Hi, friends! Summer is wrapping up in northern MN; there was frost in our area last night, but it didn't go below 39 degrees here at the House on the Hill. Whew! The apple trees produced like mad after last year's drought and late spring frost. Even the Linden tree didn't bloom last year. And... Continue Reading →
Solar Ice Candles
I've been experimenting with ice candles and ice suncatchers for a couple years now, so it wasn't a huge jump to making solar-lighted ice candles. First, I took all the molds outside and then filled them using pitchers of water. (This idea came to me last summer, so every time I saw a Bundt-shaped mold at the... Continue Reading →
Werewolf Costume
A couple of years ago, youngest spawn was unexpectedly at my house for Halloween (it wasn't my turn), without a costume. My sister came to the rescue and we took a quick trip to the closest store with costumes, 30 miles away. The plus side of shopping for a costume on the last day is... Continue Reading →
Tea With Auntie Linden
What, you don't name your trees? This is one of our favorite trees. Mine (Laura) shades my whole front yard in the summer. Lois' shades the old wood shed/ice house at Cook's Country Connection. Listen, if Pocahontas could have Grandmother Willow, we can have an Auntie Linden. And like Grandmother Willow, the Auntie Linden in... Continue Reading →
For Fox’ Sake…
That may be my favorite blog post title EVER. On Sunday July 6, Mr. Wonderful, Male Spawn, and I took a day trip to the Vermilion Falls and Vermilion Gorge hiking trails. Northern MN has been getting a lot of rain and so I hoped there would be lots of photo opportunities. The weather didn't... Continue Reading →
Another Mysterious Burrow
We have been seeing a new critter in the pit at the House On The Hill and became mostly sure after consulting my North American Wildlife book and Wikipedia that it was a pine marten or a woodchuck (aka groundhog, aka the critter who lies about winter almost being over EVERY. YEAR.), yet it moved like... Continue Reading →
Hummingbird Moths
Sometimes, it's the shots you DON'T get. A few years ago, I captured a hummingbird moth on my camera phone. It was mostly a blur, and I had never seen anything like it. It sounded like a bee or a hummingbird, and the wings moved so fast that usually I could barely see them with... Continue Reading →
Horse Driving– Another How-to Not-to
This story is embarrassing. But it's also so damn funny that I can't not share it. It's been two three years since I last harnessed up my mini horse for a drive. (This is Laura by the way, not Lois.) He recently came back to my house from Lois' for some "retraining". That means he... Continue Reading →
An Easter Adventure
I know, I know, you thought I was lost. But I haven't been really lost; just preoccupied. My sister is opening a petting farm, and I am helping with the web stuff and taking photos. (AFTER you read this, you can go see what we are up to there. 🙂 ) We spent this Easter... Continue Reading →
We’re Baaaaaaack!
Losing Cook Dollar Barn was one of the worst experiences we have lived through. It wasn't just a store; it was an important social hub for the Pajari Girls, and our little town, too. Every day, the list of people and things we miss gets longer. And when people told us that there must be... Continue Reading →

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