I picked up Mason early yesterday and we headed over to HPB in Highland. He really wanted to see what they had for GOOSEBUMPS and STAR WARS. We picked up a Kevin J. Anderson (Heir to the Empire series?) and the two Horrorland Goosebumps they had. Then I asked Mason where he wanted to go, and he suggested Bass Lake. But he burst into tears when ( Read more... )

Our dinosaur hunt was quite successful. Mason and I bagged several of the elusive and mighty bryozoans (they're about the size and shape of Cheerios.) Actually, we found one that looks like a watch gear, and it's completely free standing, as it were. No surrounding rock. It's nifty ( Read more... )

Just a quick note before we head off... I got up this morning at quarter to seven and headed off to the Park Permit Office on Hamline Avenue North and picked up my official license to hunt dinosaurs! Okay, really, it's just a permit that allows Mason and I to pick up and dig for fossils at Lilydale Regional Park, but I've be referring to it as my ( Read more... )

So yesterday was supposed to be my "idea" day, but I got sidetracked by the excitement that is Hidden Falls. I don't quite know why kids love Hidden Falls so much, but they do. It's actually not terribly remarkable to the grown up eye, IMHO. For one, it's man-made. A lot of concrete and gravel... but they did a nice thing making a series of " ( Read more... )

It's been a busy week, which explains my absence from the Interwebs you kids hang out on. It's also been kind of strange, but I'll explain ( Read more... )

As you know, Bob, the main entrance to the Minnehaha creek hiking paths is closed for construction. I believe the Parks & Rec folks are taking advantage of the drought to do some support work on the crumbling falls. Apparently, they’ve also widened the paths, because some of the sections I always sort of held my breath as Mason clambered across ( Read more... )

Mason and I discovered a new favorite hiking spot last Saturday: Bass Lake. Bass Lake is part of the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Preserve, and it actually right around the corner from the Mall of America. It’s not very large. An intrepid explorer could easily see the entire trail in under an hour, but Mason is a wanderer and a lingerer, so it’s ( Read more... )