Tonight we got to enjoy sunset from the shore of our lodge on Lake Superior. They have a great shoreline with lots of places to relax and enjoy the beauty. The colors were beautiful and the crashing waves were wonderful. My blog entries have no rhyme or reason this week...just posting a few photos when I have a chance. The fall colors are amazing on the North Shore. Tomorrow will be another good day!
Yesterday we were in Green Bay, Wisconsin so it seemed like the thing to do. I am not a Packer fan. Dale is actually a Chicago Bears fan, but Lambeau Field is a landmark. It's actually considered sacred ground to many fans. Due to a rich team history it was an interesting tour. Since the Packers were playing the Bears that night Dale and I asked around and found a fun local sports bar and grill to watch the game. Packers fans were very passionate but there were more than a few Bears fans in the crowd too. We got a taste of Green Bay which was just one stop on our journey through Wisconsin and toward the North Short of Minnesota. I have lots of photos of light houses and beautiful fall foliage but those will be coming later.
I keep singing, "Vacation, all I ever wanted. . ." I am lucky to be on vacation again! Dale and I spent the last couple of days wandering the Wisconsin coast of Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Washington Island. I have taken lots of photos from sunrise in Port Washington to sunset on Green Bay in Door County. I will post more photos soon but for now I will focus on the vacation. Today is Door County then on to Green Bay and then Duluth and the North Shore of Minnesota. Sweatshirt temperatures and wonderful food have added so much! The only downside is that my little point and shoot camera is broken! It jammed up yesterday. I love having it in my pocket so hopefully I can get it fixed. Now I have to wait until I get home to get the photos off that camera. 
I put a few miles on this weekend, mostly in the car. I drove to Waterloo to connect with Ashley for a quick trip to Rochester, Minnesota for a Saturday wedding. Before we hit the road, we did get a nice country walk with Mowgli. It's a pretty September in Iowa.
We spent part of Saturday morning on Grays Lake and it was wonderful! I have been wanting to rent a paddle boat for a couple of years but we had not gotten around to doing it. I didn't want to go when it was too hot but September seemed like the perfect time. It had been years since I had been on a paddle boat but I remembered that it was some work and thought it would be a fun way to get some exercise and enjoy nature. It was breezy but just beautiful. I loved the water splashing on my legs and the sound of the waves, the wind and the trees. We pedaled plenty but we sat, relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere some also. After working up a good appetite we headed to B & B Market for some of our favorite sandwiches to eat on a park bench. It was a wonderful way to being outdoors on a gorgeous September Saturday! 
Labor Day signals the end of my pool season and it's always a sad farewell. Although I love Fall, I really do enjoy the opportunity to exercise in the water, sip cold beverages and read novels by the pool. I love to bring friends and family to the pool all summer also. This Labor Day was forecasted to be 89 degrees after some cooler weather so I set the day aside to enjoy the water. The chilly nights have cooled the pool considerably but Tammy and I braved the 75 degree water to work out for thirty minutes before enjoying the lounge chairs and sunshine. It feels like summer is over so I washed my beach towels and now look forward to finding time to ride my bike more often.
Sunday was another great day! After all the activity we could have relaxed but there were fun things to do. We had a couple of I-Cubs tickets that a friend had shared with me and didn't want to waste the gift so we headed back to Principal Park on Sunday afternoon hoping to see the I-Cubs clench their division. We stayed until the bottom of the twelfth inning when we finally had to leave to make it to the rodeo on time. We listened on the radio and heard that our team lost the game in the fifteenth inning. It's a good thing that we left but it was a very nice day at the ball park with short sleeves and a breeze. Dale took lots of photos and I borrowed this shot. I love the reflection in the sunglasses and it is very much like my first blog post.
Dale and I have become regulars at the Dayton Rodeo on Labor Day weekend. We usually go to the afternoon event but since the Monday forecast was 89 degrees, I wanted to go on Sunday evening and see the rodeo under the lights. It rained on the way there and it rained on us a couple of times as we sat in the bleachers but it ended up being a great night bucking broncos, bulls and all sorts of events, cowboys and animals. It was a fun day even if we got home past my bedtime. It's a good thing that I still have Monday to relax!
It has been a wonderful holiday weekend and it's only half done! We started out early by watching Jake play sophomore football with the Mason City Mohawks on Thursday. They traveled to Des Moines and beat the team from Hoover. I love watching Jake and sitting in the stands with Dan and Jill. Jake played very well. This is his big touchdown!!
Although football has already started we wanted to catch another Iowa Cubs baseball game before the end of summer. Friday evening was a beautiful weather. Notice the sweatshirts and jacket? It was chilly but so nice to feel the crisp fresh air . . . more like fall than summer! I-Cubs won and the hot dog and peanuts were delicious!
Saturday was a gorgeous day and I wanted to be outside. Dale and I went for a quick visit to the zoo with our cameras. As always, the giraffes are my favorites. I think that they are absolutely beautiful but then I look closely at these photos of Jacoby, the young male giraffe and notice those nobby parts of his head and wonder why I see so much beauty, but I do. They are gorgeous!
The next stop on Saturday was the Latino Festival. The performers are always entertaining. Dancing, music, costumes and horses! This little boy was so intense and fun to watch as he concentrated on his rope. We also got tasty Latino foods; tamales and a burrito. It's always a very colorful festival and it was fun this year too.
Saturday evening was the first Drake home football game. The weather was perfect. After feeling chilly on Thursday and Friday evening, I was prepared with a big blanket but I didn't need it on Saturday. It was a pleasant night at Drake Stadium but they lost the game. I am sure that the Drake football team plays better when they come back to the home field in October. It's fun to go to the games, no crowd, easy tickets and plenty of parking!
Ashley was here to visit the last few days of August. It was a great way to end my least favorite month. We had lots of good pool time and found a perfect afternoon for a patio lunch. We had some excellent Thai food and some very yummy Mexican as well as some pretty good meals at home! I knitted and she edited photos while we relaxed lots.
