Once in a while I have a question for you.

Where are you?

Now I suppose I could ask you to just leave a comment, but I would rather have you plant your flag on the timbu map at frappr.com.

If you feel uncomfortable with frappr’s request for a email and name feel free to make a suitable name and location.

[Link to frappr courtesy of "grace notes"]

OK, so I’m not Prince Charming but she did agree to have her picture taken with me.

I’m going to Disney World soon.

I’ve never been before so this should be a real adventure. My kids are four and five. We are spending a few days on our own and then meeting some friends for a few more days. We are hitting four theme parks over the course of the week and taking a few days to spend at the pool relaxing.

My wife was explaining to the kids about the costumed characters like Mickey and Goofy that they might see at Disney World. My daughter listened, thought for a while and then asked “Will Jesus be there?” That amused me. I’m sure if Disney thought they could procure a license for major world religious figures they would do it. Disney is a special kind of temple isn’t it? The priests look like more like mice.

I can’t wait to see the sun, feel the breeze and be warm at the same time.

If you have any Disney travel hints for me please drop me a line.

I spent part of the week having a little R&R in B&B Lanesboro, MN.

Lanesboro is one of those really quaint small towns with nice inns, B&B’s, arts, interesting stores and a theater. It’s also right on the Root River trail. The trail is an easy to ride, paved 42 mile trail which follows the Root River.

Jeannie and I stayed at the Habberstad House. The owners Nancy and Dave made us feel right at home. The breakfasts were great. The house blend of coffee was first rate and everything they prepared was perfectly done. I’m not sold on eating ice cream or molten chocolate cakes as the first course of breakfast, but other than that it was very good. I enjoyed the chit chat in the morning with the other guests in the home. We had guests from the UK who were especially entertaining. I kept explaining that not all Americans ate ice cream for breakfast. Much to everyone’s amusement we kept running into them in town at the various restaurants and shops.

Here is the view from the Carriage House. You can see the grounds are nicely landscaped.

The bed part of the B&B.

On Wednesday we headed out of town a few miles and came to the house of local potter Joel and his wife Maria. Joel is my aunt’s brother. I visited them a few years back. They were kind enough to take time out of their busy day to show Jeannie and me around their home and workshop area. They have a truly amazing home; even their bathroom sink is a beautiful hand thrown piece of pottery. It was a pleasure to spend time with them enjoying their kind hospitality. They seem to have an idyllic life.

We biked on to the next town, Peterson, and had a great lunch in the local diner. I don’t think there was anything on the menu that cost more than $4.25. The pies were freshly made and the sandwiches were filling and tasty. We headed back to Lanesboro and ended up with 28+ miles on the odometer.

I’ve repeatedly waxed poetic about Hell’s Kitchen. I won’t bore you with how much I love the food yet again. Today I would rather point you to a link to a little Minneapolis history. Turns out the building that Hell’s Kitchen is located in is the historic Minneapolis Crafthouse. I wish they still had the Japanese Garden out back.

When I moved into my neighborhood, I always hoped that my lawn would not be the worst lawn in view. Thanks to some neighbors down the street my position of having the second worst grass on the street seemed assured. Then last year those people moved. The first thing the new owners did was to remove their entire lawn and replace it with something that looks like a golf course.

Personally, nuking my lawn with herbicides has no appeal. Monoculture is not for me; I like clover. I don’t even really sweat the dandelions. I like diversity everywhere, including my lawn.

Turf management is very low on my list of hobbies to pursue.

Following my trip to Yosemite in 2003 I read a few books by John Muir. It was then I learned he was from Wisconsin. I don’t know how that fact had eluded me while taking Wisconsin history in grade school but somehow it did. The Wisconsin Historical Society has posted a number of John Muir’s handwritten letters on line.

They seem to have quite a nice collection of original artifacts online as well in a section called Turning Points.

[Link courtesy of the Scout Report.]