Naturally Optimistic

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot The Edmund Fitzgerald     The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee." The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy. With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty, that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the "Gales of November" came early. The ship was the pride of the American side coming back from some mill in Wisconsin. As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most with a crew and good captain well seasoned, concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms when they left fully loaded for Cleveland. And later that night when the ship's bell rang, could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'? The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound and a wave broke over the railing. And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too 'twas the witch ...

I had a great idea for today. We have a gift certificate that my folks gave me (early) for our anniversary for a "Rose Garden Picnic Basket lunch" from Valentini's (located, right by the Rose Garden)....AND we have passes to area attractions which expire tomorrow. I asked Steve if he'd like to go to Glensheen with me & the kids & do the picnic thing and he said - yeah, sure! So, the plan was go park at the Rose Garden, bike with our picnic lunch to Glensheen, tour the mansion & gardens and then head back for our picnic along the Lakewalk somewhere. I called the restaurant this morning to see if we could get a basket, what comes in it, etc. They're not open on Sundays. WHAT? I checked their website...they're not open on Sundays at all in the Summer (hi! They're RIGHT on the LakeWalk....) or in the Winter (makes more sense). I would've never thought a restaurant would be closed on one of the busiest Sundays in Duluth! Ah well...on t...

The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is always on my mind on a day like today. Hard to even believe that in the not too distant past (1975), a large (729 ft) ship SANK on a LAKE. All 29 aboard lost their lives. The theories out there about "what happened" are abundant. I've seen the lake angry in November, I'm pretty sure THAT'S what happened (but the alien theories are intriguing)(maybe I've been watching too much X-Files....). Today is gray. Cold. Calm. Nothing like that day 36 years ago. Time to play some Gordon Lightfoot.

Michelle & I enjoyed a beautiful day last Saturday & took the kids to Bayfront Park/The Lakewalk for multiple festivities. It was such a fun (free!) day. We got a free kite for Dahlia courtesy of the Kiwanis, we got our passports stamped at various tables along the lakewalk & turned them in for free ice cream (Dahlia's having the fireman sign her book below). I bought a pound and a half of red potatoes & a green pepper for $1.90. We danced the Maypole. We got sun-tinted pink, walked thousands of steps. Dahlia painted Lake Superior rocks & "went fishing." (we were too tired to check out the zoo animals at Fitgers, go for a hayride or get our photo taken -next year!). What a great family friendly (cheap!) day. Can't wait til next year.

A few photos to tide you over before my full account...

A great weekend behind me...but it went far too fast. Arrived on Friday night, enjoyed conversation, laughter & memories with two of my best girlfriends. We marveled at the fact that we've known each other for just under 20 years. What? How did that happen? Saturday morning found us sleeping in & eating baked french toast. We hiked along the Lake Shore & too many photos. We headed back to the cabin & partook in naps, reading & M&M eating. Saturday evening we dined on spaghetti, enjoyed some wine & of course more laughter. Sunday morning came too quickly. I reveled in sleeping all night & 'sleeping in' (boy that has a different definition than it did 20 years ago...). It was so fun to relax & read & snooze & not worry about anyone but myself. *sigh* After we left Sarah & I went to Gooseberry Falls. They were thunderous & so beautiful. The water was awesome. I'm not sure that I've ever been there at this time of year...

I'm heading up the North Shore for some Girl Time with my too close college friends Sarah & Freya. A small cabin on the lakeshore, a bottle of tequila & some lime juice, puzzles, books, hiking, napping. I cannot wait. Have a great weekend!

Greetings from springtime in Duluth. A short walk on the Lakewalk after brunch yesterday yielded some pretty awesome sights of nature's ice sculptures. The blizzard force winds last week (no snow) made Lake Superior wild with giant waves. The shoreline & trees at the head of the lake took the brunt of it and left us with quite a spectacle. There were some cute babies out there too...

Today marked the end of our "vacation" - meaning that time when Steve was off work & we spent many hours in each others company reading books, playing, eating good food, playing with friends. Steve & I each have the JOY of having nasty colds, so the past few days haven't been that fun. BUT....Steve really wanted to get the kids outside today. So outside we went. Well, August slept through it so we left him in the car. Ah well. We went to the Beach! What else do you do when it's 11 degrees outside? We went to Brighton Beach to gaze at the ice formations, marvel at the ice-covered boulders & play with sheets of ice which break in such a satisfying glass-like sort of way. Dahlia did some butt-sliding down some slippery rocks; we collected some ice pieces to bring home; we played "Arctic Explorer." It turned out to be quite a fun little outing. Of course, I do long for the hot (okay, warm) summer afternoons when we can sit at the same beach & dan...

Another beautiful day (this time, all the way through!) today in Duluth. Time to get the kids to the Lakewalk! We started at the Rose Garden. Dahlia thought the gazebo looked like the perfect place to perform. She loved to sing & dance in there. It reminds me of princesses so I can only imagine what she thought! She loved running through the gardens. Loved smelling the roses. We walked on the lakewalk down to the rock beach where Dahlia loves to throw rocks into the water. We had a snack there & dipped our hands in the lake. August slept through most of it. I'm considering moving his crib outside!