GreekFest 2009 - Day 2...Part 2!

Here's a video of the Greek Dancers of Minnesota dancing today.

GreekFest 2009 - Day 2!

Today Sammy said he wanted Greek food again! So for lunch we went over to the GreekFest for some tasty souvlaki. We then watched some more dancing by the Greek Dancers of Minnesota.

Conga-man was again pouring glasses of Ouzo for everyone!

The talented baloon man made Sammy a lion...

The Greek Dancers of Minnesota...

...asked to have their photo taken with Sammy...

GreekFest 2009

The last time we went to GreekFest was two years ago. This year it was a bit on the cool side, but it was still a blast to go to. Friendly people, good eats, and music. While there we bumped into a number of nice people that we know. A favorite part of the day was seeing the "conga-man" in action!

A funny part was when the vocalist was singing in Greek and slipped in: "GreekLaLaLa GreekLaLaLa GreekLaLaLa...The American Legion bus will be leaving in five minutes...GreekLaLaLa GreekLaLaLa."

A woman very similar to Andrea Martin's Aunt Voula character was dancing...

...pretty well we should mention...

Fancy outfits...

...great dancing!

A Greek "chorus line"...

A single man "chorus line"...

...is that Ouzo on his shirt?

We called him the "conga-man"

A Greek conga line...

...with "conga-man"...

Michele and Sammy...

Viroqua Wild West Days 2009

Last year we went to the Viroqua Wild West Days. This year we went again, staying at a cabin at our favorite restaurant DiSciascios (the best Italian-American restaurant in the midwest). Sammy ditched wearing cowboy duds for his Superman outfit. We spent a good amount of time at the hog-wrestling event.

The "Dorks of Pork"...unofortunately they lost...

The thrill of victory, the agony of the pig's feet...

Sammy on a covered wagon...

Sammy in another wagon...

What does Super Man need a tractor for?

We're not in Kansas anymore...

This past Sunday night, we went down to the Mayo Civic center to watch a free concert with the band Kansas. Sammy's Aunt Diane and Mike came down to watch it with us. The weather was great, the crowd was (very) large, and the music was great.

Diane & Mike...

Michele & Sammy...

Paul & Sammy...

His future is so bright...

Our Superman...

City at night...

The Great Outdoors -- With Dennis & Family

This past weekend we went camping with Dennis, Dana, Kendra, and Avery at Chester Woods Park. We had a fantastic time -- Sammy really enjoyed roughing it. The weather was perfect...low humidity, cool. Conversation around the campfire was a delight. Dennis has a wonderful family (we wish Benton could have made it).

Sammy (inside) shows Kendra and Avery his Eureka! Timberline-4 tent

Dennis wowed us with his outdoors cooking prowess...

Good eats!

Dennis playing the uke...

Paul Goes to Mankato...

This past Thursday night, Paul paid $10 to ride a bus with a group of people to Congressman Tim Walz's town hall in Mankato. Waltz is from Mankato so he was probably hoping for a friendly crowd. It was a fun event, the crowd was respectful but did express their opposition to their elected leader's support for Obamacare.

Here is the most exciting (and perhaps revealing) exchange of the evening:

Sam is our Superman®

Ever wonder how Mr. and Mrs. Kent felt about Clark? Just ask us.

North Shore 2009: Days 3 and 4

Tragedy befell us when Paul slipped on the rocks and his beloved Nikon D50 camera fell in a puddle of water. As a result, we don't have many photos for the last two days (we're hoping we can get some from everyone else). Lake Superior: 1 Paul: 0

Bernie and Mark came up to go fishing with us. Sammy really got a kick out of it.

We had occasional rain during the vacation...

...but also had a good amount of sunshine too...

Heading out to fish...

Bernie swaps fishing stories with Sammy...

Bernie and Mark...

Gooseberry Falls State Park...

Morning view from our deck to the shore...

Mike, Diane, Anne, Sammy, Michele, Bernie, and Mark...

North Shore 2009: Tour of Soudan Mine Video

It's a bit lengthy (about 8:52) but it has the excellent description provided by the tour guide and if you look really close you can see a bat!

North Shore 2009: Day 2

On our second day of vacation on the North Shore we went to the Split Rock lighthouse and then the Soudan Underground Mine.

Soudan mine is known as Minnesota's oldest, deepest, and richest iron ore mine. It was closed in 1962 but is now open as a state park. Visitors can today travel 2,341 feet below the surface on an 80-year old electric hoist through shaft #8. The ride is fairly scary. Underneath visitors ride 1/2 mile to view some mining chambers.

Aunt Annie told Sammy that we were going to see the Joker in the BatCave (currently, Batman and Superman are all that matters to Sammy). When we went to get into the rickety 80-year old electric hoist, Sammy was afraid to go, until our tour guide told him that she had already taken care of the Joker. We'll post some video at a later time.

Oh, and there were bats down there too!

Split Rock lighthouse...

A view from Split Rock lighthouse...

Lighthouse-keeper residences...

Sammy with lighthouse-keeper dude...

Diane & Mike...

Group shot at Split Rock...
Anne, Diane, Mike, Michele, Sammy, & Paul...

Soudan mine...
...we barely got there in time for the last tour of the day!

Part of an electric hoist...

The miners would mine from one level up to the next...
...throwing the junk rock mined to the level below them...
...and work their way up...

The scariest ride in the world!!
It will rattle your fillings loose!

Sammy in the BatCave...

Michele & Sammy...

Miles and miles of tunnels...

Anne, Paul, Sammy, Michele, Mike, & Diane...

North Shore 2009: Day 1

Sammy's Batman & Robin take a rest from crime fighting on the north shore...

Last weekend we went to Lake Superior along the North Shore of Minnesota. We rented a lakeside cabin in Tofte, MN (this is the cabin). We drove out Thursday night to stay at a hotel in Superior, Wisconsin. At the hotel we met up with Paul's sister Diane and Mike. In the morning, Sammy and Paul went for a swim in the pool, then we went to Canal Park in Duluth, then Bettie's Pies, and finally our lakeside cabin. We were lulled to sleep by the sound of waves crashing on the rocks.

Sammy bravely enters the pool...

Paul is not moving fast enough in the water for Sammy...

Diane and Mike play air hockey...

Mike and Diane...

Michele and Sammy...

With a steady hand, Sammy navigates stormy waters...

Sammy explains to us the geology of the Great Lakes...