Halfway through our Sunday walk, we crossed the bridge connecting Nicollet Island to Boom Island Park, a trail section that used to be a railroad line. A tiny, bright splash of red in the trees, just visible in this photo, reminded us that it’s officially fall.
Category: Seasonal
Firing up the Weber
Simple Sunday, last gasp of summer, grilled chicken thighs for dinner.
The disappearing cake
It was time for more slices of the cake Dwight had baked for my birthday to disappear. Not just any cake, but a French dessert called gâteau invisible, so named because of the way layers of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples disappear into a vanilla-bean flavored batter. Here it’s served with a dollop of cream whipped with brown sugar and flecks of cinnamon.
Planning on a bunch more birthdays
Cycled over to the U for treatment and scans, taking care not to collide with half-awake students. On the way back, the students streaming out of lectures seemed more animated.
A bunch of happy
Dwight brought dahlias home from the Farmers Market, signalling an early start to my birthday season.
4 a.m. wakeup call
A storm brought an early start to my day. Looking west from our home, I watched the storm approaching around 4 a.m., well before sunrise. There were periods of constant lightning in the clouds, illuminating the area. I never did see ground strikes. Visibility was poor due to a downpour, which delivered over an inch of rain.
Sounds of summer in our neighborhood
Last night we watched fireworks exploding over St. Anthony Falls from our balcony. This morning, a crashing then scraping sound piqued my interest during my neighborhood walk: a vehicle had dragged a traffic light into an intersection, but thankfully, no one was hurt. Meanwhile, here in the courtyard of the Mill City Museum, lively salsa music accompanied a free dance class led by an upbeat instructor.
Independence Day 2025, foundational principles
When I became a US citizen, a conservative neighbor gave me this Uncle Sam figurine holding a slogan that ignores the beliefs of millions of Americans. Today, I substituted words that would have resonated in 1776 and align with our Constitution.
Favorite summer activities
Despite temperatures in the high 80s, we enjoyed a relaxed bike ride down one side of the river to Minnehaha Park, returning on the other. We stopped at Loons Coffee for a cuppa and to pick up freshly roasted beans. Curiously, an out-of-season theme of small Christmas trees and a poinsettia was emerging inside. Still, folks were enthusiastic about sharing their favorite summer activities.
Our annual petal pedal
I swore up and down we were still early for our annual tree blossom cycle ride today. It was slim pickings: if there were petals, they were usually on the ground. Over lunch at Longfellow Grill, a quick photo search for last year’s blossom cycle ride showed us to be about five days too late.