Oberg Mountain Hike

One thing we really wanted to do on the babymoon was to go on a hike. We both needed the exercise and we were very aware that winter is right around the corner with no chance of cross-country skiing this year. Cross country skiing is on the list of things I can do while pregnant, but I am really clumsy so I don't think I want to risk it this year. The only obstacle to hiking is that we are both really out of shape. There was a time that we did the seven mile hike to Horseshoe Canyon (near Moab) which was a great adventure that I'll have to write about one of these days (the sort of adventure that caught the attention of a National Geographic filmmaker who wanted to use my film footage - WhooHoo!). But, these days walking in the neighborhood is something we only manage every once and a while.

We took a hike one summer in Tettagouche State Park (can't remember the name of the peak) which ended up being really buggy. We were driven away from the peak by nagging mosquitoes, yet the Big D got an awesome picture of me that he hangs in his office. I looked fit. Not so much these days where I mostly look fat, unless I'm wearing a tight shirt, then I look a little pregnant.

Jeez what a rambling about nothing...

Anyway, Oberg Mountain seemed like a good hike for us. It was a little over 2 1/4 miles to the peak and back. There were eight overlook spots on the loop around the peak. These mountains are old, mostly worn away to the granite core, and fairly flat on top. The days was overcast with rain and drizzle expected in the late afternoon. We packed up a lunch which D carried. I packed up my camera gear in my backpack camera bag and we took off.

We were debating between Carlton Peak and Oberg. Carlton Peak, we were told only has two overlook spots with the main attraction being the view of Lake Superior and it has the bonus of being right behind the resort where we were staying. Oberg, like I mentioned has eight overlooks, but also the drive to the trailhead takes you partway up the mountain.

The parking lot was empty when we started the hike. However, there was another family that braved the misty Autumn weather to hike this peak who we encountered while on the trail. We let them pass us and never saw them again.


This was our only map, the one hanging at the trailhead. Not that the hike is difficult, it just goes one way, but, I like to have these things around. We took the trail counter clockwise when we got the loop. Unfortunately, I didn't look at it much on my camera and so we were not expecting the length of last part of the loop from the last overlook to the trail leading down the peak. But, we took it slow and we made it, despite the fact that there weren't may scenic views due to the fog and mist.



The trails was beautiful, nonetheless. It reminded me so much of where I went to school in the Himalaya mountains. While walking up the mountain to school, the trail was often shrouded in a cloud. When we started this hike up Oberg Mountain, the woods were clear. As we got higher and closer to the peak, we walked into the fog.



The rock on the trail was a little slick, but, there were only a few muddy patches. The Big D took the lead. It was sweet, though, when he hit a slick or muddy spot, where he would stop and wait to give me a hand. This made the hike very romantic for me! I love this man! Of course, I kept stopping to shoot some images, so caught up in the ethereal quality of the fog around the woods. There was lots of pine and cedar, lots of green moss. The colors were spectacular.



The peak was completely covered in fog. The overlooks were sort of eerie as we couldn't see very far, but the fact that there was a major drop in front of us was obvious. At the overlooks that faced Lake Superior, we could hear the traffic on Hwy 61 and we could even hear the waves on the lake crashing on the rocks more than 1500 feet below. But, we couldn't see any of this. Some people would say that taking this sort of hike is not worth doing on such a foggy day. I'm so glad we did it. We had such a unique experience, an experience that made us view and appreciate all that was on the peak and not just the overlooks.



This foggy day also allowed me to think about the photography differently. I am always a little disappointed when I can't quite capture the scenic views in the way that I saw them. On this day, I had no such worries. I was enchanted by the mists. I was curious about what lay ahead on the path.



There were no bugs. It was not too hot. I would say that conditions were perfect!



I think that maintaining trails would be a fabulous job. One of these days, I want to do one of those volunteer vacations where we get to help groom the trails, either here in Minnesota or down in Moab, Utah.

Recently I read through Scott Kelby's digital photography guide. I was surprised at the number of pro tips that blatantly set up the shot. Nonetheless there were some really good tips. And, I kept thinking this was a great day to get different sort of shots, shots that weren't just vacation photography, but interesting moods in the woods.



We started joking about getting lost in the mists and ending up in some fairy land where time functioned differently. I reminded the Big D that if this happened, we were not eat or drink anything as we'd be stuck here for years and years. We'd come out of the mists and find it was twenty years into the future, or something crazy like that. Truly, the fog and drizzle made everything seem enchanting.



We eventually did find the picnic table at the last overlook that faced the lake, but we never stopped to eat. We snacked a little, but it seemed like the rain was going to start and we had no idea how long it would take up to finish the loop and head back down the mountain.

D found a grove of cedar trees on the trail and we lingered there for a while, feeling the energy coursing up through the trunks.

We made it back to the Jeep just as the rain started to fall harder. We went back to our cozy room, started a fire and ate our lunches. I was glad to be back before dark as I didn't want to chance another deer encounter. This was our last full day up on the North Shore and it was spectacular. We soothed our muscles later in the jacuzzi. We never made it the outdoor hottub, but that was OK, we certainly felt like we had done a lot on our babymoon.

I told D that the next time we hike up Oberg Mountain, he has to carry the baby. And for that, I just can't wait!

Sawbill Trail - Part Three - Foggy Evening

The morning of this Jeep drive on the Sawbill Trail was all about the Temperance River. The afternoon was when we spent some time spotting local wildlife. In the late afternoon we found ourselves making the descent into Grand Marais. It is one of our favorite towns in Minnesota and we've created some really wonderful memories there. We've done one heck of a lot of our Christmas shopping in this little town where most of the stores are located right next to the harbor. It's a chance to support the local economy and a chance to find unique gifts.

The drive down from the mountains into Grand Marais was a little scary, especially when the fog got so thick the only thing we could see was the headlights of the cars coming towards us.



Now for those people who think of the Midwest as flat, I assure you that there are some steep areas, even some roads that have runaway truck ramps, which this one did. This is also where I realized I had some spots on my lens.



It was a relief to finally get into town and we took a short cut so some of the first sights we saw were some of our favorite places to eat.



Our plan was to do some shopping, take some pictures at Artist Point, then dinner (maybe) at Sven and Ole's, the local pizza place that has some international acclaim. We had decided to buy Baby a gift and ended up picking out the cutest little pair of baby booties.



We also got presents for our parents picked out. All this while walking along the harbor. What I didn't plan for was how quickly the sun goes down this far North. We had a bit of a frantic rush to Artist Point to capture some shots before darkness settled in, but that plan got scraped shortly after we arrived, when I realized I hadn't thought through what I wanted to shoot.



So, back to some more shopping by the harbor.



The lights seemed especially festive on this foggy evening.

But, then we were done. The only thing left on our agenda was dinner and a stop at the local co-op. While Uff-da pizza sounded delicious, it was only about 4:30, a little too early for dinner, so we headed to the co-op. The experience wasn't quite as friendly as I had hoped for, but it's always great to see this place thriving and we needed some more water so mission accomplished and we were on the road again to our resort.



Unfortunately, before we even left the town limits, we had a very scary experience. We hit a deer. Because we were in the town limits and because it was really foggy, we were not traveling fast. The Big D did manage to skid to a stop, but then, right at the last second, the deer jumped in front of the Jeep. We were lucky that we were able to drive away. The deer, poor thing, sat at the side of the road, then got up and limped, but then, she seemed to straighten her leg out and actually jumped into the woods as if nothing had happened. I hope she was able to recover. Quite a few drivers stopped and a couple of them seemed curious about whether they might be able to take the deer home with them. Hunting season, we are told, brings the deer real close to town and real close to the road as they seem to know they will be safe. Safe from everything except cars.

It was a terrifying drive back to our resort. Everyone else seemed to be driving 50+ mph despite the fact that, in some places, the fog was so thick, we could barely see the road. Not wanting to push our luck, D kept it under 40, which helped my frazzled pregnant state of mind. But, despite all that we were safe. And very, very lucky that the situation wasn't worse. We were lucky even with the fact that we could still drive our Jeep back home. We have insurance and so that takes care of the damage to our Jeep.

This was only the second night of our Babymoon. Nonetheless, we decided we'd had enough of Grand Marais and cancelled any remaining plans in the area. Which was fine because there was enough to do near our resort.

One thing I am really grateful for was the chance to shoot this shot before leaving Grand Marais:



The scary experience helped me realize all that I was grateful for. Even the spots on my lens that might have ruined a whole day's worth of shooting taught me some photoshop tricks. It was a great day, nonetheless. But, I have to say, deer are no longer cute creatures to me.

The City at Night

Down by the Mississippi River is such a beautiful part of Minneapolis. Although the St. Anthony Falls area has a sordid and sad history in a previous century, in this century it has transformed into a wonderful outdoor space that we frequent in every season of the year. There used to be an actual waterfall in this part of the river, but the rocks were blasted away to make a power plant which was only in operation for a little over ten years (I think). Whatever amount of time it was, I do know that it was a ridiculously small amount in comparison to the lifelong destruction that was forced on the area.

This has always been a place of celebration for us. We came here to celebrate the coming of the Millennium. That was when the City could still afford fireworks. There used to be two sets of fireworks on Independence Day, now there is only one, if any. We have come here on numerous anniversaries, walked onto the island and down to the water. One anniversary we found a big, fat bald eagle in the tree branches above our heads.



These are images of the Stone Arch Bridge which allows only pedestrian traffic. It was built in 1883 for train traffic. There is a large arts festival there in the summer. At the east end of the bridge, I know of a yearly "Fais Do-Do" that is organized by a displaced Louisianian. If ever you happen to stumble by on that day, stop and dance a bit or somehow enter for the prizes which are usually odd t-shirts scavenged from thrift stores in and around New Orleans.



There are stairs that lead down to the river where you will almost always encounter a fisherman or two, even at night. The stairs lead to a path carved out by the foot traffic of adventurous and at times, rebellious teenagers. The path leads towards some of the industrial plants that are too close to the river for my comfort. But that's a prime example of Minneapolis and the efforts to reclaim some of the natural beauty in the area. The plants are evidence of the area's industrial history and hopefully a reminder of what not to do. The bridge is a commitment to the future of sustainable development in an environmentally conscious way.



That night while shooting, I kept getting caught up in the trees, bare and silhouetted against the bright lights of the bridge.



As we moved closer and under the tree line, the contours of the stone came into view. I am awed by the craftsmanship that goes into building such a structure. And to think this was built in the early 1880's.



That's an image of the new Guthrie Theatre that was built just a few years ago. I am happy that they chose the river for its new location. The more interest there is in this area, the longer it's chances for survival. In recent years, the Mill City farmer's market has opened. I like that the area is lively and accessible to all, even to the eagles and the fish and the geese.

Down by the River

Last night we met some friends down by the river. We always have fun when we hang out with this couple and it was great to be out for dinner. This is a shot of the streetlamps right outside the restaurant. I love the rustic, old cobblestones that line the street that runs right along the Mississippi River.

DE (the man in this couple) is a photographer and our plan was to shoot some nighttime images of the city after dinner. Unfortunately his camera batteries were dead, but that worked out great for me as he was able to focus on giving me tips. But, oops, I hadn't read my manual well enough to know which setting I needed to control the shutter speed. This morning I re-read my manual and discovered that it was one setting that I hadn't thought to try last night: bulb. Who would thought it would be "bulb"? Anyway, it turned out OK because I was shooting with my tripod which allowed for some incredible shots. I'll be posting these images over the next few days.

Autumn Mums

I can't decide if Autumn is my favorite season because of the bright changes to all the trees around me. Or because everything seems be in my favorite colors.

Weekend Fire and Bare Trees

Last weekend was so warm and wonderful. We headed up to our Airstream retreat and had one of those magical weekends full of love and life. The fire was warm and the firepit was filled with brown oak leaves.



The trees were bare and the geese flew in over our heads to their place just north of our property. Must be a nightly pit stop; we saw groups of geese converge on the spot from all different directions.



We awoke at about 3:00 in the morning to pee and the early morning sky was breathtaking, all glittering with stars and bright with a half moon shining to the northeast. Too cold for a picture, but I doubt that will leave my memory for a while.

I got very excited about bringing the little one up there to our retreat. Sadly though, the Big D had to prepare the boat for winter. The boating season is entirely too short up in this region. We only took the boat out a couple of times and the canoe only saw the water once. Hopefully next summer things will be different.

Om Pot Pie

This recipe is such a treat, a hearty meal on a cool Autumn night. My version is a curried version, but I have also done it with Western spices such as oregano and basil. I use the store-bought piecrusts to cut down on prep time, and the leftover scraps of dough to make the pretty OM on top of the pie. The ingredients are measured loosely and generously, with produce picked based on what is in season. I use a can of cream soup, cream of mushroom this time.

I used the CSA butternut squash for this pie. It was the first time using this vegetable. I've seen so many others using squash in such creative ways, that I thought I'd give it shot here in the pot pie. I also used CSA potatoes and carrots. I have lots of these vegetables in the house.

Pies, whether they are fruit pies or pot pies, always taste better when made with love.

Om Pot Pie
(this recipe is just a approximation of what I do. I use whatever is on hand and smell my way through the spices)

Steam potatoes, carrots, and squash.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in large saute pan.
Throw in 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds.
Once the seeds start start popping add 1/2 tsp of each (ground) spice; smell after adding each spice and add more if your nose says so:
cumin, garam masala, turmeric, hing (asafoetida), cinnamon.
Add minced onion and garlic, cook until soft.
Add cooked chicken (optional; this pie can be done vegetarian).
Add steamed vegetables.
Add i can of cream soup. Or make a roux.
Bring to a simmer.

Fill pie crust and top with second crust.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until puffed up and bubbly looking.

Autumn Highlights

Happy Halloween!

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and bling-worms sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
(Shakespeare)



The spell is cast...let the spooky festivities begin...

Perfect Autumn Day

The morning started with rain. The afternoon was brightened by the sun. Now the rain has returned and the wind has picked up. The bright, golden leaves of maple trees are blowing all through the neighborhood. Hopefully, they will blow out of my yard so I don't have another round of raking and bagging to do next week. If not, I won't mind if doing it on another perfect Autumn day like today!

Butternut Bisque

I've got lots of squash. My mother has gone away for a month so I have the CSA all to myself for the next month. And oh, man, oh man, the squash is piling up.



I found this recipe for butternut bisque a few years ago and it was appealing to me because there were directions for freezing the leftovers. Unfortunately, I never got around to eating the leftovers because they went into hiding in the very back corner of my (surprisingly small) freezer. Anyway, so this year the plan is to share with my neighbor and it's kind of payback because he brought me a whole sack of honeycrisp apples from the orchard/pumpkin patch he went to a few weeks ago.



I went into a sort of a cooking frenzy on Sunday. The Big D was working on the second coat of paint for our dining room and I was feeling the need to stay away from this one. I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen making the bisque, some cornbread and later, roasting a chicken. The paint, by the way, is fabulous! It was a $5 Oops paint and I swear I never would have picked a color like this on my own, but it was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. And, it turned out so incredibly wonderful. It even makes the kitchen paint debacle look a bit better. Man, never again will I paint during a Mercury retrograde!



The bisque is such a lovely shade of orange. I kept thinking Baby is going to love this cuz of the color and the creaminess. I got to pull out my immersion blender to mash all the cooked squash.




The cornbread. My first attempt at it from scratch. I've always done mixes, ones recommended by others who swear by them, but have never liked them as much I wanted to. This one turned out wonderful and I even whipped up some honey butter for spread.




I had to show the image again because I think the color is so beautiful!

Butternut Bisque (adapted from Everyday Foods)

3 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish (optional)
course salt
1 large butternut squash (about 4 lbs.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup half-and-half
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
sour cream, for serving

1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups of water. Bring to boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Blend in blender (in batches) or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with cayenne, if desired.