For individuals considering a life of crime, women who are attracted to bad boys, history buffs and families who simply love a celebration, Northfield, Minnesota will once again host The Defeat of Jesse James Days in Southeastern Minnesota.

In the event your memory needs refreshing, Jesse James and his gang's crime spree gave color to the history of communities across the country.

Northfield has a wonderful variety of  events planned to commemorate the historic defeat of the James - Younger Gang, including a re-enactment of the bank robbery and they will be hosting a reception for the great-granddaughter of Jesse James.  Northfield, Minnesota is located on the Cannon River and a perfect location to feel the history of the region. 

Autumn is right around the corner and summer has become an old story.  Lucky for me, it's a great old story, having had one of the best summers I can remember in years.  I spent time with friends and family, visited lots of interesting places, and now I expect autumn to be just as memorable.  It takes effort to make memories!

I've become very aware of porches recently because I'm driving a new route to work. Yesterday, Bach was playing on the stereo - some lively song reminding me of a large family quarreling at the dinner table.  I could hear the deep cello voices of the men (who are probably Republicans) debating with the high violin voices of the women (who are probably Democrats), until a booming voice of reason told them all they could go outside if they wanted to fight.  Well, that's what it sounded like to me, anyway.  That, mixed with the darling neighborhoods I saw, made me very light-hearted.

I have a birthday coming up at the end of September.  It's not one of those big ones.  It's just an ordinary old birthday. But since the late love of my life isn't around anymore to help me celebrate,  I have to take matters into my own hands.  Oh, he liked to host parties! My friend Monica always says I can't make coffee like he could - but since then I've learned to put some love into it. 

I found that if I buy myself a nice little cake (white cake with white frosting), get a posy of flowers, brew a stout cup of coffee with plenty of love in it and real heavy whipping cream, and sit and count my blessings - that's a celebration.

This year, I thought I would put a couple of requests out there into the vast Universe and wait to see what happens.  I've read that it's important to have a desire as long as we make a point of serving others and trying to do the right thing.

 It can be delicious to long for something.  Sometimes you get what you want, and sometimes you don't. And sometimes you get more than you hoped for. 

This year, I'm asking the Universe for an afternoon on a porch somewhere in beautiful Minnesota, where can I eat chocolate chip cookies and talk smart.  I can provide the cookies and the talk.  But I'm not going to stop there with my birthday wish!  Oh no.  I'm also going to ask the Universe for a round-trip ticket to England to visit my dear friend, Penny, next March.  They have really old porches over there.

I know it's a tall order, but there it is.  How do you like me now?

Vintage Postcard of a Train Crossing a Bridge.

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My day started out great because the train that runs past my apartment came through earlier than usual and I got to hear it rumble by and blow its whistle.  It's one of those late-summer mornings where haze is floating just above the grass, and it all feels precious, because I know it won't last long.

My train only seems to travel north.  Now, how can that be?  It's one of those mysteries like billboards.  You can clearly see a billboard has been changed, but how?  Has anyone ever seen it happen?  How can a train go only one direction?

I've always wanted to ride on a train.  Perhaps it is the by-product of too many novels and movies, but it seems like a trip on a train would be the epitome of romance.  It's certainly an experience I'd want to share.   I have ridden on the trolley by Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, however.  That's sort of like a train.

A couple of times when I was a little kid, my family piled into the old green station wagon and drove quite a ways to see derailed trains.  In my small world, it felt like I was standing in the presence of something truly monumental.  Then my old dad would lead us all in a few rounds of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dina."  Maybe it's all the same song.  I don't know. 

OR, maybe I should book a ride on the Minnesota Zephyr!  Now we're talking.

Melanie and I visited New Ulm earlier this year and didn't get around to doing or seeing nearly everything we wanted.  We stopped at the Weeds and Reeds Antique store located in this wonderful building with two spiral staircases.  Melanie doesn't know it, but the house next door also had antiques in it.  I didn't say anything, or we would never have gotten out of there.

We met these guys on the road leading out of the Schell's Brewery.  The gardens this year are the most beautiful I've ever seen them and it was the first time I had seen their restaurant (or was it a pub?) overlooking the valley.  I've never taken the tour to see how they brew beer there.  I guess that's something else to put on our list of things to do.

We always try to find the perfect bite when we visit a community, and we found one of the most unusual bites, yet, at Veigel's Kaiserhoff.  We had our first stab at deep-fried sauerkraut balls.  They were served with a special secret sauce made and sold by the restaurant which I regret not purchasing.  It was delicious and would have been great on my sprouted-grain and turkey sandwich today.

If there is one thing you can say about New Ulm, Minnesota, they do not have an identity crisis. They know exactly who they are with their colorful German heritage.  There are a variety of cultural events and activities each year.

New Ulm's downtown is shopper friendly with a nice variety of shops.  Next time we're there, I'm looking for a fudge shop.  Or maybe something that is . . . German chocolate!

Don't miss Riverblast this weekend on the Minnesota River in New Ulm!

Once again, it's time for me to stop in at JL Esso Shoes in the Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota to give my good friend, Cindy, an update on the latest styles.  I consider Mr. Esso my friend, because how many people would let some country bumpkin come slapping into their store in worn-down flip-flops to take pictures of his inventory, and not stare at her feet in disdain the whole time?  If he looked, he did it very discreetly.

I used to be able to rock a pump in my day, while sporting something short and tight.  But these days, I'm afraid the look might be more alarming than alluring.  So, I'll leave it to the trendy (and did I mention young?) people.  JL Esso's shoes are works of art with amazing detail and craftmanship.

Even the men's shoes cannot be ignored.  Look at the embroidered dragon on the shoe pictured above.  I kind of wanted to touch it.  But the shoes I actually felt a kinship to, were the men's casuals pictured below.

So, there you have it, Cindy.  Stylish Footwear on the Edge. I stole that from Mr. Esso's business card.

JL Esso Men's and Women's Shoes

Vintage Postcard of Court House in Glencoe, Minnesota

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The owners of Evolution Shirts on the main street of Henderson, Minnesota, in the southeastern part of the state, are fabulous.  They share an appreciation of the oddities in the world by featuring the famous five-legged frog, which started showing up in the Minnesota River, on their signs and business cards.  The frogs were discovered by a group of school children

When I was much younger, I checked a book out of the library about Barnum and Bailey's Circus, and even though I felt like a voyeur reading about the human oddities, I couldn't put it down.  Now that's disturbing. I don't know a lot about frog oddities, but I do know that five legs on one frog is a bad sign.  For the frog, anyway.

Fortunately, upstream, at the other end of the state, there is a group dedicated to cleaning up the river and preventing future frog and environmental oddities.  It is a groundswell to make our slice of Minnesota heaven a little bit happier and healthier place.

Don't forget to order your September/October copy of Minnesota Moments to read more about  Henderson and other Minnesota treasures.

Order the September/October edition of

 Minnesota Moments Magazine

 and read how this classic rivertown celebrates its true spirit.

Oh my goodness.  My visit to Wit's End Antiques in Henderson, Minnesota turned out to be so much more than I had imagined.  Not only is Wit's End filled with gorgeous antiques, but the upstairs still retains remnants of a vaudeville theater!

The second floor is huge, and something about it feels wonderful. Maybe it still holds the echos of laughter and applause from back at the turn of the century.  I don't know.  But it certainly would have a bright spirit with so many hours of light-hearted entertainment hosted there.

Our gracious hostess told us that the long dressing table and chairs along one wall were original to the theater.  Imagine.

The upstairs has the feeling of a warehouse or loft, with high ceilings, and the walls still have shadows of the original border painted a lifetime ago.  I don't want to slight the collection of antiques Wit's End has for sale - it's impressive.   But you know me, I loves the architecture!

As usual, Melanie was shopping in earnest, and I was there to give my approval and support.  We got to shop and have a history lesson all in one fell-swoop.  I left there feeling a little bit richer.

Valentino's Family Restaurant

320-269-5106

My friend, Cindy, wanted to take me to eat at a very special place when I visited recently and she chose Valentino's Family Restaurant in Montevideo, Minnesota.  When we got there, Montevideo's Main Street was jukin'!  I have it on good authority, from a source under the age of 30, that jukin' is the new vernacular for rockin', hoppin' or jumpin'.  If, however, in the excitement of actually remembering to use the term, you give a thumbs-up or go in for a high-five, you've pretty much ruined the moment.  I learned that the hard way.

Cindy and I walked into Valentino's and found a warm and inviting setting.  When I met Eloise Valentino, I could see it was a reflection of her own ingratiating style.  I ordered the best egg-salad sandwich in the history of egg-salad sandwiches and a slice of pumpkin-pecan pie still warm from the oven.

I'm not making this up.  Whoever heard of such a combination of flavors in one pie?  It was exquisite.  Every time I visit Montevideo, I find some new treasure.  Valentino's offers catering services, hosts small banquets, has a beer and wine list and, of course, incredible homemade pies!

My friend Melanie is a goof.  She's brilliant and saves lives, but I swear, I can't put my finger on how her brain works.  Her latest fantasy is to have a pygmy goat in her back yard.  It seems reasonable enough until you consider the fact that she lives in town.  You can imagine how Crabby Dave reacted to her latest idea.  Even I can't support her in this delusion.  Thank goodness we drove past Tangletown Gardens at 5353 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis this morning. We may have found a solution.

We found the most precious goats made especially for dreamers like Melanie.  What a good idea!  When we entered Tangletown Gardens, it looked like we would see the whole place in a couple of minutes, but it just went on and on.  And it had the most unusual plants and decorations.

I'm a bit odd, so I really enjoy the unusual, but the concrete faces I encountered were even a little too odd for me.  I actually kind of like them, but they still freak me out a little bit.

Tangletown Gardens has something for everyone.  Plants, trees, statues, fountains, plants for ponds, wind chimes and who knows what all?  But I believe the chairs were my favorite.

Once again, we were lamenting the fact that there is so much to see in this multi-faceted state, but it's pretty clear we're not going to have enough time to see it all.  As for the goat, I suspect if Melanie decides a decorative garden goat will satisfy her whim, ol' Crabby Dave won't be quite so crabby.  And she can throw a chicken statue out there, too, for good measure.

A kindred spirit, with a gift for turning a phrase, reminded me to take the time to smell the corn when I made it out to the country this week.  Now, that kind of suggestion may sound odd to some, but there are those who are of the disposition that it's the little things in life, like a musk-scented ripening crop, that makes your cup runneth over.  I am of that disposition.  I have no consiousness of brand names (ok, Levis, Honda & Hanes). I just know that I prefer clothes that are made of cotton and are comfortable.  My TV is old and clunky, I appreciate gifts that have sentimental value, and I leave the dust on my car after a visit to the farm.

 So, the morning of my trip I pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans, a cotton sweater, and my old flip-flops and headed out.  I remembered to bring along my mom's beat-up copy of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis, and a dorky birthday card for my friend, Monica.    It was a very exciting trip, because it was my first drive on new Highway 212.  Smooooth.

I spent my morning with Luci and Monica on Monica's shady deck, surrounded by fields of corn.  But something was bugging me about the crops.  When I got to my folk's farm, I said to my old dad, "Is the corn taller this year than in past years, or am I shrinking?"  Mom and dad laughed at me, but dad agreed it was the tallest crop he had ever seen in his 91 years.  Now that's saying something!  After all the dire predictions earlier this year of ruined crops, my dad is predicting a bumper-bumper crop. 

I asked my mom if she had ever seen such tall hollyhocks in her life, and she had to admit those, too, were unprecedentedly tall. 

 I spent a few lovely hours in heaven, swinging with my mom on the glider-swing my dad built, in the most perfect weather known to man.  We didn't even have to swat mosquitos.  I feel so blessed with abundance, that I'm at a loss for words.  . . my cup runneth over. 

Melanie and I recently visited the revamped Treaty Site History Center at the north edge of St. Peter, Minnesota to see the newly installed reproduction of a harvesting scene painted by the late Minnesota folk artist, Arnold Kramer.

We paid our $3 and enjoyed learning about Nicollet County's pioneer past.  Melanie even shared a basket lunch with some of the early settlers.

But quite expectedly, we had to acknowledge the sad and somber history of the Traverse Des Sioux Treaty which opened up millions of acres of river valley and prairie to settlers and speculators and left the American Indians at a serious disadvantage.

It's hard to think of much to say after revisiting that sobering part of our past. 

I guess life just keeps moving forward.  Maybe we can all try to do a little bit better the next time around :)

Hog Wild Saloon & Eatery

507-248-3173

Shellfish@Q.com

Melanie and I ventured to Henderson, Minnesota on a hot, sunny day recently and found cool comfort at the Hog Wild Saloon & Eatery on Main Street.  I love, love, love the community of Henderson.  I had been running around taking pictures of the community and I looked pretty awful, with my face blazing red and my hair sweating. 

The owners, Ron and Michele, took time out to visit with us about their newly acquired establishment.  It includes a bar, restaurant and banquet hall.  No small undertaking.  They pointed out the vintage metal (I forget which kind) on the curiously high ceiling and the giant tea cups sitting on on top of the dividing walls.

But the best part of the visit was our meal.  We had sandwiches with soup and salad, and the presentation of the dishes was surprisingly sophisticated.

Listen to  this list of evening dishes.  They are aptly called Entrees of Distinction.  **Pecan Encrusted Pork Medallions ** Wild Mushroom Ravioli ** Lobster Ravioli** And how about the dessert they have created themselves, entitled Smore Storm?  Anything with the word decadent used to describe it is right up my alley.  My decadent alley.

And do you know what?  By the time we left town, there were "hogs" parked out front.  I've heard a lot of bikers have discovered the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway.  The Minnesota runs clear across the state and provides visual relief from the vast, flat prairies of Southern Minnesota.  I haven't even had a chance to talk about the community of Henderson, but believe me, I will!