Bayport, Minnesota

The false eyelashes have left the building. Well mostly. There might be one long one on the right which sort of looks weird. Can’t quite match one super long eyelash using mascara. Hopefully people have been distracted by the falling out process. They usually end up on my nose. I can tell when they are there by people’s reactions. Sort of horror, sort of pity, that poor hirsute woman……

We have just spent a few days in Bayport with MOD’s brother Mitch and his gorgeous wife Lori. Oh and their cat Max and dog Riley. Riley liked to sleep with us and was quite talented in his ability to open the bedroom door on his own.

The City of Bayport began as three small settlements along the St. Croix River. In 1873 the St. Croix Railway combined the three settlements into South Stillwater, which was incorporated as a village in 1881. Because many people confused South Stillwater with the city of Stillwater, the city changed its name to Bayport in 1922. Stillwater is just down the road and is a pretty little place. We spent some time there as well, eating and wandering and maybe eating some more.

Bayport is really beautiful, peaceful, back to nature, turkeys in the back yard, deer. Mitch, a talented photographer, has a photo of deer standing in the yard looking through their basement window. It’s a pretty special place to live.

Not a bad posy to sit and have a wine. Or two

This would be Riley

Of course just down the road are the Twin Cities, known after the two largest cities, Minneapolis, the most populous city in the state, and Saint Paul, the state capital. Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a major metropolitan area built around the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers. Just so you know, in the Twin Cities is one of the largest malls in the world, The Mall of America. My girlfriends will be horrified to know I declined a visit. How could that ever compete with Highpoint and Chadstone?? Yes that’s probably a Melbourne joke.

On Friday Mitch and Lori took us firstly to the ultimate American diner in Bayport ‘Not Just a Cafe’, for the ultimate American breakfast, then for a tour of the Twin Cities and a walk around Lake Calhoun. The lake isn’t actually called that anymore but rumour has it no one can pronounce the new name, Bde Maka Ska. Still nice, whatever it is called.

Yesterday was a visit to Afton for their market day. That was pretty cool. Music in the park, street stalls, ice cream and of course my new personal favourite – Cheese Curds!!!!

Thanks Blake for that new obsession. Love it 😜

We also had a nice walk in the Afton State Park. I thought I saw a snake, jumped three feet in the air, grabbed Lori by the arm, made her squeal (or was that swear), before I realised it was the bratty brothers walking behind us. We are not amused boys. You aren’t 10 and 9 anymore. Just so you know.