Pioneer woman

My mom never ceases to amaze me. She grew up living in town and fell in love with a man who loved living on the farm. The farm way of life suits my mom - except when it comes to working cows. Growing up, my mom had the honored job of watching the gate while dad and I would sort off cows. That was 20 years ago. And while we still have her watch the gate from time to time, she's become an integral cog in our operation's wheel. At a time when we are celebrating high school and college graduations, I'd like to pause and celebrate my mom's graduation to: pioneer woman.

Let's set the record straight. Our farm would be a disaster if it weren't for my mom. She keeps food in the house, floors swept, and papers piled. She keeps track where we stash the tattoo digits and Estrus Alert patches we only need once a year. And she also manages the unsightly mitten/hat/glove box - a feat no ordinary woman can do. Outside of the house, she mows lawn, pulls weed and burns - you could say yardwork for my mom is like what snowboarding is for me - therapy. Mom's goals this year include demolishing a building, cleaning up all the scrap metal (and splitting profits with Becky Deutsch) and painting the bunkhouse.

But last night, Mom went through graduation. She, along with Dad and Becky learned how to insert CIDRs (pronounced "cedars," like the trees). Never in a million years did I image my mom getting this up close and personal with cows we were synchronizing. But she did. And I love her all the more because of it. Congratulations Mary - you have just graduated from City-Slicker High and are ready for Moo U!

Cries of spring

Hark! Spring has sprung in the Twin Cities area, and it seems to have completely taken me by surprise. I have been looking for signs during my jogging escapades these last few weeks, but now it seems like spring has sprung on me! Here's the rundown of what I saw Thursday, May 8 on my first-ever run along Minnehaha Parkway:

1. Daffodils and tulips growing along Minnehaha creek.
2. A bleeding heart in full bloom growing amongst the cracks of a stone bridge.
3. Ducks, ducks and more ducks! These fellas had deer-hunter orange feet and handsome mallard heads.
4. Road construction on the I-35W overpass, which shut down the sidewalk for bikers.
5. Fruit trees in early spring blossom - both white and pink.

Running along Minnehaha creek from Lake Nokomis to Lake Harriet was amazing. The bike and walk paths weave along both sides of this little spring and even under/over exisiting roadways. Very neat. The trails through here don't exploit you to public roadways, but shelter you from them. It's a place where the wildlife doesn't sit quietly, but run along side of you, along paths and from tree branch to tree branch. Except for the multipe road-way crossings, you wouldn't believe you were in the Twin Cities. Great place to train - folks call it "The Parkway."

10 Hens & A Tom

My brother, bless his heart, is a last-minute kind of a guy. He calls Monday afternoon, "Alaina, can you do me a big favor?" Ok, I respond, somewhat hesitantly. "Can you watch C.J. tomorrow so I can take Mandy out for her birthday?"

Yes - this is not a problem. Mentally I flip through my schedule for Tuesday - run and softball practice. I was secretly hoping he'd say, "I'm making dinner, come on over!" So I cancel out on softball and decide to run my 4.5 mile hill-workout before work. That means getting up at 5:30 a.m., driving to the area with a nice hill to work out on, and getting back home in time to shower and go to work.

Surprisingly, I woke up Tuesday morning and tackled this challenge. It's a bit scary running along the Mississippi River in pre-dawn light. At every creak in the trees and rustle of leaves I thought it was some wayward soul coming after me. I didn't see a soul for 45 minutes - but what I did encounter was truly magical.

My first spectator was a Minnesota loon swiming quietly along the banks of the Mississippi. Then there were the big, fat red-breasted robins, annoying white seagull birds, and a "herd" of ducks. On the second half of my workout I saw a serene blue heron and a swimming otter, or was it a beaver, in the lake? But my biggest group of fans were the 10 hens and a tom.

As I made my loop around the park, I committed myself to doing my last "hill-work out" (running up the hill at full speed, over the top, to build endurance) by the marina - a formidable incline for this novice runner, and about 0.2 miles long. As I started up the hill, I saw a second diverent path that followed along the river. On that path, I thought there were bird-like statues guarding the entrance for motorized vehicles - how clever, I chuckled to myself. But I was wrong. As I got closer, I realized these were real life birds - turkeys!

My fiance tells are great story about turkey hunting and calling in big Toms. So, I gave it a try as I jogged by. *blolololololgh!* The turkeys cocked their head sideways at me. I called again. *BLOLOGLOGLOGH!* They didn't even skitter away, I was just as out of place to them as they were to me. But oh, the giggle I got seeing those unsuspecting visitors.

It was well worth getting up early and working out so I could watch my nephew, Carter Jace. He's able to jump now, and babble some coherent words. But watch out, when you ask for a kiss, he only puckers up and plants one on your lips (not your cheek!).

Sorry for the absence of blogposts... major life changes taking place... expect more details in the next week.