Tuesday

                      This evening was our Dinner Dance. 

This morning Don McCowen led 21 of us on a good but fairly difficult hike along Chester Creek.

Yesterday we went to an organ recital and an excellent tour of Hibbing High School.
 Read about Hibbing High School.

Another Fun Week

Holiday Week

We always have a party on the weekend following the Marathon.

Wednesday, we went to Music on the Lawn at Glensheen. We had a good hike Thursday morning in Lester Park led by Bill Delboy. That same evening, we went to a band concert in Two Harbors and then fireworks in Duluth.

. On the shore of the largest lake in the world, the one hundred-and-fifteen-year-old Two Harbors City Band presents weekly concerts in the park. With a small-town charm reminiscent of Grandma Moses primitives, I found myself transported back to a simple, safer time when neighbors adored the unpolished performance of their neighbors. I sensed that band members of all ages were welcomed with little regard to their instrument or performance level. When even a C major scale of slow half-notes might seem a bit ragged, they tackled challenging music and delighted their friendly neighbors of a-couple-of-hundred seated on their folding chairs on the grass in the soft air of twilight. And even this unforgiving critic found delight in sitting close enough to hear the conductor call out measure numbers to the lost ones. I'll go again.

Watch out for us. Biceps curls on stability balls, and we're aching for more -- er, well, at least aching.

Big band, Sentimental Journey, plays a free concert on the lawn to our delight and a couple of hundred others. What could be better than this?

Congratulation to Mike Jones, one of our own, who today finished Grandma's Marathon. We are very impressed.

Damp Doings in Duluth

We've "enjoyed" a spate of rainy days lately but luckily yesterday's hike on Millennium Trail turned out well and the rain held off until we returned to our cars. Last night Jane and I volunteered for the Grandma's Marathon and passed out runners' packets at the convention and entertainment center -- a job we've done for several years. Grandma's is probably the largest annual event Duluth has. Last Tuesday we attended the annual Glad Midsommar festival hosted by The Swedish Cultural Society of Duluth. PICTURES

    23 hikers enjoyed this glorious morning           in Bagley Natural Area.

 

 

Let The Good Times Roll

How good it is to see the our summer friends again. The first week we began to worry that the cold wouldn't abate. Then today we began to fear that today's heat might be an omen of the days ahead.

After six stopovers with Evergreeners and one with my nephew in Eagan, MN, we arrived in Duluth yesterday around noon. It was a good trip of 2,216 miles with no mishaps. We made new friends of our delightful hosts (pictured below). 

Thursday

With seven planned stops along the way, Tuesday, May 28 is the departure date for our 11th summer trip to what Jane sometimes refers to as "summer camp for seniors." We can hardly wait to go and join our friends in this annual escape from the heat.  I wish you could all join us.


Last night we ushered for the Palm Beach Dramaworks production of Dancing at Lughnasa. The Mundy sisters make the most of their simple existence in rural Ireland in this poignant, Tony Award-winning memory play, told from the perspective of the youngest daughter's son. We enjoyed and recommend this production which runs through June 16.

Sunday City Walk

We had a small but delightful group of walkers this morning for our final City Walk of the season. We missed many who have already taken flight to escape the looming summer doldrums. Jane and I will soon be following and returning for our eleventh summer to our "summer camp for seniors."

Our Dining Out group at Joy Noodles.

Remember James Sullivan?

Friday morning we went to an estate sale in Palm Beach at the mansion of James Sullivan, the former husband of Lita McClinton. Sullivan escaped arrest by fleeing abroad. On July 2, 2002, he was arrested in Thailand, and in 2004, he was extradited to Atlanta. In March 2006, Sullivan was convicted of capital murder for arranging the 1987 shooting of his wife and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

          Frugal Dining Out at Panama Hattie's

Monday night at Muvico we viewed the movie "42" the life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey. Jane and I both enjoyed it and recommend it.


Tuesday at the Kravis we ushered for Shen Yun, a Chinese classical dance company and orchestra. I hadn't seen anything like this unusual entertainment before. We enjoyed it and recommend it.