Another trip for ice

After vacuuming and cleaning the inside of the rig this morning, I unlocked the front gate and headed out to get another load of ice.  The little store is about 10 miles away, so I figured the round trip would take me less than an hour.  Turns out, I had a couple of delays along the way in and out so it took a little longer.

I had barely gotten on the road when I had to stop to let this family of trumpeter swans cross the road safely.  This is one of the reasons I always bring a camera with me when I leave the rig.  My motto is “Don’t leave home without it!” 

If you visit Yellowstone, you’re bound to have to stop for a bison jam.  I guess this is Minnesota’s form of a jam.  Wildlife has the right-of-way on a refuge.  This pair of trumpeters has done well to raise three signets this far.  They ought to be learning to fly pretty soon.

Of course I had to stop a few times for some foliage pictures on the way out of the refuge despite the overcast skies.

A little further down county road 21, I saw a grandfather type person standing next to a pick-up with the hood up.  Steam was rolling out from the engine.  On the other side of the road was a man and his teenage son walking down the highway.  I stopped and asked if they needed help.  I knew I couldn’t help with the truck, but as it turned out I gave the father a ride to his house about two miles down the road.  It seems a hose or something had burst on the truck motor.  The father and son were going to walk home while the Grandpa stayed with the truck.  I had room for one, since no one in their right mind would want to sit in the back seat with bouncing Emma.  I did my good deed for the day, and continued on my way.

I picked up three more bags of ice, and on the way home the clouds cleared out and this maple tree just seemed brilliant in the sunshine.

I liked the contrast of the red leaves against the greens of the white pine and balsam fir boughs.  Can you see the remodeled headquarters and visitors center in the background?  Those are all solar panels on the sloping roof.  Staff was supposed to move back in and the visitors center reopened this coming week.  With the shutdown, who knows when that will now happen.

It was a short, but interesting trip for ice this afternoon.  I was thrilled to see the sun come back.  I’ll leave you tonight with another mushroom comic from my anonymous reader.

                                                     The mouse count is now up to five caught.

I’ve got all my fingers and toes crossed that the repair person will set me free tomorrow…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy