Sarah Beth

The whole first week that I was here it was in the mid 60’s to low 70’s, sunny, & perfect. Utopia, I tell you! Now the past few days have been quite rainy & stormy. Oh well, I guess that I planted my little veggies at the right time and now everything is going to get green and grow like crazy! Today I picked up my new rain jacket and Bean Wellies from the post office :) I could have really used the jacket yesterday walking & biking through the rain because I got soaked to the bone all except for my feet thanks to my Bean Boots, which I looove but it’s getting too warm out to wear them.

I ended up getting a Patagonia rain jacket from backcountry.com on sale and opted for orange since it didn’t come in yellow :( Craig is going to scold me because he recommended that I get a Marmot PreCip Jacket but I liked the ones by Patagonia more ;)

As for the wellies, I ordered a size up like recommended on the site because I’m a half size but I think they’re too big :( Well, they’re too big to wear with just tights or no socks so I had to put my wool socks on too over my tights. So I can’t decide what to do. If I should return them and order down, risking them being too small to wear with socks or just keep them and wear heavy socks or put wellie liners in them, which will maybe be too warm for summer. I’m a bit on the lazy side so I’ll probably keep them and not risk the next size down being too small. Other than that they’re super comfy and a pretty good deal (like half the price) compared to the other well known wellington boot brands. I’m sure that I’ll be wearing them quite a bit especially since downtown gets flooded pretty bad in the summer.

And for now, I’ll leave you with this:

Bring it, rain! I dare you!

Okay, maybe a little too scary.

Last night I ordered a basket for the rear rack on my bike but it probably won’t be here until early June so I had to think of something in the meantime:

I borrowed a milk crate from the co-op and Melinda gave me some zip ties. It’s nothing fancy and yes, the colors clash but it’s a free, temporary solution :)

I was riding it today to go get some saskatoon jam (I’m addicted to Canada’s Jam. I actually had a dream last night that I was in their factory and they gave me a bunch of free jam. I have a problem) and the first time that I went to get off of it since attaching the milk crate I tried swinging my leg backwards over the saddle & almost fell because I had forgotten that the crate was back there. Whoops, I think that only one person saw me but he jokingly said “I didn’t see anything…” C’mon Sarah, you got a step-thru frame for a reason! What were you thinking trying to get off of your bike that way, especially in a dress? Ridiculous!

Bicycle Race ~ Queen

Well, I walked through the rain to the bike shop today to pick up my new bike! On the way home up the hill I came to the conclusion that I’m severely out of shape. Oy, my thighs! I’m most definitely not used to using those muscles. You know, the same ones that hurt when you have to walk up a gazillion flights of stairs. I guess there’s not many stairs in my life. 

It’s been less than a week since I moved here without a job or a clue of what the heck I was doing. Really, not a clue. I just figured that I would up and leave the place that I was at because I wasn’t happy and move here because it seemed like a beautiful, good-natured town and completely different from where I was. Now today was already the first day of training at a new job that I just got yesterday! Now that was quick! And I feel extremely lucky for it. I think that I will really like it, too. It’s a job that I can actually feel good about for a change, and that’s never happened before. I want to start living a healthier lifestyle and learn more about whole foods so this will most definitely help. I’m sure that I have a lot to learn! The day after I got here I checked out the bike shop and ordered a city bike to get around town on and lug groceries with. I think it’s supposed to be here tomorrow so I’ll be really excited to start riding instead of driving. Truthfully, I don’t live very far away from anywhere in town. Work is just under a mile away so I could always walk but biking is faster and a lot more fun.

Now, one thing that I’ve been feeling guilty about is that I haven’t gone around town and explored yet. Here I am, in one of the most beautiful towns in Minnesota and I haven’t tried taking any good photos of it yet! Tsk, tsk! This evening I told myself that I should go down to the harbor to take some photos at sunset and did I? Nope. I’ll have to change that soon.

I came across this super, easy peasy way of making your own laundry soap via Pinterest and decided to give it a try. You only need three ingredients:Borax, washing soda, & a bar of soap. Yup, that’s all. The original recipe calls for Fels-Naptha Soap but I looked at the ingredients and turns out that Fels-Naptha is made with tallow. Now, I don’t know about you but the idea of washing my clothes with fat grosses me out. 

Luckily I was able to find some Dr. Bronner’s soap at the the co-op. Oh, and this stuff smells absolutely delightful!

The steps in putting everything together are as simple as the ingredients. Grate the entire bar of soap,

add a cup of borax, and a cup of washing soda,

mix (I just put the cover on & shook it up) and you’re all done! Use one tablespoon per load of laundry.

I love you Gracie! Please hold in there and feel better. I wish that I was there to hug you, sweetie.

So great, in fact that he’s willing to drive over five hours to see me and bring up a couple pieces of furniture. He got up here this afternoon and we decided to go out to eat at My Sister’s Place and he tried their famous Goober Burger, like what Andrew Zimmern ate on Bizarre Foods. After that we took a quick little walk in the harbor. At least the winds had died down and it didn’t rain like I thought it was going to. Earlier today when I got out of my car in the harbor parking lot I was almost blown over with the cold wind but thankfully that was not the case later on.

Dad, with the coast guard station behind him.

It almost doesn’t seem real that I officially live here now. It’s so beautiful!

When we got back to my place I felt kinda bad that I don’t have any form of entertainment. No television and my internet connection through my phone is too slow to stream movies. So dad decided that we might as well go to sleep, well he’s sleeping & I’m blogging :) I’m nocturnal, I can’t help it. He’s going to get up early to go over to Craig’s in Ely to get this really old stove from Craig’s basement. So that means I have to be up early too I guess. Nighty night!

Well, I made it. I never thought that I would be able to make a drive over five hours in length but I did! I think that I must have just gone into zombie mode or something. I probably didn’t even blink. And I went through half a bottle of pepto-bismol. Yup, I just admitted that. I can’t help that I get anxiety really easy and it makes my tummy hurt. Anywho, I made only one little quick stop (besides for gas) and that was at the flea market just outside of Beaver Bay. I ended up with a pair of salt and pepper shakers with orange poppies on them. I was so excited to catch my first glimpse of Lake Superior right before getting into Duluth! That perked me right up! I thought okay, so two more hours at this point but at least I’m driving near the coast now! It is a pretty drive once you get to the lake. I had to fight myself not to pull over at any parks or overlooks because I was short on time but you can still see a couple of waterfalls while quickly passing over them. I was also really paranoid about deer. Like jump at any movement on the side of the road paranoid. But no deer, thankfully!

My first day here I didn’t really accomplish much. I got here in the evening, unloaded my car, ran to get food, tried to unpack some of the crazy amount of stuff I had packed, & zonked out after seeing how bloodshot & horrid my eyes looked. This morning I slept in, woke up with still bloodshot eyes, did some more unpacking, got frustrated with not being able to get an internet connection, and ran into town for a quick little trip. I managed to get my PO Box set up and got my mom a little something for mother’s day :) Then I walked over to the bike shop and spent over an hour there! I’m looking for a bike that I can put a big rack on the back for groceries, shopping, & going to the laundromat. Oh, & it has to get up one massive hill where I live.  Yeah, for some reason I was thinking that it was relatively flat in town. Not! Good thing that I didn’t buy a cruiser or wimpy 3 speed before I came up here! I ended up test riding three different bikes and got an idea of what I want. The owner of that shop is so informative, helpful, and just plain nice! She taught me things that I never knew about bikes. I mean, I really haven’t gone on a bike ride since I was a kid so I really felt like a newbie. I’m going back down there tomorrow and will probably get my new bike ordered. I know that I could always order one myself easy-peasy over the internet, but I think it’s a good thing to help support local businesses. She even said that I could borrow one for the day and see how it rides and how easy or difficult it is to get up this darn hill :)

My new house is pretty darn tiny but cute. I guess it doesn’t need to be too big for one person, right? I just wish that the bedroom, closet, and bathroom were bigger! The bathroom is so small that it’s just the toilet with a small stall shower across from it. The sink isn’t even in there. It’s in my bedroom. I think that the bathroom used to just be a closet that they decided to put plumbing in, no joke. The back of the shower stall acts as part of the closet wall and the shower head is positioned so low that I have to crouch a little to wash my hair! But oh well, i have to look on the bright side. Like how quiet it is because it’s a house, no sharing walls like in an apartment! I have a yard with a bunch of trees for privacy, and a back porch to lounge around on (pictured above). Plus there’s lots of light inside because there’s lots of windows, which I guess opens the space up a bit. Tonight I got around to washing the majority of my dishes to put away. This place actually came fully furnished including dishes but I want to use my own so I packed theirs away. I don’t know, I guess using my own stuff makes me feel more at home. Also, tonight I finally got my phone tethered to my laptop! super exciting because I think that I was starting to go crazy with no tv or internet, although my connection is probably too slow through my phone to stream movies or anything :( It truly brings me back to the days of dial-up slowness. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with that, especially for uploading mass quantities of photos!

Well, I better get to bed so I don’t get up too late again. this town closes up pretty darn early, like at 5pm early! Hopefully that will change a little for tourist season. 

My Dad’s birthday was yesterday, and my birthday is on Monday, plus Craig is back home for a couple of days so we all went out to eat at Old Chicago.

I know, they look so enthused.

Hazed & Infused and Surly Bender.

Mom & I.

It was nice to spend some time together before I have to leave :( 

Yikes, I have come to the conclusion that I have so much junk to go through! I’m already not a fan of this whole packing and wondering what’s going to fit in my car thing. Today I decided to open up “the closet of no return”. In my bedroom I have two closets, one for my clothes and the other is one that I started stowing away junk in about ten years ago and closed off by putting furniture in front of it. Nice, I know. So I open this thing up and immediately just want to close it back up and never look at it again. But I can’t. Stuff immediately flew out of it the moment I opened the door. Plus, I’m pretty sure that I have a stoneware set hiding somewhere in that dark abyss. So onward I go, digging my way through. Then jackpot! My stoneware set that I bought about nine years ago because it was on clearance (& I might be crazy)! I continue to dig. What? Another stoneware set! Ooh, and a serving set, and an onion soup set! 

I seriously didn’t know that I owned these things. I remember buying ONE 16pc set, that’s it. My seventeen year old self must have blacked out buying the rest. Such is the magic and wonder of “the closet of no return”. 

So this morning I was awoken to a few consecutive text messages and then my brother, Craig calling me. “So did you get the photos?” The text messages were photos of a little house. He then told me how him & his boss just went to a showing and thought that this one would work for me. He’s been up there for work and has been searching around for places with his boss because she needs to find a place up there, too along with some other conservation corps employees. I talked to both of them for a while about how the house looks and everything, then hung up and called the landlord right away. We had a very quick chat and that was it! I’m moving up there on the 8th! Wow, wham, bam, thank you ma’am! And all at the same time Craig said that they might have found some job leads for me too! All of it’s just happening so quick now!

So a little backstory: Last fall Craig and I took a really short trip up north. We pretty much just drove all of the way to Grand Marais then back the next day stopping at as many parks as we could along the way. Now it’s no secret that I’m not fond of the way my life is right now. I’m stuck in a rut. The only thing for me here is friends and family which, of course is huge. But I don’t feel any connection to where I am besides that. There’s nothing here that makes me feel happy or inspired besides those two things and it’s just not a place that I can see myself at for much longer at all. I feel like I’m literally rotting away here, not doing anything with myself and not really even living. So, spring comes around and I start thinking about where I would really like to live. I can’t remember exactly how but I came to the conclusion that it would be good for me to move to Grand Marais. So after a couple of months of obsessively searching I finally have a place to go!

Some things I’m excited about =

How freaking beautiful it is up there!, I’ll be living in a harbor town (I’m in love with all things nautical) and can pretend like I’m living in New England, the endless hiking, camping, biking, canoeing, & nature opportunities, summer festivals, maybe I’ll learn something new at the North House Folk School or Art Colony, & I’ll actually be living in a town. I’m so excited that I’ll be able to walk or bike everywhere! Living out in the country is nice for privacy but it’s a pain to have to drive into town every time you need something. I guess that I’ll be saving on gas money by not using my car much but then again it costs so much just to drive up there & to come back for family events.

Of course I’m nervous too. I’ve never lived on my own before so that will be a new experience. Plus I don’t know anyone up there. I’ll sure be lonely for a while with no family or friends, that’s for sure.

So now I have to figure out what to tell them at work tomorrow. I can’t do a two week notice because, well, I don’t have two weeks. I need enough time to pack, run errands, & see my friends before I go so I have to make up my mind about that tonight.

p.s: Going through my calander and deleting my “work days” felt so good! I can’t wait to get out of that place.

• Dad: Rise and shine.
• Me: More like rise and suck.
• Pretty much sums up how my week has been going.

I have to keep reminding myself.

Seriously, I think that I must either get sucked into a vortex or fall asleep standing up in the shower. It’s just so darn relaxing to stand there with the hot warm water pouring over you. I either completely zone out or get a bunch of awesome ideas that I forget about soon after. I should really get some sort of idea board for the shower. Then when I snap out of it I’m like “how long have I been in here?!”. Oh well, just another mystery never to be solved. It’s almost 1am and I have to work in the morning. I’ll blame my not getting to sleep soon enough on my shower that I just took.

She’s quite ferocious, really.

Mom gave Gypsy this sock monkey toy today and it lasted about five whole minutes before it’s face was ripped off.

What it would be like to just skip winter here in Minnesota. I think that I came pretty close to finding out this past winter. We barely got any snow, there were just a few days that were really freezing cold, and now the grass is already green. Oh, and there have already been a few new weather records set because the past couple of weeks we’ve been in the 60’s, 70’s, & even hit 80°! Now I just wonder if it’s here to stay or if it’s just tricking us?

Our lilacs are already sprouting little purple buds!

I’ll admit it, I’ve been sitting here stagnant, not doing anything with my life. I hate that. Lately I’ve been feeling more and more down about where I am right now and all I can think about at work all day is how to escape. I’ve been doing a lot of daydreaming, that’s for sure. Thinking about where I want to be and how to get there. How to sustain myself. Not all of it is completely realistic right now but it’s something to work towards.

Well, the other day I took the first step. I did some ordering of supplies that I’m super excited and a little nervous to learn about and use. I’m keeping it hush hush for now but I just finished working on a little something and wanted to share and give a little sneak peek:

Hopefully it works out for me and ends up being worth the investment!

So yesterday/last night/this morning was our “first big snow event” this winter. We got pretty lucky where I live because we only got a few inches. The problem was that it went in this order: rain>sleet>snow>pouring rain. So what we were left with was one big, icy, slushy, slippery mess. Our town’s schools were even closed today and that NEVER happens! I remember as a kid being forced to go to school in blizzard conditions and the bus getting stuck in the snow because our school was so crazy about never canceling. This morning we didn’t have any power, our roads weren’t plowed, and one road was even flooded with water running over it from the farm fields on either side. Then I get to work and guess what? They didn’t have anything down there! Just some rain in the morning. Oh well, I guess I can’t complain because we’ve had it pretty easy this winter.

Amber Acorn Earrings

Let’s get personal…my dears.

★ This item can be personalized on the back with any name or word, five letters or less! Just leave a message in note to seller.

~ Or even a small message, three lines or less. First and third lines must be three letters or less and the second line can be up to five letters. ★

Tiny anchor Earrings In Fine Silver

Tiny Anchor Necklace in Bronze “Hope”

I’m mostly all unpacked, and now have access to the internet! That means that my shop is now officially open! Hopefully I’ll gain some creativity in my new setting.

Hey everyone, I have some news! I’m moving to Grand Marais! I’m closing the shop for now but it will reopen once I get settled.

I’m finally getting around to listing some jewelry in my shop!

Stock is very limited!

Tiny Anchor Earrings in solid bronze.

Oh, you dear in copper. Beautiful, warm, rosy copper.

Oh, you dear. Cast from an antique Victorian rebus button.

I’ve hand stamped the back of each anchor necklace with “Hold Fast”.

A better photo. Gosh, I do love anchors!

A quick little sneak peek at my fine silver anchor necklaces!

Getting some prep work done: stamping gift boxes :)

(5/22/12) Well, I walked through the rain to the bike shop today to pick up my new bike! On the way home up the hill I came to the conclusion that I’m severely out of shape. Oy, my thighs! I’m most definitely not used to using those muscles. You know, the same ones that hurt when you have to walk up a gazillion flights of stairs. I guess there’s not many stairs in my life. 

(5/19/23) They were open early for a test run today so I couldn’t help myself. I also brought some to work for my uber healthy coworkers :) Working 2 minutes away from a donut shop could either be really good, or really bad…

(5/15/12) I started training at my new job today. Here’s to hoping for the best!

(5/13/12) DIY laundry soap. Only 3 ingredients and super easy!

(5/12/12)

(5/11/12) Dad came all of the way up here to drop off some stuff that I couldn’t fit into my car :)

(5/10/12)

(5/9/12) My one stop on the way up : Second Hand Rose

(5/4/12) We went out to eat at Old Chicago for Dad’s & my birthdays.

(5/2/12) This little squirt was making quite the racket outside.

(4/23/12) Morel Mushrooms.

(4/6/12) First wood tick of the year :( I really hate these things. This one died by means of hot wax.

(3/29/12) Getting some stamping done :)

(3/25/12) Some of the first blooms.

(3/22/12) This little sock monkey lasted approximately five minutes after it was given to Gypsy.

(3/21/12) Plentiful rain and warmer weather has been helping spring along quite nicely. The Lilacs already have little purple buds bursting out. Usually they don’t bloom until just before mother’s day.

(3/18/12)

(3/10/12) Well hello there. You lovely little kiln, you!

(3/6/12) It was almost 60° today! The little bit of snow we have is almost gone and as you can see the chicken pen is all mushy & gross so they got to run around in the grass today.

(3/3/12) I just finished the logo for my new endeavor. Hopefully good things will come my way!

Founders Imperial Stout

Brewed By:

Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.5%

IBU: 90

Availability: Winter

Wowza, hello chocolate lover’s dream!

This wonderful concoction pours a thick, syrupy, oily, completely opaque black. Much like a chocolate syrup or perhaps motor oil. It’s topped off with a thick, medium sized brown head that fades into a small film/ring that lingers until the end. Not too much lacing, just some little dots left behind on the glass. The alcohol is present in the nose as well as a variety of chocolates and a certain smokiness. The flavor is heavy in chocolate and warming alcohol. There’s also hints of licorice, espresso, and more smoke. Quite bitter but not overwhelming. To me it balances out the lactose/milk chocolate flavor. The mouthfeel is thick, chewy and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. In the end I’m left a delightful, chocolately warmness. This stuff rocks!

Singletrack Copper Ale

Brewed By:

Boulder Beer Co.

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Style: Amber Ale

ABV: 4.97%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

Pours a bright, clear copper color with an off-white head that produces little splotches of lacing. The taste if fairly sweet and earthy up front with very little bitterness in the end. Earthy grains, buttery toffee, and a slight hint of fruit. There also seems to be a tinge of something metallic in there as well. The body is light and on the thin side with plenty of crisp carbonation. Pretty average. This would make a good summer session beer.

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Brewed By:

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Style: Porter

ABV: 5.8%

IBU: 37

Availability: year-round

Pours a dark, opaque brown with a medium sized tan head that produces little blotches of lacing and settles into a thin ring. Tastes of gritty milk chocolate, burnt coffee, roasty malts. Slightly sweet with plenty of hop bitterness and crisp carbonation. The body on this porter is fairly light and smooth, which makes it a good choice if you’re looking for a very drinkable session porter. Wonderfully balanced.

Lakefront Bock Beer

Brewed By:

Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Style: Bock

ABV: 6.7%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Spring

Pours a clear amber color with red hues and produces a thin white head that quickly dissipates into nothing whatsoever. Light & toasty, a bit doughy with some faint apple-like sweetness. There’s some sharp carbonation at first but quickly goes flat. Thin mouthfeel. Not exactly “hearty” like the label says. A “light” bock? I was pretty disappointed.

Bitch Creek ESB

Brewed By:

Grand Teton Brewing Co.

Victor, Idaho, USA

Style: Extra Special Bitter

ABV: 6%

IBU: 54

Availability: year-round

Dark reddish-brown with lots of cloudy sediment that’s accompanied by a large fluffy tan head. A bounty of lacy formations adorn the glass.

The smell and flavor are very similar. Citrusy hops, slightly sweet caramel, and a little bit of floral earthiness. Bitter from start to finish with a certain grapefruit-like aftertaste. Medium bodied with refreshing crisp carbonation.

Obsidian Stout

Brewed By:

Deschutes Brewery

Bend, Oregon, USA

Style: Stout

ABV: 6.4%

IBU: 55

Availability: year-round

Pours a deep, dark mahogany brown, not far from being an opaque black. Generous frothy tan head that settles into a nice, creamy cap that stays put until the end. Remnants of sticky lacing dot the glass. This one is definitely easy on the eyes. Big on roasted malt flavor with bitter dark chocolate and a bit of burnt espresso. Just slightly sweet with plenty of bitterness. Quite smooth and very drinkable with a dry finish.

Lost Arrow Porter

Brewed By:

Rush River Brewing Co.

River Falls, Wisconsin, USA

Style: Porter

ABV: 5%

IBU: 25

Availability: year-round

Pours a very dark brown with a generous tan head that settles into a thin layer. Little globs of lacing stick to the glass. One good looking beer. Both the nose and flavor are very roasty sweet. Plenty of silky milk chocolate and a slight hoppy aftertaste. Light to medium body with lots of fizzy carbonation. Goes down quite easily.

Plead The 5th Imperial Stout

Brewed By:

Dark Horse Brewing Co.

Marshall, Michigan, USA

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 12%

IBU: 70

Availability: Fall/Winter

While browsing around for new beer to try a gentleman suggested that I try this not so little doozy and I’m glad that I took his advice!

Pours an ominous viscous dark brown, almost black. It reminded me of pouring chocolate syrup. This stuff is completely opaque. Absolutely no light finds it way through the darkness. This concoction is topped off with a creamy, thick Cocoa brown head. Great retention. Settles into a thin creamy layer that lingers until the end and leaves little splotches of lacing. Very visually pleasing. The nose is mostly of alcohol with some roasted malts and faint chocolate. The flavor is very roasty. Lots of warming alcohol. Smooth, chewy chocolate and a little bit of vanilla sugary sweetness with plenty of bitterness to top it off. Very bold and full bodied. A very well balanced imperial stout!

Snow Day

Brewed By:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Style: American Black Ale

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: 55

Availability: Winter

Pours a rich dark brown. Medium sized tan head with good retention that produces plenty of lacing. Pleasant smell that is very similar to the taste. Floral & citrus hops with a slight caramel sweetness and spicy/herbal flavor. Moderately bitter with a light to medium mouthfeel and a good amount of carbonation.

Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen today at BWW. Meh, not very impressed.

Gray’s Oatmeal Stout

Brewed By:

Gray’s Brewing Co.

Janesville, Wisconsin, USA

Style: Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 5.6%

IBU: NA

Availability: year-round

Pours almost completely opaque black with faint brown hues visible at top and bottom of glass when held to light. Accompanied by an enormous tan head (I gave it a vigorous pour) that produces some sticky lacing.  The flavor is big on smooth, milky chocolate with some roasted coffee. Reminds me a little bit of a chocolate oatmeal raisin cookie. Overall quite sweet and only slightly bitter. Creamy, medium body & carbonation.

Conway’s Irish ale

Brewed By:

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Style: Irish Ale

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 25

Availability: January-March

Pours a wonderfully clear dark amber red. Medium off-white head that quickly thins out. The aroma and taste are quite similar. Very biscuity and slightly sweet with a sort of dark fruit preserves tartness in the background. Medium bodied with pleasant tingling carbonation up front and a spicy, mildly bitter floral hoppy aftertaste. I was really quite pleased with this and found it to be wonderfully balanced!

Vanilla Java Porter

Brewed By:

Atwater Brewery

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Style: Porter

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 12

Availability: year-round

Pours a very dark, opaque brown with some redish hues when held up to the light. Barely-there tan head that quickly fizzles out into nothing at all. Strong vanilla scent with faint coffee. Reminds me of coffee flavored ice cream. The taste is also mostly vanilla with some chocolate & coffee mingling in the background. Most definitely not a robust porter. A very thin/weak mouthfeel with low carbonation. I’m a bit disappointed as this is quite average and nothing too exciting.

Liberty Ale

Brewed By:

Anchor Brewing Co.

San Francisco, California, USA

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.9%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

This is really quite a beautiful ale! Marvelous apricot color with a slight haze that clears as the beer settles and warms. Massive cream colored head that slowly settles into a small ring and leaves behind a bountiful amount of lacing. Pleasant hop aroma with a faint malt and fruit sweetness. Up front the flavor is of earthy floral hops with a bit of spiciness and a tinge of citrus fruit. Very bright and cheery. It’s really quite sweet and subtle with an almost creamy, medium bodied mouthfeel. Not at all as overwhelming or biting as I find many IPA’s to be, which personally makes it much more drinkable and enjoyable for me. Refreshing, crisp carbonation with a dry, clean finish. I found Liberty Ale to be exceptional and perhaps, a new favorite.

Steelhead Porter

Brewed By:

Mad River Brewing Company

Blue Lake, California, USA

Style: English Porter

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

Pours a very dark muddy brown accompanied by a large, frothy tan head that settles into a creamy ring. Little splotches of lacing are left behind on the glass while you drink in this sweet, smokey concoction. The smell and taste are very similar. Dark malts and a sweet smokiness paired with faint chocolate, coffee, & a hint of bitterness at the end. Fairly creamy with a medium body and a moderate amount of carbonation. A well-rounded, easy to drink porter that I would purchase again.

Split Rock Bock

Brewed By:

Lake Superior Brewing Company

Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Style: Bock

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: late winter/spring

Pours a deep mahogany color with a small, light tan head which quickly dissipates. Slightly sweet and toasty with a faint tinge of hops but ultimately bland and watery. Not much carbonation and a thin mouthfeel. Quite average and forgettable.

St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

Brewed By:

McAuslan Brewing

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Style: Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 5%

IBU: 45

Availability: year-round

Ooh mama,

Pours an oily, pitch black accompanied by a small, yet frothy chocolatey brown head that settles into a thin layer with minimal, delicate lacing. Wonderful aroma of chocolate, oats, dark malts. The flavor is enchanting. Smooth chocolate with a hint of creamy vanilla bean and espresso. Sweet but not overly so, nicely balanced. Medium body with pleasant carbonation and an overall silky texture. I’m left with a delicious, lingering chocolate aftertaste and a certain sadness because I bought only one to sample. I’ll most definitely have to buy more!

2X Stout

Brewed By:

Southern Tier Brewing Co.

Lakewood, New York, USA

Style: Milk/Sweet Stout

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 50

Availability: year-round

Pours almost completely opaque dark brown, almost black with a small tan head. The taste is of roasted malts with smoky dark chocolate and hints of coffee. Not as sweet or as smooth as I was expecting from a milk stout. There is most definitely a hoppy bitterness to it that’s paired with biting carbonation and a warming alcohol finish that I just wasn’t ready for. I really wanted to like this but something just seemed off and it just didn’t work for me.

Hoss

Brewed By:

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Denver, Colorado, USA

Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

Pours a beautiful cloudy apricot color with a small white head that leaves minimal lacing. The nose is sweet and very appealing. Yeasty with faint fruit. The taste is also sweet and a little tart. Subdued dark cherries and rye. Very smooth with a medium body and sharp carbonation. Spicy hops balance out the sweetness at the end accompanied by a crisp, dry finish. I found this to be quite drinkable as it’s not too heavy and the unique flavors left me wanting more.

Last night in Hawaii with some Big Wave Golden Ale.

thenakedhippie:

☮for complete serenity—-<click>☮

capngrimbeard:

You can nerestudy th’ riggin’ o’ ship classes. Knowin’ ‘t can be th’ difference between livin’ wi’ booty an’ bunkin’ in Davy Jone`s Locker!

Hopefully I can finally pick up my new bike tomorrow!

• guys: uh why do girls care so much about being skinny? it's so annoying
• guys: ew fat chicks

pythons:

Lucy Young

rebirthcycle:

swoon

hrrrthrrr:

This song. This guy. These moves. This video. 

Things I like about this: EVERYTHING. 

googoogoojoob:

somehowlou:(via Miss Moss)

rhamphotheca:

dendroica:  Gulls by BioDivLibrary on Flickr

from Birds of New York, University of the State of New York, 1910-14.

biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14746639

hellanne:

(by kmrnhrmlng)

wildwendes:

One of my favorites.

slater-knight:

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. ALWAYS.

baaconnn:

can’t wait

canadianacollection:

How real Canadian men get to work.

(by Northwoods Photos)

A few shots, just for the heck of it.

Self Portrait (10/17/11)

A couple of weekends ago was my friend, Lynsie’s wedding. Although I was there as a guest and Jessie was in the wedding we couldn’t help but snap a few portraits of beautiful Lynsie before the ceremony. Here’s what I ended up with: 

= lots of bunnies & clover.

This past May I got to meet up with my beautiful cousin Betsy & got to meet her fiancé, Mark for an engagement session in Minneapolis.

I can’t wait until their wedding next April!

Back in February I got to visit my friends and their then four month old, Dexter. I hadn’t seen him since he was born back in October and he had changed so much!

Eric in my parent’s basement.

Notice to prospective brides and grooms: Sorry but I am currently not accepting any new wedding photography inquiries at this time.

This was my very first chilly freezing outdoor winter portrait session. We only spent a few minutes at a time taking photos and then would have to run back inside a few times for some warm up breaks.

Brandi’s puppy, Dylan didn’t want to sit still at all and had no interest in having his photo taken. Luckily they were able to hold him down long enough for a couple shots.

Anthony was kind enough to take one of Brandi & I  :)

So last night on the spur of the moment Craig said that he would like some old fashioned photos of himself before he trims his beard. He found a shirt and jacket to wear and I put a part in his hair and tried slicking it back a bit with some pomade. Here’s what I came up with:

Here he is! Waylon Glenn, born November 22nd to Kayla & Travis.

Eric and Craig are back home this weekend for MEA break and I was actually able to get a few photos out of them. For the past few years they have had some sort of comradery and a bit of competition with each other concerning their facial hair (which is always changing).

Eric fluffing Craig’s beard.

Craig’s beard is thick enough to be embellished with leaves.

Acorns aplenty. 

Gracie girl.

Eric & Luke. Can you tell that Luke is over 11 years old? Pretty soon he’ll be mostly grey!

Who says that toads aren’t cute? This little guy was hanging out in our window well. It must be getting chilly for him. Whenever I see toads I think back to when my brothers and I were little. We would keep toads in the window wells as pets and play with them like they were little dolls. Poor little creatures.

My last post was Jessie’s maternity photos and now I am very glad to introduce you to the little guy that she was carrying this whole time:

Dexter Lincoln. Born October 12th, weighing 7 pounds 2 ounces. Congratulations Jessie & Max!

I can hardly believe that Jessie is having a baby! It seems like time has just flown by since I first met her in college. Since then I’ve shot her engagement photos, her wedding in St. Croix, and now she’s getting ready for a baby to arrive very soon!

Here’s a little sneak peek of what I’m working on from this past weekend’s maternity session with Jessie.