After 2 Aprils, is it finally May and Spring?

At last, sitting down to post with pictures of our exciting May...

I don't remember any Spring that has dragged on so cold, not just cool, cold, rainy and gray.. 40's in the morning, warming up to maybe 50's by noon, windy, rainy and drizzling days but great sleeping weather for nights.

There have been some Sunny warm days scattered in the month, and we have taken advantage of them for sure!

In spite of all the "inside" and "down" time,
May has been an incredible month, physically, mentally and spiritually...

With our hitch mounted bike-rack, Peggy and I can quickly and easily load up and head out for bicycling adventures.. the wheels "quick-release" from the dog-hauling trailer, it folds flat, and easily fits in the back of Bella.

We took Sunday afternoon and went to the Cuyuna Lakes and Iron Mine bicycle trails near Ironton... 6.6 miles end to end, so far and we peddled back and forth twice, really enjoying the new (for us) views and all the singing birds.


Many scenic places to stop along the ride, the deep flooded mines were calm and surreal with the gray skies.

Alert and excited, Scooter and Charlie watched everything and barked "hello" to other bikers, fishermen and kids along the way..





Good parking with access to the trail, passing DNR officers stopped and took pictures of our trailer and set-up with the dogs.. very cool.

Orioles, rose-breasted grossbeaks, finches, and many other birds serenaded us on our ride... we will be coming back here to do this again and it is great to see that there is more construction on the north end of this trail to expand it.

In this area also is a brand new mountain bicycle trail, rated in the top 10 in the entire country. There were many riders checking that out too.



Taking a little chance with rainy weather, I could not take it any longer, not seeing my grand-daughter Lydia Grace, Daughter Katie and Charlie.

I packed up the Kingpin and headed south.. gray and very breezy, I got a bit wind-burned riding, but it was sooo worth it!

8 months old, beautiful, curious and bright, we had a fabulous 3 day visit...

Lydia is teething, growing and very in motion.. when she is still, she loves being read to. Just like when I read to her mother, pointing to pictures and making little noises while reading is still just as much fun.




What an appetite! Lydia loves to eat and the social part of mealtime.

It was a hoot to watch her devour an entire avocado.. BEFORE her jar of infant sweet potato stuff and some little cracker thingys.

Healthy and beautiful! She is a charmer and loves to giggle...




Our motorcycle ride, the "Run For the Cross" was a rain-0ut!

About 1/2 the bikers showed up to ride with the weather report predicting heavy rains.. that did not stop some of us though!

My hands were still kind of black after scrubbing, my soaked gloves bled black into my skin. My boots had a couple inches of water IN THEM and we were pretty soaked through and through.


After about 35 miles, the decision was made to return to our Chapel for fellowship and our meal.

Great food, great visiting and dry-off time through the afternoon. Drawings for prizes and lots of laughs.

Again this year, Peggy and I rode the only Victory in the group. Awesome, we roared with authority in the pack with our Stage-One performance pipes.



We went camping near Mankato at Minneopa State Park. We barely got situated after having to change our campsite location due to flooding in the area, and it started to rain heavily again.

We did go for a nice long hike anyway, after all, the doggies and us can only get so wet. We went to the waterfall area. A wedding was taking place at the falls pavilion and was a wash-out.. that should be good luck?

The remnants of an old grain mill is up on a hill in the park and was a really cool place to visit.

Not letting the rain get us down, we playfully walked the old trails and enjoyed the rushing waterfall.. it looks an awful lot like Minnehaha falls in Minneapolis.

Note the old structures.. some updating and care is needed. The sides of the bridge over the falls are deteriorating and the sides are very low, by today's safety standards... this park was like going back in time...

This park was used many years ago by hard working families, arriving by train at the nearby station and spend Sundays here having picnics to relax,
according to the signs and information in the interpretive center.

Peggy is standing on the bridge with an umbrella. I have driven by this park and it's entrance many times through the years and never explored inside. It was surprising to see such a waterfall in this part of Minnesota, and it was really flowing with all the recent rains.... very cool!





Just right for Peggy and me with Scooter and Charlie at our feet, the Hubba-Hubba tent held up to it's reputation and kept us dry and cozy through the stormy night.. easy to break down, we went into town for breakfast rather than cook in the rain.. still a really fun time.

We snacked on hearty bread and hummus.

Saturday we went on a Benefit Walk to raise funds and awareness for Heart Defects in Newborn Babies.. "Lasting Imprint" is the organization and Peggy's daughter organized the event... that's us in the first picture of the post, glad the rain was stopping at noon, just in time for the walk and event!

We are stoked and getting in gear for Summer, drying out from an extra cool and soggy Spring..

Grateful this Memorial Day for all Americans that have served our Country With Honor!

Blessed beyond belief, living in true love....
Peace!