Adventures of Jon and Abra

The Christy's Visit!

2010-06-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Christy family made their annual trek to Red Wing a few weeks back. It's so fun to see the boys getting so big. My neice was able to join us for part of the weekend. I think I realized why it's not recommended to have 3 children under the age of 3. The kids got along great but I think they wore out the adults! We went swimming at the YMCA, played at the park, had a campfire, played hide-and-seek at the house, read stories, and wrestled. Jace really entertained us in the referee outfit. This kid knows how to call penalties. He even called a penalty on his younger brother for crying..."You! Two minutes...crying." Love that kid!

Rachel multi-tasking at lunch.

Matt might kill me if he knew I let Jace play with the dollhouse.

Aspen, Lulu, Rachel, and Jace keeping warm by the fire.

Jace, the referee, calling penalties.

Costa Rica

2010-04-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Jon and I were fortunate to recently spend 2 weeks in Costa Rica. Check out the slideshow on the right. One of the highlights of our trip was a stay at Rancho Margot. Check out their website: www.ranchomargot.org. Rancho Margot is a self-sufficient, organic farm and ranch in the rainforest. The ranch is dedicated to sustainable eco-tourism and they have become a model for others. Just 6yrs ago the land was completely devastated by overgrazing of livestock. As you can see from the pictures, they have gone a long ways towards reforesting the valley. Here is some of the amazing things they are doing:
- Approximately 70% of the food they serve on the ranch, they grow themselves. They make their own milk, cheese, yogurt, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables.
- They recycle literally everything except the toilet paper. Animal waste is separated into solids (used in composting) and liquids (which go through a bio-digester that creates methane used to cook in the kitchen).
- They make their own soaps for all the guests. Leftover soaps are recycled into laundry detergeant and dishsoap for the kitchen.
- All of the hot water is heated by running it through coils in the center of the huge compost pile, where it gets really hot.
Besides all of these great things they offer horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, yoga, and opportunities to help out on the farm.

Speaking of hiking....Jon and I decided to take a night hike to the top of the mountain so we could see the lava flows from the nearby volcano. At the top of the mountain we encountered the Bushmaster, Costa Rica's most deadly snake. It is literally the only snake in Costa Rica that will actually chase people. Jon experienced this first hand. Apparently getting bit results in serious nerve damage or death if you aren't to a hospital within 1 hour (which would not have been possible in our case). This snake had successfully killed 2 horses and 1 cow at the ranch over the last few years. When we told the owner of the ranch what had happened, he hired someone to track it down. Rather scary. Probably one of the most entertaining parts of the story was what happened when we returned to the ranch that evening. We went to the small bar to get a beer and told the bartender we had seen a snake. We asked her if Costa Rica had poisonous snake (duh) and she said, "Yeah, this is Costa f&#%ing Rica". We had a good laugh over that.

The other big highlight of the trip was Monteverde Cloud Forest. The forestry dork in me really came out at this place. Such amazing vegetation. I never really understood what a cloud forest was about until this visit. There are so many species that live in the forest canopy, it's almost like a separate ecosystem in the air. We saw an amazing amount of birdlife and even spotted a Quetzal! The quetzal is in danger of becoming extinct but happens to be thriving in the cloud forest. It's such a beautiful bird...check out the pictures!

Overall, a highly recommended destination.

Florida with Felicity

2010-03-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

What a great trip! I flew down to Florida for a few days to hang out with my family. Three solid days with my neice was so much fun. We went swimming, had tea parties, went to the zoo, sang songs, danced in the living room, read stories, and ate ice cream. What a treat!

Good times with the Christy's

2010-03-07T07:29:00.001-08:00

Check out Rachel's son, Jace, a real hockey pro. He just turned 3 and can already skate and handle a puck on the ice! I'm so proud of him...he is an awesome kid. We had a chance to rent a cabin near Hayward, WI with the Christy clan. We played in the snow, went skiing, had a campfire, read stories, watched cartoons, and played "hockey" on the kitchen floor. The Christy's are such a great family. Beau and Jace are really fun kids and Rachel and Matt are wonderful parents. Despite the boys having really bad colds (and fevers!), they were troupers!

Birkie Results

2010-03-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

So Jon and I had a successful birkie. Jon finished in 3:56 (55 minutes faster than last year) and I finished in 4:43 (45 minutes faster). Some of our faster times can be attributed to our new racing skis but I think we were both in much better shape this year. Every year I ask my self, "Why do I put myself through this torture?" But Jon and I are already talking about next year and what wave we might be in. The darn Birkie is addicting! Our buddies Beth and John drove up from the cities to cheer for us. They made a great sign out of purple duct tape. It was so great skiing into Cty Rd OO and seeing them. Beth even had a donut with sprinkles on top all ready for me. The sugar jolt helped me recover from 3km of skiing with one pole (I had broke my pole in a crash around the 23km mark). So it's 4 Birkie's completed...only 16 before I can attend the Birchleggings breakfast!

Lutsen

2010-02-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we made a trip up the north shore to Lutsen. It's been way too long since we have been past Duluth. We have so many wonderful friends in Duluth/Superior that we tend to get stuck there...in a good way. Jon's sister, Gretchen, and her boyfriend, Dylan, decided to join us. We stayed at a tiny log cabin right on the shore. I could have spit in the lake from the deck. I forgot how peaceful it is to listen to the waves crash against the rocks. I knew I had been in the city too long when it took me awhile to figure out what I was hearing. We did LOTS of skiing, including the Picnic Loop with our buddy Jere. We added a trip up to Moose Fence in order to make it 40km. Jere rightly predicted that we would be complaining the last 10km. Why do we torture ourselves in this way? Oh yeah, because we signed up for the BIrkie. Idiots!

Jon Loye as Jimmy Hendrix

2010-01-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

Jon actually wore this outfit to the Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner in Red Wing!

Winter

2010-01-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am overdue for an update. The holidays were a busy time, as they seem to be for everyone. The snowstorm forced us to slow down a bit. We took a week off between Christmas and New Year's to be in Duluth with friends. Three years after leaving Duluth we still have the best relationships with our friends up there. The hockey boys (Jon, Jace, and Beau) and fun playing with Jace's hockey oriented Christmas presents.

Rachel and I even managed to get out for a walk in the sub-zero temperatures.

One of the biggest excitements that week was our visit to the Duluth Curling Club with Leah and Jere. We went to a "Learn to curl" event for beginners. Let me just say that it is harder than it looks. I didn't take any pictures but just imagine me wiping out of the ice (a total of 6 times). I had a bruised hip and knee the next day to prove it. My parents were serious curlers when I was a child. In fact, I was curling in the womb. I always hoped this would somehow work to my advantage. I guess not.

A new thing I have started doing with Felicity is taking her swimming. She LOVES it. We have a great facility at the YMCA in Red Wing. They have a big waterslide and a zero-depth pool for kids. The first time I took Felicity swimming, we went down the waterslide and she was not so excited about it (lots of tears). The next time we went swimming she actually WANTED to go down the slide and did so twice. Later I told her mom about how she went down the slide and she added, "and I wasn't even scared!" I love her to pieces.

The final news centers around our training for the American Birkebeiner on February 27th. This will be my 4th year and Jon's 3rd year racing. "Racing" is a term we use loosely. "Finishing" is probably a better description. Either way 54 kilometers is a long way and we've been out on our skis quite a bit. Last weekend we continued the tradition with Leah and Jere of going skiing up north. In the past we have stayed in a yurt. This year we went to the UP and stayed at Wolverine Village. What a great place! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a laid back, affordable atmosphere right across the street from the Wolverine cross country ski trails. This the 5th year we have made this trip with Leah and Jere and each year it gets more enjoyable.

Loye Family X-mas

2009-12-27T18:26:00.000-08:00

Here is our self portrait from the Loye family x-mas. Back row is Jon, Susan (mama Loye) and Ed (papa Loye). Front row is Abra, Dylan (future brother-in-law), and Gretchen (Jon's sister). Somehow we kept the 3 crazy dogs from jumping on us or the camera.

First ski of the year!

2009-12-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

The last 24 hours have given us almost 12" of snow. It would have been much to dangerous to drive all the way to work in Hastings! Instead, Jon, myself, and our friend Dag decided to drive across town and go x-country skiing. I forgot how hard it is to break trail! I can't wait for more hours on my skis and training for the Birkie.

A Wonderful Husband...

2009-12-09T16:31:00.001-08:00

I am a lucky woman! Jon and his friend Chad spent many hours getting cruise control installed in my car. Jon's reward? Breakfast in bed!

The Sweetest Boys

2009-12-02T19:03:00.001-08:00

Jace and Beau are the sons of my wonderful friend Rachel and her hubby Matt. They are the sweetest little boys and absolutely love my dog "Afton". Jace's way of showing love to "Afton" is to sit next to her and gently stroke her head or belly. Beau's version of lovin' is to tackle Aspen or come at her with a toy drill (check out the picture). Either way, Aspen is lucky to have these little guys in her life.

3rd annual wild game feed

2009-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Last month we put on our 3rd annual wild game feed in Duluth. This would not have been possible without our fantastic friends Leah and Jere who did at least 50% of the cooking AND hosted it at their home. The menu this year was the best so far:
BBQ Pheasant and gouda pizza
Venison Stew
Marinated duck breasts wrapped in bacon
Pheasants in a mushroom cream sauce
Grouse and woodcock
French wild turkey salad
Hopefully Jon will continue to have successful hunting seasons so we can do this in the future!

The Spread

Marinated duck breasts wrapped in bacon with a rhubard dipping sauce

BBQ pheasant and gouda pizza

Wild turkey salad

Gopher Football

2009-11-14T15:55:00.000-08:00

Our friends Conor and Carrie invited us to a gopher football game in the new stadium on the U of M campus. The weather was cold but it was fun to be cheering for the gophers. Wow, is our team terrible! We could use a new coach, new quarterback, new offensive line...........at least the company was good.

Jon's birthday weekend

2009-11-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Jon turned 33 this Halloween. We decided to celebrate by going pheasant hunting in SW MN. We based ourselves out of Marshall, MN. There are many wildlife management areas within a short distance that are open to public hunting. Even though we weren't extremely successful (2 birds to be exact), we had a blast. The hunting was tough because the corn is still in the fields so the pheasants have lots of places to hide. According to Jon, "That's why it's called hunting and not shooting". Aspen was in a doggy heaven the whole weekend. Check out the pictures!

Duck Opener 2009

2009-10-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Duck opener was a blast. It's difficult for me to describe how special it was to hunt with my 88 year-old grandfather. He has made an enormous impact on my life. He was the person who first introduced me to the outdoors, encouraged me to go to forestry school, inspired me to get a graduate degree, and fostered my love of everything academic. I could write for hours about all the interesting things my grandfather has accomplished in his life...he was a professor for over 35 years at Gustavus Adolphus, he served in WWII with the marines, he translated the bible to German (just for fun!), he mastered the Internet while in his 80's, the list goes on. But that's not what this entry is about...it's about hunting! We weren't as successful as we would have liked. Jon shot 2 woodies and the rest of us were skunked. What we lacked in shooting, we made up for in good company. We played ladder golf, ate smoked pheasants, and told family hunting stories from the past. I hope to continue the tradition next year. I think the boys are okay with a girl coming back to the duck slew.

Athens, Greece

2009-09-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

Well Greece was everything that I thought it would be. Really, really yummy food. Friendly folks. Chaotic streets. Outdoor restaurants. 5,000 years of history (!!). Beautiful, quaint islands. Laid back, low-stress lifestyle. Abundant art. Small orthodox churches on nearly every corner. Worry beads spinning in old men's hands. Cafes filled with patrons watching soccer matches. Check out the pictures above!

The Killing Season has begun!

2009-09-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

In case some of you didn't notice, yesterday was the opening day for grouse hunting. This marks the beginning of what I affectionately refer to as "The Killing Season". It begins with grouse hunting, which turns into duck hunting, which turns into deer hunting, which turns into a 2nd round of grouse hunting in December. The Killing Season typically wraps up by Christmas. Many years ago, I decided that in order to see my husband during these 4 months, I would need to learn to hunt. Since then, I have successfully shot one grouse. Its really quite pathetic...the birds are lucky that I am holding a gun. This year something monumental will be taking place. I will be the first chica to hunt the duck opener on my uncle's hunting land near Mankato, MN. That's correct...never before has a female been invited for duck opener. I guess they don't have to worry about me shooting too many of their birds! This year, I will be introducing red wine and painted toe nails to the duck camp. I am most excited for hunting alongside my 88 year-old grandfather. He has been a duck hunter nearly all is life. Although he now needs a little help getting in the boat, he still makes it out every year and despite his poor eyesight, he shot a couple of ducks last year. I've got 2 weeks to sharpen my skills. Recently, I went out trap shooting with some of my Dad's buddies. I shot 50 rounds and probably hit 1/2 of them. Not to bad for a girl, huh?

Camping with the Christy's

2009-09-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

I have been a very bad blogger lately. Summer has gone by in the flash. We've been able to have so many fun adventures with so many different people. I took my neice camping for the first time. It was not a huge success. We finally gave up at 1AM and drove back to my house so we could all get some sleep. We met up with Leah and Jere for some mountain biking on the CAMBA trails in Cable, WI. Lots of nice rides and great company. Most recently we went camping with Matt, Rachel, and their boys. Despite getting rained out the 2nd night, we made the most of it. The kids were great! Jace had fun fishing with Jon and Matt. Beau loved hiking with Rachel and I in his sling. Here are some pictures of the adventures.

Mountain biking out West

2009-07-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Jon and I had such a great trip out West. It seems like forever since we went riding out in the mountains. It holds a sappy place in our hearts because the first trip we ever took together was to mountain bike out west. We had only been dating a month. This trip we spent two days biking the Maah Daah Hey trail in Teddy Roosevelt National Park. Think way western North Dakota in the badlands. It was really hot and really pretty. We camped along the Missouri River and got up-close-and-personal with some bison in the park. Next it was off to Bozeman, MT. I love Bozeman. I could live there in a heartbeat. They have a great co-op, a huge outdoor scene, lots of coffee shops, lectures, weekly outdoor music, and 4 bike shops. Everything a good community should possess! We had planned to camp but ended up in a great little motel with a fabulous mountain view, small kitchen, patio for cooking, hot tub, recliner chair (very important after a long ride) and a comfy bed...all for $69/night. God Bless America!

Here are some highlights from Montana:
- Driving along the Gallatin River and recalling a rafting trip I did with my Dad back in high school
- Watching Jon round a corner and meet up with a grizzly bear
- Watching two 70 year old men on 4-wheelers scold Jon for not having a gun or bear spray to protect himself from the grizzly
- Biking through the Bridgers and stopping at a gorgeous mountain top meadow - see the picture above
- People watching at Thursday Nights on Main - Bozeman's weekly outdoor music festival
- Biking 3 hours and 3,000' up Gardner Mountain and the 30 minute ride down the mountain

The final leg of the trip was to visit some friends. We started by driving from Bozeman to Red Lodge. Rather than take the short route, we took the long route through Yellowstone National Park and over the Beartooth Pass. There is a reason it is called one of the most beautiful drives in the US...amazing! Yellowstone was like a mini wildlife safari. We saw a black bear, many bison, antelope, a wolf (!!!!), a black bear with 2 cubs, black-tailed deer, birds I can't identify, and lots of tourists. We stopped in Red Lodge to visit Jon's old boss. He and his wife have started a really successful gourmet cooking shop. We loaded up on imported Italian pasta and headed west to Sheridan, Wyoming. Sheridan is the home of our longtime friend Ryan. Jon, Ryan, and I have a special bond. We met Ryan in a restaurant in Peru while we were having breakfast in the winter of 2004. We immediately hit it off and traveled together 24/7 through Peru and Bolivia for the next 6 weeks. We haven't seen him since and it was a great reunion. We just picked up where we left off. I really wish he lived closer.

We had planned to drive to Rapid City and spend one night before making the final drive. Silly Abra didn't think about it being the 4th of July weekend and that Rapid City is a major tourist destination - think Black Hills, Sturgis, 4 presidents' faces on a cliff. So needless to say, all the hotels were booked. We learned that the back of the Rav4 makes a pretty decent bed in a pinch. Sorry it is such a long post...it was a really great trip.

Garden paradise

2009-07-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of my garden, considering this is just my second year. This is one of two gardens I planted this year. The strawberries are way in the back. The zucchini is in the center. The onions, carrots, and brussel sprouts are next to the zucchini. You can't see them because they were conquered about 2 weeks ago. In the foreground you can see my lettuce. Hooray for fresh and organic fruits and veggies!

4 Generations

2009-07-05T19:20:00.001-07:00

Recently four generations got together for lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in Faribault, MN. Here they are: Grandma and Grandpa Glass, Felicity, my sister Jessie, and my mom Cindy.

Lissy Lulu

2009-06-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

My little niece Felicity seems to be getting smarter and more adorable by the day. This is a kid who can recite her ABC's, sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, count to 10, and remember events that happened months ago. And she is only 20 months! "Unca Jon" is a pretty important guy, far more important than the rest of us. My sister is going through a rough patch in her life, so she and Felicity are spending lots of time with us...we think we're pretty lucky.

Six Years and Still Going....

2009-06-03T17:46:00.001-07:00

Jon and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary yesterday with a visit to the Pizza Farm. We heard about this place from a friend in Red Wing. It is an 80 acre organic farm located about 40 miles into rural Wisconsin. Each Tuesday evening they serve pizzas made in wood-fired brick ovens. All of the ingredients are grown on the organic farm. The meat comes from the animals they raise (we had the Happy Pig Pizza made with sausage). Even the crust is made from sustainably grown organic wheat that is stone ground on the farm. What a refreshing place! And a popular place...when we arrived around 6PM the wait for a pizza was already 2 hours. The farm provides the pizza and the guests provide everything else. People bring blankets, folding chairs, wine/beer, appetizers, etc. I saw one group of people who had a small folding table complete with candles and a flower vase centerpiece. After eating some yummy pizza we joined in a game of Kubb with some folks from Eau Claire. Kubb is a game that the Vikings played over 1000 years ago. The best way I can describe it is a combination of chess and bocci ball.
Here's to many more years of marriage bliss (is that too corny?)

5th Annual Spring Camping Trip

2009-05-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

Crow Wing State Park was the destination for our 5th annual spring camping trip with the Flotten Wood family. Here are the highlights: watching Ben kill ticks with the Swiss Army multi-tool, biking 18 miles on the Paul Bunyan Trail, playing badminton with Alison, making pizzas, watching Ben do backflips in the hammock, enjoying Julie's french press, and being with great friends. I hope they will agree to join us for another year!

Much needed update

2009-05-11T19:58:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated the blog. Since we returned from vacation, life has been a bit of a blur. Really, really busy pretty much sums it up. But, we've had a few noteworthy events. First, Jon shot a turkey! Turkey hunting is always an important time of year in our house. It's filled with Jon practicing his calls, Aspen sniffing over all the hunting gear, and Abra being roused from her deep sleep at 4AM as Jon is leaving the house. Jon has a hunting season in both Wisconsin and Minnesota. Right now we are in between those season. When we were out for Chinese last weekend Jon's fortune said "Two lucky things will happen." Jon interpreted this as meaning he will shoot 2 turkeys. One down, one to go.

I'm always excited about spending time with my niece, Felicity. Her and I reached a new milestone in our relationship when we went on our first outing ALONE. I took her to the new playground in Red Wing. Boy is that kid a dare devil! She wanted to go down all the slides head first. Plus she's recently found her legs and took off running for the swings. The problem is she ran right for the big kids who were trying to swing over the bars. I reached her right before she got sent across the playground by some 6th grader (I hope Jessie isn't reading this). We also did a little bit of gardening (i.e. ate dirt) and of course Felicity got to spend time with her favorite Red Wing resident, Uncle Jon (not Elton John). Hopefully she'll be back to visit us soon!

Finally, I was able to spend an evening with my BFF Gergs. We've known eachother since the 7th grade. Pretty cool. We went to a fun pub in Northfield to catch up.

Italy

2009-04-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Jon and I had a wonderful trip to Italy. Our vacation can be summed up pretty quickly. We hiked the Amalfi coast. We ate lots of gelato (Italian ice cream). We drank beer from the oldest brewery in the world (this was actually in Germany). We ate amazing pizza and pasta (folks in the states have no idea how to make these things). We enjoyed the hospitality of Italians...some of the most friendly people in the world. We rented an impossibly small car and drove the impossibly small roads of the Amalfi coast. We took a ferry to the island of Capri. We hiked some more. We went to Pompeii - a town completely destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius almost 1000 years ago. We tried limoncello and drank lots of red wine. We decided we are going back to Italy. To see some of our pictures, check out the slideshow on the right.

Florida

2009-03-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, its been nearly a month since my last post. Life is plugging along. Jon and I were able to head for some sun and visit my parents in Florida for a few days. They travel to Florida for the month of March each year. This was the first time we visited. It was great to get out in some kayaks, visit the Everglades, and take walks down the beach. Check out the pics!

Birkie Fever

2009-02-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

Well, my 3rd Birkie was successful. I skied the 54 kilometers in just under 5 1/2 hours, which was a personal best for me. Most of you know that I skied this year's Birkie to raise money for Free the Slaves. With almost $2,000 raised, I feel it was very successful. My plan is to continue this next year and make it even better. Thanks to everyone who supported me...you are contributing to a very worthy cause. It's not too late to donate! If you want to make a contribution, copy and paste the following link into your Internet browser:

https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=62939&fundraiser_id=33375045&m=a0036bf0

Porcupine Mountains

2009-02-10T17:10:00.001-08:00

Last week was a small trip down memory lane for me. As a child, I made quite a few trips to the "Porkies" with my parents and grandparents. Passing by the tiny A-frame cabins that we used to rent, I could remember how my sister and I thought the little loft with the double bed was so cool. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is very blessed by the snow gods. Big old Lake Superior provides a lot of moisture for the storms coming out of Canada. Leah, Jere, Jon, and myself decided to make the Porkies our destination for the 4th annual winter yurt trip. As usual, we had a wonderful time. This year we had a hand crank radio and picked up a classic rock station out of Ironwood. A nice addition. We did some skiing, played some cards, drank a few beers, and as usual, planned our next trip...Nepal. We'll see if it happens.

A New Christy is born

2009-02-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Beau David Christy! He is such a sweet boy...I got in some good snuggle time with him when he was just a few days old. What a treat! Congrats to Matt, Rachel, Jace, and Moose for the new addition to their family.

Birkie Fever

2009-02-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Why? Why? Why? I think it was Leah who asked me why I decided to sign up for the Birkie. My response was, "It's the same reason I signed up last time...one too many beers and one too many days of winter boredom". So this past weekend Jon and I drove up to Hayward to do some training on the Birkie Trail. I forgot how hard that darn trail is! After 30 km I was exhausted. I'm not sure how I'll make 54 km in just 3 short weeks. My favorite Chinese proverb seems relevant: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". Wish me luck!

Coldest day in 5 years

2009-01-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

One should not be subjected to the kind of temperatures we've seen in Minnesota this week. An auditor from the Edward Jones headquarters in St. Louis came to "visit" my office on Monday. She thought I was crazy when I suggested she breathe through her mouth so her nostrils don't freeze. Hopefully she didn't learned the hard way. Thankfully we received 7 new inches of snow before this cold snap so once it thaws out, the trails should be great.

New Year's in Duluth

2009-01-06T18:35:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to have the most wonderful friends in Duluth. Many of these people have been part of our lives for over 10 years. We decided it would be fun to spend the New Year's holiday up north. My good friend Julie and I have a tradition of going skiing on New Year's Eve and then enjoying a beer in the parking lot. This year we skied under the moonlight. Later that evening we went to Alison's parents place. They had recently renovated their home to include a hot tub and sauna. We were happy to sample them. We got so excited playing Outburst that we missed midnight and had to do the champagne toast a few minutes late. New Year's Day started off on a chilly note. Julie and Alison have been jumping in Lake Superior for 15 years to kick start the new year. Jon decided to join them last year and this year was no different. I went along for moral support and to hold the towels. There was so much ice on the lake that we had to clear a place for them to jump in (see the photo in the slideshow). We were out on a small point and the wind was really howling. Julie said it was the coldest dip in all 15 years. Burrrrr! After warming up went for a wonderful ski with Alison, Ben, and her parents. Ben skied over an hour...not bad for 4 years old! Friday we decided to go skiing with several friends at Korkki Nordic. There were 6 of us out enjoying the day when we encountered a large and tricky hill. There was a 4-person pile up at the bottom that resulted in a bloody nose, a broken pole, a badly bruised leg, and some bruised pride. But a trip to Korkki wouldn't have been complete without a crash. Leah and Jere hosted us for one night. We enjoyed a blizzard-like ski at Magney Snively and good food at the Brewhouse. Finally we were able to visit Rachel, Matt, and Jace. Rachel is 9 months pregnant so I think she appreciated the entertainment for Jace. Jace is such a wonderful little boy and very excited about sports. Everything revolves around hockey and football (or "42" as he call it). Thanks to each of you for your hospitality and friendship.

Very funny

2009-01-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

Snowshoeing at Kruger

2008-12-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

There is a beautiful state forest in the bluffs outside of Wabasha called Kruger. My parents, Jon, and I decided to visit and do some snowshoeing. I have really grown to love the bluffs in Southeast Minnesota. We hiked to an overlook with a great view of the Zumbro River valley. As we were hiking I started thinking that after more than 2 years I can finally say that I feel as "at home" here in SE MN as I did back in Duluth. It's a nice feeling...

Christmas Day!

2008-12-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Nothing celebrates Christmas like ice skating...

Dylan and Gretchen

Jon and I will be heading to Vancouver in 2010.

Yahoo!

2008-12-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

Jon and I made it out for our first ski of the year today at the Mississippi National Ski Trails. This is a great little trail system in the City of Red Wing. The trail weaves its way through the bluffs along the Mississippi River. In summer its home to hikers and mountain bikers. In the winter it's used by x-country skiers and snowshoers. The tracks were windswept, the temperature was -8 degrees, the windchill was -30, but we had a blast. We stopped 3 times to thaw out poor little Aspen's feet...her new booties are already on order. I would have taken some pictures but the camera froze. Hooray for winter!

Wild Game Feed 2008

2008-12-07T16:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had the 2nd annual wild game feed with some friends in Duluth, MN. Overall its safe to call it a success. Jon and Jere were the master chefs. Leah was the interior decorator/cleaner. I was the assistant to all three. The menu included comprehensively stuffed squash, potato & porcini with mushrooms, orange grouse, red wine marinaded duck breasts, croc pot pheasant, grouse kiev, jalapeno pepper and cheese stuffed duck breasts, and winter salad. We washed it down with brownies and ice cream. We would have sampled roasted pheasant but it fell on the floor right before it was time to serve it...whoops. I know I've said this a thousand times but our Duluth friends are so great. Thanks for another good time. Next year we'll hope for some goose and venison to add to the spread.

Jon, Bob, Leah and Sasha - notice she's licking her lips

Some of the folks who joined us - Leah had such a beautiful centerpiece!

November

2008-11-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

November has been one gloomy month! I feel like we haven't seen the sun more than a few minutes since Halloween. So sad! However, we have managed to have some adventures. Check on the pics.

Jon turned 32 on Halloween. Here is the birthday boy with my great-great grandfather's pipes

Jon's birthday party at King's Bar in Miesville

The fabulous sushi restaurant where we dined on Beth's 30th birthday party. Notice our sexy prom dresses from days past. Beth and I have been friends since the 7th grade. She is the one in the bright red dress.

The sushi boat

Teaching Felicity about the stock market

Laziness

2008-11-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Hooray for Leah and Jere! They made the trip to the Bluff country to hang out with us this weekend. We spent at least 75% of the time sitting in the living room, alternating between beer and coffee, solving all the worlds problems. The other 25% of the time we spent going for a hike in Frontenac State Park, extreme bowling at Treasure Island casino, and planning a trip to the Porcupine Mountains this winter. Three cheers for winter!

Summers really over

2008-11-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Harvesting my brussels sprouts signaled the end of the garden. Aspen has now turned the garden into her playground. She is happily digging holes all over. I figure that's less tilling for me in the spring. This year was my first year trying a vegetable garden and I was pretty happy with the results. Red potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, brussel sprouts, and strawberries worked beautifully. The spinach and green beans never really made it past the infancy stage. The onions were overtaken by the tomatoes - I'll have to leave more room next year. And broccoli...what a frustrating vegetable! Timing the harvest was so difficult. I suppose I can declare the first year a success. Next year will be even better!

Sunset in the Swamp

2008-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

I know that many of my blog entries this time of year involve a firearm. This could give you the impression that I am a hunter. The truth is I am not a member of the NRA, nor am I a very good shot. However, I married a hunter. And not just an average hunter...I married Jon Loye. This is a man who spent most of last summer designing and building the blind you see in the pictures. While average hunters were paging through the Cabela's catalog to pick out a blind; Jon was out in the swamp cutting grass, dragging it home, drying it on our deck, and assembling it into a blind. The average hunter was buying the latest mechanical duck decoys; Jon was spending hours practicing and perfecting his duck call. He is a true hunter and in my opinion, a dying breed. He believes that a good hunter is a conservationist and an environmentalist. He believes the animals should have a fair chance. He hunts on foot and in canoe, rather than on ATVs. He follows the law and curses the hunters who are shooting 5 minutes after sundown. He's a true sportsmen who's taught me everything I know about the sport.

The 3rd generation...we start 'em young at Edward Jones!

2008-10-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Coming up on Dancing With The Stars

2008-10-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Grouse hunting comes to an end

2008-10-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the Hunting Tally on the right, Jon and I had a pretty good grouse season. Nothing can beat a walk in the woods with your sweetheart, the best grouse dog around, and the changing leaves. Grouse hunting has become a great way for us to enjoy the Fall together. Thankfully, Jon still takes me along even though I miss most of the birds and have a way of getting overly excited when we jump a bird. Here are some pictures of the weekend up at Jon's cabin near Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Girl's Weekend 2008

2008-10-12T19:51:00.001-07:00

The Hovgaard/Hudson women continued the tradition of girl time while the men in our lives duck hunted. This year we had a new addition to the party - Felicity Grace. She made the weekend so interesting! My back was sore from walking her all over the place. You parents out there might remember the stage where crawling is boring but walking while holding the fingers of some poor bent over adult is lots of fun. We visited the pumpkin patch and the mall. We even successfully had dinner at a restaurant with Felicity. Most of all we enjoyed each-others company and reconnected as family and friends. I look forward to next year.

Inner thoughts

2008-10-05T17:05:00.001-07:00

Its been awhile since I've blogged. It seems that there has been a lot going on yet I haven't been in the mood to write. The stock market has been interesting of late. My clients are (rightfully) nervous and the conversations I'm having with them can be emotionally draining. Still, it's in times like these that my advice is so valuable to them and I know that in the long-run all of this will make me a better financial advisor and probably a stronger person as well. Another thing I've been struggling with is an irregular heartbeat that I've had for quite awhile but suddenly it has decided to rear its ugly head on a more regular basis. I'm finally going to be able to see the cardiologist this week. I hope to learn that it is benign and all my worrying has been for nothing. If it turns out to be harmless, then it will mainly be a mental battle to convince myself that nothing dangerous is happening when my heart acts up. I'm confident I can manage it. I look forward to my consultation and getting more definitive answers. A blessing came this weekend when I spontaneous read a book I had heard about called Tree Spirited Woman. It is written by a Minnesota author and was just the sort of medicine I needed. Meanwhile, I've been wishing my life were as simple as Aspen's.

Grouse Opener 2008

2008-09-13T15:50:00.001-07:00

Hunting season has officially began. Our opening day was a wash out (literally). But we braved the rain and mud to walk the trails in search of grouse. Aspen did her best but wasn't able to find any birds. Either way, it was fun to watch her zipping around the woods. If we have any luck at all, we'll have the 2nd annual wild game feed in Duluth on Thanksgiving weekend. Those of you up there, wish us luck and mark your calendars!

Obama's got moves!

2008-09-06T17:33:00.001-07:00

One last hooray

2008-09-02T18:24:00.001-07:00

Our one last hooray took place at Swan Lake on the Iron Range of Minnesota. We hadn't been to Jon's cabin all summer. We spent 4 laid back days watching the dogs play in Swan Lake and biking the Mesaba Trail through old mining towns. As I sit here writing this at 8pm it is already dark and a cool breezy is blowing through the window. Fall is on the way.

Camping with Rachel and Jace

2008-08-26T18:59:00.001-07:00

Rachel, Jace, and I spent last weekend camped along the Namekagon River in NW Wisconsin. We passed the time "fishing" the Namekagon, which involves Jace sticking his pole in the river. We played with toys in the tent, built a campfire, went for walks, visited the zoo in Hayward, and chased Jace around the campground. No visit to rural WI would be complete without drunkards. Ours arrived at the campground around 10pm Saturday evening. After a run-in with the park ranger, many cans of cheap beer, and a fight that left one of them sleeping in the car, they finally tired out around 2am and went bed. Jace woke up screaming around 4am - that was our sweet revenge. Thanks for the good times - next year we'll have Jace and Rachel's newborn - just kidding.

BWCA with Leah and Jere

2008-08-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

We were able to break away for a quick trip to the BWCA in mid-August. I was reminded why I don't usually travel up there during the peak season. The campsites were packed and there were lots of groups traveling the lakes. Not exactly wilderness. But Leah and Jere came through (as they always do) with good humor, boxed wine, and good conversation. Thanks for the laughs...next year we're going in October!

Check out my new blog

2008-08-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've setup a new blog specifically dedicated to anti-slavery efforts. It is a work in progress, but check it out when you have time.
http://helpendslavery.blogspot.com

Spirit Lake, Iowa

2008-08-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are geographically challenged, Spirit Lake is in the northwest corner of Iowa. Surrounded by cornfields and rolling hills, its a pleasant corner of the world with lakes and cabins. We traveled there with our friends Beth and John. Beth and I have been friends since the 7th grade. We share a lot of things in common: love of biking, skiing, adventuring around the world and we both married boys named John/Jon. I am blessed to call her a friend of 18 years. Here's to many more adventures!

Scandinavia

2008-07-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well Scandinavia treated us well. It's easy to see the Scandinavian blood in Minnesotans. We found Norway and Denmark to be quant, friendly, and beautiful countries. However they were a bit more expensive than what we are used to back home. $12 beers sent Jon and I into temporary detox. Check out the slideshow on the right side of the blog for some pictures. We started by flying to Kirkenes, Norway. If you pull out a map, you'll see that this is about as far north as you can get in Europe. It's actually further north than Barrow, Alaska and above the 71st parallel. And boy was it cold up there! Good thing we threw in hats and gloves at the last minute. From there we boarded the Norwegian coastal ferry and spent 6 days making 34 ports of call. Some of the cities were quite large but most were just tiny outposts on the Norwegian coastline. It was a very relaxing 6 days filled with reading, playing cards, and getting off the ship to explore. We finally arrived in Bergen, which is where the Edward Jones portion of the trip began. Bergen is the 2nd largest city in Norway and probably the most scenic. We did some hiking here and went on a fjord tour. After spending a few days there, it was off to Denmark, the birthplace of my great-grandfather. In 1913 at the age of 18 he boarded a ship from Copenhagen headed for Ellis Island. Before we left on this trip, I had done some research and found the ship manifesto from that day in 1913 when he arrived in the US. According to the log he was headed to Omaha, Nebraska to meet a cousin and he had $50 in his pocket. Amazing. While we didn't get to the town of his birth, it was neat to walk the 300 year old cobblestone streets of Copenhagen and think that he might have walked those same streets. Copenhagen was a very refreshing city as there are more bikes on the roads than cars and they generate a whooping 20% of their energy needs from wind (more than any other country in the world). They are also the happiest country in the world and are supposedly the world's fastest walkers. It might have something to do with the fact that they drink an average of 4 cups of coffee per day for each man, woman, child, and infant in the country. We have a lot to learn from this small Scandinavian country. I know I've been inspired to walk/bike more, drink more coffee, and smile more often.

Gardening Update

2008-06-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

I want to report on the ups and downs of gardening. First lets get the "downs" out of the way. Some type of green, worm-like creature has invaded the broccoli (thanks to Julie for pointing this out). Jon and I have been diligently removing worms and eggs and it now appears that they have become tired of our efforts and moved on to another garden. Secondly, we headed to Grand Rapids for the weekend and returned to find that the broccoli had flowered! Help! Is this normal? Should I have harvested it last week? If I whack off the flowering heads will more grow back or is that it for this year? (Julie and Alison, I need you to weigh in on this). Finally, Aspen has discovered that the garden is a short-cut to other interesting parts of the backyard and has created a nice little trail through the onions. Arghhh!
On to the "ups". I made my first lettuce salad from my garden complete with the first strawberries I was able to harvest. That was really cool and rewarding. The tomato plants are huge...I can't wait until I have ripe tomatoes. It looks like one zucchini plant came up from the dozen or so seeds I planted. If I do it right, it should produce Jon's favorite vegetable. Finally, a couple of spinach plants seemed to have survived (I thought they were all dead). I should be able to mix a few leaves in with the lettuce for variety. That's all for now...

Re-shaping

2008-06-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

My niece is about 1/2 way through a skeletal reconstructive program (hence the helmet). Because she was born a little early, her head was a bit softer than normal. Sleeping on her back led to the back of her head being flattened. The helmet is meant to reshape her head while her bones are still malleable. It hasn't changed her happy-go-lucky attitude or made her any less cute. If all goes well, the helmet will be gone by the end of August. Hooray!

Summertime

2008-06-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

We've finally been in Red Wing long enough to have some decent plants and a garden going. I'm proud of the work Jon and I have put into the yard, which was quite neglected when we moved in. Sometimes I wish it was summer year-round. Oh wait, then I would miss the -20 degree weather and snowshoveling ;)

The Red Wing Happy Hour Meetup Group

2008-06-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Jon and I have found a great group of friends through the Red Wing Happy Hour Meetup Group. The group was started about a year ago as a way for friendly folks to find other cool people in Red Wing. Our group uses the networking website www.meetup.com. For those of you not familiar with this website, I encourage you to check it out. Basically, our group gets together once a week after work to drink beer, tell jokes, act smart, etc. This week I convinced my Dad to let me take the group out on his boat on Lake Pepin. We had a blast! Here's the group minus Eliza, who was taking the picture. You guys are great...thanks for making Red Wing a more welcoming place!

Tour de Pepin 2008

2008-06-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Jan Ulrich

Lance Armstrong

Jere, Abra, Leah, and Beth

This weekend was the first ever Tour de Pepin. Leah and Jere from Duluth, my high school pal Beth, and I felt like professional bike racers as we rode 72 miles around Lake Pepin. We even survived a wicked thunderstorm complete with lightening, high winds, and driving rain. A couple of times we formed an inefficient draft line. Except for a few sore butts and cramped necks, we thoroughly enjoyed the event. Although, Lance Armstrong and Jan Ulrich didn't join us, they were an inspiration. I kept thinking about how they do that for 21 days through the mountains of France. Our recovery involved naps, followed by beer, pizza, and pool at a local Red Wing bar. We are awaiting Trek sponsorship for next year.
Photos courtesy of Outside Magazine and Jon Loye Photography.

5 years and still going....

2008-05-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-28T16:22:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-13T18:44:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

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.

"Spring" camping in Minnesota

2008-04-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently, spring in our state now comes with a late April blizzard on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs. We set out on our 3rd annual Spring camping trip with Julie, Alison, Benjamin, and Cedar. This year we chose Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. After hearing the weather report, we decided to go with a camper cabin rather than tent. That turned out to be a wise move since Saturday morning there was 6" of new snow on the ground. The natural gas fireplace kept us warm as we played cards, read books, and told Ben stories. The picture I posted was an hour long hike in Saturday's blizzard. Thanks to Jules, Alison, and Benjamin for joining us...next year we're heading to Florida.

Adventures of Aspen the Dog

2008-04-21T18:41:00.001-07:00

Aspen had a busy weekend. She spent Saturday playing with Jace. He spent some time touching (or hitting) her with a hockey stick and then laughing every time. Aspen tried to get some relief by going into Jace's tent. Jace found it so funny to see her behind the door. Then it was off to Billy and Stella's house (Moriah's dogs). After a ferocious greeting, Aspen wet herself at the doorstep. This has happened on every visit to Moriah's but will still laugh about it. After some intense playing and many trips to the backyard, Stella and Aspen curled up on the couch together. Such is a dog's life!

Gobble, Gobble

2008-04-20T19:12:00.001-07:00

Being the wife of a hunter can be strange. Life is usually defined by hunting seasons. For example, "If our house hasn't sold by the end of turkey season, then I think we should consider lowering the price." Or, "Would you be upset if I drilled holes in the gunnel of the canoe?" "Why?", I asked. "So that I can attach a blind to it this fall for duck hunting?"
The next hunting season is wild turkey. This means that I am spending my evenings listening to Jon echo the clucks and calls of the turkeys on an instructional video. This is pretty manly stuff. If Jon can perfect the Hen call, then the Tom will surely come looking for his sweetheart. It's really not that different from human mating rituals. Strutting, calling, vying for the females...does this sound familiar to anyone? If Jon is lucky he will get a turkey during the 5-day Minnesota season and another turkey during the 5-day Wisconsin season. If he isn't lucky, he'll get to see some amazing sunsets in Minnesota's bluff country.

Family History

2008-04-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when one should study their history, to know where they have roots. If history repeats itself or can teach us a lesson, maybe this exercise will give me a glimpse at my future. As some of you know, Jon and I are traveling to Norway and Denmark this summer with my parents. The main intent of the trip is to reconnect with our ancestors (that might be hard considering they are all dead). In all seriousness, we want to visit the areas where our ancestors were born. Last night I spent the evening reading some information that another family member compiled. I learned that my great-great-great-great-great grandfather was a man named Jakob Olsen (I told you I was a Scandinavian!) He was born in Saranen Norway, married a woman, had children, and the rest is history. To think that my life started with that union...its incredible! That is the furthest back I was able to go on my great-grandmothers side. I was surprised that I didn't have to go very far back in the family tree to find people born in Europe. My great-grandfather was born in Aalborg, Denmark. Unfortunately, I never met him because he died when I was -7 years old. Anyways, my point in writing this is that I could use some tips. If anyone is aware of any good and inexpensive Genealogy websites or services, post a comment and help a girl out. Thanks!

People friends, Dog friends

2008-03-28T13:24:00.001-07:00

Thanks for visiting!

2008-03-23T06:44:00.001-07:00

This weekend we shared a meal with Jessie, Dan, and Felicity. It was nice to catch up with them and hear about their trip to Florida. Dan and Jessie are such loving and attentive parents. Felicity's smiles and wet kisses are so precious. What a beautiful little child!

Girl Time

2008-03-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sharon, myself, and Kay (from left) took to the slopes last weekend for some snowboarding. It was Kay's first day so she took some lumps, including a pretty good smack to her head. I'm not sure if the crash or the subsequent time in the bar killed more brain cells. Oh well, who's counting?

Beach Baby

2008-03-19T19:14:00.001-07:00

Felicity recently headed to Florida to visit my parents who are beach bums for the month of March. Check out these adorable pictures!

One less house

2008-03-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am going to give you all a piece of unsolicited advice right now...under no circumstances should you own 2 houses that total over 200 years old! Yes Dad, I know you tried to warn me. After much reflection, Jon and I have decided to sell our place in Duluth. Soooooo...spread the word! If you know of anyone looking for a smaller home with a nice view of the big lake, let us know. We'll be sad to cut our real estate ties to the city but thank goodness we still have ample friendships to keep us up there. Leah and Jere; Jules, Alison, and Ben; Rachel, Matt, and Jace; Moriah and Dan; Ann Flueckiger - I hope you all meant it when you said we could crash on your couches. We fully intend on taking you up on it!

Can my niece Felicity get any cuter???

2008-03-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Turning 30

2008-03-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

On February 28th I entered my 3rd decade. My mother always said that life gets better as you get older. However, its going to be tough for my 30s to be better than my 20s. My friend Kay made me a German chocolate cake and it was shared with all the members of our social group in Red Wing. Also, my 85 and 86 year-old grandparents from St. Peter, MN drove almost 2 hours with a chocolate cake that my grandmother made. They made my birthday so special and I feel so fortunate to still have them as a major part of my life.

New Zealand slideshow

2008-02-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

Thank you Moriah for putting up with all my crazy questions about how to make the slideshow work. Anyways, check out the slideshow on the right. If you click on the slideshow it will bring it up to full screen. I'm still working on the journal but I hope to put some stories up over the weekend.

3rd annual yurt trip

2008-01-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Jon and I headed to the Gunflint Trail with our good friends Leah and Jere for our 3rd annual yurt trip. For those of you who aren't familiar with yurts - they have long been the traditional nomadic home for Mongolians and many other Central Asians. They are easily deconstructed and moved so that nomadic people can follow their animals to different pastures. Jon and I stayed in many yurts when we were in Mongolia in 2002. This was our 3rd trip to Minnesota's version of a yurt. We go there to ski, drink beer, relax, and enjoy the solitude of the Northwoods. We accomplished that again this year with lots of skiing, several bulldogs (as evidenced by the picture of Jere) and many laughs. Thanks for kicking my butt in hearts and for the late night skis with only 3 headlights (Jon had to stumble along between us). For those of you looking for a similiar experience, look up Boundary Country Trekking and tell Ted that you are interested in the Tall Pines Yurt. Its a blast!

Lutsen at 22 degrees BELOW zero

2008-01-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Cold weather didn't keep this group from getting outside. Our fabulous friends, Julie and Alison, and their little boy Benjamin invited us to their Lutsen cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. Even though the mercury hovered around -20F, we had lots of adventures. Benjamin showed us his x-country skiing skills and we all took a hike to Lake Agnes on the Superior Hiking Trail. Its amazing how well 3 layers of socks kept Ben's little toes warm. We had lots of fun telling stories, dancing to Abba, building castles, digging snow tunnels, soaking in the hot tub, and freezing our faces on long downhill sections on the skis. Thank you for the great friendship and for all the laughs. You're the best!

Its official!

2008-01-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

Well now that hunting season is over Aspen has been looking for something to fill the dark, cold days of winter. What is there to do in Red Wing in January for an energetic little creature? She tried chasing the Eagles down by the river, but that annoyed the photographers (Jon included) and the nature enthusiasts trying to enjoy the birds. So she decided to visit old people in the nursing home instead. I've posted her official badge at the Red Wing Ebenezer home. Each Tuesday evening we attach the badge to her collar and she bolts from room to room, looking for left-over food scraps, a scratch behind the ear, and a treat or two. Most of the residents adore her visits. However, a few have asked me to "get that thing out of my room". They give her lots of attention and in return she sits next to their beds and wheelchairs and provides a little bit of companionship.

Felicity update

2008-01-13T06:16:00.001-08:00

Here's my niece over the holidays. At her age, sleeping and pooping is more exciting than Christmas presents. But who can resist that smile?

Doggie scrabble

2008-01-03T14:53:00.001-08:00

Scrabble with Aspen can be challenging. After all, her vocabulary is pretty much limited to "treats", "kisses", "snuggle with mama", and "bad dog". Somehow Jon was hoping she would learn "stay", "whoa", "sit", "fetch", and other useful hunting phrases. Nonetheless, I have had an impact on her. So trying to form words with a limited vocabulary and 7 measly letters can be fruitless. She certainly wasn't the one who came up with "safer sex" (see the lower right corner of the board). At least I don't think that's in her vocabulary...

Let it snow...

2008-01-01T17:53:00.001-08:00

Jon and I spent New Year's Eve in the winter wonderland of Duluth. Our friends Leah and Jere joined us for a 23km ski on the Sugarbush Trails. We were all spent! We'll have to double that distance to complete the Sibley Ski Tour in March. Our tired bodies needed nourishment after all that work...colorado bulldogs and pizza revived us. Aspen had herself a good New Year's as well. She managed to eat an entire venison steak (raw) while Jon and I were busy with other things. Her New Year's resolution is to eat her own dinner! As for Jon and I, we heard a great New Year's resolution on the radio. This was suggested by a man married 50 years. He said the secret to his marriage was doing one nice thing for his spouse each morning before he left for work. His spouse in turn, did a nice deed for him. Sometimes the deeds went unspoken but he said it started the day off on the right foot. We agreed and decided to try it too. We'll see if we make it past this week.
Happy New Year's to you all!

90 and still going strong

2008-01-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve marked the 90th birthday of Jon's grandmother Edith Coschignano. This amazing (and stubborn) Danish woman has lived on the Iron Range her whole life. She still lives alone in the home where she raised her two children. She is still as sharp as ever and we celebrated her birthday with gifts and dinner at Grandma's Restaurant in Hibbing. She recounted a funny story to us about her son Pat, who surprised her by flying in for her birthday from Colorado. Apparently he went out and bought a 6" bunt cake and then managed to cram 90 candles onto it and get all of them lit. Grandma said he had all the smoke detectors in the house going off. Still, she was proud to tell us that she blew out all 90 candles. Here's a toast to Edith...may 2008 be healthy and happy for her!

FInancial Advisor Extraordinaire

2007-12-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

Maybe some of you wonder what life is like at my office each day (actually probably none of you do but I'm going to tell you anyways so listen up!). Last Wednesday I had a very important meeting (i.e. person who has a lot of $$) at 3pm. My fabulous assistant Julie had spent the better part of the morning preparing the paperwork for this meeting. Around 2:40pm I reached for my water glass and clumsily dumped its entire contents on my paperwork pile. In a panic, I grabbed the top few sheets and shook them off before the water soaked further through the 8" pile. Worriedly, I walked out to Julie's desk and asked her to re-print the damaged pages. Even before I finished my sentence, I noticed the printer repair man dissecting the innards of our printer. I guess the printer had s#*t the bed and he was trying to get it up and running. I convinced him to put the machine back together with lightening speed so that Julie could re-print the pages. Exasperated, I went back to my office and collapsed in my chair. Apparently, in my absence, the chair had neatly soaked up all the water as it ran off my desk. So now, I am soaked as well. Actually, my back and behind are soaked. So here I go off to my important meeting with a crinkled proposal and a half drenched business suit. Thank goodness Jon's photography business is doing well!

Mess of dogs

2007-12-11T16:17:00.001-08:00

What happens when you combine 3 dogs who have been confined to a small space all day and who know they are about to go for a walk with a home that's 700 square feet and a bathroom under construction? Craziness. That's my friend Moriah in the picture trying to make Billy and Stella smile for the camera. As usual, Aspen is front and center.

Duluth Deep Freeze

2007-12-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

Early December brought cold temperatures and one of those unique moments where the lake is actually warm. I love the steam off the lake this time of year. I wonder if this ship wasn't one of the last to come in to port this year. The cold also brought lots of frost to Jon's face this past weekend. We went skiing under the lights at Lester, or more accurately, under the lack of lights. I had read a trail report indicating that several lights were out. I didn't quite understand how exciting that would be until I was flying down the hill, trying to stay between the large, dark objects on either side of me while simultaneously wiping freezing sweat from my eyes. Like my old downhill ski coach used to tell me, "Abra, if you never fall it means you're not pushing yourself hard enough." Maybe he was right...

Peruvian Duds for Felicity

2007-12-05T19:55:00.001-08:00

Several years ago I volunteered as an English teacher in a Peruvian village. For 3 months I stayed with the most wonderful host family and we have kept in contact since I left in 2004. When I told them that my sister was expecting a baby, they insisted on making some gifts for the new arrival. About 3 months into Jessie's pregnancy they asked if it was a boy or a girl. I told them it was still unknown. They were feeling pressed for time so I suggested they make something yellow or green so that it could be appropriate for either sex. What I didn't expect was 2 complete handmade outfits! Last week the package arrived filled with the most beautiful, handmade, traditional Peruvian clothes. These people practically live hand-to-mouth but have such giving hearts! Why is it that the ones who have the least so often give the most? I suppose we can all learn from their generosity. Thank you to the Sanabria family of Cochas Grande!

First snowfall of 2007!

2007-12-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Winter is off to a good start. I just wanted to share some pictures of our snowy weekend grouse hunting and skiing at the golf course in Red Wing. Both were unsuccessful but it was so much fun to play in the white stuff!

Wild game feed

2007-11-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Jon cooked up a sampling of his kill from hunting season. Our wonderful friends in Duluth provided the venue and brought yummy fixings to add to the feast. Pictured on the right are grouse cooked in a mushroom cream sauce, duck breast wrapped in bacon, venison roast, and pheasant cooked with onion in the crockpot. Nice work Jon and thanks to all of our Duluth friends for joining us!

Winterer's Gathering Drama

2007-11-19T18:48:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we headed up the shore for the annual Winterer's Gathering at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. Better known by my father as the "hippie fest". This weekend was filled with interesting drama. But before I get into that, take a look at the first snowfall of the year on the Onion River. Beautiful.

Ok, so the drama has two parts and involves both the dogs. Friday evening Aspen tried to commit suicide...again. For those of you who don't know Aspen's history, her other suicide attempts have involved ripping her chest wide open on barbed wire and getting attacked by an angry nest of hornets; not to mention her chronic drinking problem or her attempt at blindness (conjunctivitis). This time she got more creative by drinking anti-freeze out of the toilet. This was followed by a stumbling and falling-all-over-herself act that convinced both Jon and I that she was heading for kidney failure. In reality, she was exhausted from running around on 160 acres with 2 other dogs. The emergency vet in Duluth didn't help matters when she told me that stumbling is the first sign of poisoning and that Aspen had 6 hours to live. It took Leah's cool head to point out that the "pink" anti-freeze Aspen drank was quite different from the "neon green" toxic stuff we put in our cars. At that point, Jon called our veterinarian in Hastings who confirmed that we had nothing to worry about. The "pink stuff" is actually approved by the FDA as safe. Apparently we all should be drinking it. I'll spare you any further details, but just imagine Abra thinking her dog is dying in the next 6 hours...not good.

I will worn you ahead of time, the second drama is disgusting and the weak of stomach should not read on. Sasha has long enjoyed escaping the confinement of her lease and heading into the woods for a tasty treat. Usually she comes back with a mouse, rabbit, squirrel, or other rodent. This time she, along with all the others hunters in Cook County last weekend, went for bigger and better things...deer. Sasha found a decomposing deer near the farm and filled up on it. We didn't realize this until several hours later when she vomitted in the back of Jon's van. If I had to guess, I'd say it was about 5 lbs of intestines, raw meat, bone, and hair. If that wasn't bad enough, she did this twice. I should be buying stock in whoever makes Resolve at this point.

Ah, but we love our dogs....

Cold, dark winter nights

2007-11-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Jon and I have been wondering how we will pass the long, dark winter that is upon us. Especially, if Red Wing remains snow-less, as it was last year. Our current solution...Scrabble. We cracked out the board last night and used every single letter except "Q", as you can see by the photo. We're hoping it's a sign of more brilliant vocabulary!

Rachel and Jace visit!

2007-11-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

The deer hunting widows once again united over deer opener. This year we had a handsome boy join us! Jace is 8 months old and a real cutie. In our estimation, we have about 5 more years of deer openers with him before he'll be joining his Dad. Aspen and Jace enjoyed eachothers company. Aspen licked excess baby food from his face and Jace followed Aspen around the house with his new crawling skills. We even got out for a hike at Frontenac State Park. The green fleece blob in the photo is Jace sleeping in the carrier. Thank you to Rachel and Jace for a great weekend!

Relaxation

2007-11-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hunting pals relax after a long day out in the woods

Duck Hunting 101

2007-10-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I got a taste of what Jon has been doing 3-4 mornings a week. Here is my interpretation. The alarm goes off at 4:45am. Next I force my tired body into lots of layers including long-underwear, fleece, and various styles of camouflage. I stumble to the kitchen and get my first dose of coffee, pull on knee high rubber boots, and jump in the car. Fifteen minutes later I am knee-high in the Mississippi fighting with a 14' boat in a fierce northwest wind. I squeeze into the front of the boat next to 2 dozen duck and geese decoys, leftover feathers from not-so-lucky guests, and boxes of bullets. We bounce across the open water. I yell at Jon when the waves come overboard and spray my still half-asleep body. Jon laughs at this situation (the nerve!). Once we get to our "spot", I start unwinding the decoy cords while Jon strategically places each of them in front of our blind. We shove the boat into the weeds and throw Jon's homemade blind canopy over us. For the first time, we can relax. We position the life jackets on the floor of the boat and take a 20 minute nap together (Jon's version of romance in a duck boat). At 7am our guns are loaded. By now I have had my second dose of coffee and am feeling alert enough to hold a loaded weapon. At 7:05am Jon is cursing the hunters across the channel who are illegally shooting before 7:15am (1/2 hour before sunrise). For the next 2 hours we shoot at ducks within range as they head down the Mississippi, on their way to greener winter pastures. I miss every duck I aim at; the ducks are lucky that I am holding a gun. At one point, I unload three shells at a flock and the third shot nearly propels me overboard. Jon's camouflage canopy is the only thing that keeps me out of the Hell Diver's Club (Jon's name for folks who go swimming during the hunting season). By 9am we have had enough. I complete the above process in reverse, minus the napping on the life jackets and call it a day...all before 10am!

Felicity one week bigger

2007-10-17T15:58:00.003-07:00

Its tough being little!

New arrival

2007-10-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

This first entry is an important one. My sister gave birth to her first child. Felicity Grace Hudson was born on Tuesday, October 9th at 12:41pm. She is a whopping 4lb 11oz and 17" long. What a cutie! I've included a picture to make sure you all agree with me on that. Best wishes to Jessie and Dan as they embark on their first year of parenting. They'll do great!