A couple birthdays to mark...

Happy Birthday to ... Maria Cook, shyly posing here with mom Tanya on her last day of preschool. Maria is 6 today. Christine Pepin, shown here in a delightful 1994 photo. She turned xx on Sept. xx.

Tomato bonanza

In May, I planted several expensive red-tomato plants in Robbinsdale. Finally got a few measly fruits like the red ones above out of them. The same week in May, I planted two spindly 25-cent, 5-inch yellow-tomato plants in Lake City, mostly out of pity and a mad-scientist curiosity; they grew into HUGE plants, each of which has yielded more than 50 sweet, large, perfect golden tomatoes. Country soil is just better.

Another lovely vacation day in Lake City and Old Frontenac

Those of you cousins who live 24/7, 365, in Lake City, Minn., may think your scrapblog editor is a little nutty to enjoy my vacations there so much, but it really is a lovely and special place. Snapshots from today in our hometown... Heading out from Hok-Si-La in Elmer's boat in search of white bass. We followed the gulls. Looking from the boat toward Wisconsin. I caught a few decent ones, lost a couple REALLY BIG ONES! just when I was about to land 'em due to my newbie technique. "Practice makes perfect," says Aunt Mavis. Elmer-Joe caught lots, and landed all of them expertly. Looking over the catch in Joe's garage. In the evening, I took a walk to Sand Point, part of Frontenac State Park, where I saw no humans and several deer, and found a few agates on the beach. The trail to Sand Point. Up the hill on the restored prairie hike, the sumac is rapidly turning scarlet. Saw a fox racing through the sumac. Was enjoying my twilight walk so much that I forgot the sun sets at 7:15 p.m. now, and it was pitch dark by the time I got back to my car. Luckily, I've got this broad, circular trail memorized. A little video taken on Joe's boat; click it to take a little boat ride with us. Thanks, Joe, for the fishing trips!

The future of journalism!?

Cousin CMill and other zany madcap Strib celebrities, including Michael Rand, were caught making some kinda video outside the Strib building in downtown Minneapolis this week. Wow, man, can't wait to see that one! [Postscript: Turns out Chris and the others were playing parts in a humorous James Lileks video about influenza. You can find it at www.startribune.com; at the end you'll see Chris and the others chasing Lileks.]

Pam catches world's largest bluegill!

Check out the size of this bluegill caught by noob fisherwoman Pam! It may or may not have been enhanced by Elmer's photography skills. (Elmer's grandkids are probably familiar with his fish photography tricks.) They caught a lot of them, too, on the Mississippi backwaters near Wabasha, Minn., on Wednesday. Uncle Ed would be proud! Bluegills were just the half of it, though. Saw bald eagles, snowy egrets, great blue herons, painted turtles and much more.

Ava's first moments as a Miller

We think Avamarie will someday treasure these four sequential photos from the July 2009 moment in China when she met her mom, Mary Miller, and sister Moriah, who was taking the video these stills were grabbed from. Ava is brought into the room and led to Mary.

An emotional moment, for sure!

Ava eyeballs the videographer (oldest sis Moriah).

Wondering what it's all about moments after meeting her mom.

Brainy babe

New cousin Avamarie Miller, held by mother Mary, got her brain waves checked out recently. According to her dad, cousin Chris, her brain was quite present and she'll be tested again in six months to see if his intensive training in Being a Miller has taken hold.

Bro and sis

Cousins Zack and Moriah Miller got all gussied up for a friend's recent wedding. Once again, the scrapblog editor is amazed that she's related to such good-looking people.

An Old Frontenac scene

Thanks to cousin Dan Broberg for this shot of not-so-shy deer crossing his Old Frontenac land. In a few weeks, they'll be shyer, we suspect.

Cousins go to the State Fair, Part II

The Minnesota State Fair truly deserves its reputation as the best in the nation. Seen in the surging record crowds at this year's fair, gawking at the animals, the food, the exhibits and ah, the humanity, were many cousins. Some snapshots from the very fine Labor Day your scrapblog editor had there with Noah and his delightful girlfriend, Jamie: U students Jamie and Noah won a Goldy Gopher at the Midway.

We did a stint for the Save the Strib effort at the Labor Pavilion.

In this photo of large, delicious food, you may also notice a cousin. A cinnamon roll was just one of the things we ate at the fair, just to be polite, you know.

Jamie and Noah as jet-set activist flight stewards. Hey, it could happen.

Jamie and Noah as American Goths at the Fine Arts Building.

Cousins go to the State Fair, Part I

During cousin Sandy's visit, the Hagbergs went to the State Fair. Some photos: In this photo of large, delicious food, you may also notice some cousins. Ah, Sweet Martha!

Look! Now they're eating healthy food. The sweet corn was messy but divine.

Cousin Katie Hagberg has some magical qualities that came out at one of the educational exhibits.

We were impressed that the Hagbergs got so close to Garrison Keillor that they could have untied his trademark red shoes. [Postscript: Three days after this photo was taken, on Labor Day 2009, Keillor had a stroke. Wonder what he ate at the fair??!!]

Our lovely cousins

Cousin Sandy visited Minnesota recently and your scrapblog editor forgot, yes forgot, to take photos during her visit. So, we stole a couple photos from Sandy's Facebook site to post instead ... Wonderful sisters Jane and Sandy.

Sandy and her kiddos, Kelly and Paul. Texans all, but we hold out hope they'll return to Minnesota someday.

More Happy Birthday wishes

This past week contained two cousins' birthdays... Cousin Chatsie, Mary Catherine Miller Northrup, turned 49. That's her above, trying to wake up Uncle Norm when he fell asleep while reading to her, and below, groovin' to brother Chris' piano playing in high school.

And Chats' niece, Hannah Marie Manhattana Miller, turned 16. That's her below, flying. Ah, those talented Millers!

Family photos

Two very nice family photos that came our way this week: Sarah and Dave Sprick and their lovely daughters. Chris and Mary Miller and their brood of five. Newest addition Avamarie Felicity is adjusting nicely to the merry ruckus. Hey Zack, nice shirt!