Road Trip

Headed over to the Twin Cities today to visit the kids and to look for a pair of hiking boots at REI.  After multiple trips in the woods helping Bike man with his stream monitoring, I realized I needed waterproof hiking boots.  Of course, you always get hungry after a little shopping, right?   The Son suggested a new brew pub in Minneapolis.....the Northbound Smokehouse Brew Pub.

Apparently, it was a very busy day for this new establishment as they ran out of the beer I wanted to try.  So, Trisha and I decided to try the Wild Rice Amber. Bike man enjoyed a medium-body brew, while the Son enjoyed his usual Porter.  The sandwiches we ordered were very tasty, as the onion rings.  I give this place an A for atmosphere and taste!

Stopped by Becca's place for a quick visit later in the afternoon.  Enjoyed visiting with our daughter, her housemate Artena and her parents and boyfriend, Dana.  Can't believe how fast the time flew today.....maybe we just need to stay overnight in the Cities so we'll have more time to visit with both kids! 

Four Years Later......

After 4 years, I said "good-bye" to Aunt Krissy today.  Am I going to miss her?  You betcha.  I even named one my bicycle rides after her......the Aunt Krissy route!  The one thing I'll miss about Krissy is her humor and wit, especially when it relates to everyday life and people.  Have you ever known someone that is always happy?  Well, that's my Krissy.  The only time I saw her sad was when she made the decision to have her beloved dog, Abby, put to sleep because of health issues and old-age.  I'm going to miss Aunt Krissy, but at the same time I wish her well in her job.   

Changes Are On the Way

After today's 30-40 mph winds, there may not be any leaves left on the trees!  Took a road trip today for work and my car was majorly blasted with side winds the whole way.  After arriving home later today, I was surprised to see tree branches that had snapped and were laying on the ground.  I later found out Bike man was standing outside when some tree branches snapped and almost fell on him and his car.  I guess we've been warned for almost a week now that a drastic change in weather was coming.......it's here!

Perfect Afternoon

Who says you can't take a bottle of beer along on a bicycle ride?  I love this jersey.

  

Took the afternoon off from work so Bike man and I could ride the Red Cedar trail.  Mid 60's and 100% sunshine.....complete blissfulness!    

I don't remember the Chippewa River ever being this low, but the dry conditions here in the Midwest are affecting everything from farm fields to the rivers and streams.

Stopped on the Chippewa River bridge to take in the beauty of the river.  Heading back on the trail to Downsville, I think we saw "Gentleman John."  After he passed us, I turned around and called out his name several times.  Was that you John????

The fall colors have just reached their peak and now are on their way to fading.  I like fall, but it disappears too quickly.   Had to stop and take a photo of the famous UW-Stout clock tower.  (29 miles)

Someone Came to Visit

She's so sweet and so is her momma!

Little Averie came to visit us yesterday so she could show us her crawling skills.  She's a little speedster!  We enjoyed a wonderful visit and meal with Anna, Jeff and baby Averie.

It was plenty breezy this afternoon as you can see with my new holiday flag.  Thanks mom and dad.....love the colorful pumpkin flag!  Found time for a quick run before nightfall, while Bike man got back from an afternoon of perch fishing.  Really enjoying these warm fall days.

Water

Took a water temperature reading this morning on the Hay River.  Can you believe the temperature was a little less than 40 degrees?  Guess those cool nights are making an impact on our lakes and streams. Helped Bike man monitor two stream sites this morning.  Took more time to monitor since we had to identify the water critters.  Found the usual Mayfly, Cranefly and Stonefly larvae, water mites, Scuds, Riffle Beetle, Red Midge and Non-Midge worms, and many more water critters.  One of the things we really noticed today was the extremely low river levels.  No rain in weeks, so our dry conditions are affecting our rivers, creeks and streams.   

Two of the river sites we monitored are very close by to the Grain Bin....my favorite place for delicious cinnamon rolls and bulk foods.  Missed out on the delicious pecan sticky buns since they were all sold out by the time we arrived at the GB around 1:30 pm.  Darn!

Finished out our Saturday fishing near the mouth of the Hay River, which is just north of our house.  Well, BM was fishing and I was enjoying my time in the boat reading on an eBook on the Kindle Fire.  I have to admit I love this small eReader device with it's back-lighting and lightweight size.  The only downside to eReaders..... remember to recharge the battery!

Enjoyed a wonderful fresh perch fish fry tonight from our fishing time late this afternooon.  I fried the fish and BM made a pan of seasoned fried potatoes and onions.......comfort food in our small world!

Liking the Down Time

Someone was working off the honey-do list today!   The cedar shingles needed to be re-stained, so today's 70 + degrees made for a perfect day to stain.  Looks nice Bike man. 

Of course there's always time to relax at the end of the day.  A beautiful night to build a fire.  While Bike man  was busy building a nice fire, I quickly whipped up a pan of veggie & black bean enchiladas.  A late night meal around the outdoor fire......can't get any better than that!