Steve's Place

What State is High in the Middle and Round…

nobody@vox.com(Steve Betz) — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:36:06 -0700

Oh, nevermind…

This weekend, the Beloved and I are heading off to Ohio for a wedding in her family. We arrive in Cleveland late on Friday and drive off to umm – errr – some other place in NE Ohio for the wedding Saturday morning.

I was thinking about it this morning. I haven’t been to Ohio for at least 10 years. Should be interesting. I’ll post this song from Over The Rhine (who are from the Cincinnati area), which is truly one of my favorite songs ever.

Ohio

Over The Rhine

It’s pretty much going to be all family time, so I don’t know that there will be much of a sight-seeing report on our return, but we’ll see how it goes. I promise I’ll play my Scrabulous turns when I get back.

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2007 Favorites -- Photos

nobody@vox.com(Steve Betz) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:23:52 -0800

I know a lot of people are doing this, but Steve pointed out that reviewing your photos is a great way to relive and re-appreciate so many of the special things that happened this past year.

I couldn't choose just one:

Frog

I caught this little fella in a pond in New Hampshire in June. I just loved the detail.

Pacific

Eutaw running to retrieve in the ocean for the first time in three years at sunset at dog beach in Del Mar -- March.

Thinking about it

This guy was waiting for his owner to come back from surfing at Torrey Pines -- Labor Day weekend.

Stalks

This was just a funny juxtaposition of lines --- Santa Barbara, July (I think).

Indigos_Blues

I don't take many "people" shots, but this little cousin was a little bored at a wedding in Minnesota -- Memorial Day weekend.

Blue and white

This arc of gypsum, water and sky at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, February. (The two little dots center right are people.)

Good with wine

The view from our balcony at The Aerie on the first weekend we moved in. April.

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A Superior Getaway

nobody@vox.com(Steve Betz) — Mon, 28 May 2007 17:57:25 -0700

18 Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

So we’re back at The Aerie after a hit and run trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior for the Beloved’s cousin’s wedding. I had never been to this part of Minnesota before and had been listening to “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” over and over to get me in the right frame of mind. I have to say that it was a real treat. Did you know that Lake Superior has 10% of the planet’s fresh water?? I do now!

Travel. Piece of cake. We had gotten really inexpensive flights from San Diego to Duluth (lie ~$220 rt) via Minneapolis. Northwest Airlines got us there (and back) ahead of schedule on all legs with pleasant service. We arrived in Duluth on Friday and drove our rental car up to Lutsen, about 90 miles northeast of Duluth along the coast of Superior.

Gondola_up_1

Weather. We arrived to a glorious day on Friday – clear and pleasant (~65-70). The forecast for Saturday (the wedding day) was rainy and 45 – and they were pretty much correct. The morning was clear but clouds and storms came in as the day progressed. Oh yeah – the wedding? It was at a lodge at the top of Lutsen Mountain. It was supposed to be an outdoor wedding with the view of Superior as the backdrop. No chance, we rode the gondola (bucket-car ski lift – but at least it was enclosed) up in a pouring rain. The bride and groom were incredibly laid-back though – the ceremony was moved inside and went off without a hitch. A great time was had by all – well nearly all. This young cousin a few times removed was at our table and seemed a little bored by the affair – that was at least until the ceremony and dinner were over and she could DANCE!

Indigos_Blues

Return. We left early Sunday morning, giving ourselves a half-day to get back to Duluth for our return to Californina. It was a pretty day – cool but dry and we enjoyed poking around in a couple of stores and a few state parks. I think my favorite was the Split Rock Lighthouse, which operated for most of the 20th century as a navigational beacon for shipping on the Lake. It has an operating Fresnel lens and is still lit on special occasions.

Splitrock_view

Splitrock_2

We spent today putzing around and doing some errands and being generally glad to be relaxing at home after a very quick 60-hour tour of the north woods. Its okay though, we’ve decided to take tomorrow off too!

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