Welcome Summer

Summer officially began with the Solstice River XIII Celebration at the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis. This is an annual event with performers all along the river, up on the silos on the shore, on the lock, on the Guthrie theatre. Thankfully the rain held off. Many thanks to Bev and Julia for introducing me (Kristen) to the event!

While Richard worked the rest of the week I went to Ludington Michigan for some time with family. It was a relaxing week and lots of fun with the nephew (Teo, below)...

...and neices (Alexandra, Maddie and Ellie, shown with Heather, below). We had to introduce the kids to Michael Jackson and had a dance party in his memory.  

Since Richard was STILL working on the weekend, I went to the Pride Parade and took in the sights. It was a beautiful day and the energy of the parade and the spectators was fantastic. 

This is summer in Minnesota: an event on the Stone Arch Bridge, vacation at a cabin, and a parade! Now just counting the days until the State Fair....

Dancing Winds Farm

Many thanks to Mary at Dancing Winds for her hospitality. After a day biking the Cannon Valley Trail, we spent a couple of days with her and her goats.
Nearby, the town of Zumbrota celebrated its covered bridge (ostensibly the only one in MN).
And we celebrated the solstice the following day helping mama Jasmine give birth to a couple of kids.

Stillwater

Well, its a week later (a nasty cold and a lot of "where are we going to live next?" in between), but here's couple of pics from our bike trip to Stillwater. 

Below, the St. Croix River from the bluffs above. The cottonwoods along the river have covered the ground with a fine white down, and the ferns, jewelweed and wild grape are coming out in full force--not to mention the widflowers.

And next, the Elephant Walk B&B. Our favorite hangout, a laid back vibe and truly funky decor (an old Victorian crammed with carvings, cloths and other crafts from Bali.)
Aside from a couple of flat tires (good karma to Larry and Mike, who helped us out), it was a near-perfect ride.

Summer in MN almost makes you forget about the winters. Almost.

Video from Patrick's New Zealand Show

The following link is to a video taken by CJ, a Star Tribune reporter, at Patrick Pryor's show of New Zealand artwork at our loft.