What the heck?

I have run into several things here in Minnesota that I don't understand:

1. Like, what is this? .We saw this in Two Harbors and it is huge!  and there were two more of these in that

harbor. We were lucky enough to find a sign to explain it to us.  It is an ore loader.  A train is driven on the top and lined up with the hoppers.  Then the ore is dumped into the hoppers and later emptied into a ship to go to Gary, Indiana, most likely.

2. Question: should we get a canoe or a kayak for the top of our car?  We asked a guy in our ward and he said that it's just an accessory any way.  Get either one you like how it looks.

 

3. Is this winter time equipment, as in skiing?  Or is it for summer,as in  mountain biking?

Then we saw this and this. at a city park.  When you don't have real mountains to ski on, at least make it handy.

4. One day while riding my bike, I over heard this conversation: "All the bears were at our plum tree last night."  How many bears is that exactly?

5. We use a street called Central Entrance to get to Pecan and then Upham where we live.  What is this an entrance to? Is there a West Entrance and an East Entrance somewhere?

6. The question here is: Where is Grey and when is he going to sing his song?

Elders and hiking and bears. Oh my!

On Friday we went to meet a former Duluth Ward Bishop and his wife.  They live in an old neighborhood with large houses on the hill and views of the lake. They have done a lot of restoration on their house built in the 1900's.  He told us that there is a lot of old money in Duluth, money made from timber and mining. 

They are the Young Single Adult advisers in the Duluth ward.  Every Sunday they invite the YSA over for an activity at their house.  Sometimes it is a speaker, sometimes games, sometimes they watch a hockey game on TV and sometimes a Church broadcast.  His calling is in addition to YSA is high priest group leader and her calling in the RS presidency. They are converts who joined many years ago when they were young marrieds. She grew up in a Catholic family. She said that she always wondered what about the "heavens being closed".  She felt something was missing., even as a young girl.  But this Sunday, instead of attending the Duluth ward, they are going to a priory in Wisconsin where her sister is celebrating her 50th year as a nun.  She is the prioress there.  Interesting contrast and similarities in the lives of these 2 sisters.  He said they had been there for other celebrations and one time he was seated at a table with all the Catholic Bishops, which turned out to be okay because he was a Mormon bishop.

I admire the elders who live below us.  They are always busy doing their assignments.  Their car is hardly ever home.  They are always smiling and are not afraid to talk to anyone.  We asked them to help us move a heavy TV stand since we had been to yard sales and got a replacement for our crappy, rickety one. They came right over and moved in the new stand.  Then Ron told them he was going to break up the old one because it was falling apart anyway.  They had the great idea of tossing it over the balcony.  Great success!  Both tossing and destroying!  Very satisfying. We asked them for ideas on what we should add to our schedule as volunteer assignments and they had some good ideas.  This was Saturday when they had helped to move a family in the morning and were moving another family in the afternoon.  And Friday they had dinner with a member family and when they asked if there was anything they could do for them, were shown a pile of tile that needed moving.  About 6000 pounds!   They are such good young men.

hursday we went exploring Tischer creek.  There are lots of creeks that run down the hills and into the lake. The city has not done any improvements, just left them. So it almost feels like you're in the wilderness.  Our hike started near the lake and went up.  So we had read an article about hiking Tischer creek and made that our plan. We started out on a trail and it went up and up along side lots and lots of waterfalls.  Very beautiful. 

After hiking awhile, I turned back to sit down and rest my sore legs while Ron went on.  I returned to the truck which was parked in a regular neighborhood of houses and was reading when I looked up and saw a bear cross the street right in front of me.  My mouth actually fell open!  Then I jumped out of the truck to get some pictures.  By then several motorists stopped to take pictures also.  A homeowner opened his door to come out but we told him to stay inside because there was a bear on his patio. He was a little startled.  The bear just kept walking, paying no attention to any of the people gawking at him, except when he sat down on the patio.  Eventually he worked his way down into the creek canyon and we don't know who else he may have surprised.  Pretty amazing personal bear experience.  He was huge!  Apparently many good garbage cans in his life.

Last Sunday we went to visit the Askov branch (a branch is smaller than a ward) about 30 minutes south of Duluth.  Askov was settled by Danish people.  We are visiting a different ward each Sunday to meet bishops, seminary teachers and youth. Not many members in that branch but they were sure happy to see new people, even on a temporary basis.  I'm pretty sure I got introduced to every single person there.  It seemed like everyone we met was related to someone else.  "This is my mom."  " He is my dad."  "The branch president (like a bishop) is my brother."  I would like to live there.  Really.

  Today we went 2 hours south to visit North Branch (city) which is a ward, not a branch. Such wonderful, friendly people.  We met a current seminary teacher. A young guy with 4 little kids who were so dang cute, I wanted to hug, them and bring them home.  He teaches in his home and he is obviously really busy.  Another teacher teaches an online class of students who are so far out in the country, coming to a class before school would never work.  I am so impressed with the teachers I have met so far.  They have busy lives but believe in the  importance of seminary and make big sacrifices to be able to teach.

I don't know if you can read this menu but I wanted you all to know where you can get some interesting food you are not offered each and everyday.  I am interested myself to try to fried pickles and Walleye tacos, fried cheese curds and also smelt (no hint of how it is served) and crunchy crawfish! 

Elder Ron's turn

Usually Ron says, "blah, blah, blah.  What she said".  Hence the title of the blog.  But he is going to write this week. 

Were are getting to know a bit about Duluth.  We've found the "Lakewalk" a path along the north shore of Lake Superior.  When it is not raining it is a very pleasant and beatiful walk or bike ride (See picture of the shore line from the path).

 Also on the shoreline are a bunch of really nice homes or estates.  One "Glensheen", built in the early 1900's has been restored and open for tours.  On Wednesday evening we went to a outdoor concert there and watched the kayaks on the lake as we listen to the concert.  See the "selfie" picture we took there.

A city landmark that has become its logo is the "Ariel Lift Bridge", the roadway portion is lifted when the sailboats or the ore boats need to go under.  It you get caught on one side or the other when the bridge is up you've been "bridged".  As in: "Sorry, I'm late for work. I got bridged."  The bridge carries cars and pedestrians to Park Point which is a long sandbar on which nice houses are built and sailboats are docked.  And you can go to the beach but the water never gets very warm for swimming.

I got an email this week from my Boise High Priest's Group Leader who asked it I'd had a spiritual experience.  My answer:  Well yes, like, a bunch of them.  

How about, today the missionaries in the zone singing "The Armies of Helaman" song as a thank you to the sisters who provided lunch (including one non-member, a Lutheran she explained.   And these sisters traveled two hours each way to provide lunch for the missionaries).  Or spiritual confirmation that the new mission president, President Forbes, is in the calling he suppose to be in - my job is to support him.  And hearing the stake president say that he doesn't lead the stake, the Holy Ghost does.  Or, a conversation about the gospel at the gas station with another customer who saw my name badge.  Or, seminary teachers getting impatient for seminary to start again - they miss it.   And the constant confirmation in the Missionary Training Center that what I was being taught is true; and being taught how and what to teach by really good seminary teachers at the MTC and in Minneapolis.  Or the huge missionary choir at the MTC devotional singing.  Or daily prayer with my companion.  Or a new stake seminary coordinator who is overwhelmed but excited and willing all at the same time.  And a mother of 10, a convert, who lives 30 miles from the church, who has raised her children in the gospel.  Or the spirit of the priesthood brethren who traveled over 4 hours to attend a stake general priesthood meeting on a Sunday afternoon.  Or me, anxious to wear my missionary name tag, hoping it will prompt a gospel inquiry.  And daily study of the seminary manuals and the spiritual learning I get.  And seeing two dozen Elders and Sister (junior) missionaries in the zone trying their very best to do what they are called to do. Or a really good family history discussion with my  daughter-in-law.   And the list goes on.  And a part of it is that I am getting better at recognizing that the Holy Ghost is all around all the time -- I just need to pay attention. 

Elder Stratton

Brookfield trip

We went to Brookfield IL on Monday arriving in terrible thunder storms that spawned a few tornadoes but luckily not in our direction. We enjoyed our visit with Scott and Jessica. They just keep working on their house to make it better and better.  We saw a new metal fence in the front and an amazing brick patio in the back.

Here are some things we did: bike riding on the Salt Creek Trail, sewing with Mary Ellen, genealogy with Jessica, cards with Scott, watching the Bagster (huge garbage bag) get loaded with a crane, petting cats, going to the dentist, eating Chicago pizza, barbecuing steak on the new patio, listening to the neighbors set off their fireworks!  A wonderful feeling to be in Chicago again.

 And just for fun we will share the Norwegian Computer Terms that ve learned somewhere in Visconsin.