“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label relaxing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relaxing. Show all posts

Monday, March 14, 2016

Tropical Delights

Things are almost back to normal here.  You may have wondered what happened to me, well I slipped away for a couple of weeks to a warmer climate.  It was nice to relax and breath in the fresh salt air and listen to those lovely waves crashing upon the shore.



This year we traveled to the East side of Florida and flew into Fort Lauderdale where we spent a couple of days.  It was a warm, sunny and very windy day, but the color of the water was brilliant blue and the sand like sugar!



I had to get a photo of this guy while we were there. I had forgotten how large Olas the Sandman was. He stands at least 20 foot tall. The next day we drove north to Hutchinson Island and the Jensen Beach area.




Our room overlooked the ocean and I caught a glorious sunrise on Hutchinson Island.




These little shorebirds were adorable and ran in 'gangs' up and down the beach looking for food.
















Even the public restrooms in the park were fun and artistic! I loved this mosaic of the mermaid and dolphins!




We visited friends up the coast toward Fort Pierce where they keep a seasonal live aboard sailboat. They showed us more of the lovely beaches and parks in the area.



This beach was strewn with loads of seashells and again the water was gorgeous!  It was a beautiful escape from the same white and brown winter we've been having.

We really didn't do anything on this trip other than visit with our friends, eat tons of seafood and the occasional piece of Key Lime Pie... oh and there were a few Margaritas, Beers and Hurricanes in the mix too! No photos of those though, sometimes when you are enjoying your life, you don't stop to take photos!



Now things are getting back to normal and it even looks like Spring is on its way!  The taxes are in the mail to our tax accountant and we can relax!

I'll be back soon with another post and will be catching up with all of you as soon as I can!

Have a fantastic week!
~~~~ Diane ~~~~



Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Once More Round the Lake

We had family visiting from another state over the Labor Day holiday and we had to get them out to the premier lake in the Twin-Cities area. Luckily the rain and high humidity departed and we were blessed with a fantastic Labor Day tour of beautiful Lake Minnetonka.




Lake Minnetonka is the 10th largest lake in Minnesota; it has over 14,000 acres of water (approximately 22 square miles) with more than 100 miles of shoreline.  The maximum depth of the lake is 113 feet. Lake Minnetonka is also the most heavily-used lake in Minnesota. (source)





Since my relatives are land-lubbers, we decided on the safe and smooth ride aboard the lovely and very vintage Steamboat Minnehaha. In the early 1900's the Steamboat Minnehaha was created as an extension of the Twin Cities' streetcar system.


 The Steamboat Minnehaha on Lake Minnetonka, MN.:
 source

It all came to an end with the rise in popularity of automobiles and the steamboat was scuttled in 1926.  For five decades, the Minnehaha lay at the bottom of lake Minnetonka.

That changed, however, in 1980, when a salvage team discovered her and raised her back to the surface.  Finally, after a complete restoration, the Minnehaha returned to passenger service in 1996 and has operated on Lake Minnetonka every season since.


Watching the Minnehaha come into dock from a previous tour. 







 Waiting to board....




 I have the window seat and can't wait to get going!






 We are just leaving the dock and heading out of the bay into the main lake.



The lake was not nearly as crowded as in the warmer days of summer, but there were still many people out enjoying the beautiful day.  We saw several groups of sailboats and kayaks like the ones in the photos above.



This dad had his daughter out on the paddleboard and was keeping
 a close eye on us!






 An actual steam engine still runs in the belly of the Steamboat Minnehaha.









Here are just a few of the more modest homes on Lake Minnetonka. These are the ones I would choose to live in if I had a full-time housekeeper, gardener and maintenance crew!

Some historic mansions remain on the lake, but are more secluded and mostly hidden from the prying eyes of tourists.  A few include prominent estates once owned by the first families of Minnesota, such as the Pillsburys (as in the Pillsbury Doughboy), the Daytons (Daytons Department Stores and founder of Target stores) and the Bells (General Mills). Most of the larger homes now are owned by professional athletes and insurance company CEO's.

The former Pillsbury house may still be for sale, I found this info on a real-estate site. It's been reduced to $24 million. Here's a photo from the site.....

Former Pillsbury House – $24,000,000 | Pricey Pads:


 source




I much prefer these "smaller" homes!









Our tour took us around the "Big Island" and then back into the bay.  It was a pleasurable hour-long cruise around the lake.









The Steamboat Minnehaha is a floating museum and a real treasure to the city of Excelsior on the bay of Lake Minnetonka. 

I hope you enjoyed this little trip with me. We still have a few more weeks of this glorious weather so maybe we'll make it back out to the lake before winter sets in.  I hope you're enjoying this 
beautiful time of year too!

See you soon!
~~ Diane ~~



Monday, June 16, 2014

I Spy In the Sky a Puppy Dog Up High

Get ready for a long post! I am not going to be posting as often this summer, so I am trying to cram everything in until the next time I get back here! Grab yourself a beverage and settle in. 

Last week I was looking at the clouds and enjoying my new zero gravity chair that I picked up at Costco.  I'd been wanting one since last year but never found one with the right features for the right price.  I snapped a couple of pictures with my smartphone while seated in the chair just to remember what it was like and oh it was lovely. Here was my view from a semi-reclined position. Awwwwwww.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, oooops! 



I saw swallows flying overhead and there was a nice breeze.  The temperature was about 76 degrees and gorgeous, a top ten day in Minnesota.  I was just lying there doing nothing except looking up at the beautiful sky and watching the clouds form into the fleeting shape of a dog and then into ... well just a cloud again. It was to fast to get a photo of, I was a bit mesmerized by it and didn't even think about grabbing my phone again and just enjoyed the moment.  The cottonwood fluff was floating around and Guy would occasionally jump into the air to grab some. It was just about the most relaxed hour I'd had in a week!


Back to the cool chair, first off it so comfortable I almost dozed off! Next, it has this neat fold out table with a drink holder (on the other side of the chair)!   It doesn't really get any better than that! But it does! The chair also has a sliding pillow on a track, that way it can be adjusted for comfort for both my hubby and me.  I think we may be fighting over the chair.... may have to go back for another one. 




Since I last posted we have had crazy weather here, one day pouring rain and fall like temperatures and the next hello summer! This week we are definatley heading for the sultry feel of summer with high humidity and maybe even some 90 degree temps.  My garden is finally starting to look like summer too! My peonies just started to bloom the other day and then of course we had crazy wind that beat them up!  My roses also took a thrashing and rose petals were strewn across the lawn.  My poor little beauties!  We have more severe weather forecast for tonight and I must get out and cut some of these and bring them in before they are gone for the season.














Another thing I am loving right now is my mosquito repellent thing, it is the OFF clip-on and it is the coolest gadget. It has a refillable orderless repellent that lasts about two weeks. It fits into the device and has a little fan inside.  It emits this scent to mosquitoes and they do not even come near!  I love this for when you don't want to spray yourself with smelly mosquito repellents.  This product really only works well if you are seated and not moving around much. Perfect if you are just lounging around, reading a book or cat sitting. It works perfectly if you want to dine outside, just clip one under the table, and no one will know! The citronella candles can be a bit over powering and frankly don't work as well as this product. 

                                     Dot in the strawberries!



 Guy putting his best foot.. er paw... forward!


Changes and more changes! Both neighbors on either side of us sold their houses this spring.  We have a new set of neighbors on one side already and they took three weeks to mow their lawn and now they have a new puppy that barks at night and every time they leave. Oy Vey! I'm hoping things settle down over there! So far the house on the other side is empty.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for nice quiet neighbors! 
I hope you are all enjoying some nice 
summer weather wherever you are! 
I'll be visiting your blogs soon! 

~~ Diane ~~



*I am not being reimbursed or rewarded for my reviews on these products and these are just my personal opinions.