Camp-O-Rama

We had a great time camping out in the Black Hills right before labor day, a full ten days of driving around, exploring, biking trails, and enjoying the outdoors. We stayed in hotels a couple of nights (to wash laundry, wash boys, and in one case make a quick ER visit) and every night we did the boys were crushed that we were not going to camp. Since they don't have a real choice (they must like camping, as we do, so there) it was nice to realize we didn't even have to cajole them even a little bit. Can't wait for next summer!

Sam-bot and Kicking Paddy

[balloons + cotton candy = fun]

Dish Disaster Strikes

What started as a normal picnic day ended in disaster yesterday evening as a young [cough, cough] mother broke half the family's dishes in a set of freak accidents. The picnic was reportedly packed in an ordinary fabric bag, forgoing the safer standard picnic basket, when it fell from a height of 36 inches to a hard vinyl surface. Three glass bowls and a extra-large glass sealed container were all a total loss.

The picnic was then re-packed with new food in a second cloth bag, again with breakable dishes, and eaten with friends at a park. However upon returning home in the evening the bag was unceremoniously dumped in the entry, causing two large pasta bowls to shatter. The smaller bowls were remarkably spared.

The picnic food was reported to be pasta (containing tuna, olive oil, sundried tomatos, red pepper, onion, sunflower nuts and grated asagio) and apple slices tossed with key lime juice.

Snack in the Shade

Coloring Mat

In the summer our welcome mat is a different design every week :)

Perfect Day for a Ride

20 minutes after arriving we can start! (Oh yeah, that's why we like to start from home...)

Lunch stop.

Always fun to get out and get some biking in.

We were feeling pretty good about our milage too until we met the folks at the first big rest stop. They were from the Twin Cities too doing a Breast Cancer ride. The only difference is we drove to Cannon Falls, they biked. From Southdale. And, they had another 18 miles before their day was done. Next day they they were biking back up to the MN zoo. Wow!

Warm Summer Evening at the Top