July 31

Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings.  ~ Robert Benchley

Siena Forest

Theatre L’Homme Dieu will hold its second drive-in performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 31, when an uncommon Minneapolis opera company delivers a mashup of opera and musical theater.

Performers with Out of the Box will mix 19th century opera tunes with 20th century musical theater to create an evening of romance and comedy. Called “Love at a Distance,” it stars soprano Siena Forest, her husband, bass-baritone Luke Williams, and tenor David Walton, and is accompanied by Carson Rose Schneider on piano.

Out of The Box artistic director David Lefkowich is known for his unconventional strategies to bring opera to new audiences, including Diva Cage Matches that pit soprano against soprano in a wrestling ring, complete with judges, a master of ceremonies and an operatic death for the loser. The company’s fusion series combines opera with other forms of music, such as gospel and jazz.

For the theater’s outdoor performances, cars will face the stage and be appropriately distanced. Attendees can choose to stay in their cars and listen to the performance on FM radio or bring lawn chairs and sit outside.

The theater had a full summer schedule planned before the coronavirus pandemic brought a halt to performances throughout the country. It has put in place the following safety measures:

• Patrons who feel sick or has COVID-19 symptoms should go home.
• Cars must be parked in designated parking places. They will be grouped by size to ensure quality sight lines for all patrons.
• Only theater-goers who live together should be in a vehicle together.
• Alcohol is not permitted.
• Restroom facilities are not available except in case of emergency.
• Masks are required for those who get out of their cars.
• Patrons should not approach other guests.
• Theater-goers who leave their cars should sit close to their vehicle and practice social distancing.

Luke Williams

OK, my turn . . . 

[First shot of the day.  The light shining in our bedroom window awakened me in the wee small hours of the morning.  Not too bad for a hand held shot . . . ]

[I believe all operatic festivities are required to begin with a fine dining activity.  Here the group alights at Interlachen . . . ]

[Because I know about as much about opera as I know about . . . opera, this missive will be interlaced with quotes from those who actually know (or pretend to know) something about the subject matter . . . ]

[The Super knitted (crocheted?) a mask for Karin, making them pandemic twins . . . ]

[Arrival at the venue . . . ]

[From our box seats location . . . ]

[Random backwards shots over my head at the arriving aficionados . . . ]

The new nine muses are Commerce, Operatic Music, Amor, Publicity, Manufacture, Liberty of Speech, Plural Voting, Gastronomy, Private Hygiene, Seaside Concert Entertainments, Painless Obstetrics and Astronomy for the People.  ~  James Joyce

[These are either theater board members, or baseball fans.  I guess you could be both . . .]

[Known to be local practitioners of vocal talents . . . ]

[Never met a jazz or blue grass concert they didn’t like . . . ]

[A shout out again to a board member and sponsor of the event . . . ]

[Who was that masked man?]

I can’t listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland.  ~  Woody Allen

[Executive Director Nicole Mulder takes the stage with Out of The Box artistic director David Lefkowich to introduce the program . . . ]

No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible.  ~ W. H. Auden

[Let ‘er rip!!]

Staid middle age loves the hurricane passions of opera.  ~  Mason Cooley

[And a brief introduction as to what Out of the Box is all about . . . ]

The activity of a singer that sings opera is similar to that of an athlete.  ~  Andrea Bocelli

In opera, there is always too much singing.  ~  Claude Debussy

[Leading off, tenor David Walton (not to be confused with the Boy Tenor of the local Salty Dogs) . . . ]

For me, a diva is like the great opera singer, the great film star – out of reach, in their own world, with a real gift for invention: attention-demanding performance artists with a flamboyant, compelling sense of their own importance so special and inimitable it verges on the alien.  ~  Grace Jones

Even in today’s opera world, the position of the black tenor is problematic.  ~  Bobby Short

[Batting 2nd, soprano Siena Forest . . . ]

What opera isn’t violent? Two things happen, violence and love. And other than that, name something else. You can’t.  ~  Cab Calloway

[And the bass, Luke Williams . . . ]

Sergio Leone has this weird western opera thing.   ~  Ethan Coen

[And it may have been somewhere around here that Siena mentioned she had to kiss David during a performance.  He had eaten chili as the pre-performance meal, and she found that a bit unsettling.  She said one should always cleanse one’s mouth before such a performance.  And she noted that he tells that story on himself . . . ]

[Which begs the question, I wonder if I . . . ]

When you are up close to an opera singer, hearing this incredible volume of noise coming from a human being – it’s beyond belief.  ~  Eve Best

The opera always loses money. That’s as it should be. Opera has no business making money.  ~  Rudolph Bing

The favorite thing I like to do is nothing. I’m such an expert at doing nothing. I have a boat. I make training films for the Coast Guard. I listen to a great deal of opera.  ~  Charles Nelson Reilly

The voice muscle doesn’t last forever. I have a lot of friends who are classical and opera singers. My friend Beverly Sills stopped singing in her 50s, so I’m careful with mine. But I’ll keep going as long as it lets me.  ~  Johnny Mathis

I also met, early on Ella Fitzgerald. Her songbooks are some of the most amazing bodies of work.  ~  Johnny Mathis  [Full disclosure:  I have “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Songbook,” one of my all-time favorites.]

More and more, we’re used to taking things in through the eyes rather than through the ears, and opera is more of a spectacle.  ~  Daniel Barenboim

[A wonderful evening of opera . . . ]

[and of show tunes . . . ]

[of fun . . . ]

[brought to us by people of extraordinary voice . . . ]

[on a beautiful evening in Vacationland USA . . . ]

[Many thanks again to Out of the Box opera company . . . ]

[Who know how to bow like opera performers . . . ]

Opera is the most complete art form. It includes drama, acting, technology (lighting), art (the sets), dance, and the epitome of the human voices. But mostly, go for the glorious music. The arts are crucial to the life of every community.  ~  Karen DeCrow

[We’re going to hold them to their desire . . . ]

[To come back to TLHD again some day . . . ]

[We enjoyed after the show commingling, masked of course . . . ]

[The Super was particularly excited to discover . . . ]

[That Siena and Mark are Indiana University alums . . . ]

[We should have asked for a rendition of “Indiana, Our Indiana” . . . ]

[Didn’t take any live videos.  Not kosher, certainly if not OK’ed.  In lieu thereof, a very recent YouTube post by one of our favorites (we have CD’s to prove it) . . . ]

[Here we all are – a panoramic shot with the new camera.  Until next time . . . ]

Opera in English, is about as sensible as baseball in Italian.  ~  H.L. Mencken

Up Next:  Surprise me . . .

July 30

In times of pandemic shutdown, what could be more fun than watching a slideshow of someone’s 2004 family vacation?  In continuation, therefore, we bring you such national treasures as Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, bison, Yellowstone, Little Bighorn (closed), and the iconic Devils Tower.

[To my knowledge, this still exists . . . ]

[This as well?]

[Brother Cam’s favorite place in the country . . . ]

[The national ungulate . . . ]

[Also featuring biological lawn mowers . . . ]

[A la the Grand Canyon, the first sighting is breathtaking . . . ]

[And to think, 40.5 million years ago this did not exist . . . ]

[Then it was subsequently discovered by Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind . . . ]

[Our neighbor’s (on Lake Darling) daughter has climbed this at least twice . . . ]

[We decided against attempting a climb . . . ]

[Because the boulder field at the bottom appear impassable . . . ]

[Closed!  No, not for repairs, but who remembers there were national park funding issues even way back then . . . ]

[A river, I’m guessing the Yellowstone . . . ]

[Yes, as the people, we enjoyed it . . . ]

[A thermal tower (no, not the Super) . . . ]

[Yellowstone, as we usually perceive it . . . ]

[And we end with . . . ]

[Wolf pack followers.]

It is by the goodness of god that in our country we have those 3 unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.  ~ Mark Twain

Up Next:  Likely archival . . .

July 26

Maybe this world is another planet’s Hell.  ~  Aldous Huxley

Our tools are inadequate to mend the harm done by racism, mass incarceration, inadequate housing, poverty, and cruel immigration policies.  ~  Colleen M. Farrell, MD, Bellevue Hospital

On this Sunday, Mother Nature fought back.  And on this day, the pandemic, the economy, the racism, at least momentarily, took a back seat to a perfect summer day . . . 

[And what could be more summer-y?]

[Our sunflower and its new siblings . . . ]

[Its’s summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime . . . ]

No man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices.  ~  Edward R. Murrow

[And somehow in the midst of all this, a bee aids our survival . . . ]

[Don’t worry, bee happy . . . ]

[The Super and I were able to give the reasonably humble abode a complete once-over, to include a few plumbing projects, before venturing out into the day . . . ]

Some men know that a light touch of the tongue running from a woman’s toes to her ears, lingering in the softest way possible in various places in between, given often enough and sincerely enough, would add immeasurably to world peace.  ~  Marianne Williamson

If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.   ~  Maurice Maeterlinck

When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee’s house some day.  ~  Congo Proverb

[Our tall, lean friend decided to spend the day island hopping . . . ]

Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is no fearfully neglected.  ~  George McDonald

[After lo these many months, the AMGC (Anthony Miltich Fan Club) was finally able to reunite on the Lure Lakebar patio hard by the shores of Lake Le Homme Dieu  . . . ]

[Club members were properly distanced . . . ]

[Just a short walk from their home . . . ]

[And behind us, a bad, over the shoulder shot . . . ]

[With boats in the background . . . ]

The comfortable people in tight houses felt pity at first, and then distaste, and finally hatred for the migrant people.  ~  John Steinbeck

[And I’ll have another Corona Extra – thanks . . . ]

[Texting her music review to Rollingstone . . . ]

[A proud wearer of the N95 mask . . . ]

[Anthony opted for the Leinie’s Summer Shandy . . . ]

[I hadn’t videoed Anthony for a long time.  But it was such a nice day, I asked if there was a particular song he’d like me to shoot (at least his legs wouldn’t be backlit).  He said he recently learned this song and liked it.  It was a song for a wedding . . . ]

The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.  ~  Hubert Humphrey

Farewell Angelina – July 15

OK, we didn’t think we could have any type season in this our 60th year.  Yet somehow, in the midst of the pandemic, Executive Director Nicole Mulder was able to perform her magic to attract Farewell Angelina to our campus.  They were on the original schedule for the season, but like all performing artists have been in total shutdown until now.  They were delighted to be here – they noted for their first drive in concert – and we were delighted they came.  Everybody was distanced in accordance with the rules – and you could sit outside your car – but those who didn’t could listen easy enough with the aid, if desired, of 97.1 FM.  And in their cars, they could honk their appreciation of each song, to the delight of the performers.  Thus, with further adieu . . . 

JULY 15, 2020
4:30PM & 7:00PM
OUTDOOR CONCERT!!

[The line up before entry – each car guided to a specific spot to maintain distancing . . . ]

[Someday, that power line will be put underground . . . ]

[The stage was on loan from another theater – it worked perfectly.  This was from our vantage point . . . ]

[A blind backward shot with the Super still in our car and others filling in behind . . . ]

[The anticipation builds . . . ]

[And here they are, from Nashville – a video of self-introductions . . . ]

[Arrival on stage, in admiration of the weather in Vacationland USA . . . ]

[Introductions, acknowledgements, and thank yous from Nicole . . . ]

[And away we go . . . ]

[And on loan from a neighboring attendee . . . ]

[In the meantime, in between time, ain’t we got fun . . . ]

[The technicians . . . ]

[Then some guy wandered through the crowd for close-up shots . . . ]

[Oh, ‘hi’ Paul . . . ]

[Of all the shots, this would have been the favorite but it was slightly out of focus . . . ]

[A 75-minute show, with no intermission, in hopes of making “potty” trips unnecessary.  And allowed for the group to have a break before the 7:00 show.  It was scheduled to have more attendees of likely younger fans . . . ]

[And a complete song for your wining and dining pleasure . . . ]

[Yep, another fan has been created.  10 of us from the early show (the blue plate special crowd) then went to Interlachen for outdoor dining.  It appeared to be unanimous among us that the group and performance were terrific . . . ]

Attendance addendum:  4:30 show – 52; 7:00 show – 73.

Theater is life with the dull bits cut out.  ~  Alfred Hitchcock

Up Next:  Surprise me . . .

July 15

From the Cub Reporter’s source on everything Alexandria:  “Dick Wiles built it as Bronc’s on Broadway. He was an heir to Sunshine Biscuits. The little baker on the box of Cheez Its was his grandfather. He grew up summers at the Minnesouri Angling Club on Lake Miltona. There were two houses there. The turret on the restaurant was part of the Frank Englund home and was the only thing Dick saved from that house. His first idea was a casual rib joint, p-nuts on the floor. Janet Baker, a bonified chef, his wife at the time wanted fine dining. It was a special occasion venue and a county of 30k could not sustain it. When they divorced Dick shut it down. Then the Bistodeaus bought it, added more dining to the north and the gift shop extending out from the building back by the alley, the gazebo and the lawn. Frank sold it to Jill Blashack and Joni Nielson from a Tastefully Simple. They incorporated some TS products into the menu. They ran it for about three years and shut it down. They put it up for sale. Mark Weston wanted it but he and Joni were $300k apart and he knew he couldn’t cash flow it so he walked. Chris Anderson (Anderson’s Outpost out on State Park Rd Carlos) opened it for one summer. Then it sat empty until Jason Mueller opened one of his Bello Cucina’s there. He is a genius. He got divorced, had a heart attack and closed it. I think he is involved in some way with the new development. I hope so. The building probably sat empty as long or longer than it was open. There ya go. Roy always says, “If you ask Patty the time she’ll tell you how to build a watch”! 😂 The big house on the left was the Frank W. and Mildred Danielson home. Mildred was my mom’s sister. The house on the right was the Englund home with the turret.  Aunt Mildred’s home was torn down years before Dick bought the turret house. He built Bronc’s from the ground up in about 1986.  And feel free to share our family picture. Gloria Danielson Watson, my cousin from Class of ’63 grew up in the big house.  Dick had a bar shipped from Ireland. His daughter asked me about it yesterday. I think this is part of the back bar. At least it was rescued. The girls gave me all the old Alexandria framed and matted photos that had hung in the Broncs. Out of everything at Wileswood, when they asked me what I wanted, they were amazed I said those pictures. I should have asked for the solid sterling box that had belonged to Adolf Eichmann. Bad juju! Side note. Dick Schultz from Best Buy bought Wileswood after Dick died.”  See, I told you.

[Upon the news of current events . . . ]

[We’re going to the red dot in the middle, then crossing the street to the south . . . ]

[When I Googled “Bronc’s, Alexandria,” this is what I got . . . ]

[Old Broadway . . . ]

[Bello Cucina . . . ]

[Rune, the new structure to built on the entire block with a scheduled completion for the end of 2021 . . . ]

[Your crack snoop reporter on the beat . . . ]

[Some shots of Bello Cucina.  Back in the days of Old Broadway, we ate all our special occasion meals there.  Mom’s birthdays, when she always ordered prime rib, with a couple martinis, in the corner, in the library . . . ]

[Then on July 15th, the entire block began to disappear . . . ]

[Opening a view to the armory on the other side of Broadway . . . ]

[The last vestiges of Bello’s still standing on the left . . . ]

[The Edward Jones building on the corner will remain.  Back in the day, that was the location of Vernon Studio, where all the high school classes (including ’65) had their graduation photos taken . . . ]

[Now looking back toward 3rd Avenue . . . ]

[And view from the corner of 3rd Avenue, looking south into downtown . . . ]

[Lotsa changes going on in the old home town . . . ]

The duty we owe to history is to rewrite it.  ~  Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish writer

Up Next:  More out West?

July 14

Continuing our stupendous driving tour through the Great American West.  I’ve figured out it was spring.  I can’t remember the impetus for this trip (CRS?).  We had the big Ford Expedition then – a most comfortable road car that got about 3 gallons to the mile . . .

[Here we are driving along side of a running body of water . . . ]

[A charcoal factory . . . ]

[Indigenous ungulates . . . ]

[Another indigenous ungulate, of the genus “elkteroptera” . . . ]

[I have no idea or remembrance of?  Maybe where the deer and antelope play . . . ]

[Generic scenery (cheaper than the brand name) . . . ]

[Lest you can’t read, “This is Jackson Hole” . . . ]

[Lest you can’t read (part deux), this is “Grand Teton National Park.”  In each photo, human beings were added to bring perspective . . . ]

[The Tetons . . . ain’t they Grand?]

[As I recall, we drove on to Jenny Lake . . . ]

[I believe the following 3 photos were over, under, around, and through Jenny Lake . . . ]

[Downtown Jackson Hole with background ski slopes . . . ]

[The Super felt beknighted here . . . ]

[This statue may now be under review . . . ]

[We have obviously left the Tetons . . . ]

[To a land of some hoodoos . . . ]

[Could this be Yellowstone?]

[I don’t recall . . . ]

[But it sure looks like a Grand Canyon rim trail?]

[Must be Yellowstone . . . ]

[Must be a tourist in Yellowstone . . . ]

[My first thought was a German CPA enjoying his annual 5 weeks of vacation; my second thought was, just shoot the damn picture . . . ]

Keep your hands off my Tetons!  ~  Jackson Hole slogan

Up Next:  More West . . .

July 12

OK, I should have realized there would be more photos of Grand Canyon 2004.  Apologies.  But what I have deducted from finding ‘Part deux’ is that these photos are from film – Kodachrome 25, to be exact.  A film so popular that Paul Simon wrote a song about it.  I recall that because with the printed photos of the era, you would get a CD of those photos as part of the developing process –  and the most standard roll came with 24 exposures. And from other CD’s of the time I now recall this part of a ‘big ass’ driving tour of the American West.  (A member of the Fat Boys Walking Club recently had a couple of medical appointments.  When asked how they went, he replied he had CRS.  Requesting an interpretation, he replied ‘Can’t Remember Shit.’) . . .

[Mr. Tourist on the canyon’s Rim Trail . . . ]

[The Super, providing perspective . . . ]

[Heading to Zion National Park.  ISO, The Whole-in-Wall Gang . . . ]

[Hoodoos in Zion (though mostly associated with Bryce Canyon . . . ]

[When you do, that hoodoo, that you know, so well . . . ]

[Angel’s Landing in Zion – as I’ve previously noted, I “climbed” the thing in the 80’s . . . ]

[And an unobstructed view . . . ]

[This I remember!  Is there something about traffic jams?]

[Checkerboard or crossword puzzle?]

[Lake Powell in Northern Arizona . . . ]

[So made by the Glen Canyon Dam . . . ]

[I remember the water level was very low and yet when we crossed over into Page, AZ, the sprinklers were running on the golf courses . . . ]

[And here we are back at the big canyon again . . . ]

[The Super reflecting a morning chill . . . ]

[Quite a place . . . ]

[A photo sighting of the trail down . . . ]

[And I’m going to assume this is Bright Angel Trail . . . ]

[I’m not a tourist, but I play one in blog posts . . . ]

In fact, just about all the major natural attractions you find in the West – the Grand Canyon, the Badlands, the Goodlands, the Mediocrelands, the Rocky Mountains and Robert Redford – were caused by erosion.  ~  Dave Barry

Up Next:  Whatever I continue to find in the lower drawer . . .

July 9

We’re in a pandemic.  We’re not going anywhere.  It’s Throwback Thursday.  For the first time since I bought it several months ago, I tried out a USB port required CD reader (since they are no longer contained in laptops) and this was the first one read.  BTW, Joey Chestnut recently broke his own record by eating 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes.  Well, I just ate one in the same period of time, but then mine came garnished with chips and a pickle.  Chestnut ingested 42,000 calories during his world-record feat, but then, like a snake, he won’t have to eat again for six months.  What’s the fun in that?

I don’t remember what camera I had in 2004.  This was also the era of transition in photography from film to digital.  Again, not sure what I had.  And in conclusion, this was not the first trip to the Grand Canyon for either of us – but it was the first such trip for us as couple of the month from the SW shores of beautiful Lake Darling.  A trip highlight was lunching at the park lodge.  A table of six behind us asked if we were the Oberts.  We turned and asked how did they know?  They said they got our credit card back from our concurrent bill paying.  Leading to further discussion, we learned they were from . . .  Fergus Falls.  Stuff happens . . .

Baseball, it is said, is only a game.  True.  And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.  ~  George Will                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Up Next:  Depends on what I find on the CD reader . . .

We are now in the midst of our 17th week thusly.   We are venturing outside more as weather permits.  We do not expect to venture anywhere indoors for the foreseeable future . . . 

July 3

[The Fat Boys Walking Club returning from its 6 days-a-week amble along The Central Lakes State Trail, a 55 mile former railroad route turned paved bike trail that runs through 3 counties and 10 communities. This trail begins in Fergus Falls and ends in Osakis . . . ]

[The boys ambling toward the Big Ole parking lot, along side the newest additions to Big Ole Park – musical instruments available to do your best impressions of Lionel Hampton . . . ]

[The other four guys continued their walk while I stopped for these photos . . . ]

[The Big Ole garden . . . ]

[The Big Ole Farmers Market . . . ]

[The Big Ole welcome to Alexandria . . . ]

[Followed by our afternoon visit to Carlos Creek Winery . . . ]

[Erik Schultz was flying solo.  We brought our own chairs to socially distance . . . ]

[Winery owner Tami Bredeson stopped by for a chat.  Later, we joined Erik and Kathy for dining in the alley at the Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]

July 5

[Patchouli at Carlos Creek – a fine way to top off the holiday weekend.  You may have noticed we skipped the 4th – that’s because we did . . . ]

[Due to a camera faux pas (OK, it’s on me as an aging Cub Reporter), I came home from the day to find I had no photos on the memory chip.  I can only figure it must have been askew in the camera and I hadn’t noticed it.  Absent live photos, here are some I must have borrowed from the internet at one time or another.  The first is an example of Bruce’s artwork, all featuring guitars . . . ]

[Bruce and Julie sitting on . . . a Rubik’s Cube?]

[My guess is Naples or Marco Island, where they hide out and perform in winters . . . ]

[If any of my crowd shots would have turned out, they would have looked something like this . . . ]

[And then we came home for the end of the only live sporting event we have . . . ]

July 6

[Just a generic shot of a many a day activity to pass the time . . . it’s puzzling?  And with our access to PBS Online, we spend our afternoons watching episodes of such as “Unforgotten,” Professor T,” “The Tunnel” . . . ]

[An evening Zoom meeting between SHAPESHIFT, a Minneapolis dance collective, whose founder performed with Prince’s band 3rdEyeGirl and which has danced in front of 20,000 strong at Xcel Energy Center, was created on the fly.  Seven years ago, Creative Director, Ashley Selmer and a collective of then 9 dancers, joined together to create a one time show for their generation – something fresh and innovative that would feature all types of dancers from various socio-economic backgrounds, trained in dance styles from hip-hop, contemporary, to modern and Ballet (from their website) . . . ]

[And board members and interested patrons of Theatre L’Homme Dieu . . . ]

[We’ve teamed up with SHAPESHIFT again to continue the talkback. Those of you who experienced this powerful work on stage are invited to (virtually) join me and the cast of SHAPESHIFT for a conversation and reflection in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.  ~  Nicole Mulder, Executive Director, TLHD]

July 7

[Just another day in Vacationland USA . . . ]

Whenever . . .

[Some day we will be released to once again become serious shoppers, as so identified here in the Arlington (VA) Journal, December 27, 1994 . . . ]

If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters — 204 if you’re in Japan.  ~ Claire Cook

Up Next:  Only COVID knows . . .

June 19

After 12 weeks of quarantine, we ventured out for outdoor dining at the golf club a couple weeks ago.  We maintained spacing for our first social event of the season – the usual suspects were there.  We have subsequently ventured out to other venues – the first criteria required is that they be outside.  We expect to do something inside by 2027 . . .  

[On the shores of beautiful Lake Irene, 13.2 miles north of Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[We joined fellow winos here on a lovely day.  It was a venture of first impression for Karin and Dave.  We all enjoyed wine flights, with some Redhead Creamery Havarti cheese (more on that later).  We hadn’t paid a visit to our friends’, Polly and Dave, winery for a quite a while but hopefully made up for it with a case of their finest . . . ]

[6 of each . . . ]

June 20

[The next day we joined Karen and Dave again, along with their daughter Jody from Chicago, at Carlos Creek Winery.  Our first visit of the season there as well.  They appeared to be doing well in keeping within the pandemic guidelines.  Only one masked person at a time at the bar to order wine – then take it to your outside tables for . . . ]

[Josie, in believed to be her 10th season performing here.  Soon to be 21, she’s heading into her senior year of college and has applied for medical school . . . ]

[In doctor school, she’ll learn how to suture and thus repair her jeans . . . ]

[We had a nice properly distanced visit with her folks and grandma as we left . . . ]

June 24

[As a prelude to our usual Wednesday fine dining at the golf club, we took a drive out to Theatre L’Homme Dieu to see how things are trending on campus.  Along the way, one passes Rotary Beach on Lake Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

[A beautiful evening with lots of boat traffic . . . ]

[The beach has a lovely bottom, not unlike Jennifer Lawrence (can I say that?) . . . ]

[The Super and I would dip here when we were living with Mom while our Lake Darling home was being built . . . ]

[We really don’t miss not having a boat?]

[We can run through the sprinkler at home . . . ]

[I’m not sure how many people know Theatre L’Homme Dieu has lake front property . . . ]

[Well, this is it – on Lake Le Homme Dieu, naturally.  The main campus is across the street, on the northside of County Road 120 . . . ]

[Because the theater season remains in flux and is totally dependent on COVID activities, we have not put the dock in this year.  When in, it can accommodate 6 boats for those who choose to come to the theater by water . . . ]

[The entry onto campus . . . ]

[We have removed trees from the south (front) and east (parking) sides of the theater with plans for an extended patio with tables in front and for handicap parking  on the side . . . ]

[The dreary concrete block east side is now looking spiffy painted black . . . ]

[Backtracking to the golf club, Interlachen is the most northern ‘Alex’ restaurant at the intersection of County Roads 42 and 120.  Restaurants with available space have set up covered outside dining areas . . . ]

[Now Rotary Beach is on the left side and Lake Carlos on the right.  This whole stretch of County Road 42 is a designated scenic highway . . . ]

[Next up is Lure Lakebar (previous site of Bug-A-Boo Bay) and next door to Zorbaz . . . ]

[And then the Alexandria Golf Club.  We have covered the patio . . . ]

[But our group prefers the deck . . . ]

[Fine dining . . . ]

[“Here we come . . . Walkin’ down the street . . . We get the funniest looks from . . .  Everyone we meet.  Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees!”]

June 25

[In our continuing efforts to patronize our favorite dining venues, tonight The Garden Bar on 6th.  Again, covered outdoor dining in the alley parking lot.  That’s Jack making sure everything’s OK . . . ]

[That’s the Super . . . ]

[The Super scouring the menu . . . ]

[She ordered the beef and mushroom cavatappi and I beef ramen.  Both tasty . . . ]

[And live entertainment on the red carpet . . . ]

[Terry and Bill’s (Tuesday Night Club) easy listening music with the best acoustics ever (per Terry) . . . ]

[We were joined by Deb and Paul as a prelude to our next scheduled event . . . ]

[Deb is the founder and director of our nonfiction book club . . . ]

[Then it was on to “Say Their Names,” sponsored by Change in Motion, at Big Ole Park.  Here Ruthie visits with some young members . . . ]

[Change in Motion is a new organization that focuses on educating and uplifting diverse cultures in our area . . . ]

[We joined with Deb and Paul (on the left here) after the Garden Bar . . . ]

[And here’s their purpose . . . ]

[Mattie Bogart, an AAHS graduate and upcoming college sophomore, started the program and was joined by AAHS classmate Nikki Botzet . . . ]

[And here’s Deb, showing herself to be ambidextrous . . . ]

[Pamela Turner, Bayton, TX, May 13, 2019; Michael Brown, Ferguson, MO, August 9, 2014]

[The Super with Paterson Brown, Richmond, VA, June 14, 2016 . . . ]

[And me with Phillip White, Vineland, NJ, March 31, 2015 . . . ]

June 26 – Road Trip

[This trip was originally scheduled for the previous week, but the weather then was not conducive to a convertible ride.  This day looked good so off we went on the beginning of a 94.5 mile loop around the greater West Central Minnesota neighborhood . . . ]

[Here and above going straight south on Highway 29 toward Glenwood.  Well known along this route as one gets close to Glenwood are the “booted” fence posts . . . ]

[A bit hard to get a good shot as you’re hurtling along at 60 mph . . . ]

[The Gateway to Glenwood: The intersections of Highways 29 & 55 and the railroad . . . ]

[And we’re here . . . ]

[The first view of Lake Minnewaska . . . ]

[Down the big hill (mountain in Minnesota) to the lake . . . ]

[To the 13th largest lake in the state . . . ]

[Why, thank you!]

[The Pope County stoplight, the heart of town . . . ]

[We are now on Highway 104 continuing our straight south route.  The city beach on the lake ahead . . . ]

[The first planned stop on the trip, Barsness Park.  Amazingly (?), I had never been here before.  Just the other side of the road from the lake, it is surprisingly large and lovely with stuff such as this playground and two woman having coffee at a picnic table . . . ]

[Driving back out toward the lake . . . ]

[Lots of open space . . . ]

[Approaching the lake and Highway 104 again – we’ll hang a left at the stop sign . . . ]

[Shooting back towards town . . . ]

[Lake view on a gorgeous summer day . . . ]

[Along the route, a farm and its pond . . . ]

[Bucolic . . . ]

[Heading into the land of one inhabitant per square mile . . . ]

[Swift Falls, population unknown.  We did not go there, unless I missed it . . . ]

[A 175 acre lake (i.e., about half the size of Lake Cowdry) named for a pastor’s wife (you can’t get this information just anywhere) . . . ]

[The only road sign within a hundred mile radius with 4 road names on it.  No, I don’t know how old the Millpond is . . . ]

[But it led us in to destination number 2 . . . ]

[Terrace is another place of unknown population, but it is 42 acres large and is an historic site . . . ]

[We have a history here and this is it.  More later . . . ]

[The restaurant on the Chippewa River . . . ]

[We know Cimarron . . . ]

[The river . . . ]

[This is truly fly over country . . . ]

[Mostly a photo of the tree . . . ]

[Because it’s such a beautiful setting we probably were here for 20 minutes.  In that time we saw a woman walking a dog and one truck went by.  No other signs of life . . . ]

[The mill falls . . . ]

[And trending out the other side . . . ]

[The Super at the neighboring overlook . . . ]

[Looking back at where I was . . . ]

[Not current construction.  It had a list . . . ]

[As noted on Facebook:  On the road with Ma & Pa Kettle . . . ]

[Historic . . . ]

[And the restaurant across the street.  It does not appear to be open.  It was a destination dining place in the past, and over the years it has had multiple owners . . . ]

[Back in the day, we went to the restaurant at least twice with friends Viv and Bob during the Christmas season for a fine dining experience.  This was December 13, 2006 . . . ]

[We went for eats in the summer as well when the owner chefs were here (one wintered in New York, the other in Florida, back in the day) . . . ]

[Where we were . . . ]

[Interesting street sign arrangement in downtown Terrace . . . ]

[Within feet of each other, “parallel parking” followed by “no parking any time”?]

[And don’t camp either!]

[Moving on to our next stop, a church at the top of the hill . . . ]

[Where Elmer Brandanger is buried (his plaque is on the bridge) . . . ]

[Hey, big boy, lookin’ for a ride?]

[Next up, Sedan, which is at least large enough to have a population . . . ]

[Interesting song on the radio as we pulled into Sedan . . . ]

[Lest you missed it the first time . . . ]

[Downtown Sedan, and that’s about it . . . ]

[An educated guess would be the old school . . . ]

[When you come to the fork in the road, take it.  Padua, population unknown, has (or had) a noted restaurant; Brooten has a population of 746, a relative monster . . . ]

[We, on the other hand, were headed to the Redhead Creamery (with a Brooten address), the major destination of this adventure . . . ]

[Left, then right?]

[It was a 2 1/2 mile gravel road in to get there . . . ]

[While it is a beautiful example of rural Americana . . . ]

[I love this shot.  We met two cars and a big truck heading outbound.  The truck, in particular, created a brown out of a dust storm as it went by . . . ]

[But we finally came upon another sign . . . ]

[Getting close . . . ]

[Thanks!]

[Cows!  We must be there!]

[Indeed!]

[Why I wanted to come here.  The Super had been here a few years ago with the AAUW.  But a full page story in the U of M Alumni Magazine, Summer 2020, was impressive, backed by our trip (at the top of this post) to L’Etoile du Nord where they served Redhead Havarti cheese with the wine tasting, made it a must see destination . . . ]

[This is the store, and restaurant . . . ]

[We bellied up to the menu bar and ordered the baguette to split and two glasses of Burr Vinyards Frontenac (Burr is in Brandon, and owned by friend Florian Ledermann) . . . ]

[I’m starved!]

[Ahhhh, lunch has arrived!]

[Tasty!]

[Loved the baguette (darn, we forgot to ask if they sold them) . . . ]

[Inside for additional purchases.  That’s our server behind the counter.  She took the outside photos of us.  She’s a summer intern, from Lester Prairie, going to school at South Dakota State where she majors in cows . . . ]

[We bought Havarti (of course) and beer cheddar . . . ]

[The Redheads.  We didn’t meet any of them.  I wanted to ask what kind of impact the alumni magazine article has had on their business . . . ]

[Load ’em up . . . ]

[Back to the car . . . ]

[The Super speaks cow . . . ]

[She wouldn’t tell me what they said . . . ]

[We somehow missed “downtown” . . . ]

[The road home, through the mountains of Minnesota, where wind turbines ruled the skyline . . . ]

[Just some along the road shots . . . ]

[When you reach Osakis, you’re as good a home . . . ]

June 27

[The Salty Dogs moved onto the Marquette state at Carlos Creek where Josie worked the previous weekend . . . ]

[Annie, Greg, Annie, and Tom were in mid-season form despite not having performed in many months . . . ]

[Do you see those guys over there?]

[I think they’re talent scouts!]

[Mr. Selfie wraps up the weekend!]

June 9 (2007)

[The last photo in the blog appears in the Facebook post.  I thought this would be a good seasonal grabber, shot somewhere on a back road between Sauk Centre and Alex 13 years ago.]

What is the logic, or reasoning, for hating a fellow human being because of the color of their skin?  ~  Me

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