May 26. 2011

Had a really nice evening with Liz (my cousin) and her husband Russ in a campground outside of Madison, WI.  Sat around swapping stories of our various adventures.  Ate shrimp pasta with pesto (thanks Vince!) with salad. It was cold, windy and rainy.  A really nasty evening.  Switched to blue jeans and socks, sweat shirt and long sleeved shirt. Guess that’s it for the sandals and shorts.

Minnesota Scene

Minnesota Scene

Woke up at 5am again and were off and running around  6:30 am.  Somehow we’ve gotten into the habit of getting up around 5.  Don’t know why when we can sleep as long as we want.  Overcast skies turned into sunshine as we drove across Wisconsin and into Minnesota.  It was a smooth ride through farm country with yet unplanted fields, lakes and trees beginning to fill out.  We camped on a lake just off of I-94 in Ashley, MN.  You can’t really find it on a map.  We found the campground in our campground book. There is no one here but us and the owners of the campground.  It’s wonderfully peaceful with lots of birds: great egrets, warblers, robins,  cormorants.  Got some shots of a yellow warbler and a chipping sparrow.  At least we think that’s what they are.  I know my birding friends will correct me if I am wrong.

Yellow Warbler

Chipping Sparrow

Right before sunset four deer grazed in the fields below our site.  Was great just watching them.

Sunrise at our campsite in Ashley, Minn

We overlook a lake and recently plowed fields. I was told that this year they will plant soybeans.  Last year it was corn and the year before sunflowers.  Now that would definitely be a sight to see – a field of sunflowers.  Temperature is around 60 and really comfortable.

Tomorrow we are off to Garrison, ND for 3 days.  Really looking forward to just settling in for a couple of days.  Went 433 miles today.

Tomorrow I will have a geography lesson for you all so get your atlases out or Google earth ready.