive?
While waiting for the racers to hit the finish line...
these fellows demonstrated their techniques...
Awesome!
these fellows demonstrated their techniques...
Awesome!
Flipping over in mid air!!!
Thanks guys!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Lights in the night...
An evening fire...
with sparks flying to the sky...
a veritable fireworks explosion ...
and kids lighting sticks in the campfire
to glow
and
make patterns in the black velvet darkness
that might have delighted kids a hundred years ago...
or even 50 years...
Or even tonight.
.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
What's in a name?
or
Who Gets The Last Laugh?
He called her home to see if she would go out with him. He asked to talk to “Jane”.
There was a moment of silence but then a young woman’s voice came on the line.You see he had given the wrong name. The young woman he was calling was Jean!
But Jean Swenson of Cannon Falls did go out with him and she and Armond Kowalkoski have been married over 25 years.
When Armond met Jean’s relatives he found his own name being confused. It was Aunt Clara Esterby, who became one of his favorites, who first got his name mixed up. She called him, “Arnold”.
Over the years, as Armond tells the story, other family members would also try to straighten Clara out but she always slipped and called him Arnold.
Armond finally adopted the name of Arnold as a nickname. He even named his dog, Arnold! Then his son’s hockey buddies started calling him Arnold.
Armond’s “nickname” was brought to mind when Aunt Clara died last March. She was 88 years old.
The usual remembrances were recalled at her funeral service. Clara was born in 1919 in North Dakota. She had been orphaned as a young child and raised by relatives. They moved to Oregon. After graduating from high school she moved to Minnesota and married Edwin A. Esterby and then they farmed in South Dakota.
Later they moved to Randolph and lived on Lake Byllesby.Clara’s obituary lists many survivors, her foster son, sister, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
Armond also spoke at her funeral. He remembered Aunt Clara as a sweet and loving person. But that’s not all he remembered! And that’s where Armond’s fun-loving nature took effect! Even at a funeral.
But first let's recall another funeral that Armond had spoken at. It was his mother’s.
He reminisced, “I could always make my mom laugh. And she had a great sense of humor.”
He explained that she had made some of the plans as to how her funeral would be. For example, she didn’t want to have too many flowers.
So Armond took his place at the front of the chapel. As he was speaking to the friends and relatives in the audience he had his hand in his pocket on his cell phone.
As part of his plan he had set it up so he could press the right buttons to get it to ring. But, the sequence didn’t work!
So he kept on talking and pressing his phone in his pocket… and finally it worked!The sound of the ring of a cell phone went out over the chapel.
Armond pulled his phone out of his pocket and said, “Hello?”
Then he told the audience, “It’s Mom!” He continued with the conversation, “Everything’s OK, Mom. It’s just the way you wanted... Yup, yup. OK OK.”
And Armond’s mom would have understood her son’s healing approach to a very sad occasion.
So Armond – or “Arnold” – as Aunt Clara had called him all those years, was now attending Clara's funeral.
And Armond had a few last thoughts.
As friends and family in the audience listened, he explained how she had mistakenly called him “Arnold” all those years. And how it was now his nickname, etc.
But Clara had left an endearing memory with him and he wanted to thank her. “Just a second,” Armond added, and paused, “I want to make sure I’ve got this right.”
He looked at the casket and gently smiled, “Thank you… Carla.”
I think Aunt Clara – or “Carla” – would smile at that too.
or
Who Gets The Last Laugh?
He called her home to see if she would go out with him. He asked to talk to “Jane”.
There was a moment of silence but then a young woman’s voice came on the line.You see he had given the wrong name. The young woman he was calling was Jean!
But Jean Swenson of Cannon Falls did go out with him and she and Armond Kowalkoski have been married over 25 years.
When Armond met Jean’s relatives he found his own name being confused. It was Aunt Clara Esterby, who became one of his favorites, who first got his name mixed up. She called him, “Arnold”.
Over the years, as Armond tells the story, other family members would also try to straighten Clara out but she always slipped and called him Arnold.
Armond finally adopted the name of Arnold as a nickname. He even named his dog, Arnold! Then his son’s hockey buddies started calling him Arnold.
Armond’s “nickname” was brought to mind when Aunt Clara died last March. She was 88 years old.
The usual remembrances were recalled at her funeral service. Clara was born in 1919 in North Dakota. She had been orphaned as a young child and raised by relatives. They moved to Oregon. After graduating from high school she moved to Minnesota and married Edwin A. Esterby and then they farmed in South Dakota.
Later they moved to Randolph and lived on Lake Byllesby.Clara’s obituary lists many survivors, her foster son, sister, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
Armond also spoke at her funeral. He remembered Aunt Clara as a sweet and loving person. But that’s not all he remembered! And that’s where Armond’s fun-loving nature took effect! Even at a funeral.
But first let's recall another funeral that Armond had spoken at. It was his mother’s.
He reminisced, “I could always make my mom laugh. And she had a great sense of humor.”
He explained that she had made some of the plans as to how her funeral would be. For example, she didn’t want to have too many flowers.
So Armond took his place at the front of the chapel. As he was speaking to the friends and relatives in the audience he had his hand in his pocket on his cell phone.
As part of his plan he had set it up so he could press the right buttons to get it to ring. But, the sequence didn’t work!
So he kept on talking and pressing his phone in his pocket… and finally it worked!The sound of the ring of a cell phone went out over the chapel.
Armond pulled his phone out of his pocket and said, “Hello?”
Then he told the audience, “It’s Mom!” He continued with the conversation, “Everything’s OK, Mom. It’s just the way you wanted... Yup, yup. OK OK.”
And Armond’s mom would have understood her son’s healing approach to a very sad occasion.
So Armond – or “Arnold” – as Aunt Clara had called him all those years, was now attending Clara's funeral.
And Armond had a few last thoughts.
As friends and family in the audience listened, he explained how she had mistakenly called him “Arnold” all those years. And how it was now his nickname, etc.
But Clara had left an endearing memory with him and he wanted to thank her. “Just a second,” Armond added, and paused, “I want to make sure I’ve got this right.”
He looked at the casket and gently smiled, “Thank you… Carla.”
I think Aunt Clara – or “Carla” – would smile at that too.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Minnehaha Falls
"Laughing Waters" or not...
whatever you want to call it...
it's beautiful!
Although it is said the translation is incorrect, I still like the thought of calling the falls in Minneapolis - "Laughing Water"
According to Wikipedia: "While the name is often translated as "Laughing Water", the correct translation is "curling water" or "waterfall". The name comes from the Dakota language elements mni, meaning water, and ȟaȟa, meaning waterfall."
Overlooking the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Park is one of Minneapolis’ oldest and most popular parks, attracting over ½ million visitors annually. It is located at the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway.
The 193-acre park features a 53-foot waterfall, limestone bluffs and river overlooks. The park contains oak, elm, silver maple, basswood, hackberry and cottonwood trees, as well as native and prairie woodland wild flowers.
Visitors take advantage of abundant activities in the summer, including concerts, picnics, walking and viewing the Falls.
Over wide and rushing rivers
In his arms he bore the maiden.
On exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, the sculpture was purchased with pennies donated by school children in Minnesota – an effort organized by Mrs. L.P. Hunt of Mankato – and dedicated in 1912. The sculpture, which rests on a small island in the creek, can be viewed from the water’s edge a short way above the falls.
When I was a teenager, we stepped on stones to get over to the island and have our picture taken with the Indian maiden and her warrior.
Don't know if I ever read the whole poem though!That didn't stop me from writing a poetic attempt at a humorous play for a high school fund raiser which was based on the Longfellow poem. I remember having the football coach swing across the stage strapped into a harness like Peter Pan! I have no idea why the school administration went along with my play!
Guess they were just good sports!
.
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