Walking Olive and Miles (the dogs) with their neighbor Jen.
I lucked out in the family department. Last time I saw Brad and Jenny was at my sister's wedding, 9 years ago, but when they heard about this project, they've been nothing but excited and supportive. Brad picked me up from the airport in his electric car, and we've been provisioning ever since! We've gone to pick up my kayak, UPS, Whole Foods, Michael's, Trader Joe's, a normal grocery, another store, made multiple trips to REI, and drove all the way out to Stillwater, Wisconsin to pick up a VHF radio from Craigslist. And yesterday when I woke up from a nap, I found that the Lid Fairy had visited! Brad is an engineer by training and when he heard I was going to sprout seeds but didn't have a good mesh cap for the jar I'll be using, he drilled holes in the lid and popped some fiberglass mesh. Bam.
An engineer's seed-sprouting lid solution
Brad is not just an engineer, though, he also builds and fixes harpsichords, and is a potter, specializing in fish!
 Brad's workshop |   |
"Life's too short to drink bad wine" is printed in Latin on the wine decanters. This is all his work.
Being here is just wonderful, though. Minnesota in summer is green and lush, the skies are blue, the temps are lovely, and so far I have not been bothered by bugs. Brad and Jenny's lifestyle is one of modest comfort; classical music (and sometimes barbershop quartets) playing all day, leisure time to read the paper or a book, walks in the neighborhood with their adorable and very well-behaved shelty, Miles, snacks outside on the porch, exercise and work interspersed throughout. They're intelligent and very funny. Thanks to them I not only have had the perfect support and location for getting ready for this trip, but have also had the opportunity to see my cousin Wendy and her family, my mom's cousin John and his wife, and a couple very interesting ladies in their neighborhood who backed this project. And we've had yummy food and played games too.
A new game (to me) we call "Testical Toss" where you toss these two balls connected by a string at this ladder looking thing, trying to get the balls to wrap around the horizontal bars.
Gorgeous day for a ride in the MG! While in REI, trying to stuff my backpack into a dry bag to figure out which one was the right size, Brad said, "I was going to help you, but I realized you've got to be able to do this yourself." When driving in the car, "I was going to put on the air conditioning, but I don't want to spoil you--you've got to get used to the heat." I was in a store and it started to pour. When I came outside, he said, "I was going to run in and bring you an umbrella, but then I figured you've got to get used to squalls."
I love this practical, hands-off methodology for 'helping'. Ha haha.
I love this practical, hands-off methodology for 'helping'. Ha haha.
They've been super patient with me taking over their living space with piles upon piles of provisioning and equipment.
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