Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

My garden is in!

 

Yesterday, 5/24/22, was the official start of my zone 3 gardening season.

This year I am making some changes to my approach, to make this space feel more manageable and appealing to me.

I have been gardening for many years, and this space has produced abundantly. 

I have kept it up by weeding and watering and making the most out of the bounty by harvesting, canning, and drying.

It has been a lot of work.  I have made some small changes over the years and this year I have reconfigured my garden, again,

and I am actually excited about it!

This year I have planted and plan to maintain what I  want to tend and nurture,

which really aligns with the ideas I expressed in my most recent Taproot Magazine contribution "Not Quite Walden."

This year my garden includes:

four Valiant grapevines, three rows of Boyne raspberries, four Early Girl tomato plants, one cherry tomato plant,

a patch of pickling cucumbers, and ten dahlia plants.

I have laid down rolls of matting to create pathways and to deter the weeds.

My husband helped move the gate entry centered, rather than offset to the side, to create a more symmetrical garden design.

I am feeling good about this space. It feels far less overwhelming and I am looking forward to a harvest of a mix of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. 

Time will tell how this garden space comes together, but as of now, I am happy that my garden is in and ready to grow.

A Trip to the Shore

This Mother's Day, I enjoyed a day trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior with my crew.

The waterfalls were flowing and we were entertained, as always on the shore, throwing and collecting rocks.

It was a gift to spend the day whole day together as a family.

Taproot Magazine Issue 50::SOW

 Taproot Magazine - Issue 50::SOW is in print!

I recently received my copy and was able to see the product of my most recent contribution to this lovely magazine in my own hands.

In this issue, I shared both text and images for:

"Not Quite Walden"

Writing for magazines is a creative outlet that I thoroughly enjoy. Thoughts and ideas formulate in my mind, then are transferred thoughtfully and intentionally to words in print on my computer screen.   My completed articles are then sent to my editors, who polish my words, and graphic designers or illustrators who complement my writing and work their magic with the layout on the pages. When all is ready the magazines are published and sent out into the world for others to read.   When I pull up to my rural mailbox and receive a magazine that includes my contribution, I always get a rush of excitement and a feeling of joy and accomplishment!  

And, as I have mentioned before, writing for Taproot Magazine is a certain kind of special. 

I hope you find the opportunity to get your hands on a copy and read the article that I wrote about our family's narrative about life on our small hobby farm and how I am working to live a life that is grounded with purpose and connection, as well as balance and joy!

 

 

Winter Lake Harvest

The boys and I enjoyed some time outside together fishing on a frozen lake through holes in the ice. We were successful in our lake harvest, and got a great dose of spring sunshine, just before winter weather returned once again.

Lake Ski

Earlier this week, I acted upon my yearning to go for a lake ski for my seasonal visit to the Hegman Lake Pictographs during a mid-day break from my work at home.

We are experiencing a spring warm-up, which has been delightful! But, warm temps and all of the snow on the lakes can also make this route a slushy mess, especially by mid-day. 

I took a chance and lucked out, the conditions were great!

short video

This outing has become a part of my seasonal rhythms in my life in the Northwoods. 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

 

 

Winter Fun

It has been a while since I have posted in this space. We have been busy, enjoying our winter. 

Recently, we have found ourselves returning to some traditions and experiences that had been on hold with the pandemic.

This past weekend the boys participated in ice cutting at our friends' resort. 

It is a fun, work-party environment that, as I wrote in my first article published in Taproot Magazine years ago, keeps alive traditions of the past. 

This past weekend I enjoyed a reinstated annual gathering with some of my friends on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

It was a fun weekend that included nordic and alpine skiing, hiking, and lots of laughs.

It feels so great to be enjoying these experiences again!

January

A hike across a frozen lakeA panoramic shot James took on a recent fat tire bike ride.



Our crazy boys.

As we are making our way through January, we're embracing the snow and cold in this place we call home. 

We're out every day in the snow doing something, whether that is skiing, fat tire biking, sledding, or any of our other outdoor pursuits. 

This is the way we do winter!

Happy New Year!

The winter holidays have come and gone. For us they were an opportunity to gather again with grandparents and cousins.  We also have been enjoying time together as a family on the kids' winter break from school. We have been spending time both nordic and alpine skiing and snowboarding. I have been enjoying the local trails on my fat tire bike too. We have been spending some time indoors together too, watching movies, playing games and putting together a puzzle. We've had a lot of great moments and I am looking for more in the new year ahead! I wish you all who happen upon this digital space who follow along with my occasional ramblings the best too! May 2022 be a blessing to us all.

 

Winter (weather) is here...

The snow and cold have arrived and it is time to enjoy our winter fun activities (and cozy, caffeinated beverages)!

This is what we've been up to in my neck of the woods:

I have been out snowboarding with these two a couple of times already. We learned this sport several seasons ago and have now all developed the skills and confidence to make the experience super FUN! There is something special about snowboarding with your kids.  I am looking forward to many more opportunities as the season progresses.

Fat tire biking is another fun winter activity that I have come to enjoy.  My bike is all set with winter studded tires. We have a newly developed trail system close by, which is a whole additional playground for this fun thing to do.  Frozen lakes and packed-down dogsled trails are also great places I take my fat-tire bike in the winter to get out and explore.

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago before our big snow, but running and hiking are also in my rhythms of outdoor exercise.  I enjoy getting out with my canine hiking/running companion every season of the year on the trails.

And then there are the skinny skis! We have enough snow now for our local trails to be groomed. The kids and I have all been out on our skis, our oldest two will be competing in their first nordic ski race of the season tomorrow.

Needless to say, we have a lot of avenues of winter fun!

 

Around Here...

Around Here...

I spent some time in our backwoods collecting greens to make some evergreen wreaths. Some of these will adorn our homestead and some, spoiler alert, will soon be sent out to family, as gifts they can enjoy throughout the holiday season.  It was a full afternoon of creating, and I enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit by making these while watching the Thanksgiving Food Network shows. It was a perfect day to complete this creative task.

Around Here...

Darkness comes early, which is a great opportunity to observe the night sky on clear days.  We recently checked out a high-powered telescope from our local library and we have been enjoying the moon sightings in a magnified way! 

Around Here...

Winter weather is trying to make its mark. Snow and ice are returning, but at this point, it is still snowing, freezing, and thawing. Soon we will be skiing and on ice, but not quite yet. This morning on a trail run I came across both a frozen pond and open water. 

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?