May 2010

The 2nd Annual North American Nordic  Walking Expo is just 11 days away!June 12, 2010 the place to be is Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington, MN.

For the experienced and the curious Nordic Walker, this free all day event will feature classes and lectures by both national and local Nordic Walking experts, hands on exhibits from leading Nordic Walking companies, information from local walking and hiking groups and events, free introductory classes, and the chance to network with lots of other walkers at 10am in a fun, untimed, group walk around Hyland Lake.  

This group walk will be the Nordic Walking version of Speed Dating.  It’s your opportunity to link up with other NW’s in your neighborhood to form walking groups and clubs.  It’s just the icing on the cake of a spectacular line up of classes and lectures.

When we formed Great Lakes Nordic Walkers, www.greatlakesnordicwalkers.com we had no idea that our dream of hosting a local Nordic Walking event would become a National Expo.  Our partnership with Nordic Walking North America, www.nordicwalkingna.com, has made it possible to create an event that is drawing support and interest from all around North America.  Even Skechers is coming with their new Fitness Walking shoe for you to try in a walk around the lake.

Check out the full schedule for the day at www.greatlakesnordicwalkers.com and plan to be at Hyland on Saturday, June 12.  Remember, the Nordic Walking Queen has formally invited you to attend, how can you say no? 

Wednesday was a four walk day for me.   Ten miles, 4 different locations, 36 different walkers

and one tired Nordic Walking Queen.

The day included all the best that Nordic Walking offers:

First walk at 5:45 with Gail.  It was a beautiful morning, 52 degrees, with the sun just coming up. 

We shared our morning with blue herons, Canadian geese and their goslings, and the first itty bitty

wood duck hatchlings scrambling across the water trying to keep up with momma.

Alliant Tech hosted the second walk in celebration of National Employee Health and Fitness Day. 

Professional women getting outdoors for some exercise and de stressing with a Nordic Walk around the local lake.

Mid Afternoon I met up with a group of ladies from Hammer Residence. One of the staff is an avid

Nordic Walker and wanted to introduce the women to all the benefits of pole walking. They did great! 

and I can’t wait to have them as part of the Minnetonka Nordic Walking Club in June.

The last walk was our Nordic Walking Wednesday at Minnehaha Falls Park. We had several new

walkers among the group enjoying the trails above the Mississippi River. 

I’m always interested in how folks were motivated to come walk with us. One first time couple

heard about Nordic Walking at a family celebration last week when her aunt talked on and on

about her awesome new poles.  They just had to come.

I was exhausted as we sat at Sea Salt enjoying a cold beer and fish tacos after the walk.

I’m glad these days don’t happen very often but what a joy to have spent my day outdoors

Nordic Walking with so many wonderful people! 

When talking with Laura last night I realized I hadn’t shared these pictures of happy chickens in their new home. 

They are so calm and happy in the converted playhouse with Hannah as their protector!

A year ago I got chickens from my daughter for Mother’s Day. 

On Friday, just before Mother’s Day,  the local fox took 10 of my 21 chickens home for dinner.

Bummer!  We knew that letting the chickens free range would increase the odds that we would loose a few to predators, but we had no idea that we could loose half the flock at one time.  The chickens love being out of the barn, wander all over the pasture, co mingle with the dogs and the sheep and have developed a taste for worms in wet weather. Hence they were out in the barnyard feasting on worms in the rain when the fox came through looking for food for his kits.

Today Sam (my youngest son) and Kenny (my youngest brother) spent the whole day converting the old playhouse into a new chicken coop. 

What a wonderful surprise to come home from working today to see this tidy new home for my chickens! 

In a few days we’ll have food and water installed with a secure lock and the chickens will have free roam of the

fenced in yard at my mom’s house with Kenny’s sweet dog Hannah as their protector. 

She’s a pyranese/lab mix and needs a job.  I think she’ll be a great chicken herder.

In the meantime we’ve ordered some new chicks and are searching Craig’s list for chickens needing a good home.  

Happy Mother’s Day!

One of my favorite things to do in the Twin Cities is to visit the Como Park Conservatory in the spring time. The sunken garden is always full of the most beautiful flower displays with combinations seldom seen in nature here in Minnesota; things blooming together that are usually a few weeks apart in our slow to warm up climate.

This year we have those same amazing blooms happening all around us. Tulips, daffodils, lilacs, rhode’s, flowering crabs, bleeding hearts, trilliums, forget me nots, wild ginger and more all in bloom at the same time. The colors, the scents and the beauty are overwhelming.  

Nancy and I went to the Arboretum early on Sunday morning to walk among it all.  Our walk was interrupted several times with the need to stop and smell the blossoms along the way. I was refreshed and reconnected to Nancy as we drove home. What a treat!