Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter!

 Because of our gorgeous and unseasonably warm fall, our yard clean-up didn't get completely done until the weekend before Thanksgiving. We tried to have a little fun while doing our work; unfortunately, Mama missed the smiles and Isabel was ready to be done playing. Nonetheless...

Isabel was such a help decorating the Christmas Tree! However, she will probably be a better help when it comes time to take the tree down. Look closely at the finished tree and you will see we have a very top heavy tree this year!

Last winter, we had record amounts of snow (as if you don't remember) and every time we went outside Isabel would giggle just a little in pure delight...she might have been born during the most mild and beautiful spring, but she truly is a winter babe at heart. She got her first literal taste of snow the other night and had we not stopped her, she would have cleared off the patio. Looks like Dada has a "shoveling" partner this winter!

A Visit to the Apple Orchard

With the beautiful fall weather, it was inevitable to get out enjoy what mother nature was offering. So last weekend over Fall Break (or MEA), Isabel made her first trip to the apple orchard with Ava, Maddie, Kortney, Mama, and two kids that Kortney baby-sits, Forest and Renee. The orchard we went to was Minnesota Harvest down in Jordan. It was a lot different than I remember as they are trying to revitalize it from the brink of bankruptcy. They still produce some awesome tasting apples so I hope they are able to truly bring it back to life.

Other than apple picking, the orchard offered a petting zoo, pile of hay, pony rides, and a corn maze. The highlight was definitely the hayride out to the orchard and the picking itself. Isabel loved the apples; it might have become her favorite fruit as she ate two of them while we were out picking!

Over the weekend we not only got to the apple orchard, but also to Peter's Pumpkins to pick out our pumpkins and to Valleyscare...more pics to share on those adventures later. With all that fun, both Isabel and I woke up Monday a little sick. Not too bad, but just enough congestion, running noses, and coughing to make for a tough week. We are both almost fully mended and ready for Halloween fun!

A Response

Dear Kerri,

Since I possess 1/1000th of your multi-tasking skills it has taken me a little over a week to complete the videos that recap your überwältigend Oktoberfest. But after untold hours and a few choice words hurled at the computer I present to you the DeGeest Family Oktoberfest in stunning HD video. I hope you enjoy!

Prost!

The DeGeest Family Presents Oktoberfest 2010 from Butter on Vimeo.

Schnitzelbank 2010 from Butter on Vimeo.

P.S. Now that the videos are done I will get to uploading our pictures.

The Way Fall is Supposed to Be

November is attempting to make up for the worst October weather in history. I have no scientific evidence to back that up, but will go with the fact that I only road 25 miles the entire month. Two consecutive November weekend days in the 60's are about as rare as a good Gopher's football team.

Taking full advantage of the weather I headed out on the CrossCheck Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon for a ride on the Minnesota River Bluffs LRT trail. The LRT trail is a crushed limestone rail trail that stretches from Chanhassen to Hopkins, a nice, mostly flat 25 mile round trip ride.



Note that special attention was given to what jersey I was wearing. It was deer opener after all...

The LRT is a great trail and a nice break from riding on regular roads. After a short, but brutal climb up Hwy 101 to access the trail, you get a very cool view of Shakopee.



The trail then makes its way northeast towards Eden Prairie and passes one of several lakes that are along the trail, Lake Riley.



The first 5 miles are definitely the busiest stretch of the trail. Everyone and their dog, quite literally, are on this section of trail. Walkers, bikers and even a dry-land cross country skier were out enjoying the weather.

After you get a few miles past Lake Riley, traffic on the trail goes down considerably.



A tragic scene was encountered along the way and a moment of silence was observed.



From the look of the rims, this bike had a great life and Kati was very pleased that I did not drag it home with me.

The trail continues past Shady Oak Lake before it dumps you out in Hopkins. This marks the halfway/turnaround point of the ride at 12.5 miles.





The only downside of the LRT trail is that it does not form a loop. So everything you saw on the way out you see on the way back in.



The 50 miles I logged this weekend finally puts me over the 1,000 mile mark for the year. I was starting to wonder if I would ever get there.

I am celebrating crossing the 1,000 mile mark and an all-around great weekend with a Bell's Third Coast Ale. It packs a punch with a 10.2% APV in addition to aging in the Bike Cave (aka our basement) for about 9 months now.