Scenic Views: Somewhere in Minnesota. . .Nevis, Walker, Akeley?

. . . I'm not sure exactly where I shot these; my GPS would know! But that's the beauty of a GPS. . . it's so much easier to slip off the beaten path and feel some confidence that you'll find your way home again.

And look at the scenic views I captured with my Nikon D40!



But what were they looking at?





Maybe I should update my funeral wishes to include using this mortician. . .





Thanks, Total Stranger, for taking this shot of Doug and me!

Waving Petunias Out for a Stroll

How do you take your waving petunias out for a stroll? I use a baby carriage!

Bonnie's Hot because it's 90 Degrees!

Dang--our sirens are sounding re:tornado warning. I'm heading downstairs. But isn't Bonnie pretty?

Proactiv Hell and their Evil Robots

Proactiv is staffed by Evil Robots! Ok, so it's a wonderful product, Proactiv cleanser. My daughter likes to use it, and sadly, once in a while, I like to use it as well. But, OMG! They have the most frustrating customer service on the planet!

Only read this if you're really, really bored!

I tried to avoid the phone call to Proactiv by going through their web site. Ha! What delusional disorder came upon me letting me think that I might escape their special brand of torture? While trying to figure out if there was some way I could just order two lousy bottles of their skin cleanser, a mystery "chat" square opened up. So, I naively asked my question:

Me: "Can I order two bottles of your cleanser? I don't know my account number."
Evil Robot: "Let's move the chat window to the bottom of the screen while we chat."

Disconnect

I try again:
Me: "Can I order two bottles of your cleanser? I don't know my account number."
Evil Robot: "Are you a member? Once you order our initial package, you can order individual products in the future."
Me: "I don't know if I'm a current member. I used to be, but stopped ordering. Can I still order two bottles of your cleanser?"

Disconnect

I try again:
Me: "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you still there? Are you going to answer my question?"
Evil Robot: "And what was your question again?"
Me: "I don't know my account number. I don't know if I'm a current member. I used to order your product and stopped when I had too a large a back log because of your negative option program. Can I still order two bottles of your cleanser?"
Evil Robot: (long, long silence)
Me: "Are you still there? Can I order two bottles of your cleanser?"
Evil Robot: "Are you a current member?"
Me: "I don't know if I'm a current member. Can I order two bottles of your cleanser? Can you just please say Yes or No?"
Evil Robot: Thank you for contacting Proactiv. If you have any other questions, please call us at 1 800 252-7774

Grrrrr. I think about ordering it on E-bay, and why I stopped ordering Proactiv in the first place. Then I think that maybe the cleanser on Ebay is really empty Proactiv bottles refilled with baby lotion, or pee, and I call the number.

Sweet Sounding Foreign Worker from the Movie "Outsourced": "Can I have your credit card number please?"
Me: "Ummm. . . first I have some questions. Can I just order two bottles of your skin cleanser? I used to have an account but I haven't ordered in a long time."
Sweet Sounding Foreign Worker from the Movie "Outsourced" who probably lives on 13 and a half cents a day: "No. You have to order the entire cleaning system initially, and then receive shipments every 60 days for all eternity. Would you like to be billed in one or two easy payments?"
Me: "Ok, two payments. What comes in the initial order?"

Ok, so then the
Sweet Sounding Foreign Worker from the Movie "Outsourced" who knows how to make offers sound like bargains that she hates to mention but she just couldn't live with herself if she didn't let me in on this very special deal that I would be a total fool to pass up proceeded to get my agreement to I don't even know what now. Some 5 or 3 bottle system, that is either 2 oz or 4 oz, with a travel kit with 3 more bottles of I-don't-know what and a special gift thrown in. Plus in 60 days or 30 days I will receive another shipment in the mail which will also cost me some unspecified sum of money that will be of course be charged to my credit card, also for all eternity. Sorry about that little short-fall for your tuition next semester, Dianna!

Next time, I'm just scrubbing down my face with ShamWow! and telling my daughter to deal with it!


And this photo has nothing to do with this post, but what's a post without a photo?

Park Street Inn Bed & Breakfast, Nevis, MN

This is a bed and breakfast in Nevis, MN. Doug and I went there this past weekend, and this was directly across from the beach scene that I showed you yesterday.

The Park Inn is a block from the Heartland Trail, a 49 mile multi-use trail for biking, cross-country skiing, walking, snowmobiling. . . skipping? The trail use to be train rails, and when the train stopped running in the area, the state eventually paved it over (as well as a number of other rail lines in the state) and developed it for recreational use.

Our room actually had a jacuzzi in it! Sadly, we're not exactly batting a thousand on our jacuzzis. This is the 2nd time we've stayed in a B&B, and the second time we chose the room with a jacuzzi. At the last B&B, there was no hot water.

This whirlpool was perfect--but Doug got sick, and was not really inclined to get in the jacuzzi, although I got to enjoy it.

These are the two innkeepers, Don and Linda Hayle. Linda served us her signature french toast with cream cheese and raspberries, as part of a gourmet breakfast, one morning. This inn is worth staying at for the breakfast alone! One morning we had crab quiche, home-made rhubarb bread, and fresh fruit.



I'll post more photos from our weekend getaway over the next couple of days. . .
TFL!

Nevis, Minnesota

We got to spend the weekend in a little town called Nevis, Minnesota. This is one of the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota, and on an evening like this, every lake is the BEST lake!



“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”

Lyman Frank Baum

Ms. Canada Lilacs

Even though my husband had a minor fender-bender in the Target parking lot, between our clunker 1996 Minivan, and a Canadian's BMW, we LOVE Canadians! Even if our mini-van tried to squash one like a bug.

And to prove it, here's a photo of the most beautiful lilac tree in our yard. It's a Ms. Canada Lilac tree, and tends to bloom slightly after the more familiar purple (or lilac) lilacs. The blossoms have a raspberry coloring to them.










And between the lilacs and the blooming chives, my frogs are looking intoxicated with summer-joy and bliss!

Homeland Security is Watching You, Cedar Waxwings!

Homeland Security is ready for you, Cedar Waxwings! Preventive Detention is available, and I already consider you as an enemy combatant.


(PS: If this post makes no sense to you, read some of my posts about the Cedar Waxwings around this date: April 15 ) But, lest you think I'm truly horrendous, I'd like to point out that we did buy an Oriole bird feeder today.

Yellow Irises

The weird weather has done wonders for the irises!

Martha Stewart in My Yard

Pride in culinary skills is a calling. Dinner should always be prepared with great attention to detail. This is NOT the time to shirk on your eagle-eye.

Be selective as you search for the best produce. Remember, shop local, and freshness counts.

Once you spot a nice cut of worm, pounce promptly. Be competitive; do not yield your find to other shoppers.

I find I get the best flavor in my cuts by giving it a sound shake to stun it senseless (should worms have senses.) Portions should be sizable, or at least as much as you can manage in your mouth at once.

Remember to not slack off on presentation and make sure dinner is promptly served.