Never before have I seen so many Lace Cacti in bloom at once!
Greenthread or Golden Wave cover the burned areas from last June's grass fires.
Purple Loco on a hill.
The girls and I had a little fun...
Anna and I scared up a few deer, then, a moment later, Queenie came running our direction being chased by a coyote! After a bit, we yelled at them, the coyote paused, then Queenie was after the coyote!
The yucca are in full bloom.
Today a friend of mine through the Elder Network went with me on a drive to Lake City, which is on Lake Pepin, a widened part of the Mississippi River. We went to a tea room there for lunch, which was FULL of two groups of women, a Red Hat club and a bus group from Rochester. It was good for Bev to get out and experience life beyond the gossip of her senior living apartment building. We talked about many things, including Bev's childhood. Her mother died when she was 5 months old. During her childhood, she was mostly seen as a burden to her grandparents, father, and other family members who helped raise her.
It makes me smile to think about the fun times and thoughtful conversa-tions that Jenny and I had this week. Jenny and I met when we were a few months old, and she has blessed my life ever since. What a great time I had showing her around my Minnesota tromping grounds.
The friendly guys at the bike place recognized me, and Jenny confirmed to them that I had bought the bike from them that was stolen in the fall. Well, because of that, the guy decided to let us use the bike for free for the day, saying he was sure we would take care of it and return it. "Just bring us a pack of beer, or if that's against your religion, some pop," he joked. We decided to make a stop at the Gingerbread House to get donuts for them on the way back:)
Jenny graciously endured the lengthy tour of Saint Mary's Hospital and the downtown Mayo 
campus. The best part was when she graced the halls with "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" on the grand piano, which is below the man on the wall in this photo. It was fun to watch people turn, stop, and listen as the message of the music and familiar words behind it reached into their present circumstances.
Other things we did include listening, talking, laughing, talking, cooking, walking, talking, 
spending time with friends, Jenny playing keyboard and me playing flute, visiting...you get the idea. Contrary to what most of you imagined, we managed to keep out of trouble. We only got into one real fight, which involved licking a pan... Thank you so much for the great visit and encouragement, Jenny!
For the rest of you who have expressed interest in coming to visit, let this be a reminder to you that you that I am only here until August, so book your tickets!!!
