Back in St. Paul

We arrived back in STP just in time for a neighborhood block party we didn't feel like going to.
The "cabin" we stayed at was actually more like a loft apartment with a private beachfront on Lake Superior with the greatest skipping stones I have ever encountered littering the entire shoreline. I skipped so many stones so many times, so far and so high... An entry in the travel guide True North- highly recommended for connoisseurs of the North Shore such as myself- actually comments on the state of skip-worthy rocks on the public beach 2 miles south of our location.
We did hiking and picnicking and campfiring and other standard things which are enjoyable at such times. It was mostly great to relax and revisit the scenery of my brief college days and the first year of our marriage.
We also had the pleasure of introducing a friend to Duluth for his first time. Unfortunately, that was one of Duluth's 3 hot days this year, but the weather was otherwise extremely agreeable.
Oh, and I submerged in Lake Superior for possibly the first time ever (that may be untrue). The water is shockingly cold to the uninitiated, but really wasn't as life-threatening as I thought after I stopped dawdling and rolled under the mildly angry mid-day waves. No worse than a January morning in short sleeves.
I also availed myself the opportunity to do some reading and writing. I would- given the option- spend most every day with literature as I do on vacation, so it's nice to be able to do that once and awhile.