I made this video so that you could enjoy some of the sounds of Duluth. This is the James R. Barker, which entered Duluth on Sunday, June 27. The Barker arrived Duluth for a load of coal. Behind the Barker was one of the Vista Fleet touring boats with a wedding. Immediately after the Barker arrive the Vista boat tooted it’s horn and the bride and groom stood to wave. The crowd waved and cheered. The last time she left Duluth port (May 29) her horn sounded like she had laryngitis. That’s probably why we got the special 5 horn salute.
All posts by SunDog
Wild Rose of Lester Park

Pastoral Day
Today was a Perfect Duluth Day at North Country Ride in Esko, Minn. My daughter and I spent the afternoon at the therapeutic horse ranch conditioning horses to their new roles of healing disabled people, by letting people ride them.
Although those clouds may look looming, the temperature was about perfect, and when it did rain, we were in the arena with horses name Dixie and Misty Rain. How apropos that Misty Rain served as a companion on this day.
I double-checked the phrase “pastoral day,” before I typed it into the blog and found out June 5, 2020 was the official Pastoral Day; it was Beethoven Pastoral Day. A post on a website stated: “Beethoven loved Nature – we love it, too!”
Walking with horses
Today, my daughter and I worked with a horse named Dixie at North Country Ride. The goal is to get Dixie used to people riding her. Then she will be used as a therapy horse for disabled people. Horse-riding is therapeutic for disabled people. Riding causes a person’s muscles to move in the way that they are supposed to. Some mute individuals have even spoken while with horses.
Dixie is a new horse (quarter horse) to the stable. She and her stablemates are from a farm where they were not to human interaction, so accustoming to people is part of the goal.
From bare to overgrown
My husband and I have been going for almost daily walks during the pandemic. We skipped a few days of walking.
For weeks, I had been frustrated with how bare and cold it was. Last week we got a couple of hot days, and the leaves, grasses, and flowers popped out. Today was a beautiful day we pulled weeds in our yard. After supper my husband asked if I wanted to go for a short walk. We were a little leery as a bear had been spotted in the area we usually walk. I didn’t get a photo of a bear, but here is one with our dog smiling and enjoying an evening walk. Do you see the lupins? I was trying to show off the nearly mature lupines, but instead, it’s showing off our happy dog.

Lilacs
The lilacs are blooming! My husband said, “Let’s get out of here! There’s a bee. I quickly got a photo. It looks like a bumblebee. It seems like in Duluth, we waited for forever for them to bloom. A couple days in the 80’s and the popping out all of Duluth. I think I’ll submit this to the Lilac Lovefest https://www.facebook.com/LilacLovefest/
House of Hearts
Residents decked out their porch with construction paper hearts. Neighbors are placing hearts in their windows as we all struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.
#aworldofhearts
Every other day MaggieBW and I hunt for Teddy bears or hearts in windows. We’ve seen a few, but most of the time, they are so dark and hard to see in a photo. I was pleasantly surprised to see this house. I hadn’t noticed it the other day.

Hidden art in the neighborhood during quarantine

Today, I set out to capture those painted rocks on my camera. My home thermometer read 42 degrees, so instead of my usual winter coat, I wore a jean jacket. The 20 mph wind whipped my husband’s baseball cap off my head 3 times, sending me to chase it. And the College of St. Scholastica sign read 32 degrees.
The dog and I kept walking. There’s more to tell. But I will end here tonight.
Have you gone Teddy Bear hunting in your neighborhood?
Let me know in the comments.
Smiling face in the neighborhood

On today’s episode of “Discover Your Neighborhood” more “Generally Unseen Art” Hat tip to Duke Skorich https://www.facebook.com/pg/Zenith-Research-Group-66725949194/about/?ref=page_internal
Poor little pug
She has an ulcer in her eye.