Early in my bike ride today I paused before riding this section of wood plank trail. It was replaced in recent years, but it’s still like riding a washboard. To the left the stabilized ruins of the Washburn A Mill are a feature of the Mill City Museum.
Category: Twin Cities
Stillwater via rail trails
It was glorious weather for a bike ride on part of the Gateway Trail then the Brown’s Creek Trail to Stillwater. Here we’re cycling back out of Stillwater after stopping for coffee and calories. On the left, the former railroad depot has unevenly morphed into a K-5 charter school. (Dwight took this photo of our friend and me.)
Praise the Lard: church, flag, and meat pie
Popped into the rectory office of Our Lady of Lourdes, the oldest church in Minneapolis. They have a great side hustle: not only do they dispense religious services, but they also sell French meat pies, handmade by parishioners. I was reminded of this decades-old tradition today while looking for inspiration on the Atlas Obscura website.
How to get rid of excess gas
Almost home, this scene caught my attention. Behind the grassy berm, the gas company was burning off natural gas. AI assures me that “flaring” is a safe way to dispose of excess gas, though I imagine it’s best not to try this at home. Across the river from the flame, the chimneys belong to a university heating plant.
Building a 15-minute city
For us, aging in place means living in a “15-minute city.” Today I aligned my primary care with that goal and signed up at a clinic just a short walk from our home. My new primary care physician used to be an actor (Juilliard graduate!) at the Guthrie, just across the road from the clinic, before deciding to go to medical school.
All we are is confetti in the wind
Spotted this on our Sunday walk: A tram had just dropped off a wedding party for photos on the Stone Arch Bridge, apparently leaving behind some expired wedding guests. I started imagining ways of incorporating this into the wedding vows: “Till death do us part. All we are is confetti in the wind, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
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.
Sacred sighting from the 22H bus
On my way to the final ELL summer school class, I passed the old Love Power church. The congregation moved out in 2018, but the mural is still there, a local landmark. When it was painted in 1997, the church wanted a blond, blue-eyed figure. The artist, however, chose to paint one with darker skin, much to the congregation’s dismay.
Not-so-dangerous adventures: going boldly through a portal
Cycled a short loop up one side of the Mississippi and down the other. At Ole Olson Park, I rode a new section of trail that’s opening soon. Extensive regrading has carved out a gradual slope under a somewhat dilapidated but still operating freight rail bridge. (Yes, I’ve sometimes crossed the river on that bridge.) A permanent steel framework over the trail looks strong enough to protect trail users if the bridge falls apart.
Testing campus doors
A steamy bike ride with a friend took us to three St. Paul college campuses. As is our tradition, we occasionally tested doors. At St. Thomas, we got into the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, shown here. The doors to the Weyerhaeuser Chapel at Macalester were firmly closed, though students could tap in. At St. Catherine’s O’Shaughnessy (arts theater), we could only reach the lobby before hitting locked doors.