A Junction Joke

No, this picture of my matryoshka dolls is not upside down. 

But rather that my roomie's new hobby is to steal my stuff and stick it to the ceiling with poster putty. Apart from these dolls he also did it to one of my pens, a drawing pencil, and a piece of candy. 

The Graffiti Graveyard and Some Train Stuff

There's a hidden urban landmark tucked away under a highway in Duluth. It's a masterpiece really: a work of art. This place constantly changes as artists, youth, and street folk leave their mark here. To me it is the opposite of a graveyard; rather than mourning death, the graffiti brings life to the dead cement. This is one of the most incredible places I have ever been, and my photos do little justice for it. It is definitely something you have to see with your own eyes. 

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Near the Graffiti Graveyard are some train yards. 

This is a restored train that tourists ride on. 

This is an abandoned train next to the road. 

"Erie Mining Company"

If You Don't Like the Weather, Wait Ten Minutes

First of all I need to say that this post doesn't have any pictures. I wasn't prepared for this event and thus I didn't bring a camera, which is for the best.


I was looking at the weather via online and found that today was going to be the last warm day for the rest of the week. Then I thought that I would go beach it up while I could. The sky was blue, the sun was high, and the thermometer read a warm 26° Celsius.


The Sea of Superior was slightly agitated which caused the deeper cold water to come into shallow warm areas, thus I only went in to my waist. While sitting in the sand I noticed a distant rumbling and a dark cumulonimbus in the western sky. I watched the distant lightning along with fellow beach goers.  
Soon the storm seemed to approach closer, and few people left the beach. The storm came closer and closer and closer. Most people left at this point, but many were still enjoying the sand. I thought that I would be fine if I stayed a bit and see if the storm would pass, but my gut was pretty much saying "Get the hell out of there." And if Jack London taught me anything, it would be that instinct is greater than logic. 


So it started to rain as I was leaving...then the sun came out. Not taking any chances I went to the nearest   pavilion where some Asians took refuge. Right then it got dark and started downpouring. As soon as it started hailing a young couple and their daughter came running out of the woods to the pavilion. The hail grew to golfball sized (and it wasn't the nice round stuff, but the spiked hail.) Finally a strong wind wanted to join the party: it didn't matter that we were under a roof anymore since the rain and hail was coming in sideways. 


Then just like that it ended. Soaked to our bones we walk out into a lawn of hail to find a clear blue sky again. 

Market Day/Another Superior Adventure

Good News: Every Wednesday there's a farmer's market on my campus.

Bad News: It only goes until the end of september.

I totally bought one of these. The lady selling them asked me why I was taking a picture of it and I told her it was because my last name is Romanesco (the original spelling of Romenesko.)

This lady was cool too, I bought some Swiss chard from her.

So I bought these potatoes from a guy who really really loves his potatoes. He showed me every potato he sells and the different features of each potato. I was happy buying my potatoes from a man who puts so much passion in his harvest. 

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So after running some errands I found myself near Lake Superior so I figured I would go swimming. Instead I went on a hiking adventure. So to get where I went I had to go to the end Minnesota Point and go around the airport where there is some forests.

Go figure...a ship.

I found this structure. I think it is the ruins of an old lighthouse.

Later I discovered this old shipping depot on the shore facing Wisconsin. The sign over the opening says "USCHS DEPOT"

Inside is incredible, there is all of this cool graffiti and street art that covers the walls.

At the end are some cement breakers which is an entrance to the Superior-Duluth Port. The cement thing in the foreground is Minnesota and the lighthouse in the background is Wisconsin.

Minnesota on your left, and Wisconsin on your right.

Yup, that's my bike.

As I was packing up this bus called "Road Trippin" drove by. It was filled with hippies. They all were waving at me, super happy, and probably high on something(s).

Labour Day in the Woods

Today I finished orientation at 1:30, so I pretty much had the day to myself. I got this awesome book from my library called Abundantly Wild: Collecting and Cooking Wild Edibles in the Upper Midwest. It's by a Minnesotan. So I decided to go on a food hike in the Bagley Nature Center (a part of my school.)

So this is kinda cheating, but there's a crabapple tree there, so I picked many.

You can't forage without getting some raspberries. 

There are many ways to use acorns, I'm leaning towards making flour. That way I can make acorn pancakes. 

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About two blocks away from my apartment is this awesome park called Chester Park. Its a skinny park that follows a creek down the hill with trails. It basically goes from campus to the farmer's market.

Along the creek there are plenty of little waterfalls. 

When the creek went under a portion of road it went through this beautiful tunnel. The old brickwork reminded me of something like the old sewers of Paris. 

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This is an old abandoned ski jump. I'm pretty sure going on it is illegal; it's in horrible condition and will collapse with a change in air pressure. But I followed some kids from my school up it anyway. At the top some kid told me, "just so you know it rocks easily," Then he starts rocking it back and forth. 

My school from the top.

Downtown

There were a total of three abandoned ski jumps (I climbed the tallest) and there was this painted on some random one. 

Notice how a board there is missing. That isn't the only one.