5 years and still going....

Jon and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary today. Rather than exchange wooden gifts we just decided to hang out for the day. First we went canoeing on the Vermillion River and then out to dinner at Vino in the Valley, a picturesque vineyard in the Rush River valley where you can eat dinner in the vines. Check out the photos!


canoeing the Vermillion River (Jon is scouting for duck hunting)



Bluff Country



One of about 20 eagles we saw



Dining at Vino in the Valley



On the left is the open air dining facility. On the right are the immature vines in their growth tubes - the vineyard is in its 2nd year of operation.



Strolling along the Rush River



Here's to many more years...

Gardening 201

So far this experience has taught me this: for someone with a major in Forestry, my "planting" skill are rather pathetic. Nonetheless, having passed Gardening 101, I have moved on to Gardening 201. The prerequistes for this class are as follows:
- garden must be tilled and prepared for planting
- plants and seeds must be in the ground - strawberries, raspberries, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, zucchini, onion, green beans, brussel sprouts, and broccoli - whew!
- gardener must have a set of tools sufficient to keep weed growth under control. This includes but is not limited to - gardening gloves, 1 hoe, 1 rake, 1 beer, and some occassional swear words (how did they get that big in 2 days!)
The course outline for Gardening 201 is as follows:
- provide adequate water and nutrients to plants (finally I can use the compost!)
- learn how to "thin" plants
- find ways to keep squirrels from eating the strawberries
- be able to identify a "plant" from a weed (still working on this)
- learn proper time to harvest (help!!)
- find ways to keep Aspen from digging in the garden
- have patience (definitely the hardest)
Any tips from you masters out there would be greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for my advancement to the next course!

Mother Daughter Camping Trip

The Hovgaard women once again converged on the woods to find their inner selves and become one with nature. Well ok, mostly we went to drink wine and get away from our men for the weekend. This year's destination was Sakatah State Park in Waterville, Minnesota. This is the "big woods" area so the maples and basswoods towered above our campsite. The 39-mile Sakatah State Trail passes through the park so we logged 20 (long) miles on Saturday and 10 miles on Sunday. Mom even did what I'll call "thermarest yoga". The weather was absolutely perfect, the campfire a roaring success, and the company even better. Thanks Mom, let's do it again next year.

Mother's Day 2008

I spent Mother's Day with some of the really cool ladies in my life. Check out the photos and the "edible arrangement" my sister found for Mother's Day.

Gardening 101

Thank you to Julie and Alison, Rachel, my Dad's retired assistant Shirley, and all the other gardeners in my life...you have inspired me! Jon's muscles were helpful in getting the grass removed and the landscaping timbers in place. Notice that strawberries and raspberries are already planted! I have plans for a full line of vegetables but I'm waiting for a couple of weeks to start planting. Some of you can expect a call soon...I'll be needing lots of advice. My goal is to grow some fresh veggies, drink some beer while weeding, and commune with the nature in my backyard. Wish me luck...I'll keep you posted.