you better run

Day at the beach, Lake Pepin

smoke break

face to the sunshine

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do."
- Helen Keller
They're looking a bit peaked this year from a major lack of rain, but still hanging in there.

Lake Pepin Community Theater

They're doing Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds".

90 Shilling Ale

One from the Minnesota State Fair that I didn't get to post yet.

The Hendrix cut, please

Milo's on 4th, Minneapolis

Stomp

Surdyk's Wine Stomp. Don't try this at home.

 

At least every participant got a tee shirt. Those got stomped on, too:

The Notorious P.I.E.

Look at that pie. Just look at it:

On the left, chocolate cream; on the right, blueberry-pear with a streusel topping. If you haven't had the opportunity to do so, you need to get yourself to The Stockholm Pie Company in Stockholm, Wisconsin (population 66). NOW!

Because whoever is making the pies there, I'm betting by the time you hit that last bite, and possibly long before that, you'll be willing to bow down before their pie-making awesomeness. A slice will set you back $4.75 at the time of writing this, but for that you get a mountainous slab of goodness that epitomizes the meaning of synergy. Yeah, pie and synergy. That's what I'm talking about.

Harbor View Cafe, Pepin

This isn't the place to go if you're looking for a burger. In fact, the people ahead of us stomped out in a huff because beef patties weren't on the menu. What you'll get at the Harbor View is a quality meal several cuts above the typical burger-joint fare. Bonus points for the well-appointed book cases lining the walls. Plus there was a warm basket of bread with butter waiting at the table. I'm a sucker for that.

Sweeeeeeet.

Matthew Sweet, tearing it up at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. He performed the "Girlfriend" album in its entirety, plus a few songs at the end from other albums.

He brought out Richard Lloyd as a special guest for "Evangeline". Yeah, that Richard Lloyd.

Fall Flood Run

The Fall Flood Run has been an annual event around Lake Pepin since 1970, raising money for a number of charities. It's grown to be one of the largest motorcycle runs in the country. There's nothing quite like seeing a line of a hundred or so bikes blazing past, then a couple beautifully restored hot rod cars...and then my station wagon. Yeah, pretty awe-inspiring.
One of the big meeting places this year was at The Pickle Factory in Pepin:

Another was at Ole's in Maiden Rock:

Especially igneous

Pepin Marina, Wisconsin

Como Lakeside Pavilion

There's been a pavilion on this spot for over a hundred years. In 1905, one was built with a bandstand extending on piers into the lake. The current structure was rebuilt in 1992 using the original blueprints.

This, too, will be washed away

Mississippi River

it ain't easy being green

Midtown Global Market

Chow Mein

Lake Street, Minneapolis

Late summer, Lake Calhoun

Fishin' the Mississipi

Met these guys along the Mississippi today and they were nice enough to let me shoot a few photos. Guy in the foreground is from California, guy to the left is from Detroit, and the guy in the background is local.

scarf, no matter what

Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis

the first mate and the Skipper, too

Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis

beacon

Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis

Scream all the way down

Crazy Mouse

Sword Swallower, MN State Fair

Is there an otolaryngologist in the house?

SpongeBob's sweet ride

"We're sorry you're tired, honey...the stroller is only for blow-up prizes. You'll have to walk."

Crying, Waiting, Hoping

Bike Man's vow to aid humankind at a moment's notice means never getting the chicks.

Parking

Parking cars on your lawn is a 12-day cottage industry near the fairgrounds.