Cabin Time!

Well we ventured up north this weekend for some quality nap/forest/Lake Superior/family/hike/DQ time. Yes Dairy Queen:) We had the best weather we have had all summer up there. With Lake Superior out our door it is often 80 in the cities and when you drive over the hill into Duluth you can see the temps drop...digit by digit until it is 60 at the lake front. I was happy that it was warmer and I was able to get in some good runs and bikes and ICE BATH's as well! Gotta love the lake for the best ice bath EVER.

We grilled, we sang, we hiked, we hung out, we napped and yes we went to DQ. Love the Two Harbors DQ where they are always serving the cones LARGE when you order a small. Ok not so good when you are already full, but nobody's complaining.

So here are some pictures, no training photos, these are more fun! I do have to show you some of the hzards of running up north, see this? I didnt get too close but it was humming:)


And the roots are pretty dang big, big enough that i have some really sore Peroneals from rolling on the roots. And this is a groomed trail, the one i was on for my long run kept me humble at about 11 min/mile as i tried to dance thru the OLD trees!
Swim time!




Hee we have our own outhouse!
See this is why i grew up playing racket sports. We spent ALOT of time in the ping pong house and at the courts, I am very good at killing horse flies mid point.






New bridge across the lagoon!
Lower Falls.

I am not a coach but this is good advice for ALOT of things, not just TRIATHLON!







This is at the putting course. I also know this is on the Gear West Du course. Gotta slow a bit when you see this and you are cornering at 25 mph.

And on a tangent.....We also had a memorial for Iona. We cremated her and tho we had spread a few ashes in the river and the Lake we wanted to bury her at the cabin.


We wrapped her in a "kerchief and put a tennis ball with her. We dug a hole and said goodbye.

It was good to get closure, and I feel ok about it. I still miss her and there are times I feel like a traitor loving Ruby so much. I wanted to post a goofy picture from the Ruby Cam but decided this post and this burial was about closure on Iona. My mom and I covered the site with dirt and we put a little cross there. We buried another dog "Mocha" there in 1984 and so I hope that Iona and Mocha are meeting each other somehow somewhere.

Meet Iona...
otherwise known as "HI-HO IONA!"

These first 2 pics really could be misunderstood. If you havent had the chance to meet her, she may appear to be rabid and crazy. I have to admit though that if you ever need love and attention and want someone to cry and howl at your feet, let me know.

This summer she had a few days where she wasnt herself. She didnt get off her bed and she didnt hop on the couch to see you walking up the stairs (about 5 minutes before you even got in the door) I thought she was heading to the happy hunting ground where all good golden's go. And all that have gone before her ...Penny, Mocha, Candy...They would be free to catch squirrels, have endless supplies of "second scoops," tennis balls everywhere (wait she already has that?!), and never have thunderstorms or any noise that may have ruined their hopes of being hunting dog of the year.

Luckily she just had a bit of overtraining syndrome. At the age of 11 she had been walking too many steep ascents and descents at the cabin, and the squirrels in the yard had kept her running on days she should have been resting. A little visit to the MD and some Celebrex ( i am not kidding) and she was back to her old tricks.

FEED ME...best trick is when dad feeds me and mom doesnt know and i get double rations for the night. Sweet. The grandkids (nephews to me) also do a nice job of overflowing the scoops.

"Hopefully I will get a new bed from Orvis for the holidays. I had at least better get my hair washed and groomed and one of those holiday bandanas for the Christmas pictures."

Ok she was done with the photo shoot and i made her do one more. You can only ask royalty to pose so many times you know.