Tenting in March

Can't call it camping, but the boys talked me into setting up the tent and sleeping in the backyard.  Started a fire, then cooked some hot dogs and beans over it.  Even followed our typical camping rules, bedtime when the first star shines (we don't count planets or the moon, we waited for Sirius), though we actually waited for a few more stars.  Of course the boys giggled and had the flashlight working for about thirty minutes before all was quiet.

High temperature for the day was 70, but of course we woke up to the morning low of 38.  Maybe we'll be able to sneak away for a night this week for a real camping experience....

Maple Syrup 2012

March in Minnesota means that it is time to gather enough sap from Sugar Maple trees that can give you enough Maple Syrup to last for the next year.  Conditions were a little different this year compared to last year.  Last year, there was nearly four feet of snow on the ground, this year, almost none.

Kieran being a year older also was helpful as he was able to carry out more tasks that were needed.  He insisted on using his hammer to pound the taps into the maple trees.  About one in every five swings of the hammer made contact with the tap, but the job still got done.  He concentrated most of his work on the first line that was put together, it strings together about seven trees (12 taps) over the course of several hundred feet.  Gravity should bring the sap down to the collection point near the road.

All together, there are currently 34 taps (37 at this point last year) along three strings.  My assumption is that the number of taps will increase within the next week or so.  With forecasts this week of high temperatures in the mid-40s and lows slightly below freezing, the sap should be running.

We are wondering how the January thaw (temperatures were similar, if not higher than this weeks forecast) will affect the syrup season.  I guess we'll see shortly.....

Been awhile......

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, but with the winter we've been having, there hasn't been anything really exciting happening.  At the beginning of February, the area had received a total of 10 inches of snow (there was 60 inches at that point last year) and we have been below zero degrees three days total (way below our average).

So without all the snow there's been no sledding, snowball fights, snow huts built, snow angels....the list can get long.  Nothing to really add to story on this website....so here's a couple of videos.  Friends at school ask occasionally ask what the kids are doing these days and I find it easier to take some short videos to show them ---- here they are.....

Christmas 2011

Christmas week this year began with Kieran bringing a letter than he had written to Santa at school, as well as a reply from Santa stating that he would do his best to get Kieran what he wanted (a John Deere Tractor and some legos).  He had been asked repeatedly for about a month what he wanted from Santa but never came close to giving a definitive answer.  It was obvious that Santa had some work to do that week.

Christmas Eve brought the now annual visit from Santa at Great-Grandma's house.  Kieran, Luke and Lex all did very well and would walk right up to Santa as he was handing out gifts.  This was quite the change from when we saw Santa earlier, Luke absolutely refused to go near Santa then.

Christmas morning the boys both were eager to get downstairs to see what Santa had delivered.  Kieran was so eager, he awoke at 1:15 am stating that he had done a good job sleeping through the night and he should be able to open presents.  Ah....no Kieran, go back to bed.

Finally, when every was awake the boys could open their presents and see what Santa had brought.  Lex was not as excited as the boys and for a while just focused on drinking her milk, though eventually she came around.  Santa came through with the John Deere Tractor, legos and a fishing pole for both boys.  Highlights for all three were any toy that made noise (they got some), and they of course found clothing not very exciting.

Later that day we went to Norwood and Alexandria where the process was repeated.  Anything that would make noise was a terrific gift (in their minds) and clothes were something that could be forgotten until another day.  Other gifts (like movies, books, etc.) fell somewhere in between on that specific spectrum.

I only add this picture, taken on Christmas Eve, because it shows a side of Luke that will be trouble in the future.  What he was doing before the picture was taken or immediately after, who knows, but he certainly has a plan for something.

Kieran also came out with a Christmas lesson, lake ice can be slippery if you are not careful.  A fun time of a little running and sliding on the ice resulted with him landing on his chin.  His five stitches are due to come out on January 3rd.  At this point, he has no intention of ever standing on a frozen lake again, we'll see how long that lasts.

Winter Wonderland?

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow......

aw....nevermind.... 

The best part of this picture taken out the front door is the date, December 18th.  Today's forecast high is 45 degrees, with no snow in sight.  Chances of a white Christmas are slim and long-range forecasts (if they can believed) suggest no measurable snow until early 2012.  Every day we go into this winter without snow, shortens the severity of the inevitable snow.....

The shovel stands vigil, ready for something that will come....

Santa Comes to Town

Before returning to the North Pole for his last minute preparations for Christmas Eve, Santa visited the bank in NYA again.  Had a few problems visiting Santa this year, specifically from two of Santa's visitors.  Kieran exhibited some tears and a slight refusal to see Santa when he realized he didn't know what he wanted to ask for.....Luke was a whole other story.  It took some work (convincing) on my part last year for Luke to take a picture with Kieran and Santa.  I thought I'd be able to do the convincing again.....I was wrong....

The Carver Rapids on the Minnesota River

On Thanksgiving, we heard some reports that water levels on the Minnesota River were low enough to expose the Carver Rapids, near the city of Carver.  Both the cities of Carver and Chaska, probably are located where they are because of the rapids.  Early in the history of Minnesota, travel was done via steamboat and steamboats were unable to move upstream past the rapids.  I have been unable to find a source that describes how often the river level is low enough for the rapids to be exposed, but it cannot be too often. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources October 2011 Monthly Hydrological Report, late summer throught autumn 2011 precipitation totals rank among the lowest on record.

This Google Earth image, taken in March of 2005, shows the rapids and their effect on river ice.

Knowing that the forecast for Friday after Thanksgiving was unseasonable warm temperatures in the low 50s, it was time to view the rapids in person.  Just upstream of the rapids, the river guage located in Jordan indicated that the river was currently at 5.37 ft, (source http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=mpx&gage=jdnm5&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1).  So the prospects seems good.  In 1920, Warren Upham said of the rapids:

At Little Rapids of the Minnesota River, adjoining the southeast quarter of section 31, Carver, a ledge of the Jordan sandstone running across the river bed causes a fall of two feet; and again about a quarter of a mile up the river its bed is similarly crossed by this sandstone, having there a fall of slightly more than one foot. In the stage of low water, these very slight falls prevent the passage of boats; but at a fuller stage the river wholly covers the ledges, with no perceptible rapid descent, being then freely navigable.

(source:  http://www.chaskaherald.com/view/full_story/13428744/article-The-reason-we-are-all-gathered-here?instance=article_results)

Being as prepared as possible, we were off.  Before actually getting too far, we suddenly realized that we would not be the only people in the woods this day.  Apparently, the Louisville Swamp (which is part of the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge) is open to Archery-only deer season as well as small game.  Judging by the vehicles in the parking lot, others chose to enjoy this day outside as well, only we were not wearing blaze orange.  This directly affected our route to the rapids, we were now looking at a minimum of a three mile hike, one way, as shown below.

Louisville_swamp_map.pdf

After about a mile and half hike, we crossed Sand Creek, which is a tributary into the Minnesota River.  The water level in the creek was very low.

What was interesting crossing the creek though, was the indicators of last springs (or even last fall's) high water marks.  The fourth highest Minnesota River mark at Jordan happened during the fall of 2010 and there was another flood event in the spring of 2011.

While crossing Sand Creek, we also noticed several beaver slides, where beavers slide down the slope into the creek bed.  Beavers at this location were apparently attempting to damn the creek as evidenced by the picture below.

After crossing the creek, our next stop was the Minnesota River and the rapids made of the Jordan Sandstone.  The lower rapids were seen first, the sandstone was not exposed at this location and the water was flowing over.

 After the brief stop at the lower rapids, we quickly moved upstream to the upper rapids where we hoped they would not be cover by water.  We needed to navigate a 10 foot descent down a slippery slope to be able to walk out on the rapids made of the Jordan Sandstone.  For a sense of scale, one of the below pictures has my 6' 5" brother standing on the rapids.

Besides seeing how the flowing Minnesota River has eroded and weathered the sandstone into some unique shapes, we also saw a very large number of Mussel shells in amongst the rapids.  Due to the large number of tracks, it was readily apparent the raccoons are also being drawn to the rapids with the low water levels.  They have been enjoying quite a feast at this location.

Knowing we had a little over an hour of daylight remaining and a long hike in front of us, it was time to leave.  Throughout the day, we saw evidence of numerous different animals.  Beaver and raccon have been mentioned earlier, but we also saw eagles, hawks, cardinals and other small birds, small rodents and finally lots of different tracks.  Tracks we found along the trail were of horses (it was a horse trail afterall), numerous deer, some dogs, and the track shown in the picture below.  If anyone knows what this could be, I'd be interested in hearing your opinions or knowledge, I have my ideas.  We saw numerous examples of this track and this isn't the largest example that we saw.

Happy Halloween!!

Be safe.  Have fun!

Look who came to Cologne today!!!

Kieran's First Day of Kindergarten

Kieran started kindergarten today, he was excited and ready to go, but not nervous.  Riding the bus for over a year and spending over a month this summer attending kindergarten camp really helped him get over those routines that get people nervous.

This first picture, Kieran's laughing, but he doesn't know that Luke has just been told he's not going to have to deal with Kieran all day long.  Can you tell Luke's excited?  Lex, well....keep the bottles coming and she's happy.

Another picture shows Kieran puffing his chest out saying that the day is all his and he should milk things a bit.  Luke's thought in the background is - 'really, you haven't left yet?  Let's get this day going.'

Kieran's approaching the bus, yeah, that's it in the background.  I think he feels he's had too many pictures taken of him getting on or off the bus.

The day went well, with prodding, he was able to talk all about the day.  This included things beyond the bus and lunch/recess.  He spent quite a while talking about PE and music.  He was especially talkative about the boy who received a yellow light.  They use the green, yellow and red lights for behavior.  Stay on green and you get a sticker.  Move to yellow and it's a warning.  Get a red and a note goes home.  Kieran is already aware that when the red letter comes home, we'll be having a little chat.