You Would Never Eat Lunch In This Town

Or would You?

A place where spirits roost. 

Craving an eating experience one won't forget?

I'm guessing you wouldn't be interested 

in eating anywhere near this lovely sign either. 

Remember,

Courage is found in unlikely places.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Okay I know this is spot on!

"If more of us valued food and cheer

and song above hoarded gold

it would be a merrier world."

J.R.R. Tolkien

  
What is it about the neglected, ignored and abandoned 
that stands out so vividly to some of us?

I'll never abandon a mystery waiting to be solved
or a place once alive left idle and forgotten. 
Always strive to uncover more.
Learn new things.
It will get you to places you've yet to experience.

The stately Hormel Mansion in Austin.

My treasured choices to bring home.
Delicious.

Be not obsessed with life's problems;
Be challenged by its possibilities.
George Hormel


My point to this post and I'll be the first to admit it,
 I'm a full fledged Road Tripper.
After a 78 mile road trip to Austin, Minnesota 
to visit the newly remodeled Spam Museum it was time to revisit the rural towns leading to Austin, which one discovers off the beaten path. 
Yes, the back roads. They always lead somewhere.

Of course a bright red supper club will always stand out especially on this white
and grey winter afternoon.

Lansing Corners who knew?
I didn't. 

Towns are like people.
Old ones often have character,
the new ones are interchangeable. 
Wallace Stegner

I grew up in Lansing, Michigan so this was a necessary detour since I had no idea this place existed in Minnesota.


While road tripping I feel myself
coming to life
like a cross between detective and wolf.
Silent streets and thoughts of voices 
echo vividly
across the boulevards of my mind.
 I sense a strife 
of interests were at play
long ago, and costly.
What remains mostly,
 are their choices
a chatty Blue Jay
and a deer grazing, eating
 by the side of the road.


Faithless is he who says farewell 
when the road darkens.
J.R.R. Tolkien

I first traveled Route 66 with my family nearly every summer to Arizona from Michigan to visit with my grandfather. I'm sure we stopped at this very place, or one much like it because I always questioned the misspelling. 
If you can, journey the revamped Route 66 there are so many places refurbished and ready to serve you.

The mind once enlightened
 cannot again become dark.
Thomas Paine

Thanks for stopping by your visits mean everything to me.
Take good care of you.

Oh Fishy

Welcome to SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

and trust me as I compose my critter post for today my very own pups are determined to loudly announce each and every snowmobiler that zooms through our front ditch. Bark, bark, BARK!

If 

"Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen 

from one to another mind."

James Russell Lowell

Then 

Critters are the caregivers which bring soulful tenderness 

from one to another's heart.

Creativity is not the finding of a thing

but the making something out of it

after it is found.

James Russell Lowell

You would not go into an apple orchard and eat the weeds

so why would you go into your day and feast on worries?

Patrick McBride

Of course I couldn't forget to include my daughter's pets

 in their Valentine's box!

In case you're wondering yes these kitty cats

 always enjoy the box that arrives as well as the stuff inside!

What does a parrot know about PTSD?

An unexpected bond between damaged birds and

traumatized veterans could reveal surprising insights

into animal intelligence.

from the New York Times

It's the size of one's will that determines success.

Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even 

to your smallest acts.

This is the secret of success.

I love the rain because I am a Mermaid who lives too far from the sea.

She would be half the world away,

floating in a turquoise sea,

dancing by the moonlight to flamenco guitar.

Janet Fitch

If Rusty could speak he'd say

Finally they bring me to grandma's sledding hill!

Yes!

Holy moly! Lookout, here I come everyone!

"It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies 

that the native metal of man is tested."

James Russell Lowell

I ask you

A doppelganger or me?

My grand-kiddos remarked upon seeing this exhibit 

at the Minnesota Science Museum that it's definitely me.

They are most sure of it.

What do you think?

Do you have a doppelganger that you're aware of?

We always pose first with Rex upon our arrival.

This is how we spent our Valentine's Day this year. Of course another critter was involved as well, Sonic the Hedgehog because his new movie came out yesterday and it was a must to see!

Thanks for stopping by, your visits mean everything.

Take good care of you.

A Day Hike

The Further That I Hike the Day Becomes Brighter.

The Cannon River runs through town.

I enjoy a journey in silence around town, 
and other places under the big sky.

It puts daily life on pause
so my inner thoughts can jog my imagination.

Perhaps the dragons in our lives 

are princesses who are only waiting

to see us act, just once, 
with beauty and courage. 

Perhaps everything that frightens us is,
 in its deepest essence

something helpless that wants our love.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Crossing over the Cannon River to downtown.

Shadow rings are out today.
Thank you sun.

Fences are made for those who cannot fly.
Elbert Hubbard

Seeing the city reflections in the backdrop of these window scenes
feels like a fairy tale in the making, doesn't it? 

City sidewalks offer such a keen sense to the soul. 
A place to come and go as you feel.

Balloons dance, by gentle breeze.

We dance around the ring and suppose
but the secret sits in the middle and knows.
Robert Frost


So what have I gained today?
Three of my favorite "things" that further my need 
for hiking about are

The Arts, History and Outdoors.

Thanks for your visit.
Take good care of you.

What's Stopping You

If you always do what you always did 

you'll always get what you always got.

Unknown

Have you ever wished you'd tried something or gone somewhere but never did? Do you ever wonder, what's stopping me? Likewise, once you've seen others doing the very thing you thought of doing it suddenly horrifies you that you never tried it?

Okay maybe horrify is too strong a word as it reminds me of a line in Jay Smith's poem "A silver scaled Dragon with jaws flaming red sits at my elbow toasting my bread" when we all know toasters are meek objects.

Yet it feels like a heavy cloud hanging overhead sucking all my sunshine away?
Okay. Still too harsh.

"What would life be if we had no

 courage to attempt anything?"

Vincent Van Gogh

Every ride has its own adventures, just waiting for you.

"Make voyages. Attempt them. There's nothing else."

Tennessee Williams

I also add, attempt everything, or there'll be no results.

"Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible!

 Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go! So he got up and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all a patter and a pitter."

J.R.R. Tolkien

But riding the dragon does empower your soul.
By its power, beauty, and the mysteries of your inner forces. 

Fortitude lives on.

My daughter and her hubby took the artist's plunge.

How it begins.

Artist at work or is it play?

Ta-da! The finish.

In case you're wondering I'm planning on doing this as well!


After all the Minnesota State Fair's Fine Art Competition is coming very soon, and below is the latest artwork I've painted.
It's not at all worthy of being an entry for the Fine Arts it was just for fun.

My first try with this style of painting and the
 cutting board was made by my youngest son.


Key thing to remember.
You must begin.
Always.


So if you care to share, let me know what projects you're working on too.
Thanks for stopping
and take good care of you.

Saturday Critters on Sunday

Art Shanty Project 2020 my 

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

addition.

You have no idea how far out these artists go just to entertain you, and well themselves. Especially the mermaid tale and a few others. Which I shall share in the next installments of Art Shanty Projects.

Scratches make me a friend for life!

Friendship isn't just about who you've known the longest
but any given stranger that crosses your path
and they stop to say
Hello pup!

Make Each Other's Day.

Today is the day I can feel it.
I will catch that elusive ball.

Feeling a bit under the weather or too stressed out?
Do as your dog would do
If you can't eat it, rip it to shreds or play with it
just pee on it and walk away!

Butterfly Bicycles 

For all ages and sizes.

Complete with critter headgear for all to enjoy!

Nature is always hinting at us
and keeps on hinting until we listen.
Minnesota we're having a high of 49 degrees today.
For February 2nd that's incredible.

They say spend more time outside
it's healing.
Befriend your body
just like your dog
listen to what it's telling you
and learn to love its inner wisdom.

Thanks for your visit
Take good care of you.