∞

First challenge for my lake camera was getting it off the ground to keep the raccoons from playing with it.

Second was protecting the cable from water and making sure that the cords were waterproof.

Now the third issue is keeping the lawn guys from shredding the USB cable with the weed whipper. 😬

∞

Eerie sky as this storm came in. There was a literal calm before the storm and then the wind kicked up big time. 70 mph winds. We’ve all gone to the basement.

∞

Serious storm system coming through clearing out this incredible heat and humidity that we’ve had the last two days. There is a lot of energy in the sky. Hoping the 1" hail doesn’t come to pass. Just got very dark.

∞

Did a 4-mile walk tonight around Lake Harriet with Tammy and Mazie and claimed the 2024 National Parks Challenge.

∞

Scenes as Allianz Field emptied out tonight.

∞

Wish the United would have won but we had a fun time (after the shade arrived) with my Mom and Kurt watching them play the Seattle Sounders to a 3-2 loss. ⚽️

∞

Floating down Minnehaha Creek in South Minneapolis.

∞

Tubing Minnehaha Creek

It was a nice hot day to enjoy a float down Minnehaha Creek today. Tiffany and Andrew were visiting so we got the tubes inflated, drove to Utley Park in Edina to put in and floated right back to our house taking out in Minnehaha Creek Park. This was the furthest we’ve gone on the tubes going 3.7 miles and took just over 2 hours. 💦

Two people holding inflatable river tubes are standing outdoors with trees in the background.A person is floating in the water with their feet visible in the foreground, while another group of people is seen floating on inflatables in the background, surrounded by lush green trees.A person on a colorful inflatable raft is navigating under a fallen tree in a forested river.A person is relaxing on an inflatable raft in a river with houses and greenery in the background.A person in a hat and plaid shirt is taking a selfie while relaxing in a river with another person on an inflatable float in the background.A person wearing a hat is relaxing on a red and yellow inflatable raft floating down a tree-lined river on a sunny day.A tunnel-like structure surrounded by dense greenery opens into a body of water with a sign reading FOX ISLAND nearby.A stone arch bridge spans over a gently flowing, tree-surrounded creek on a sunny day.
∞

Don's Bench in Turtle Park

Today we commemorated the 86th Birthday for Don Olson, Tammy’s Dad who passed away in January. Tammy arranged for the family to meet at Northwood Park in New Hope. Don used to coach softball games here regularly and he enjoyed the park and called it Turtle Park. He used to enjoy coming here regularly and watching the turtles in the creek.

After we all had some donuts and coffee we made our way on the same walking path that Don would take and surprised the group when we came across the park bench that Tammy had worked with the park to install.

The inscription reads:

In Memory of Grandpa Don
Who Loved Nature and Turtle Park

You can find the bench at the GPS coordinates 45° 01’ 31.8" N 93° 23’ 21.7" W (45.025508, -93.389363) in Northwood Park or Bassett Creek Regional Trail in New Hope.

∞

Minnesota State Fair

Great night at the Minnesota State Fair with Tiffany & Andrew! 🎉

A group of six people are smiling and giving thumbs up at a crowded outdoor event.A group of people is smiling and holding a cup full of cookies in front of a crowded cookie stand.A group of people at an outdoor event are enjoying roasted corn on the cob while others mill about in the background near a CORN ROAST stand.Several people are riding colorful chairlifts above a busy fairground filled with visitors and various stalls under a partly cloudy sky.People are gathered around a food truck named Baba's, which offers modern Middle Eastern cuisine at an outdoor event.A young man and an older woman are joyfully posing for a selfie in front of a park or fairground setting with trees, booths, and bystanders in the background.A large Ferris wheel with colorful gondolas stands against a dusk sky, surrounded by trees and a crowd of people at a fairground.A band is performing on the Schell's Stage at Minnesota State Fair, with an audience watching.A large, brightly lit slide at a nighttime carnival, attended by numerous people, many of whom are either descending the slide or observing from below.