June Adventures

Greetings, all!

Man, for being recently unemployed for over a month, I sure have not posted a whole lot! Probably because I've been eating every meal outdoors and trying to relax, read, exercise and have fun with my Bobo-Dog. A summation of these activities is represented by this photograph:


Check out this adirondack chair and table set our across the alley neighbor GAVE US!

(I baked the neighbor a strawberry rhubarb pie to thank her.)

We finally went inside the Prospect Park Water Tower, after living in that neighborhood for over four years. The tower is open once yearly.






GH came to visit:


On the same night that R and I went to Fogo de Chao we saw our first baby bunnies of the year. Yes, two babies! They were right outside my teaching office, where we'd parked.


I'm glad to have tried Fogo de Chao, but honestly, only one of the meats was really delicious to me. It's an expensive place and I'm happy R's colleague was nice enough to treat us.

In non-meat news, R and his Dad destroyed our upstairs bathroom because water was leaking into the basement:

Goodbye, horrifying bathroom carpet!

The poop pipe to nowhere, which overflowed from the sink drain at this point behind the toilet:

Cooties.

Last week Stella and I went on a solo mission to the Minnesota River Valley Wildlife Preserve:


In the summer, Bobo toys with vegetarianism, sampling grass several times a day:


Deer tracks:





It is hard to take good pictures when your dog is really excited and you're holding the leash!

The first goose babies I've seen:


There were many great egrets at the preserve:


Stella and what I believe is a loon in the background:


Now I've returned to the working world, as a waitress! After an eight year hiatus, I think I'm getting the hang of modern serving, that is, with computerized ordering and credit card machines. Come visit me at the new Brasa on Grand Avenue in St. Paul!

Critterlove,
Wendell!

Spring in the Swamp: the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Preserve part III

Hello Critter-heads!

I hope you're doing well! This seems to be the week when most of the buds on the trees are finally opening, and the earliest crocuses and hyacinths are at their peak. Plus this flower which is my all-time favorite color:


It's called the Siberian Squilla. (I didn't know that before.) I need one billion bulbs for my whole yard, methinks.

To celebrate the warm weather on Saturday, R and I thought it was time to expose our dog Stella to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Being a super-dog, Stella leapt over this raging torrent:


We went out on a pier to expand our view of the sky and sea:


Is that a swan in the background?


I warned Stella to be on the lookout for the Wild Beaver:


We headed into the forest trail. I think this could be the Minnesota State Flower, the Showy Lady Slipper. Or maybe its orchid cousin, the Moccasin Flower.

We'll have to go back to see!

The one blooming flower we saw was the lovely Marsh Marigold:


I love little springs like this:


At this point the walk got VERY exciting. While R and I are animal lovers and photographers, Bobo-dog is a terrier, bred to hunt quickly moving small critters! A rodent narrowly escaped her initial pounce. Stella's second leap off trail resulted in this critter getting the heck out of there:

(Can you spot the garter snake)!?!

Unfortunately Stella did successfully root another rodent out of the leaves...perhaps a gopher? It may have been left the worse for wear. I felt badly about this, but then again, as a rodent in a giant wildlife preserve, it might not be the best idea to live right next to the trail!

Encouraged by her previous hunting skills, Stella strongly believed she could catch some geese:


Check out the Minnesota River Valley Preserve; fun for the whole family!




Huggies,
Wendell!