Microblog

Afterglow, back home from a Minnesota Orchestra concert.

The plan was to pedal with a friend visiting from the UK, but rain showers and lightning in the forecast threw a wrench in our gears. Instead, we opted for a long walk through Minneapolis. At the offices of Ryan Companies, an architecture, engineering, and construction firm, we reviewed this wooden model of Downtown.

Every Thursday, on my walk from the bus stop to the school where I volunteer, I pass by Minneapolis’ oldest cemetery, Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, founded 1853.  In the photo three rows of weathered headstones mark where Civil War soldiers are interred. Each stone carries a name and the poignant statement ‘A Soldier.’

A cycle ride with a friend included Victory Memorial Drive where the flag was at half-staff, which mystified us. On Memorial Day (Monday) the flag is flown at half-staff until noon. Later I learned that at other times only the President and Minnesota’s Governor have the authority to require the flag at half-staff, but neither… Continue reading A Lesson in Flag Etiquette

Cycled with friends to Malcolm Yards, an excellent food hall rising out of the shell of a (formerly) dilapidated 130-year-old industrial building There’s a cycle path all the way and beer is self-service (charged by the tenth of an ounce), what more could I ask? Enjoyed good company and a flavorful cauliflower dish prepared with… Continue reading Malcolm Yards

Prepared a dry rub and applied it to baby back ribs which I then placed in an oven at 250°F. Low and slow. This was a chance for a slow cycle ride, ducking occasional rain. As the afternoon progressed, the sound of thunder intensified, prompting me to crank harder on my return home. Back home… Continue reading Starting Low and Slow

Relaxed day: walking, reading, troubleshooting, …. Here I’m troubleshooting a plant watering schedule on a Hubitat home automation hub. I finally set up schedules for a water pump that irrigates the long line of grasses on our balcony. Back in the day, a plug-in mechanical timer would’ve done the job.

Took in some of my favorite sights on a Nordeast Minneapolis bike ride. Between Bauhaus Brewery and the headquarters of modern furniture company Blu Dot, this silent gantry crane nods to the building’s industrial past. Last year this scene inspired me to create a LEGO gantry crane.

It was Dwight’s fourth visit to Gertens this week, my first. Now we have 72 pots of native grasses, plus various herbs and tomato plants. We spent the afternoon putting the grasses in grow bags then placing the grow bags in long planters. When the grasses have recovered from the ordeal, I’ll make the big… Continue reading Bringing a Prairie Home

Debriefed our respective days at our local bar. Dwight spent much of his day mitigating black mold at the greenhouse, oh, and spotting these native Minnesota cacti outside at the entry to the greenhouse. Seriously, they survive our winters! I shared about the vagaries of the English language, working three 90-minute classes with learners from… Continue reading Thriving

On my cycle ride, stopped at the showroom of Brickmania, a Minneapolis company specializing in LEGO-compatible military parts and model kits they’ve created based on real-world military designs. Some kits were over $1,000. Brickmania also accepts commissions to build huge LEGO military models. The LEGO Company itself doesn’t manufacture sets based on real-world military conflicts.

Rain ruled out a cycle ride, but not a morning walk. An afternoon on the couch ensued, napping and reading a novel, with cups of tea delivered periodically. It was that kind of day.

Cycled rail trails with a friend: part of the Gateway Trail to Brown’s Creek Trail down to Stillwater. Refueled with coffee, we cycled across the historic lift bridge (and back) before heading uphill for the return journey. This was our longest ride this year so it felt good to pause and stand to take off the pressure and admire this lush bank of ferns.

Sunday lunch with the family: a boat-load of sushi at Misono; even the teens were on board.

Today’s theme was irrigation. This morning, I tackled some watering issues with a couple planters on a community deck downstairs. This afternoon, I prepped our balcony for native grasses (in planters, of course) by setting up 48 drippers. One of my goals for this year is to focus on improving soil moisture sensing.

It’s Syttende mai (“Seventeenth of May”), Norway’s Constitution Day. And you can’t get more Norwegian than lefse from Fargo, North Dakota, where people of Norwegian descent still eat lutefisk, brown cheese, and boat-loads of butter. At Dwight’s direction (a true Norwegian descendant), I tracked down the lefse at our local Lunds & Byerlys. We’ll have… Continue reading A Vehicle for Butter