Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Diary of a Bithday - Part III

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…continued… After a busy morning of mowing AND cutting hair AND vacuuming AND sweating AND eating bithday cheesecake AND eating brunch AND barn sales, all on my birthday, I was ready for a relaxing ride from Afton to Red Wing. In the back seat of the car, since the front seat was being taken up by aforementioned trunk. Our plan was to head down Scenic 95 to Hastings, then 61 to Red Wing, stop at the Round Barn Farm B&B for a quick look, then back north along 52 to try and spot a farm Pappa Bear had seen on his way down to WI recently. Garden House We made it to the Round Barn Farm B&B without incident, or accident, incredible considering Kelly’s view was completely obstructed by a very large trunk. We met the inn keepers – Robin & Elaine, lovely people. Elaine gave us an impromptu tour of the house and five guest rooms. The house is an 1860 design but was built in 2002 using many re-purposed and recycled materials. It was delightful from bottom to top. We must stay there soon. Very soon. 1914 Dammon Round Barn We did not get to tour the 1914 Dammon Round Barn, which is a special tour reserved for guests. I love this round barn. I could live in this barn. We’ll be back. But being that we were not scheduled to stay there that night, we said our thank-you’s and good-bye’s and headed back up the road to Red Wing. As we were passing through town, Kelly remembered that he has been searching for a high quality pair of work shoes. Red Wing just happens to have a little shoe store on Main Street. You may have heard of it. They’ve been in business for about, oh, 150 years or so. You may not have heard that they also have the world's largest boot, a size 638 ½ D. The human that fits this would stand 12 stories tall. Paul Bunyan perhaps? Not Pappa Bear, that’s for sure. PB - Paul Bunyan, or Pappa Bear? They also have a “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” sale in the outlet room in the basement. Which means Kelly got two pairs of work shoes and I got a pair of kick a** motorcycle boots. They also have an ultra-cool industrial design bathroom. If you stop here, even if you don’t have to “go,” you must check out the bathroom. There are even tools encased in the counter top. Red Wing motorcycle boots Please excuse the Capri jeans. I promise never to wear them with these boots again. But man oh man do these boots make me feel tough. They even make my muscles look bigger. And they’ll go GREAT with the new motorcycle jacket PB got me for my birthday. tough? After shopping for shoes we headed across the street to this small but delightful park. And here is where the leftovers from breakfast/brunch come into play. We realized suddenly that it was 5:30pm and we were hungry, not having eaten since 10:30am. Nothing like cold English muffins and sausage to satiate ones’ appetite after shopping for boots. And throwing pennies in the fountain to satiate our appetite for dreams and wishes. Live? Or Memorex? There were also these adorable kid statues all over the park. Can you tell which one is real and which one isn’t? Oh, the boots gave it away, eh? After our little rest & refreshment in the park, there was still one more thing on our list of sightseeing to-do’s – try to find the farm that had caught PB’s eye on a recent excursion. So we crossed over from Redwing on Hwy 19 towards Cannon Falls, and then north on Hwy 52. Highway 19 is absolutely lovely between Red Wing and Cannon Falls, with rolling hills and beautiful farms. Alas, we did not find the farm he remembered on the stretch of Hwy 52 that we traveled today. Which means it was further south than Cannon falls. But I know we will be back again. To stay at the Round Barn Farm, and drive the back country roads looking for barns and farms that we might someday call our own. Tonight as I write these words from the comfort of home and my screen porch, watching the cats go nuts for the June beetles fluttering against the screens, watching PB go nuts with his spray bottle of Castille Soap & water spraying the June beetles through the screens, hearing the frogs chorus in the swamp and loons calling in the distance, more lemon cheesecake in my belly and Caravella Limoncello in my glass, I can’t imagine a more delightful way to spend my 41st birthday. Thanks for sharing it with me, and here’s to another great 41 years ahead! Cheers! Victoria

2 comments:

Beth said...

Hilarious post! Love the capris and boots, just wish you had the jacket also! Happy late bithday, by a few years! Looks like y'all had an awesome time:)

Victoria Strauser said...

Thank you Beth! It was a hoot!!

 
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