Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

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Around Here...

I spent some time in our backwoods collecting greens to make some evergreen wreaths. Some of these will adorn our homestead and some, spoiler alert, will soon be sent out to family, as gifts they can enjoy throughout the holiday season.  It was a full afternoon of creating, and I enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit by making these while watching the Thanksgiving Food Network shows. It was a perfect day to complete this creative task.

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Darkness comes early, which is a great opportunity to observe the night sky on clear days.  We recently checked out a high-powered telescope from our local library and we have been enjoying the moon sightings in a magnified way! 

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Winter weather is trying to make its mark. Snow and ice are returning, but at this point, it is still snowing, freezing, and thawing. Soon we will be skiing and on ice, but not quite yet. This morning on a trail run I came across both a frozen pond and open water. 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

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I am enjoying this beautiful time of year by spending time outdoors whenever I can. The gift of flexibility and time during the day is something I appreciate and value. Now in mid-September we have four kids back at school, three kids participating in cross-country, a dad who is home from a successful elk hunting trip, changing leaves, cooler weather, and a blooming garden. Life is good.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

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September is here and already the weather has started to shift. Thankfully we have been getting some precipitation that has helped tame the wildfires that have been consuming the attention of our community and keeping hard-working firefighters and all those supporting their efforts in our nearby wilderness areas busy.
August has been a month of wildfire action. There have been clear days with smokey plumes on the horizon from both the wildfires in Canada and a large fire southeast of town.  There have also been a few very smokey days with limited visibility and poor air quality. On my phenology wheel, I was not only was also tracking the expanded acreage of the nearby Greenwood Fire, which forced both road closures and evacuations. Thankfully firefighters are making good progress on containment and it is no longer an imminent threat to homes and cabins. August has also brought garden abundance. And, I must say. I am in a better place with my feelings about my garden space than I was last time I posted. Maybe I just don't enjoy canning pickles as much as I used to. Harvesting and canning garden tomatoes and salsa has been more enjoyable.  I have also been enjoying my flower garden. I am happy to be providing food for pollinators too! 




These last few weeks of August and the start of September felt good. I am where I need and want to be with my family and I am grateful for that with a new beginning to the school year and I look forward to a few more weeks of the season of summer before the fall equinox. 

This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

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Our garden is taking shape. We have zinnias, snapdragons, hollyhocks, marigolds, and dahlia's blooming. In my garden, I am also growing chives, kale, pickling cucumbers, dill, raspberries, grapes, and lavender. 

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We're still raising a flock of hens and enjoying the gifts of eggs that they provide each day. Our girls get time out of their coop each day to free range in our yard and are living a good life here at the end of the road.

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It is time to say farewell to July. This month we've had blueberries, hot and dry weather, wildfires, and lightning storms.  My phenology wheel practice continues to be something that I enjoy that helps me pay attention and track and appreciate the changes and subtle changes in the natural world. It is time to get set up for the month of August!

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

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I found my first ripe blueberries of the season. With early heat and humidity, and just enough rain. These gifts of the woods have started to appear! 

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Wildflowers are blooming and the garden is taking shape. This year in my garden I have a flower garden plot along with my canning garden staples. I have some zinnias, johnny jump-ups, and lavender blooming and I am enjoying the progression of the rest of the garden expanding from the soil.

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We're getting some form of lake time almost every single day. In, on, or nearby water we enjoy the experiences we can have with such close access to so many beautiful lakes.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

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These two had a successful lake harvest this afternoon. Our temperatures went from hot to cold, but these two bundled up and took to adventure and had a good day together.

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I am continuing to put the miles on my shoes on the trails. Each time I go out I notice subtle changes. Lately it has been blooming marsh marigolds and blueberry blossoms. I am paying attention seeking out the first ladyslipper bloom. Soon too I anticipate seeing turtles looking for sandy areas to lay and bury their eggs. 

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I am doing my best to stay present and grounded. Reminding to take my own advice I offered in the article I wrote for Taproot Magazine Issue 23:ROOTS, to live a life grounded in purpose, but balanced by and embedded with experiences that foster connection and joy. 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

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The kids have been in already! We took a quick trip to our family cabin for the Minnesota fishing opener. The boys caught some walleyes and all four kids were in the lake swimming.

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I have been enjoying the trails. I have been trail running and road running. I try to get out every day. It is good for my mind, body, and soul!

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Spring sports are in full spring. We have one runner in track and three in baseball. We are busy getting them to and from their practices and events and watching their competitions when we can.  

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

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Easter has come and gone. We celebrated this year with a small gathering with two immunized grandparents on a beautiful Spring day. We fried walleye had a "crack-off" tournament, and just enjoyed time together as we are starting to navigate reentering the world of "normal" with adult vaccination immunity. It was a blessing to be able to spend a day together.

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I have been enjoying getting miles on my shoes. I have been road running daily, enjoying this meditative break in my day with my canine running partner. I have been using the time to connect with others via ear-bud phone calls and listening to audiobooks and podcasts. 

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We recently enjoyed a beautiful day trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior. We had a picnic, hiked, threw rocks, and the kids even went into the water up to their knees. It was a lovely escape.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

Around Here...

March has been giving us a mixed bag of weather patterns. Stretches of warm and sunny days and melting snow. It has cold in the evenings and warm during the day making conditions great for lake skiing and biking, playing outside, and just re-energizing with the light of the sun.

The sap has started to run (this photo is actually one from last year). We are going to do a boil this year, my parents are set up and collecting sap from some maples at their winter home for us to boil down later in the season together.Yesterday we woke up to 8+ inches of new snow. Perfect timing for the Minnesota State Nordic Ski Competition our daughter was participating in. With the pandemic, they were limiting spectators, but we all got a piece of the action with the benefit of our alpine season passes. The boys and I embraced the new powder and skied and snowboarded all day yesterday and got to see our pass by during her races from spot in the alpine area where the course passed by.




We are proud of our girl and all of her accomplishments this season. We are also making the most of the opportunites that we have to get out and enjoy the gifts of each season.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

Around Here...

Around here....

We are making the most of time at home.   We are working to be cautious and conscious of how much we spread out these days.  So that has meant, more time at home and more time together, which has been a blessing in its own accord.  We are fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to get outside and play each day and also for other simple things we can do to keep ourselves busy and entertained indoors.

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We are dabbling in our winter outdoor activities in our snow.   It is likely that lots of it will snow with upcoming forecasted temperatures, but so far we have had the opportunity for sledding, skiing, and snowmen!

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We've been online.  I am doing some part-time work online that is connecting me with children and families all over the world.   The top picture is a snapshot from one of the art lessons I have been teaching over zoom at 6:00 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays to middle schoolers in Russia.    Yes, I am teaching art to middle schoolers in Russia.   I have also been doing some work as a K-4 teacher for Oak Meadow, an independent distance learning school that is structurally based in Putney, Vermont.   In this role I am supporting students and families all over the world as well - so far I have families in Egypt, South Korea, Spain, and in all corners of the U.S.   The last picture above is a family portrait I screenshotted from our ZOOM church gathering this past Sunday.

So that's what is happening in our neck of the woods.   I'd love it if you'd reach out and give me an update on what and how you are doing during this crazy and different time we are all navigating.   Take care and stay well!

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?