Last walk on Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 (for now)

Our Sunday walk took us across the curvy Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9, the closest Mississippi crossing to home. It closes tomorrow for eight months of railing, deck, and abutment work. I’ll miss this quick route to the University of Minnesota’s East Bank campus and points beyond.

Japan trip currency (starter set)

Assembled currency for my upcoming trip. My phone is reading the remaining balance on my Suica card, I use for local transit. That’s Hideyo Noguchi, a bacteriologist who researched rabies, polio, and syphilis, on the ¥1,000 note. Natsu Higuchi, Japan’s first prominent female writer, is on the ¥5,000 note. The nonsense in Washington this week is weakening the dollar, increasing the cost of my trip.

Cherry blossom time at Himeji Castle

The cherry blossoms have opened at Himeji Castle, Japan, prompting an update to our LEGO model today. When I visited exactly a year ago, the blossoms were late, allowing me to experience the castle without the usual crowds.

Well, that impressed me

On my cycle ride, I had to stop and admire the ingenuity. My youngest nephew could’ve climbed up there, not that I’m saying he would.

Palm Springs arrival

It was 65° warmer at Palm Springs PSP than when we left Minneapolis/St. Paul MSP this morning. This is cool for Palm Springs but it heats up next week. Here, we’re walking from the arrival gate to baggage claim.

First encounter with an 88-foot loon

Rode the LRT to St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood, then walked to get a haircut. Along the way, encountered a loon (our state bird) with an 88-foot wingspan in front of the Minnesota United soccer stadium. This was unexpected. I learned it was designed by an artist from Scotland, a country devoid of loons.