What $1.50 Can Get You....

....at Garage Sales! All this!
Who can resist a Mickey plate for a quarter? Not me!

And holiday dish towels?! YES!
I gor the 2 towels AND this Halloween candle holder thingie for a dollar!
What a negotiator.....Joe was not impressed and said I should have gone down to 75-cents for all 3. He's probably right, but I am NOT a good haggler.

What fun!

Remembering an old friend

Hard to believe, but it's been one year today since we had to say goodbye to Spike.
What a wonderful, amazing friend and companion he was for his 18 years.
There will never be another one like you, my friend.
We miss you lots, sweetheart puppy-dog.

Minnehaha Falls

Today we decided to take Gus to Minnehaha Falls - Joe and I have not been there in years, and it was such a nice holiday weekend!

The falls are still spectacular:
And you can still go down to the base.
Years ago, you could actually walk behind the falls, but not any more. Oh well, safety first, I guess.

Guess took s brief moment to pose for a picture going back up the steps:
I liked this covered walkway:
I decided I really did not have to go to the bathroom that bad.....
I am sure it was pretty classy in it's day, though.....

Not sure who this is, but he/she must have been important enough to warrant a sculpture.
I shall research further....*

All in all, a great day to be outdoors and a great way to enjoy the local scenery for free.

*Research update: Created by contemporary native artest Ed Archie Noisecat in 1994, the mask was made so the viewer can see through the eyes of Chief Little Crow (his real name was Taoyeteduta).

The mask is located just south overlooking the Minnehaha Falls in an area considered sacred to the Sioux.

Today's Project

Project time! This area has bugged me since the snow melted.
Looked great when we moved in! But it didn't last long - after 2 winters, with all the contracting and expanding, these stone just break apart and are impossible to walk on in your bare feet.

So! Today was Fix It Day! Yesterday, we got a truckload of soil, several rolls of sod, and tackled this disaster.

After taking out most of the stones, we filled it in and raised it a bit (for drainage) with the soil:
After getting that all levels out and sloping the way we wanted it, we got it all filled in with the sod!
Instant Lawn - I love it! Water the daylights out of it for 2 weeks, and we should be good to go.

Next, repair that crappy area right in front of the new sod. Woo!

Gus In Action!

Last weekend, Joe, Gus and I took part in the annual Humane Society's Walk for Animals. As a team, we raised over $1,000 (and got these cool hooded sweatshirts!):
Turned out to be a nice day by the time we finished the 5 mile walk. We had someone snap this picture of us in front of a giant bone (which Gus Really wanted to bring home):
At the halfway mark, Gus showed some signed of being tired, but after a short break, was raring to go for the 2nd half.After we got home, Gus grabbed bone to head upstairs, but only made it halfway up before deciding nap-time could not wait.....Today, no walk, but we did take some time to play ball. This was one of the action shots I was able to snap:
In an unrelated note, after the walk last Saturday, we turned around on Sunday and planted about 430 strawberry plants! We are nuts. This is one bed:...and this is the other.I hope our freezer has enough room in a few months.....

One More For The Collection

Since we are heading to Disney later this year, it's fitting to get another pin! Ha! We found this one on eBay for $ and change - bargain city!