Norske Nook

I traveled to Minneapolis for a conference. I drove up by myself in a rented Dodge Avenger. I stopped on the way in Osseo, Wisconsin at the Norske Nook restaurant for lunch and pie.

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I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, which was mighty tasty. I also ordered a plate of lefse because I’d never had it and wasn’t sure what it was. Now I know. It’s like a really thin, tasteless pancake. I have no idea if I was supposed to butter it or put jam on it or what. I just ate it and was unimpressed.

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Or course we ordered pie. I had blackberry cream cheese. It was very good, although the filling was a little weird. It had the texture of Jello and didn’t add much to the taste but it did make the pie a lot thicker.

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Lost Frog

I happened upon this frog as I was walking through a residential area at least half a mile from the nearest water. It was in the street, and made several long, panicky leaps to get away from me. It finally landed in the grass in someone’s yard where it apparently thought it was invisible. It allowed me to kneel down and take this picture with my iPhone about a half inch from its nose.

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Birdhouse

I recently discovered a filter on my photo processing software that eliminates all color except red and yellow. So when I saw this red bluebird house in a field of goldenrod …

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Demolition Derbies

We found seats in the grandstand on the fairgrounds to watch the demolition derby.

 

 

 

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At the Walworth County Fair

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Elgin Public Museum

This museum was built in 1906 to display the natural history collection of G.P. Lord. I don’t think a thing has been changed since, which is what gives the museum its charm. It isn’t large and in fact, as far as I could tell, the historical charm is the only reason to visit.

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Passenger Pigeon

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This cast of a dinosaur head and foot are in the children’s room. I can’t explain the eyes, but they work for me.

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Nobody was around when I toured the musuem. I thought I’d add a bit of color to the historical diorama that depicts the moment in 1681 when the explorer La Salle and Father Membre entered the Illiniwek camp. The friendly explorer offers a peace pipe and the equally-friendly chief offers him a chair. How nice.

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The Lords Park Zoo, such as it is, is next to the museum. It was a hot, muggy day as I wandered around the perimeter of the entire zoo which, if I counted correctly, consists of seven elk, three deer and two bison.

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