Hippie Weekends

To commence my less-than-ideal hippie summer, I crammed in a bang of an ending with the camping trip to Chippewa National Forest (see previous post) and a weekend dedicated to turf.  I had quite the best companions:  my mom and Ms. Cindy Yang.  What started as a wedding weekend plus camping got changed in the last minute because my mom needed a driver to Missouri.  (I am really sad I missed the wedding though.  It would have been beautiful.).
The drive down to Missouri was no picnic!  It poured in Iowa all the way through Story City to Ames, which are normally horrible driving spots anyhow.  I charged through the rain even though there were plenty of cars and trucks pulled out along the wayside, but I figured the rain would have to stop at some distance given it'll stop at some time.  The rest of the ride was pretty smooth, and some where along the way, I switched with my mom and slept all the way to Diamond.  We arrive roughly at 3am.
Sleep was short, but I seldom sleep long when its not in my own bed.  We were up cooking breakfast by 8am and out to the fields by 10am.  We rode around in my dad's truck chasing the cattle, and seeing all the calves.  Took a quick peep at the turkey barns, and went back to the house for a shower and change before we hit the road again for good ol' Texas. 
We departed my old farm at about 1pm and headed south on 44.  It would end up a longer road than we anticipated, but we were basically ready for anything. 

Ruffin' It at Cass Lake

Similar to many of my trips, and just the way I like it, a good friend of mine and I winged it up to Chippewa National Forest this last weekend (Aug 27-28).  What could be better (or more scary) than two Asian women from the cities trying their hand at camping up in Northern Minnesota?  Yes, it sounds like a comedy and disaster in the making, but we had a great time learning the ropes in the dark.

Our drive should have been five hours only if I hadn't taken the wrong exit and the wrong turn that lead us south for about an hour.  Opps.  We got Bao's GPS to work, and turned back on a detour on our way in the right direction.  Driving through the small towns really brought back the excitement of last summer when I went up by myself.  I loved driving through Brainerd, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Hakensack, and I loved most arriving in Walker.  I just can never get over the awe and enchantment driving down that curve on 371 and seeing Leech Lake glistening in the sunlight.  Its like falling in love. 

When I say we "winged it" up north, I seriously mean nothing was set in stone or planned out.  I just knew I wanted to see and hopefully camp in Chippewa National Forest.  I tried reserving a site, but it was too late to do so.  I was told most of the sites are first come first serve, and we could just pay when we got there.  The first sites we looked at were just a little outside of Walker.  I think they were Steamboat and Harmony campgrounds, which are privately owned.  We were not impressed.  Its not that the sites weren't nice or that they weren't in a good location; it was kind of the opposite actually.  The spots were clear on the lake, and with lots of great space, and LOTS OF PEOPLE.  We decided to clear out of those places and look for something wilder.  Our next stop was at Pike lake campsite, which is a Chippewa National Forest site.  This was more to our liking.  We had to actually drive through woods and small roads to get to the campsite.  When we arrived at the site, it was nearly dusk.  We pulled into the loop, and to our dismay all the sites on the lake was taken.  The camp host was very friendly.  He was a hefty man, and he was out walking his little dog; it looked like maltese.  I wonder if he felt any safer with the dog, or if the dog felt safer with him.  We opted out of this site, and decided we'd drive on to see if there were any other sites. 

On we drove on 371 until it was cut off by 2.  At 2 we took a left and searched for Stoney Point Campgrounds.  When we saw the place, we were not impressed.  It was like the private campgrounds we'd first checked out, so we check that off our list.  We drove on to Norway Beach Loop, and we settled at Chippewa Loop in campsite 114 right infront of Cass Lake.  By this time it was 8pm and dark.  We paid our $23 to the pay post, $3 to the camp host for firewood and went on to set up Bao's brand new four man tent.  It took us probably an hour to get the tent up.  Then, we drove back out of the campsite to the nearest grocery store and bought our supply of the weekend.  Yes, we did not buy anything for the trip but the tent (and two packs of brews).  We decided on hotdogs, water and bananas.  We were keeping it simple. 
I seldom tent camp, and even when I go I usually sleep in my car.  I am lucky and glad Bao was quite the expert at getting a campfire going.  The last time I tried my hand at a bonfire, I burned all the firewood in the pit and outside of it.  Bao did a great job using the extra grocery bags we gat as kindling and getting a nice cozy warm fire going.   By this time it was 10:30ish.  We put the dogs on the grill that came with each campsite, popped open two beers, opened up our lawn chairs and enjoyed the wilderness in all its darkness, silence, interruptions and brightness.  You never really enjoy stars until you're up North.  The sky seems bigger.  Stars are brighter, and, for me, I feel smaller the way a person should feel.  All my worries are specs, and my thoughts are big.  We sat mostly in silence, and what we talked about didn't seem to matter as much as the fact that we were there - finally. 
I don't know if its common or uncommon for women to camp alone, but I felt perfectly safe and comfortable under the abyss with Bao.  For whatever reasons, I felt really fortunate to have this weekend with just her and I.  I miss the thoughtful conversations, and insightful enlightenments.  I mean, I get that with other friends too, but it feels different with each person, and Bao has been someone I've looked up to for many many years.  I was glad to get to see her the way I had always known her again.  Of course, time changes everything, but in the core of it all even the toughest trees have a soft inner ring - well protected and ever lasting. 
At about midnight, we aired up the air mattress (yes there are outlets at each campsite), and turned in for the night so that we could get up to see the sunrise. 
I awoke to some scratching and shuffling outside our tent.  The campgrounds, otherwise, was still quiet.  It was a squirrel scavenging for acorns.  I woke Bao up and we walked the few steps to the beach with our folding chairs.  The lake was still as ice.  An arobatic mist rose up into the pink skies, and sliver of light cut through the horizon.  We were speechless, and busy taking pictures and posting it on to facebook.  Not a ripple.  Not a sound.  Not even a thought interrupted such a natural beauty.  After minutes of silence I hearda swooshing like you'd hear in movies for a boomerang.  Woosh woosh woosh woosh... a black bird flew over.  It was the first sound to break the silence.  Seagulls flew in, and two loons appeared on the lake.  The seagulls patrolled the shoreline, and the loons dipped into the lake hunting for breakfast.  When they came close together, the male loon would call, and they'd come together then apart and dive.  It was quite romantic. 
When the loons dove into the lake, there was just a slight ripple.  The surface quickly became still like ice and reflective like glass.  It must have been the loons, but I was feeling quite romantic and this thought came to me:  I suppose Love and Relationships are like the sky and lake.  From afar they seem to blend into one.  Up close the lake reflects the sky and they seem to be in unison, but in substance they are each their own matter; they are neither together or seperate, but better together.  Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but you'd have had to been at the shoreline to feel and understand what I mean.  lol. 
.... more later....

Sunday Morning

Clarity

Tuesday Adventure

The weather in Minnesota can be mysterious and sensitive during this season.  I left downtown at roughly 7pm and headed to the gym only to find tornado warnings blaring in Maple Grove.  I turned on MPR to find that Hennepin County was under a tornado watch.  In the twenty minutes it took me to get from downtown Minneapolis to Maple Grove, Albertville, St. Michael, Edina and select surrounding suburbs had experienced hail storms the size of golf balls and tennis balls.  And, the hail storm was making its way into downtown.  I was on the road the whole time and got only a few rain drops.  I completely missed the storm.
I ditched the gym, and took my chances at seeing a storm brewing in St. Michael where meteorologists and an enthusiastic radio host announced that a tornado would touch down at any moment.  I got onto 116 toward St. Michael, and drove north toward the dark wall of clouds.  The sun was threatening from the west with a pink glow behind the gray skies.  I listened to the radio to give me the coordinates of the potential danger.  As I drove cautiously toward St. Michael I kept my eyes half on the road and half on the darkest patch of cloud.  At some point it crossed my mind that I was being completely unreasonable because as the radio warned people of getting shelter, I was driving into the storm - more like I was looking for the storm.  I guess its never too late to be an adventure enthusiast.
I rolled down the windows so I could hear and smell the storm as it organized to make an assault on the northwest metro suburbs.  The air was oddly still, and dramatic.  It smelled like cool watermelon on a hot picnic afternoon.  Just my luck.  As I arrived in Hanover (approximately 5 minutes from St. Michael) the radio host announced that the tornado warning had been lifted, and hail storms and tornado threats were now moved onto downtown Minneapolis.  The Twins game was stalled, and happy hours all over downtown and uptown were interrupted by the thrashing of golf ball size hail.
Adventure escapes me this time, but I hope to find some adventure soon.  I will post pictures that I took of the brewing storm in the morning.  Good night all!



 On my way toward Hanover



After the warnings were cancelled







Grand Marais

There are, if not all, some enlightening lessons one can learn from nature.  If when in doubt, I turn to nature to gain a glimpse of perspective about myself and the world I live in.  I went up to Grand Marais over the weekend with Cindy, Sy and Will.  We stayed at Croftville Road Cottages, which are a couple miles North of Grand Marais.  We rented one of their 800 sq ft cottages for a fair price and, resolutely, good deal considering the hospitality, view and company.
I had two goals for myself:  the first was to visit the Devil's Kettle in Judge CR Magney State Park; and secondly, to catch the sunrise on Lake Superior because our cottages were, after all, on the lake.  I accomplished both tasks.
We arrived at our cottage shortly after five on Friday evening.  We unloaded Cindy's trusty corolla, and amazed at the quality of the cottage, lake view and bonfire pit.  Our first adventure was downtown Grand Marais.  Downtown Grand Marais is everything a small town in Minnesota ought to be with friendly locals, quaint shops and generations of Ford pickups parked sparsely throughout the quiet streets.  We visited the Municipal Liquor Store, unloaded the goodies at the car, and walked a windy block to Sven and Ole's pizzeria.  The restaurant lived up to its name; we were supremely satisfied with our Havvian Vun, sodas and front seat view of the television so the guys could watch the NFL draft while Cindy and I talked much about nothing important.  It was one of those weekend getaways; we all wanted to leave behind the heavy worries of our city lives, and enjoy the lighter side of life.  All serious talk ended in friendly agreement, and all silliness was welcome to the party.
We finished off the night with a bonfire, drinks and insightful conversations on gender roles, sexuality and dating.  We all agreed and toasted to dating outside of our norm which each person would define for him/herself.  We also debated the need and value of gender roles, which we agreed that each family has their own culture, but each generation changes a little too.  We talked about whether we were homophobic, and agreed that we all were not but we choose to not debate on the issues.  (I think its fair to admit that at some point almost all heterosexual individuals honestly asks oneself if he/she is comfortable with homosexuals and homosexuality.)  Cindy put it best when she said "Love is the same regardless of sex, gender or race; everyone wants to be loved."  We toasted yet again to Love, and put out our bonfire.
I woke up at 6:17 am Saturday morning to catch the sunrise over Lake Superior.  The sun rose over the lake like an empress upon her thrown, and by 6:41, the clouds rolled in to veil it's soft glow.  Around 6:47 a few rain drops fell down, and I retreated into the cottage and under my blanket for more sleep.
I realized the obvious realization that morning:  Each day the world intends to bring us light and hope, but if we do not rise early to the occasion we only see the clouds that have moved in the way, and we become fearful and hopeless of accomplishing anything.  For the rest of the day, I did not find myself worrying too much about anything.
We had banana nut cheerios and left over pizza for breakfast.  I packed four sandwiches and a few apples, and Cindy loaded us up on water for our adventures.  We left our cottage at 11am in search of the Witch Tree and the Devil's Kettle.  Highway 61 was our main route, and it would take us straight to Grand Portage where we might see the Witch tree.  (.... to be continued when I am not so sleepy...)

More spur of the moment N.Shore writings

At times I wonder if the sun feels weak
Meaningless like some tool of life itself
O!  The task of lighting an entire universe
I wonder if it had a mind to wonder.
What if the sun fell in love?
With a silver knight with sparkling charm
Should she retire from her place above?
Just for an hour, what would be the harm?
Or, say she abandoned just Earth
Shot our planet out of the universe
Would she know to miss our beauty?
If only she had the choice.
Steadfast she stays her course
Through hours our selfish eyes cannot see
I suppose she knows some higher truth
And she lives her time by her own rules.

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Infinite and Wild

The night cannot keep me from you
You are Infinite and Wild.
Your body is the path I take like a river flows to a rushing fall
Your hands are never ending; they reach for me wide and far.
A mysterious power echoes like a sigh throughout my soul.
I come to you and I find peace.
Alone.  You're the waterfall in my mind.

Whisper through the trees; I am leaning toward your every word.
The night cannot keep me from you.
You are infinite and wild.

Random Northshore Writings of a Night

I: I am Here

I am here -

A shadow among bright lights

I creep along to find a place

Slow and steady like the tides of the northshore

I am real

Of all things considered

That waits for tomorrow

I rise and wait behind clouded skies

I am burning

With desire to make my print

An asterisk in the tale of humanity

I shed my leaves and am born again each season

I am here

A life of unlikely measure

Fallen from the fairytale

I carry you in my winds of memory. 

I am here.

I am here.

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II: My love

I cannot say I love you

But I cannot live without you

A tangle weed without a root

A sheltering cave without a nook

How many nights did I hold you

Always close to my heart, it’s true.

A cold stone on the lake shore

You could swallow me as you did before

I cannot take you with me

But where you are is where I’ll be

Far in space but close in time
I am yours as you are mine. 
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III: My Lover

I suppose I love you in my way

As the sun quietly loves the earth

Meekly rising to see her lover – sleeping still

Gentle touches and soft golden kisses

At times her temper may be harsh

Inconsiderate and unmindful of

The measures it takes to take it in

Because all things beautiful connect within

I love you whole and with my all

I love you only as I know how

Like the sun that radiates all year long

To see Earth’s beauty fully sprung.

O de Northshore

In my solitude, you are my companion
Through it all you are the champion
A constant intelligence to my numbness
You conquer when I am hopeless
Guide me once again in Understanding.

Your advisors, they know me well.
They know of joy and of hell
The Golden Empress on her hot seat high
And the Cool Moon that lights the night
They teach me forgiveness and forgetting

Iron clouds they roll in like the enemy
Yet in distance their shelter is friendly.
Thundering waters raging with might
They hum a tune to sooth my mind.
The horrors we see are not always so daring.

Along unraveling trails nature reveals
Each slice of time must be unpeeled.
Traverse wooded lanes and broken showers
In places hidden are nature’s powers
Overcoming the riddles I’ve been contemplating.