Hot Summer Day at Cannon Falls

The kids and I played in Cannon Falls today. Jeffrey played the 9 hole disc golf course at Hannahs Bend Park, Andrew used the kayak to fish by the 9th Street bridge, and Elizabeth and Jeffrey kayaked down from the 9th Street Bridge to Riverside Park. As usual, we bought lunch at Old Market Deli where we were recognized by a couple of the friendly waitstaff. I told them that the difficult part was making a choice from the many delectable items (sandwiches, soups, pastries, ice creams). Because it was so hot and humid, we enjoyed dining in the comfort of the air-conditioned room.

Andrew had lost a smallmouth bass earlier in the day, so he wanted to continue fishing. The older kids chose the coolness of the library while Andrew and I headed back to the river to fish. In the 40 minutes of fishing, I caught a white sucker and Andrew caught his first white bass ever (and lost another smallmouth bass). He gave his fish to a couple who were fishing near us. They already had a nice flathead catfish on their stringer.


In the evening, Elizabeth went to climbing team practice at Vertical Endeavors, while I went to karate (where my gi was soaked through in the un-air-conditioned dojo).

Artemis the Green Snake

We discovered that Artemis is a female because of the two eggs she laid a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, I don't think the eggs are fertilized. How cool would that be to have baby green snakes. You can see that Artemis is gentle when being held.

Cannon Kayaking ... Again

Al Kramer and I kayaked the Cannon Falls to Miesville Ravine route today. What a difference a rainstorm makes! On Wednesday, when I was on the river, the water was stained but pretty clear and its level was getting shallow with lots of riffles and more exposed rocks. Today, after heavy thunderstorms hit the area last night, the river was muddy and running fast. That made for bad fishing but a pretty easy paddle that took only 90 minutes. Afterwards we lunched at Old Market Deli, then Al bought a bottle of wine at Cannon River Winery.

Another Fun Day on Cannon River

Kayaked the Cannon River again, this time by myself. Because I went solo, I started at Riverside Park and headed upstream. I did have to wade a couple of stretches of riffles with the kayak in tow, but it felt good to be in the water on the warm sunny day. The route was only a half a mile to Hannah's Bend Park, but it was a good workout fighting the current. The fishing was lots of fun. I caught a dozen smallmouth bass and missed a bunch more. They were small, 8-12 inches, but feisty, often jumping out of the water. The area is beautiful with lots of activities. There's a community pool, a nice disc golf course, and the Cannon bike trail.

"That's baseball."

Andrew's baseball team lost a tough playoff elimination game today, the other team scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the last inning to take the game. Andrew pitched the last two innings. He went from the high of striking out the side in the 5th inning to the low of giving up the winning runs in the 6th. After the game, I, as the concerned father, asked Andrew how he was feeling. His reply: "That's baseball."
The kid has a pretty good perspective, don't you think?

Cannon River Fun

Elizabeth, Andrew, and I had a fun day on the Cannon River. Elizabeth kayaked, while Andrew and I canoed on the 7 mile stretch from Cannon Falls to Miesville. We didn't know what to expect in the way of fishing this stretch of river; Andrew was just hoping to catch a fish or two. Turns out, the fishing was terrific. Andrew ended up catching 13 smallmouth bass (and losing 2 or 3 others), while I caught 3 bass. The fish were on the smaller side but a couple hit 13". And, as Andrew said, "They were all good fighters." He considered this a great pre-birthday activity. Click here to see more photos.

Jeffrey was busy at Summer Stretch, a program at church where middle schoolers perform a service project in the morning, then do a fun activity in the afternoon (this week they went to Brunswick Zone for bowling and laser tag). We did bring him an awesome apple turnover from the Cannon Falls bakery.

Sixlets and Co.

On the hottest, steamiest day of the year, Andrew entertained fellow Sixlets (derisive middle school term for the little 6th graders) Dallas, Patrick, Colin, and Luke. Morning thunderstorms kept them inside where they happily engaged in Nerf Wars; the downstairs area was turned into a battlefield of mini forts. After a pizza lunch, the kids (joined by Elizabeth and Jeffrey) headed outside and played a version of Handball in the cul-de-sac. They'd play for a bit, run inside to rehydrate and cool off, then head back out for more. Later, they switched over to soccer in the backyard. Click here to see more photos.

In the evening, Andrew and his Blue Jays baseball team won their playoff pool. Andrew pitched well, throwing 3 innings of scoreless, no-hit ball; he also added a single and a nice double that he drove over the right fielder's head.

Fun Days at Orchard Lake

We had two fun days at Orchard Lake in Lakeville. On Sunday, Jeffrey, Andrew, and I enjoyed a picnic lunch, then fished from shore. Jeffrey had fun targeting panfish while Andrew caught his first two bass of the season. Today, Elizabeth joined us at the lake. We kayaked, fished, and enjoyed another picnic. Andrew caught another 4 bass today, two from the kayak. Elizabeth also caught a bass (but didn't want to touch it so Andrew handled the release of the fish). Jeffrey spent some time trying to catch a small perch we spotted. He wanted to add this to our fish tank. I caught a nice 3 pound bass while kayaking. To see more photos, click here.

Green Snake Sheds Skin

Our rough green snake is bright green again after shedding her skin last night. Leading up to this, her color had become a dusty, darker green. Pretty amazing that she sloughs off the old skin in one piece.

Lesley Lunch

Had a fun lunch at El Loro with Janet (who had to take off before the photo op), Larry, Trista, and Amy. Just catching up with everyone's stories - kids, school, travels, and work (for those of us who aren't lucky enough to be enjoying retirement, Larry). Afterwards, everyone stopped by my house to relax and chat a bit more. We all agreed it's been too long between Lesley lunches.

Pardon My French: An Eagan Bistro

I had a pleasant dinner at Pardon My French, a casual bistro, new this year to Eagan. I enjoyed a roast beef sandwich with a cup of broccoli cheddar soup plus I brought home an apple turnover all for about $10. There's also a wine bar but I didn't sample that feature. The turnover turned out to be fair; tart apple filling in pastry crust but I prefer the flaky type of crust and sweeter filling. In the interest of exploration, I will have to try some of the other desserts in the future. I have a feeling Elizabeth and friends may have a new place to hangout.

Happy 4th of July

As the fireworks go off (from my bedroom window, I can see the bursts of light through the thicket of trees in the backyard), I'm celebrating this holiday by listening to an excellent MPR Midday interview with William Hogeland, author of Declaration: The Nine Tumultuous Weeks When America Became Independent, May 1-July 4, 1776. The June 25th interview was really interesting and so informative; I wish history could come alive like this more often. I'm so looking forward to getting a copy of this book.

Earlier in the day, I attended the annual 4th of July get-together at the Kramer's. Small but fun crowd (Chings, Kramers, Bowlings, and Zenkers). Talked stories: past 4th of July celebrations with Ross, fireworks, and the water balloon slingshot; the Twilight books and movies; parallels between Jeffrey and Chris and the calls home from school; Julie and Diane's NY adventure; Harry Potter vs Yoda; Kim's bad summer; Al's adventurous incidents; the neighborhood watch.

Kids Kayak from Cannon Falls to Miesville

Elizabeth and Jeffrey kayaked 7 miles on the Cannon River from Cannon Falls to Miesville. First they picked up delicious sandwiches from Old Market Deli as well as pastries from Hi Quality Bakery, both in Cannon Falls. The trip took them almost two hours and included a stop on a sandbar for lunch. They saw herons, muskrat, a snapping turtle, and a deer along the route. I was a bit nervous about letting them go on their own, but they did fine and enjoyed themselves.

Andrew at YMCA Fishing Camp

Andrew spent the week fishing with Y-Camp. He went to Lake Marion (Lakeville), Hidden Falls Park on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Mille Lacs, and Lake Minnetonka and enjoyed himself.

(photo from 2009 fishing trip to Orchard Lake)