Gooseberry Falls

CJ, Jeff and I went to Gooseberry Falls yesterday.
CJ posing for the camera:
Jeff posing:

If you've never been to Gooseberry Falls, it is a really great State Park. To park at the Falls area is free and you (and the kids, or whomever) can climb around both the Upper and Lower Falls. There are no barriers and they suggest you don't swim, but Jeff did and loved it. Below the Lower Falls there is plenty of space to swim and play in the water. And you can hike down to Lake Superior or up the river. There are a lot of campsites, but they fill up fast.

CJ and I had a chance to hike around, but it was raining and not the most beautiful day. Here's and action shot of CJ:

So off the list, a Minnesota Tourist Attraction and another State Park.

Giving Blood

I was unable to give blood last week when the Bloodmobile came. I had meetings all day and was unable to get free for the hour or so it usually takes. So, today I headed down to the American Red Cross to give blood.

If you haven't given blood, it is very easy and very painless. The interview portion takes longer than the blood taking portion and you get free snacks. The American Red Cross has convenient giving locations in St. Paul and Minneapolis and tons of Bloodmobiles.

First Solo Backpacking Trip

Friday night I took my first solo backpacking trip at St. Croix State Forest. Because it was my first, I kept it short and easy with one overnight and a total of about 4 miles of hiking.

Things went good and things went bad. First, I forgot my camera and my wildflower book. I've been carrying my book of Minnesota wildflowers with me and identifying new ones. I saw tons and tons of flowers that were so cool, but had no way to look up what they were or take a picture of them.

Second, I forgot to print off a map. This was not good. Because I didn't have a map, I ended up camping at an absolutely amazing site, but it was on private land. From the map, I can now see that 1/4 of a mile more and I would have been at the site I was trying to find. I didn't get in trouble, but I feel bad.

But it went really well. I didn't get lonely, mostly because I had Jeff. It was hard to keep him nearby as there was so much to explore, but generally he was a good boy. He had a really hard time sleeping at night and every noise had him on notice. He finally settled down after I let him out to go potty at 4:45 am.

Next weekend I'm up for a much more adventurous trip. I leave the cities on Thursday night and head to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. Thursday night I'm car camping, but Friday and Saturday will be at two different backpack sites. I'm a little nervous, so if anyone wants to join me, let me know.

Other updates:
a) I'm back up to my starting weight, so I haven't lost anything. I'm pretty bummed about that, but I'm going to start exercising more and get back on WeightWatchers AGAIN.

b) I'm going strong on 4 books a month still, I finished American Born Chinese this week and it is super fantastic. If you are into graphic novels, read it. It is really funny.

c) I broke the "no buying cookbooks unless previewed at the library first" goal, but I had to . I JUST HAD TO! See, this fantastic cookbook called Cooking From the Heart: The Hmong Kitchen in America just came out. The library hadn't procured any copies yet, but there was already a waiting list. I NEEDED it. And it is wonderful. I highly suggest it to everyone.

d) We planted a bunch of Day Lillies and other perennials last weekend, checking one more goal off my list. They look great.

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