Update On My Exploration of Southern Minnesota

On June 6th, I made my goals for this summer concerning my exploration of Southern MN public. I am embarrassed to say that I did not accomplish much (only visiting Trout Run) between June 6th and July 22nd, but things are really starting to pick up now. I will blame my work schedule and the state shutdown for my month and a half dry spell.

The following is the list I previously shared, and now I can start crossing things off! This is very exciting!

1. Mystery Cave, Forestville State Park, Preston
• I went here yesterday with Mr. Sturm and had a wonderful time. We went on a one hour tour with one other couple and a family with two young boys. The park ranger who gave the tour was very knowledgeable and explained things very well, in my opinion. Also, I was impressed with their lighting and walkway system they have installed for the one-hour tour trek and how little it detracts from the natural beauty and artifacts of the cave. We saw a bat, and little, tiny white insects named springtails. Concerning the insects, however, the guide could have been pulling our legs and simply telling us those white specks in the water were insects. We really couldn't get close enough to see. So, in conclusion, Mystery Cave was a success, and it gets a recommendation from me!
2. Niagra Cave, Harmony
• After Mystery Cave and a detour to downtown Preston, MN and Lanesboro, Mr. Sturm and I continued on the Niagra Cave in Harmony, MN. While Mystery Cave is part of a state park, Niagra Cave is privately owned. The cave itself was really very cool, but you could tell it wasn't as well taken care of as Mystery Cave. Also, the tour guides did not seem nearly as knowledgeable as the park rangers at Mystery Cave, but that is to be expected. Niagra Cave, unlike Mystery Cave, had a lot of running water. We went to go see the 60 foot waterfall, and it really was something else. The view of the waterfall was from above, but it was still something to behold. All through the cave tour, you could hear the running water, and the water dripped down on us from above. Unlike Mystery Cave, the ceilings were generally taller at Niagra Cave, and it seemed like most of the time, the roof was about 70 feet above us, although the passageways were much narrower. Niagra Cave had two themes for their cave, it seemed. The theme acknowledged by our guide was one of love and marriage. The one I saw as a trend but was not formally labeled was what I like to call, "Things That Are Gonna Getcha!" For the love theme, there was a little chapel in a room that looked like it had a steeple, a formation that looked like a veil, a wedding cake, the Titanic, and a high heeled shoe. There was also a rock that used to be called The Kissing Rock, I guess, where they let people go up and kiss on it, then if they got down safely, they were supposed to live happily ever after. In my opinion, the way it was described, this also ties to the  "Things That Are Gonna Getcha!" theme which also included skeleton hands, crocodile heads, and claws. Overall, I would recommend, but only if you also go to Mystery Cave.
3. Downtown Lanseboro
•  Everyone is always telling me how great Lanesboro is, but I don't really see it. My favorite part was the spoon shop where the guy makes wooden spoons by hand. One of the spoons stood up and looked like a dog, with the spoon part as the head. He also made crazy little creatures out of dried walnuts and other odds and ends. Perhaps if I went back to Lanesboro and did more of their active things, such as kayaking or tubing, it would be a more enjoyable experience. Of course I had a nice time anyway, but part of that was the company I was keeping.
4. Mayowood Mansion, Rochester
5. Zollman Zoo and Oxbow Park,  Byron
• Scheduled for Wednesday.
6. Trout Run, Fillmore County (Chatfield)
• Very cool. Probably infinitely more cool if you are into fly fishing.
7. Spam Museum, Austin
8. Honkers game, Rochester (I can see them from my yard!)
• Other Ivy and I just went to go see the game this afternoon. We both got in for free because it was active transportation day, and we both used our bodies instead of cars to get there. That was pretty exciting. The weather was nicer today than it has been the past week. There was  a slight breeze, so that helped us feel as if maybe, just maybe, this blasted heat wave is on the way out. The Honkers played the Thunder Bay Cats and won! YAY!!!! I definitely recommend a Honkers game if you enjoy baseball.
9. Roosters game, Rochester
• Scheduled for Saturday.

So I have accomplished five things on my list of nine, and have two more scheduled for this week. It seems that perhaps, against all odds, I may actually complete my list for exploring Southern Minnesota!

Exploring Southern Minnesota

I love to travel and go on little adventures. You probably remember me telling you about the Protagitron's and my awesome trip to Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe in Seattle, Washington. It was incredible. I love doing things like that.

On a teacher's salary, however, and the fact that I work 60 hour weeks (usually, sometimes a little less, oftentimes a lot more) while only getting paid for 40 of those hours, it can be difficult to find the funds and time for the kind of grand adventures I have envisioned. So, I have decided to still go on adventures, but to make the most of my summer by exploring what I have right here.

What I have right here is Southeastern Minnesota*, and it turns out there is quite a bit to do here.

1. Mystery Cave, Forrestville
2. Niagra Cave, Harmony
3. Downtown Lanseboro
4. Mayowood Mansion, Rochester
5. Zollman Zoo and Oxbow Park,  Byron
6. Trout Run, Fillmore County
7. Spam Museum, Austin
8. Honkers game, Rochester (I can see them from my yard!)
9. Roosters game, Rochester

 There's of course more I would like to see, but I only have two months, and I will be working full time, so I feel like this is already pretty ambitious. I will be going to one of the caves first. With that decision made, I just need to pick a date, time, and someone willing to drive out to go into a cave. Caves are cool, right?

As a reminder, don't forget to go to the Disney website and take this quiz so that you can participate in my survey!

*I already wrote about this a while back, but hadn't done as much research then. Now I know what I want to do, and I will make it happen.

Results of the "My Next Minnesotan Adventure" Survey

Since I am a huge geek who is kind of lame, loves history, and goes out to intentionally learn more about stuff in my free time and of my own volition, I love to go on little adventures to museums, historical landmarks, or pretty much any educational thing. Also, since I am kind of weird myself, the stranger, odder, more confusing, or quirkier the adventure, the better. This is why I enjoyed Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle so much. Of course I sincerely got a kick out of the Jacques Cartier House in Montreal as well that provided this confusing and amusing puppet display.

What is happening here?

 My geekiness clearly knows no bounds, but it always nice to be terribly, nerdily informed about not only the world, but the place where you live. It is for this reason I decided to start exploring southeastern Minnesota. With the weather turning nice, I also decided to focus on outdoor activities.

What should I do on my next MN adventure?

Tour of Mystery Cave in Forestville	(75%)
Bluff Country Studio Art Tour in Lanesboro	(0%)
Niagra Cave tour in Harmony	(0%)
Bird Banding Whitewater State Park	(0%)
Mayowood Mansion tour in Rochester	(0%)
Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo in Byron	(25%)

As you can see, it seems I will be going to Mystery Cave in Forestville. Now the only questions that remain are when? who will go with me? and should I take the one or two hour tour? 

Unfortunately, only four of you voted. This could be due to the fact that I didn't remind you ever, or it could be that none of you care anything about geeky educational activities available in southeastern Minnesota. Either way, I am a little disappointed. But not that disappointed. I am going to go explore a cave! (Although maybe not until the end of May.) And joke's on you, too, because I still fully intend on going to the Zollman Zoo.

Look at my new dress!

Yesterday I went to the Apache Mall to do some birthday present shopping. In the next few days I will celebrate my mother's birthday, my grandmother's birthday, and my dear friend, Linnea's birthday. It has been over a decade that I have had this birthday schedule, and yet I still can't decide if it is very convenient or very inconvenient to have their birthdays so close together.

But the point was, I was shopping at the Apache mall for birthday presents, and it turns out that I actually do know people in Rochester. First off, Ashley was working at the Caribou. At Caribou, I only ever order tea. I didn't know what kind of tea I wanted yet, plus I kind of wanted to chat with the lady behind the cash (Ashley), so I let the man behind me go ahead of me. He was so nice, he ended up paying for my tea. I'm not exactly sure how that happened. One minute I don't have tea, then I do, and he gave Ashley a nice tip as well.

After seeing talking with Ashley as much is appropriate while she is working, I began wandering around the mall pretty aimlessly. During this time, I ran into three families of my students. It seems to me that is quite a bit. Then, when I was in the office this morning, our lovely Spanish interpreter came up and told me she heard me in Herberger's. She said I was on the phone with someone, and she couldn't see me, but she could hear me. She was right. I was definitely on the phone in Herberger's at some point Sunday afternoon. Over the course of the day, two other students came up and told me they saw me at the mall.

It should be said that I went to the mall with crazy looking hair, a jeans and boots combo that just was not working, and an older shirt. Good thing my students, their families, and my colleagues were all at the mall!

On the bright side, I got a new dress. In case you can't tell in the picture, it is a dark purple and black zig-zag pattern. It is too short for work, unless I end up wearing it with pants underneath, maybe. It is also not dressy enough for dress, so I may have to actually live the life of a person in their mid-twenties so that I can wear an informal dress. The best part ever is that it fits exactly right and it was on super clearance, so it was only $6. Needless to say, I was very excited.

Don't worry. I also completed my birthday present shopping.

Now excuse me as I return to sitting in the dark with a cat in my lap while watching sub-par television and drinking tea. Did I mention that I'm awesome?

A Love Letter (To Minnesota)

My Dearest Minnesota,

There are so many reasons to love you, it is difficult to know where to start, but I will do my best to do you justice!

First of all, the fierceness and unpredictability of your weather never ceases to amaze me. In the Winter, your awesome winds, drifting snow, and freezing temperatures stay for months on end, creating a frozen winter wonderland. In the Spring, you bring in the sun, the warm breezes, and that delicious 50 degree Fahrenheit temperature that has us all basking up Vitamin D outside in only a t-shirt. But then, you again show your power, and with hardly any warning, your temperature plummets, and the world becomes completely white again as enormous quantities of snow fall from the sky and blow through the air, making it impossible to tell if the snow is coming up, down, or sideways! In the summer you graciously provide us with a ten minute warning – an ominous, glowing green sky – before pummeling us with roaring winds, torrential rains, and earthshaking thunder and lightning! Truly your weather is awe-inspiring in all seasons!

Your weather, oh mighty Minnesota, breeds a strong, hearty folk who cannot be stopped by little things such as blizzards, eight foot snow drifts, two inch visibility fog, thirty below or one hundred above temperatures, or blowing winds. In fact, not only are your sturdy people unstopped by your best efforts, but they are obsessed with discussing it. Minnesotans would be content to talk about the weather for hours on end, and we do! And do we roll our eyes or change the subject when someone begins a conversation about the most recent snowfall or temperature change? No! We chime in enthusiastically!

What is more, the sturdy folk driven to strength and confidence love butter, cheese, and believe – nay! KNOW – that a can of cream of mushroom soup can be added to almost any recipe to make it that much more delicious! You have created a people who thrive on dairy products and casseroles! And they are a happy, healthy people!

So happy and healthy have you built your population, that there is a term – Minnesota Nice – that rings true more often than not. Your people are excellent at making eye contact and smiling at each other. They chit-chat pleasantly at the check-out and let people with fewer items go ahead. They good naturedly say please, thank you, and excuse me while waving one another into a better parking spot, seat at the theatre, or spot in line.

One of your pleasantly polite folk stopped today to help me out. Unstopped by the onslaught of snow, I attempted to leave my parents’ home and return to Rochester so I would have time to do some work around my apartment. Unfortunately, I was got stuck right at the bottom of the long driveway. As I got out in my weather inappropriate shoes and began assessing the situation, a nice man in a Subaru pulled over and asked if I had anyone coming to help me. When I replied that in fact, no, no one was on their way, he hopped out of his vehicle with a shovel, not missing a beat. After a few minutes of both of us shoveling and scraping, he pushed while I drove out of the driveway. I got out to thank him profusely, but this man simply waved me off, laughing, and offered to help me clear the driveway more, so that upon my return I could enter more easily. When I told him I was actually on my way out of town, and thanked him again and again, he tossed his shovel in the back, and drove off. Where else is such kindess and help provided to selflessly?

Another amazing thing about you, my dear, dear Minnesota, is your shape. Of all the states, your shape is one of the most unique, and it is one I enjoy drawing. Even with my lack of art skills, I manage to pull off a recognizable Minnesota.

You also provide us with such wonders as the Minnesota State Fair, one of the most wonderful, amazing public gatherings in the world. With all you can drink milk, cheese curds, and chocolate chip cookies, any delicious food one can imagine is available! You even bring us such delights as the butter heads! And such is this beautiful state that I have actually had the opportunity to meet former Princess Kay of the Milky Way candidates and question them about the butter head process! And there are tractors! Need more be said?

The entertainment you have inspired and provided is also incredible. I was privileged enough to attend a Prairie Home Companion show over the weekend, and it was even better live than on the radio! The humor and personal touches are beyond what one could possibly desire. As Garrison Keillor entertained us with tales, songs, and jokes about you, Minnesota, I clapped and laughed along with the rest of the Minnesotan audience.

I must confess to admiring your extreme devotion to valuing education. You have instilled in your people a desire for education and a passion for higher and ongoing education. Learning is a way of life with you, Minnesota, and you provide so many opportunities for your people!

While certainly not the last of your great attributes and reasons for my love, I must end with how impressed I am that you manage to provide the lifestyle of small towns while bringing in the culture and worldliness available in larger cities. We have a strong sense of community, farms, farmer’s markets, orchards, hay rides, and people that can identify a field of crops, but you also give us the opera, the orchestra, art museums, and wonderful entertainment from around the world!

And so, my lovely Minnesota, I remain infatuated, delighted, and devoted to you. Should my life take me elsewhere for any period of time, please know that you will always hold a special part of my heart all to yourself.

                                           Lovingly yours,

                                                   Ivy McDougalhopper

The Mighty Siege of '10

Minnesota was under attack for a little over 24 hours this past weekend.  Between the non-stop snow, the terrifyingly low temperatures, and the unrelenting wind, many Minnesotans chose to withdraw immediately from the battle.

Many veteran Minnesotans are comparing this storm to the Great Halloween Snow Storm of ’91. With over 28 inches of snow, the Halloween storm was indeed historic, although it did not keep Minnesotans from Trick-or-Treating. This most recent battle, however fierce, did not manage to pile on nearly as much snow, with current estimates running between 18 and 25 inches, depending on locations throughout south-western Minnesota.

The storm laid siege to Minnesotans beginning Friday night, and held on through early Sunday morning. Many battle-hardened “snow storm troopers” ventured out, despite warnings from family, friends, and the Minnesotan leader, Governor Tim Pawlenty. Children, bundled up to their eyeballs, waddled through thigh-deep snow in order to give their parents some sort of reprieve from their general squirminess caused by the storm. Or perhaps the parents were sending their children out as ambassadors to sooth the storm.

In the Twin Cities, plows were called off the road because there was too much snow. Some snuffed at the paradoxical command, and it looked for a moment as if the snow would win.

Minnesotans, however, tend to be of hearty stock, and managed to hold out against the storm. While the battle of Troy, as depicted in Homer’s The Iliad ended tragically, Minnesotans triumphed. We managed to stare that storm in the eye and wait it out. To celebrate, as soon as they were allowed to, Minnesotans scurried out to drive to work, run errands, and even go Christmas shopping.

Some exciting things witnessed by this reporter:

*Children “playing” out in the snow. Most of these children were so bundled up they could hardly move, and stood staring at each other and at cars skidding by at 5 mph.

*Many, MANY cars in ditches

*7 foot piles of snow down the center of streets in downtown Rochester

*A Santa underneath a bridge on Cedar Northbound, attempting to remove the ice from his windshield wipers. It was a bad day for Santa to take the car, and not the sleigh.

Fake Spring Brings the Bugs Indoors

So fake spring has come to an end in Minnesota, bringing the much beloved winter back into our lives. There is this woman in my Schools and Society class from California, and one day she was chatting about how nice it was that spring was finally here. Part of me - the sadistic part - wanted to let her continue raving about the weather which would surely only get better from here on out. Unfortunately, I felt it was my duty to tell her the truth about Fake Spring.

You see, in Minnesota, the snow melts sometime around mid-March. The temperature rises to about 45 degrees F, and Minnesotans rejoice, shedding their heavy boots and fluffy winter coats. Some of us, myself included, stop wearing coats altogether. The damp and squishy ground is sufficiently disgusting so as to raise our spirits, and we began chatting with our fellow Minnesotans about the "heat wave". Many men even chose to begin wearing shorts. This is spring weather.

The thing that a true Minnesotan knows that the newcomers do not know, however, is that this is Fake Spring. The snow will melt, the sun will come out, and you may even sweat from walking outside in pants and a long sleeve shirt. A real Minnesotan knows that it is not time to pack away the winter gear just yet. A true Minnesotan knows that sometime in beginning to mid April, winter will return.

A delightful example of this: Last week I drove my car with the windows down, soaking up vitamin D (hoping to make up for the deficiency from the last 900 months or so) and feeling rather warm in a t-shirt and jeans. Today, April 1st, it is snowing. To be fair, I was a little off when trying to tell this woman in my class about Fake Spring. It actually began last night, which was technically still March. Oops.

The point is, Minnesotans know to enjoy this tease from Mother Nature. She may think she is playing a nasty joke on us, but we make the best of it. Naturally there will be some grumbling later today about the weather, but we secretly love it. If you are from Minnesota, you can deny it all you want, but I know you love the end of Fake Spring, the return of winter, and the masochistic wait for real spring.

Anyway, if you are here, happy back to winter, and if you are somewhere warm, I don't want to hear about it. I am going to enjoy my slushy white world where things have just begun to come back to life, but have been brutally frozen to death by cruel Mother Nature.

That's the other thing, see? Fake Spring lures the plants and animals out of hibernation, then ambushes them with sleet and snow, killing a good chunk of the gardens and bugs. Also, it drives a lot of bugs into the house. This means that my family will have to begin vacuuming the ceiling for those Asian beetles that look like ladybugs. These things look adorable and are supposedly good luck and all, but they just stream in through the siding and itty bitty cracks in the window, then our ceiling becomes a giant meet and greet for these things. Occasionally a box elder bug joins the fun.

Beetle #1: Hey, Sue! Isn't it great to get out of the cold and walk around upside down on this giant white surface?

Sue the Ladybug: Why yes! It sure is! That Fake Spring fools me every year! Hey look! It's Bob and Mike and Lois and Allie and Marcus and Greg and Tina!

Beetle #1: Let's all go party over by the light. We should probably just congregate in a small area and move around to make it look like we are planning something.

Sue the Ladybug: Hello Brett the Box Elder Bug! Would you like to join us?

Brett: No think you. Me and my buddies are going to crawl up into beds and nestle into blankets to scare the bejeezus out of the people that live here. Nothing's funner than seeing them scream when we're the first thing they see in the morning or when we get under the covers then crawl on their bare skin while they try to sleep!


So yeah. I am looking forward to vacuuming up Sue and Brett and Company, but not as much as I am looking forward to driving on the slippery roads again!