Baltimore

Shortly after we returned from Heston's, we headed out to Baltimore to drop off Sam at Goucher College. We stayed in Fells Point, right on the water. We could see the Domino's sign across the bay, familiar to us from The Wire.

Can you see the Domino's sign on top of the building?

We weren't due at Goucher until the next day, so we spent some time exploring and having dinner with Harry at Mezze, a terrific tapas restaurant, very reasonably priced, with a Mediterranean-influenced menu. Try the white sangria, perfect on a muggy Baltimore night.

http://www.kalismezze.com/

In the morning, as is my habit, I went for a walk while everyone else was sleeping. I saw this sign, which you would never ever see in St. Paul.

Then, on the other side of the pier where no signs were posted, I saw someone crabbing!

He said the crabbing was great there, and directed me to look in his bucket which was filled with crabs.

He pulled out a net full, and told me that crabs this size would cost $2.25 at the grocery store.

I'm surprised everyone isn't crabbing. You can easily spot them not far from the surface.

But then it was time to set off to Goucher.

I was able to hold my tears until after we said our good-byes, and then I clung to Jon as I sobbed my way to the car.

In the Pines

I know this is supposed to be a blog about St. Paul, but

Heston's Lodge on Gunflint Lake is our home away from home.

We go there every August. It's a huge relief to arrive, but it's

bittersweet because it signals the end of summer.

This year there were plenty of cloudy days ...

but that didn't stop the porch musicians.

One day I went for a hike by myself while everybody else was still sleeping.

I saw lots of beautiful wildflowers that I was able to identify with my wildflower book.

Fireweed and goldenrod.

Pearly Everlasting.

I did manage to get myself lost, but then I saw signs of civilization.

And I made it back in time for sunset.

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Sometimes no comment is necessary.

Today the strange street sign made me think of ice cream so I rode my bike up to Izzy's, one of the four ice cream shops in my part of town. There's also the Grand Creamery, Snuffy's (where you can also get a greasy burger and fries), Dairy Queen, and Izzy's, my favorite.

If you have trouble finding Izzy's, just watch for Choo Choo Bob's. This shop wasn't around when my kids were small, or I am sure we would have spent many rainy days there watching the trains go around on the tracks.

I like Izzy's because the ice cream is good, the scoopers and customers are down to earth, it has a great neighborhood feel, and there are plenty of cute kids to watch any time you visit. And with every cone or cup, you get a little mini-scoop on top,

known as an "Izzy."

This little girl had a vanilla cone with a peach Izzy.

Her friend had a cone too. But it met with this sad fate.

Fortunately she was able to get a replacement, but she accidentally got blueberry, not cotton candy, her favorite (both blue colored).

She was amazingly calm about her calamities.

By the way, no overweight people visible at Izzy's, maybe because everyone rode their bike.

My favorite flavor? I really like Bananas Foster with a Coffee Break Izzy (coffee with pieces of Oreos). I've sampled Beet (not so good), Green Tea (serene), and Cotton Candy (makes your teeth hurt).

But no ice cream today, just tepid water from my water bottle.

No bike ride in St. Paul can really be complete without a stop at the river.

Down below, a man has his own riverfront patio while he does some work.

If this was a detective novel or a crime show on t.v., we would get a close-up of his notebook and find out that he was plotting to overthrow the government. But I think he's a hydrology or an ichthyology student, getting source inspiration while preparing for his final exams.