The final area of Grand Portage National Monument is the Historic Gardens. We are not assigned to work in the gardens, but we often help by weeding or watering. We have a gardener who plans and tends the historic gardens. She spent the first few weeks of June planting and we joked that it took …
Northern Lights
Every night while we have been in Minnesota, Tom has checked out the Northern Lights prediction. There is a web page you can go to, The Space Weather Prediction Center, which tells how likely it is that you can see the northern lights. They use a five point G scale to describe the environmental disturbances …
Passionate about Recycling
Most national parks recycle the usual things and Tom and I appreciate the opportunity to recycle while we are living in the parks. Chickamauga was the exception because Georgia doesn’t really have a recycling program and the park had to pay to have its recycling collected. Consequently, they just collected certain plastics and aluminum. Grand …
Naniboujou Lodge
A couple of weeks ago we had lunch at Naniboujou Lodge. The lodge is located just south of Hovland and is a good place to eat when we go hiking at Judge Magney State Park. It is a unique place, both for its name and for its decor. Naniboujou is the Ojibwe word for trickster: …
All Kinds of Greed
Last week in church, the scripture for the evening was Luke 12:13-21, “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” It is the story about the rich man who had so much he decided to build more storage barns but died on the night the barns were completed. It is a parable that I take to heart …
Voyageurs Encampment
Another area of Grand Portage National Monument where you will find living history rangers is the Voyageurs Encampment. After the voyageurs had paddled 1,400 miles and arrived at Grand Portage, they could take some time off to relax before starting their return journey. The Voyageurs Encampment is set up as a place where they could …
James Townsend and Son
Among Living Historians, James Townsend and Son is the mecca for buying period correct clothing and accessories. When Tom and I made our quick trip back to Ohio in June, we stopped each direction in Pierceton, Indiana to visit the actual James Townsend and Son store. James Townsend and Son is a manufacturer and retailer …
Living History Lessons
People often ask us how Tom and I got interested in Living History. We kind of fell into it to begin with. We applied to our first national park gig because of the location in Death Valley (after the 2014 winter in Ohio I just wanted to go someplace warm for the winter). Working at …
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Tina Fey’s book, “Bossypants,” was published in 2011 but I just got around to reading it this year. I like Tina Fey. I loved her impression of Sarah Palin during the 2008 Presidential election. She also co-stars in one of my favorite movies, “Date Night,” with Steve Carrell. Tom and I watched several seasons of …
Lord, Teach Us to Pray
One night, when John was very little (about 3), he and I were working through his bedtime routine. We had read a story and sung one song. It was time for prayers. Usually I said the prayers and then he would say people that he wanted God to bless. But this night he surprised me: …