Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Birthday, Minnesota: May 11, 1858



We ARE the State of Hockey, after all. Watch the end to see a cool time lapse video of a pond through the fall and into winter as it freezes and becomes a hockey rink. :-)

An excerpt from the Library of Congress entry on Minnesota's statehood:

"On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state admitted into the Union. Minnesota's application for statehood was submitted to President James Buchanan in January, but became entangled with the controversial issue of Kansas statehood, delaying it for several months until it was finally approved by Congress.

Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," or "Star of the North," Minnesota is the northern terminus of the Mississippi River's traffic and the westernmost point of an inland waterway which extends through the Great Lakes and, with the St. Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean."

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Vegas, Grand Canyon pix now uploaded


Skywalk001
Originally uploaded by GnomeCrossing
Took lots of great pix during our Vegas vacation this past week, but the highlight was our side trip to the Grand Canyon, especially the new Skywalk on the Hualapai Reservation. As you can see, it's a glass bridge that juts out over the canyon rim.

The full photo set can be seen by clicking HERE.