Microblog

Joined a huge crowd in downtown Minneapolis to assert government is for the people and must adhere to the law. (Over 100,000 attended the Minneapolis rally. Nationwide there were more than 2,700 rallies with over 7 million attendees.)

Cycled over to the U for an appointment deep in a sub-basement. Since I was early, I popped into a Caribou Coffee, certain their brew would be better than hospital coffee. The crew members had posted profiles answering questions like their pronouns, how they “spark chain reactions of good,” their secret talents, and their favorite Caribou products. I enjoyed an espresso and a slice of coffee cake, amidst the cheerful hum of students excited about life.

Cycled part of the Luce Line with a friend, starting at Theodore Wirth Park and going to Medicine Lake. A circumnavigation of Medicine Lake added more mileage than we bargained for. Here, we’re cycling a boardwalk across wetland. The rail track is on a trestle. Later, my friend sent me a map showing we covered significantly more ground on a similar ride back in 2021. I guess we’re not exactly spring chickens anymore!

Matchbooks are an uncommon sight these days. These were on the mantelpiece in our unit at Bluefin Bay to light the log fire. We never did light the fire. Maybe next time.

The sun was rising over Lake Superior as we walked to Coho Cafe to fuel up for today’s hike.

​Our brother-in-law joined us for today’s hike. By dropping a car at our Lutsen finish point, we were able to hike straight-through instead of doing a loop. This section of the Superior Hiking Trail first took us along Lake Agnes, a body of water largely created by a beaver dam. From there, we headed uphill to great viewpoints, including one of my favorite views, shown here, looking toward the Poplar River.

Hiked a loop: Cross River on the ascent, a wooded ridge trail with glimpses of Lake Superior, then Temperance River on the descent.

Fortified by GORP we hiked a moderately energetic loop starting at the lodge where we’re staying in Lutsen’s ski area. Here, early in the hike, we crossed the Poplar River. If you squint, you can just see Lake Superior in the distance.

Hiked up one side of Split Rock River, improvised a river crossing (the bridge was out), then hiked back down the other side. Here, towards the end of our hike, this split rock is possibly the origin of the river’s name. Behind, the river flows through a gorge. And overhead the blue sky promises to hold for the next few days.

A thunderstorm was coming in behind us as we walked back after dinner, but we were safely at our hotel by the time it was overhead. Earlier we hiked a lovely loop trail through fall colors in the hills above Duluth.

Saw the “Jessi Reaves: process invented the mirror” exhibition at the Walker today, featuring impractical furniture built from found objects. I couldn’t stop remembering a day when Dwight and I were a great source of amusement for my father-in-law as we struggled to assemble an IKEA storage unit for him. This exhibition really took the idea of “furniture as a challenge” to the next level.

This was my view from bed this morning: sipping coffee, reading the news (the NYT and the Minnesota Star Tribune), and doing a side of doomscrolling where I like to challenge misinformation.

Structured today’s bike ride as a foraging exercise for hiking snacks. I picked up wasabi peas from United Noodles (a large Asian supermarket) and was pleased to confirm wasabi was on the ingredient list, not the commonly substituted horseradish. I also filled up on generic M&Ms from Seward Co-op and granola bars from Trader Joe’s.

The weather was great for our Sunday walk without jackets: the 70s and dry… until it wasn’t. A couple of short deluges forced us to make for cover. Here, we’re sitting in a park shelter watching geese embracing the downpour by having a feast.

At Wedge Co-op’s bulk section collected small quantities of ingredients for GORP for our upcoming hikes along the Superior Hiking Trail. So far: cashews, yogurt-coated raisins, pistachios, Brazil nuts, granola, dried papaya, rice crackers, and garlic sesame sticks. GORP stands for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, so I guess I’m taking a few liberties. We like to make different mixes, some savory, some sweeter.

Following appointments at the U this morning, I checked their app periodically while cycling downriver. The news was great: my tumor marker is now “in the weeds,” confirming recent scans that show the tumors are no longer visible. I used the app to communicate with the care team, then returned to the U for a quarterly injection they’d missed. I’ll have just one more infusion in October, skipping the two final planned sessions. I’m grateful.