Hiking in a closed state park

Your scrapblog editor and old pal Laurie Hertzel set off on a long-planned day of hiking at Frontenac State Park this past Tuesday. Only problem is, the park, like all Minnesota state parks, was closed because of the #$%^! state government shutdown. This did not stop us from invading the park to hike, tho we were very polite and trucked out our garbage. We pretty much had the park to ourselves, and it was glorious. Some snapshots from our day:

Closed! The state parks are closed! In the most beautiful month of the year. Note to self: Must refrain from political rants on the blog...

Perhaps the coolest thing we saw was a doe nursing twin fawns. Laurie took this photo through a veil of brush. The fawns were so extremely tiny, and the doe so calm and watchful.

Another doe, in another spot. The wildlife actually may be ENJOYING the shutdown.



Black-eyed Susans, some of the wonderful prairie wildflowers blooming this month.

The black raspberries were getting ripe. Laurie took some photos of them, and then I ate them.



Glorious sky, glorious landscape, glorious day.



Naturally, we had a picnic or two.

 

Your scrapblog editor never lets a little thing like rain get in the way of her hikes or picnics. Have poncho, will dine.

 

Laurie on the dock at the Old Frontenac beach. As I focused the photo, I casually asked her to back up a little, but she's too smart for me, Hertzel is.



We also took a little drive across the river to Nelson, Wis., where Laurie got ice cream ...

... and I picked up some Wisconsin wine.