My Favorite Photos - May 2023

 This month I didn't take nearly as many photos as I have in past months. It's felt like I've been working a lot and have little time to take photos of things beside work (with the exception of Sophia's graduation from college). 

The month of May started out with an event I coordinated at the museum - the season's open house. There were lots of hands-on activities - some old favorites (like "milking" a cow) and many new ones.

The museum partnered with the Living History Society of Minnesota. There were about a half dozen volunteers who dressed in outfits typical of the late-1800s. The women sew all the clothing they wear which is very impressive!

After the open house, there was a 51st birthday party for the museum. My sister and nephew were there. A friend who I've known for many years also showed up and we all had a nice conversation that evening.

The following week, I was assigned to go on a field trip to the Minnesota Zoo because there was a student who has a track record of just getting up and leaving when he no longer wants to listen or be a part of the activity. He and I get along well, so we go to spend the day together. I brought my camera and let him use it. He had never held or used a camera before. 

Within a half hour of being at the zoo, another student who I enjoy working with asked if he could be chaperoned by me. The teacher gave her permission, so the two sixth-grade boys and I spent the day together. Between the two of them, they took over 400 photos. 

We enjoyed exploring the zoo together at our own pace and having lunch together. It was starting to sink in that we only had a few more weeks together before summer break and of them both going to middle school next year. 

One of the things that saddened me was the snow monkey who somehow found a piece of gum and was playing with it. I later found out it was one of the sixth grader's chewed gum that the monkey had. I'm not sure if she spit it into the monkey's enclosure or if it fell out of her mouth. Regardless, it showed me how careless and thoughtless some kids can be. I'm glad I was with the two boys I was with that day. They, like me, were sad about the snow monkey and how a lot of kids were laughing at it as it played with the gum. 

Back to more cheerful subjects. I got assigned again to help the two sixth-graders on track and field day. Both challenged themselves to do the hurdles which was something neither had done. They both did well. Did they receive a ribbon? No, but they pushed themselves to do something different. 

Around the 20th of the month, I went to an exhibit at the county historical society. The museum is very well done.

Fast forward to the end of the month. Sophia's social work pinning ceremony was on the night before she graduated from college. Each of the social work students had a display board that presented their research findings based on their senor field work. 

That evening, we went to dinner at a Thai restaurant. The spring roll were delicious! I would definitely order them again. 

On Saturday, May 27th, Sophia graduated from college with a 3.94. So, the top honor: summa cum laude. 

The purple stole is for being a Page Education Foundation scholar. The foundation provided funding to Sophia to help with her education.

  

It is so hard to believe that she was once a little girl who I homeschooled. We learned, laughed, and discovered so much together. Now, she far exceeds me academically and did work that was out of my realm of experience and knowledge.

After graduation, we all went to dinner at Namaste, an Indian restaurant. It reminded us of our trip last year to London where there were a lot of Indian restaurants. 

After graduation, we moved both the girls out of their dorms/suites. Olivia was done right away. Sophia, on the other hand, had a much more extensive packing and cleaning job. It took much of the day to get her moved out. This is Olivia by the dorm she lived in during her freshman year.

After dropping off Olivia at home, I went to the museum for Immigrant for a Day. I had planned all the activities, but others (staff and volunteers) set it up for me. This was one of the activities - a miniature box baler. This (on a larger scale) was how hay and straw was baled. 

Another activity was writing on a slate like they would have done on the late-1800s. 

On Memorial Day morning, Sophia - who just had graduated from college two days earlier - was headed to the Baltics with the Wind Symphony. It was their final international trip of their college career.

While she was flying overseas, I was at the local cemetery listening and watching the Memorial Day ceremony. When my dad was buried at Fort Snelling, there was a multi-gun salute. I kept two the metal cases from the bullets...just like I did with the bullets from the salute to him. 

And that's May. 

The Good Among the Great - Book Notes

Recently I read a book called The Good Among the Great by Donald Van de Mark. People who are great tend to possess similar qualities that the author noted in his book. One person he said embodies all of the qualities is Meryl Streep. Each person, though, is able to work towards these qualities.

Below are the qualities and information from the book that I thought was interesting.

BE UNIQUELY YOU (AUTONOMOUS)

- It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction. (Warren Buffett)
- We are a product of choice, millions of choices that we make throughout our lives.
- It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. E.E. Cummings
- Individuals who are on their own paths...not copycats or followers. And they certainly don't worry about what others think about them. They're rarely insecure about their appearance, behavior, or life choices. They seem assured, independent, and even sometimes detached or aloof. They rarely depend on anyone but themselves. They often don't subscribe to the norms and fashions to which most adhere.
- Try to make things right with those you've wronged.
- If your routine is drudgery and if you're afraid or feel exhausted, then you are not on your path.
- They've often worked very hard for their money and consider wasting it foolish, even sinful.
- Be honest with yourself about your evolving needs, wants, likes, and dreams.
- Respect and feed your animal appetites - eat, love, and exercise.

August 2008

- Plan and then make shifts so that you spend more time being where you want to be, working where and with whom you want to work, being with whom you want to be.
- Encourage others, especially children, to follow their dreams, large and small.

Sophia with a hand-beaded necklace she made in 2018.

She won a Grand Championship award at the State Fair for it.

HAVE LASTING LOVE (LOVING)

- Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. (Lao Tzu)
- No one has the time and energy to truly love more than a handful of people at any given point in his or her lifetime.
- They tend to be kind to nearly everyone, especially children.
- There are other places to focus your energy: work, animals, nature, art, and being creative.

Olivia and Sophia seeing a butterfly they raised ready to be released.

- Show love by respecting your children. Give them freedom as well as support.
- Demonstrate rather than declare your love.

BE TRUE-BLUE (ETHICAL)

- People who are unethical have to compartmentalize their choices, their thinking, and behavior.
- Your reputation is your personal currency among everyone who knows you.
- Every time you are called to make a decision, remember that many choices move you toward or away from being a better person and having a better life.

Choosing to volunteer at the nursing home was incredibly rewarding.

- Measure your choices by your inner, higher values more than the world's material values.
- Focus on creating a whole and integrated personality, routine, and existence.

TUNE OUT TRENDS AND TRAFFICKERS (UNAFFECTED)

- Those who feel and stand apart from the rest of us are the ones who lead us.
- After you're away from the media for an extended period of time, you will be startled how silly and invasive many media messages feel.
- Commit to taking a sabbatical once a week from electronic media.
- Take a minimum one-week holiday every year from the news.
- Escape societal chatter by going to parks, beaches, and the wilderness.

Canoeing at Gunflint Lodge in 2013.

- Don't be afraid to stand up and say, "This is wrong!" even if no one stands with you.
- Do what feels true to who you are - not what appears cool or fashionable to anybody else.

PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY (PRIVATE)

- Prize and protect your privacy with vigilance.
- Spend at least several hours each week in your own company without the distractions of the television, the internet, or other people.

I spend time looking at the flowers growing in our yard.

Taken in August 2020.

- If you are seeking satisfaction through recognition, you are not seeking it from within.
- If recognized, remember the cycle of human commentary - if you're celebrated today, you'll be torn down tomorrow.

STAND BACK (DETACHED)

- Quiet your internal mind chatter with meditation, nature, creative pursuits, music, and exercise.

A monarch we raised and released in August 2020.

- Don't be afraid of appearing detached, odd, or aloof; intense concentration may make you appear this way to others.
- Don't smother your children. Respect them enough to honor their independence. That's respectful, not needy love.

GET OUT THE DOOR (EXPERIENTIAL)

- Organize new adventures for the whole family.

We had fun go-karting on August 16, 2020, in

St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.

- Try a new route to work.
- Take your next vacation in a place you've never been.
- Choose one night a week to cook and taste new foods.
- Read a book in a genre you've never read.
- Wear a piece of clothing that is distinctly foreign.
- Take a class in some subject you've always found intriguing.

DON'T KID YOURSELF (REALISTIC)

- Resist the urge to always have an answer; practice saying, "I don't know."

I don't even pretend to know the answers about baseball. 

- Don't exaggerate or understate. Precision in language will tighten your thinking and improve your judgment.

CHILL OUT (LAID BACK)

- Relish the present instead of questioning past choices and events or rushing toward "what's next."

It's hard to believe that this was just two years ago in September.

We were enjoying a stop at Eichtens to sample cheeses and dips, 

and doing other fun fall-themed activities. 

- Resist the tendency to predict. Many forecasts are born of fear and discomfort, not knowledge.

TAP DANCE TO WORK (PERFORMANCE AND PROCESS ORIENTED)

- We work to become, not to acquire. (Elbert Hubbard)
- Create a daily routine tailored to your wants and talents, not just your needs or the needs of others.
- Be alert to what excites you.

Trying my hand at new types of art excites me.

This is my fused glass project before it went into the kiln.

- Seek and learn to enjoy time along.

RESPECT ALL SOULS (EGALITARIAN)

- Treat everyone with respect - especially your subordinates.

Volunteers who helped with Olivia's 4-H OWLS project.

She planned this public garden that has native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses.

The plants all benefit early-migrating birds, pollinators, butterflies, and

other wildlife. (Taken on August 22, 2020.)

- Being smarter or more capable does not make you better. There's much more to being a better human being than being clever and accomplished.

LAUGH WITH ME (JOLLY)

- Laugh at your aches and pains.

Getting ready for surgery - October 2019.

- Observe and enjoy comedians who get laughs without being hostile, aggressive, superior, or smutty.
- Never make jokes at other people's expense.

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU (EMPATHIC)

- Empathy is the first step toward anticipating others' needs and wants - invaluable in business and all aspects of service to others.

Sophia after foot surgery in July 2017.

- Being sensitive to others is not a sign of weakness but a sign of awareness, which is a strength.

BE PROACTIVE (DUTIFUL)

- Duty is born of a sense of kinship with all humanity.
- No contribution or bit of honest effort is too small.

Volunteers at the Service Project Sampler Day that I coordinated.

- Help out in areas where you already have desire and skill.

DELIGHT IN THE DAY-TO-DAY (APPRECIATIVE)

- Be grateful that while much of life is not in your control, much is.
- Appreciate what you don't know, how much you can learn, and how much remains a mystery - and in that lies great possibility, hope, and risk.

A beautiful sunset in October 2018.

- Regularly take ten minutes to be outside. While you're out, fully engage each and every one of your senses and appreciate those natural things that delight you.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY (CREATIVE)

- Find quiet time alone regularly.
- Encourage and participate in artistic endeavors, no matter how simple.
- Keep a notepad or recorder in the car.
- Sensory experience suspends analytical thing and spurs creativity. take a hot shower, go outdoors, take a long walk, swim, or immerse yourself in nature.

One of the newest flowers in our backyard garden.

- Schedule time for daydreaming and time with no purpose.
- If you have children or pets - let them choose the game or activity and encourage them to create games of their own making.
- Change your routine routinely.
- Use your hands.

A window star I made in March 2020.

- Think of the creative process as one of allowing rather than doing.

SHOULD OUT LOUD (EXUBERANT)

- Celebrate surprises and successes immediately.

Celebrating Olivia's success with overseeing the planting of 

two public gardens in town. 

She has 4 more gardens that she is overseeing as part of 

her 4-H OWLS (Outdoor Wilderness Leadership & Service) project.

- Observe and participate in games and creative and physical pursuits.

DIVE INTO WHAT YOU LOVE (JOYOUS)

- Resist detailed career planning. Allow yourself to stumble to the top by doing what you want to do.
- What do you really want and what really makes you happy?

Spending time with dogs makes me happy.

This is my brother's new Corgi, Bear.

- Life is short. Don't waste a breath on things or people who are tedious or irritating.

TAKE A PEAK (TRANSCENDENT)

- Get outdoors.

One of the new flowers by the west side of our garage. 

It is the only flower that begins with the letter "K" 

that we could find that grows in our area in Minnesota.

- Train and exhaust yourself physically.
- Retreat on your own without distraction. Take the time to be still and listen to that small voice deep within you about what you're meant to be or what path you ought to follow.

Outdoor Mom's Journal - March 2020

March was filled with a lot of outdoor time. From the beginning of the month when it was still pretty much snow-covered to the end of March when everything was in a state of brownish-green, it was a nice month to be outdoors.

On March 1, 2020, I took the dogs for a walk. The ground was still covered with snow for the most part. 

The fields were covered with snow.

The shadows that the dogs cast created interesting shapes. Danny looks much larger and more ferocious as a shadow.

Puddles were beginning to form as the snow melted.

The trail cam was showing lots of activity with the rabbits.

A couple of days later, on March 3, 2020, pheasants were walking through the front yard to eat shell corn.

Out of all the trail cam photos during March, this one on March 5, 2020, makes me laugh. I had no idea that rabbits could jump that high. That rabbit on the ground doesn't look humored by the incoming rabbit. 

On another walk with the dogs, the moon was starting to rise in the late afternoon on March 6, 2020.

My legs looked incredibly long in the afternoon.

On March 7, 2020, there was a large flock of turkeys in a field.

The sunset was lovely. I really like the shades of blue, lavender, and pink.

On the way back home, the moon was shining.

On March 11, 2020, I was shocked to see that a coyote showed up on the trail cam! This is less than ten feet from the front of our home. I had no idea that they came this close to our home. Thankfully, we have a fence around our backyard to protect our dogs. The backyard is probably no more than 30-35 feet from where the coyote is walking.

That night a racoon also was running around the front yard.

The pheasants continued to visit the front yard on March 12, 2020, where I had put some shell corn. They typically come out during the day. They never show up at night on the trail cam.

On March 14, 2020, I changed the trail cam to the back part of the property. A small herd of three deer showed up. This one made me laugh. She kept posing in front of the camera and would move her head and neck to show different angles. This is one of about 15 photos in a row that were taken of her.

With the super-photogenic deer, there were two more deer - one of a similar size and then a smaller one that was a bit camera shy.

On March 18, 2020, the deer herd came back by the trail cam. All three were there again. I moved the trail cam after this because I don't want the deer to be concerned or alarmed by the light going off at night. I want them to feel safe and be able to raise their young here.

On March 20, 2020, Sophia, Olivia, and I went to Eagle Bluff in Osceola, Wisconsin, and went on a walk through the woods.

The woods opened up a bit as we got to bluffs along the St. Croix River. This bridge links Minnesota and Wisconsin.

There were lots of holes in a tree.

One hole I thought looked like a person's mouth - almost like the tree is screaming.

This is a tree stump. There were shades of green and brown on it despite being mostly gray.

When I came home, I walked around the backyard and was surprised to see some of the perennials coming up.

There were some buds on the apple tree in the backyard.

There are weeds next to the driveway. They'll need to be pulled since they are quite tall. I'm thinking some native plants would be nice instead of the weeds.

When I looked out to the pond, there was a robin that was enjoying the water and taking a bath. A sure sign of Spring!

On the walk with the dogs, I spotted a woolly bear caterpillar. 

There was a milkweed plant that had the white fluff and seeds spilling out of a couple of its pods. I walked this path many times during the Fall and thought I opened up all the pods to release the seeds. I had hoped that this Spring that there would be a huge number of milkweed plants along the road I walked. At any rate, this milkweed plant I missed and the fluff was dry and ready to fly away with its seeds.

The fields no longer have snow on them. There's just some snow in the ditches and on the north side of buildings and fields.

On March 25, 2020, two geese landed in our pond and were spending time swimming around and eating. There have been a lot of geese and sandhill cranes migrating back to Minnesota.

On the March 26, 2020, Sophia came with me. The dogs enjoyed sniffing the side of the road and ditches. More people are walking their dogs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There's more wildlife that is out and about now that the weather is warmer.

We've been taking longer walks and exploring a couple new areas. The dogs love this section. I don't think a lot of people come this way since it's a dead-end. So, there must be lots of wildlife scents along this section of the walk.

One of the trees I see on the walk is this one. For some reason, it reminds me of a person with one arm up and one arm outstretched to the front. The wild hairdo is the part that extends high into the sky.

On March 27, 2020, the girls, Danny, Scooby, and I went to Interstate State Park in Wisconsin. Sophia wanted to take the dogs and was in charge of them while Olivia and I took photos. There was a group of eight geese in the lake that was half-melted and half-covered with ice.

They maintained their distance from us - especially since we had two dogs with us.

Danny was enjoying exploring the new textures under his paws, the landscape, and all the new smells.

Scooby was so happy to be out walking at a new place. He even jumped over this log he was so excited!

Olivia was practicing her photography skills and using a new lens.

The lake was still frozen in parts.

The girls were practicing their social distance. They are walking along the pathway to the right of the photo.

There were weeds along the lake.

There was running water in a little stream in one section of the woods.

I liked how the water flowed over the rocks.

There were bright green ferns in the woods.

Not more than a couple minutes walk down the path, there was still snow and ice.

The stonework on a building by the lake was beautiful.

The shingles were made from wood.

We were wrapping up the hike through the woods.

As we were standing on the fishing dock, a broadwinged hawk flew overhead!

We had our first fire of the season and made hot dogs and toasted marshmallows over the fire. The drama of the evening was when I lost my balance and almost fell into the fire (the ground is uneven by my chair). Sophia's quick thinking and action saved me from the fire. 

On March 28, 2020, we went back to Eagle Bluff and went on the walk, but in the opposite direction to see everything from a different perspective. It was a cloudier and drearier day than when we went about a week ago. Nonetheless, it was a pretty walk.

The view of the St. Croix River was more gray than the bright-blue sky and water a week ago.

There were mushrooms growing on a tree in the woods.

Sophia took a break from walking.

Olivia and Sophia are standing on a bluff overlooking the St. Croix River. Wisconsin is to the right and Minnesota is to the left.

We came home because it was starting to rain. After it stopped raining, I took the dogs on a walk. 

Scooby came out to check the trail cam in the northwest pasture. My favorite oak tree is in the background.

On March 31, 2020, I noticed that the tiger lilies were coming up in the ditches around our farm. They are planted and have spread in all directions - quite likely by someone who lived in our home decades ago.

The sunset was peaceful and relaxing that evening.

The frogs were singing in the pond very loudly.

It has been a wonderful month exploring and enjoying nature around the farm, on walks with the dogs, and walks with my family.