Photos from Minnesota

We took a quick week and drove to Minnesota for a family reunion. It was a good excuse to replace the old digital camera, and Anna and I spent a lot of time trying out our new gadget.

You no doubt need a new camera when you have Grandma Alice cradling her first great-grandchild. Baby Emma was one of our favorite attractions.

On the Sunday after the reunion, Richard and his siblings moved their folks into a senior citizen's apartment. Anna and I went to the Quarry Park, on the site of an old granite quarry. The water was cool and clear; the rock walls went straight down forever. It was quite a social scene, though. I was easily the oldest person swimming; Anna was probably the youngest. The daredevils jumping off the cliffs were making me nervous and bringing out my old lifeguard instincts. I was glad when Anna decided that we should go.

Aunt Brenda always has a litter of kittens in her garage. Anna spent a lot of time taming and naming them.

We drove though the Upper Peninsula both ways. We kept the cruise control topped out at 60 and tried to slow for the towns without braking. We were trying to save gas ($4.20 in Michigan, $3.99 in St Cloud) but we were surprised at how much a change in driving habits saved us. On the first tank of gas we got 39 miles per gallon, on the last tank we got 42.69. miles per gallon. the last time we drove to Chicago, where the speed limit is 70, we got 31 miles per gallon and thought that we had done well. On the radio on the way home, Governor Granholm was calling for lowering the state speed limit again. I wish they would; it's hard not to drive at wasteful speeds when everyone is riding close behind and passing like mad.