Death Cab, Biking the Greenway, Sculptures, Fire Photos

I spent most of the last two days exploring the cities by bike with Jenna. I rode along the river, through Hidden Falls park, to Jenna's house yesterday morning, and our tour included the Stone Arch bridge, Surdyk's wine shop, Loring Park, the Walker sculpture garden (where I got scammed out of $40 :-(), Lake of the Isles, the Midtown Greenway, and the Global Market on Lake Street. As we were riding down Hennepin Ave., we passed the Orpheum and decided to see if they had any tickets left for the Death Cab for Cutie concert. As it happened, the show was sold out but they were releasing some last-minute tickets near the front, which we nabbed.

The Midtown Greenway is essentially a bike freeway from Lake of the Isles to the Mississippi River. It follows an old railroad grade with almost no street crossings, so with no stoplights and a level grade it is almost faster than driving the same route. We cruised eastward in a light rain and stopped at the brand-new Global Market (a multicultural market with various ethnic restaurants and groceries) for an early supper. The Death Cab concert was extremely loud, but they did play my favorite song of theirs ("I Will Follow You Into the Dark"), and it was a good experience overall.

Today we biked down the river, past Minnehaha Falls, through Fort Snelling State Park, across the Mendota Bridge, and along the floodplain to the Science Museum. There we parted ways, Jenna to ride Summit Avenue back to her house and me to attack the two-mile, 300-foot hill across the High Bridge and up Smith Avenue to Michele's house.

Bill sent his fire photos. I added them to the fire photo essay at http://www.luterra.com/essays/dnrfire.html.

I start my new job tomorrow. Hopefully I will know enough bird songs...

North shore backpacking

It's been awhile since I last posted, and it seems I've been busy in that time. The last week of burn crew was spent on the road in western Minnesota, burning near Ortonville, Morris, Madison, and Pipestone. The highlight was burning Prairie Coteau SNA at the top of the Buffalo Ridge beneath the wind turbines. Our last day was a long one, burning Spring Creek SNA near Red Wing, a steep site with lots of dead logs to put out at the end. Ellen Fuge, our boss, sent us quite a few pictures, some of which I have assembled into a photo essay here.

After the end of my job (May 23), I spent a few days with my dad doing the likes of listening to folk music at Sibley State Park, celebrating my uncle Jim's 72nd birthday out near Canby, planting raspberries, making strawberry-rhubarb fruit leather, eating fresh asparagus, and hiking around our rock outcrops in search of prairie violets and other late-spring bloomers. I returned to the cities to replace my whining wheel bearing at an unpleasant cost of $530, and I had a chance to reunite with my friend Jenna for an evening before setting off for three days of backpacking along the north shore. Photos and story here.

Yesterday was my cousin Jack's graduation in Mankato - an opportunity to eat tasty food and talk with the Michaletz clan again. I start my next job June 4, so I have a few free days left to explore the cities by bicycle, maybe check out a state park or two, and brush up on my bird songs.