Treehuggers and waterfalls

This photo is for our ATV friends, the Dust Eaters.
We went to church last Sunday in Ashland WI where there are miles and miles of ATV trails; but our ATV is in McCall, ID. Probably a good thing.

 Gooseberry Falls State Park. This park is not far from Duluth along the North Shore of Lake
Superior.  (Just past the candy store.)

                               

 This is the Split Rock lighthouse on the North Shore, about an hour north of Duluth.   One of the most beautiful lighthouses on Lake Superior.  And there are a lot of lighthouses on Lake Superior.  Terrible storms and lots of shipping so they need lots of lighthouses.  So far we have visited two.

And here is where we study every morning.  We get dressed in our missionary clothes and I sit on one couch and Ron sits on the other.  We used to study at the desk but the couches are more comfortable.  

So we don't go sightseeing ALL the time.  This week we went to help at the Food bank on two afternoons. And held our stake's first seminary and institute in-service meeting.

 On Friday we went to St Paul to the temple.  Then Saturday we went to seminary/institute training and then Ron went back to the temple to help with the Carlton Branch baptismal session.  I brought some names for sealings for some of my ancestors. 

I have a friend (yes, I do have a friend besides Ron) and she lives in an old established part of town and the city has decided to cut down the big trees that shade the houses so nicely.  She and some of her neighbors have put clothing on the trees, as if a person was tree hugging and pleading with the city to keep the trees.  It is pretty cute.
 

Fun in Minnesota

 Our friend from Naperville (and a cruising friend), Bryan Pugh, was in Minneapolis on business and drove up on Tuesday to see us in Duluth. He is also a past running buddy and was the friend who ran the Duluth marathon with Ron several years ago.  Ron has always called it the "tad more" marathon, because Bryan kept asking Ron if he could do just a tad more speed.  Bryan is from Wales where people say "tad."  Ron took advantage of having a "friend" in town and off they went for a mountain bike adventure.  It was sponsored by a biking shop so the bikes (expensive ones) were provided and also a guide and snacks.  They had a wonderful time!  The guide was really good;  taking them on trails that would be thrilling but wouldn't kill or maim them.

      

You  might be wondering what I was doing while they were biking?? I finished this quilt top and I was almost as happy as them and certainly not as sweaty.  Pretty much perfect day when Bryan took us out to eat.

      We went to help with the food bank again and the food was different but the volunteers were the same.  I had an interesting discussion with the woman I worked  with checking in the people.  She felt comfortable enough to ask me many questions about our mission and also about the church.  I hope we talk again next week.

On Saturday night we went to  dinner with a couple who have been taught the  lessons by the missionary couple who was here three years ago.  They did not get baptized but they love going to dinner with the senior missionaries.  They are about our age and live in Duluth except for the 3 months in the winter when they move to Mexico.  They know quite a bit about the Church and a lot about our assignment.  Pretty interesting to explore what they know about the gospel and what they think.  She said, "I don't know why I love being with the missionaries.  I don't know what that says about me."  I answered, "I think it says you should get baptized."  

Outside of a sporting goods store we saw these displays.  We can identify the kayaks-in all colors and sizes.   Land of 10,000 lakes, you know. We can identify the duck blinds.  But we are not at all sure what the three little houses are for.  They each have a big heater on the end. Do you think they are for ice fishing?  Or a place to wait for the bus?  Do you think they are saunas?  Or maybe the three little pigs?   

       Minnesota is very entertaining!

Squash and bikes

We volunteered to hand out produce for the Northern Lakes food bank. I don't know the process for  obtaining the produce (probably donated) or how the people got vouchers but I do know we kept trying to talk them into taking more and more because there was a lot of produce!. This is the first time for the produce pick up in this area and no one knew if very many would come. But it was in the same neighborhood where the people lived instead of at the food bank building so much handier for the people who came. There was squash, onions, cucumbers, plums, watermelon, strawberries, and green beans.  I saw two very memorable things: a man came twice driving a white car.  The first time he picked up food for himself and his sister.  Pretty soon he was back driving his cousin. Meanwhile we were helping to pack up produce for a woman and her daughter who had walked from their apartment.  There was no way they could carry all their food all the way back. . But they started off and then I noticed the man in the white car stopping to offer her ride.



My other memorable thing is when Ron would challenge a 6 or 7 year old to see if they were strong enough to carry a watermelon!  This resulted in big smiles! This happened quite a few times.  So cute.  People were so grateful and even though. I only donated my time, it was really satisfying.

On Saturday we drove up North to a place called Hibbing (where Greyhound Bus Lines started) and where there is a great bike trail called the Mesabi Trail and an organized bike ride. Ron has been riding quite a bit and thought he was up for 33 miles on this trail, and he was! It was  perfect weather and he enjoyed meeting new people .  Meanwhile, I went to three quilt shops in the area. I enjoyed meeting quilters and new fabrics.  The Minnesota shop hop has 70 shops divided into areas and I planned to complete one area.  The distances were longer than they looked on the map, so I did only three shops.  I felt like I spent the whole day driving through the forest!  But I do know someone who was going on a bus and was going to visit all 70 of the shops! I can't believe that I don't have any pictures to post!  It was very fun and yes, I bought fabric!  I finished in time to pick up Ron at the finish line.


We stayed Saturday night in Grand Rapids, MN so we could  attend the branch yesterday.   Ron had talked to the clerk at the motel when checking in about his name tag and serving a mission.  He later marked  a Book of. Mormon and gave it to him.. On Sunday he told the Elders to go see him.  Real missionary work!
Every morning we study together for an hour and since the course for Seminary is Doctrine and Covenants/Church History that is what we are studying. I have felt the Spirit so many times as we study together.  It has gotten to be my favorite time of the day.

Yes, he wore his name tag.

I knew that going on a mission blesses the lives of the missionaries and their family.  I had some expectations about the blessings. Instead, the a Lord sends blessings that are His own idea. You would think I'd have learned this by my age!


One day we got a check in the mail, news of a donation to our mission and  a refund.  All in one day! And the next day we got a big package!

Life is good in Duluth! (they should put that on their license plates)