Fourth of July Weekend

This weekend the Roses' grandfather visited from Kirksville, MO. You might remember that we usually go to Kirksville - this year Kirksville came to us! We had a lot of interesting activities. One was the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota, where you can see a bald eagle up close. Another was the Arboretum, which I thought was magical.

At the entrance near the visitors' center, there is an amazing house made out of sticks and twigs. Really, it is just giant! Rose #1 quickly claimed the room nearest the entrance as "hers," and looked out the window with her cheerful perky eyes:
The rooms in the stick house are really quite spacious - here are Roses #2 and 3 and two of their cousins!

We set out on several walks (including a very ill fated bog walk, on which Rose #3 got a horsefly bite that swelled on her leg to the size of a golf ball) and ended up where we should have begun - in the formal gardens right out the back of the visitor center. In the perennial garden, there is an absolutely beautiful fountain, which teeny tadpoles swim. Beatrice, my niece, was completely obsessed with touching the tadpoles. Luckily, she didn't fall in (unlike other pools we have been to with Beatrice).
At the end of the perennial garden walk, we stopped for a quick picture with Sam and Roses #1 and #3.

Oh, we loved the Arboretum. I have to confess that we got a family membership, intending to return at least 3 more times before next July. Maybe we'll go to the maple syrup making workshops in the spring - that's something Guppy would have done.