A very merry Willow River postravaganza

Hooray for Willow River Days! It's a small town summer festival in Northern Minnesota that is similar to many other small towns and their summer festivals. What's that? You've never heard of Willow River Days? Why, it's the most fabulous day of all!



There's a five mile run!



There's a car show! With cars!



Soon, the rednecks set up shop. If you're looking for a bumper sticker about loving guns or hating PETA, you can bet they have it!



Is there a parade? Of course there is!



This band played The Final Countdown Great marching band song, or the greatest marching band song?



Throw candy to the crowds, watch Lord of the Flies play out in front of your eyes



...and then there's this gentleman. Who is he? I don't know, but he is my king now.



These children are promoting driving around with open containers. They don't look like they've split an entire bottle of Jag, but you can never tell with children.



And what's a festival without the Hell's Angels? Happy Willow River Days!

Memorial

This if from a war memorial along the lake up in Duluth.

@julielyda, yet again with high fructose Jay Cooke for flavor

@julielyda clearly enjoys spending time by Lake Superior, watching the waves roll in and allowing the sound of the surf to drown out the jabbering noises I attempt to pass off as communication. With one final longing gaze towards the lake, she lovingly utters a string of curses at me as we continue our hike.



The rocks in Jay Cooke are always amazing to me. In a crack no wider than my pinkie finger a whole family of grasses and plants have been able to put down roots and thrive. Seeing this always impresses me, showing the struggle and tenacity of nature and whatnot, but if any sentient being ever had to endure this it would be miserable, not a noble struggle. Can you imagine living so close to your neighbors that your bare naked reproductive organs were touching at all times? Nothing noble about that.

Lumberjack!

Here's a memorial to the lumberjack in a park along the Grand Rounds. You may not know this, but for a time I was a lumberjack for the Forest Service, and like this fellow here I cut down trees the lumberjack way: no chainsaws, just a crosscut saw and some high-proof alcohol. Unlike lumberjacks, I rarely ate pancakes and I NEVER had an un-natural relationship with any livestock with a glandular problem. Despite what you may have heard.

Jay Cooke State Park Rapids

One of the coolest things about Jay Cooke is all the rocks jutting out of the river. In a lot of places, you can climb out to the middle of the river on some rocky outcrop. It makes for a great sense of adventure, as well as some great photos. Too bad I have a crippling fear of climbing, water, heights, rocks, daylight, and molemen (with which Jay Cooke State Park is INFESTED)

Great Lakes Aquarium

This was shot outside of the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth. I almost missed these guys as we headed back to the car (where we had to PAY FOR PARKING. In Duluth? Madness!) I got close and took a series of shots of these fishes, fixed into the rock outside.

I then got up, and while trying to exude my suave, hip, photographer persona I tripped over the rock and crashed down onto the gravel in front of my gypsy-leprechaun paramour and a group of other tourists. I, like a protective mother bear, took most of the damage, but my poor Canon got nicked and received its first battle scar in a less-than-dignified way.

We're back, baby!

After a long hiatus, it's time for more Twincy. @julielyda and I went to Duluth on Thursday, spent the day wandering the town, and then made our way down 35, visiting some of our majestic state parks along the way. EXPECT MANY PHOTOS, as I will try and milk this photogenic sucker for all it is worth.



Here's a photo taken outside of Fitger's brewery, where we sadly did not get a chance to eat or drink, due to our horrifying poverty. Fitger's often hosts Charlie Parr and all his musical goodness, and they also sell beer by the growler.



This is a picture from the bridge in Jay Cooke State Park. I've only been here once before, but it's easy to see why @julielyda loves this park more than she loves me. 1. I am not a river, let alone a Minnesotan river. 2. I have no distinguishing rock features 3. State parks do not threaten her with a watery grave

Gold Medal Flour/In response to Emily

Took a few shots of the Gold Medal Flour sign when @julielyda and I were downtown. That sign is such a cool part of the skyline, in my humble opinion. It's a nice throwback to the olden days, when a man could come to the city, work hard, earn an honest wage, and be blown into tiny flour-coated morsels



Also, there has been some speculation by notorious she-blogger Emily that I don't take any pictures of @julielyda's face. Clearly she is a rumor-monger, spreading lies because she simply does not care for the name of this fine blog.

Red Cedar River

This is from last summer on the Red Cedar river with @julielyda. The Red Cedar is great. We put in up by Menomonie and floated down for a few hours. There's a bike trail that follows it most of the way, and it's almost completely wooded, allowing us to see a ton of eagles at a uncomfortably close distance. The single greatest part of taking a trip down this river is the bar that's strategically placed midway between where we started and finished. They even have a boat landing for easy access.

After a short lunch break at the bar, drinking unusually strong drinks, we got back on the water to complete our trip, while @julielyda decided (with the help of her 9 parts vodka 1 part lemonade) her job was no longer paddling, but being the rock spotter, shouting out about rocks all over the river. Rocks posing no danger to us, or anyone for that matter

Mill City

Took this outside of the Mill City museum, while inside the main ruins. I really like the lines that run all over this picture, from the lines on the windows and bricks to the girders and that fancy-looking design on the glass. I HDR'd it, as is my wont.

Happy 4th of July! Off to drink and watch fireworks. AMERICA!

THE EYES....

George Bernard Shaw watches over the unwashed masses at that most hippie of all weekend institutions, the farmer's market. On our way back through the covered part of the market, where I purchased some delightful strawberries, I looked up to find myself locked into his socialist gaze. A quick picture, some dodging and burning, and here we go.

Now, off to deal with the sunburn I earned while fishing. @zwjohnson 2, tiny bass 0.

Bowling

Here's a picture of @Levon03, about to lay down some bowling destruction on the unsuspecting pins, because @Levon03 is a SERIOUS BOWLER. He has his own bowling ball (which has its own FEMALE NAME) but this is not that ball. He forgot it at my apartment because, I don't know, he was drunk or something. Cautionary tale, ladies. @Levon03 will leave you for something he can rent at the bowling alley.