NorthStarNerd.Org

Upper Mississippi River / 30th Wedding Anniversary Tour

In two days, my wife of 30 years and I will start our wedding anniversary bike tour. Leaving from Prescott, Wisconsin near Minneapolis and St. Paul, we will bicycle approximately 500 miles over the next week along the upper Mississippi River, with a short side trip into the Amish country of southeastern Minnesota. Our trip along the Father of Waters will reach as far south as Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Other trip journals seem to indicate that if one ventures farther south along the Mississippi River, the roads actually move away from the river, and the cities get much bigger (not fun for cycling).

You may read my daily trip journals via the Crazy Guy on a Bike Portal. We will be bicycling May 18 through May 25th. (please consider posting wedding anniversary best wishes on our Crazy Guy guest book!)

• http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/UpperMississippiRiverTour

My wife will also be blogging about our trip:

• http://superiorfootprints.org/upper-mississippi-river-cycling-tour/

Even better, the advance forecast shows that the looooooong Winter has ended. Temperatures should range between lows around 50, to highs of 80 degrees. Our plans are to camp 1/3 of the time, stay in motels 1/3 of the time, and also use WarmShowers.Org for the first time (another 1/3 of our nights). 

Believe it or not, we will be camping the actual night of our 30th Wedding Anniversary! Wish Molly and me Happy Trails! We will end the ride at our daughter's house in suburban Minneapolis. As we cycle up, she will be hosting a anniversary BBQ. Sweet!

Creating your personal iOS and Android Magazine: Silicon Lakeshore!

With yesterday's Flipboard app upgrade, it is relatively easy to create a curated magazine. The next question you should ask yourself is why? If delighting your customer is important, here is the answer:

• Focus! A Flipboard magazine allows a narrow focus. Curation is relatively easy.
• Metrics! Once created, your Flipboard allows you track readership and shares. 
• Non Facebook! While Facebook sites are useful, if your organization does not fit the Facebook profile (leisure / consumer), a Flipboard magazine allows you to reach out to your customers in a manner which is comfortable, relevant (remember focus), and private.

Assuming you are curious, here is how the Flipboard magazine process works. The first few screenshots show my own magazine, Silicon Lakeshore (Technology with an outdoorsy twist from the shores of Lake Superior.), followed by the creation and editing process. The editing screenshots were taken on my PC. All other images are from my Google Nexus 10.

Click Upon any Annonated Screenshot to View at Full Size!

Reading Your Magazine via Flipboard (via iOS or Android App):

 
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Flipboard Magazine Creation Process (via a Google Nexus 10)

 
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Flipboard Magazine Management & Editing Process (via a PC)

 
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Please consider subscribing to my Flipboard magazine:

• Silicon Lakeshore: Technology with an outdoorsy twist from the shores of Lake Superior.

A Burst of Scarlet for Supper!

It's been a good week for the birds. This Pileated Woodpecker joined us for dinner. While it ate ants, we had chicken!

In addition the Goldfinches returned to the Northwoods today. Perhaps Spring is finally here. Just a touch of snow left in the yard! However, the Buffleheads are still stalled out down at Brighton Beach (Lake Superior). They should be up to the Canadian sub Arctic by now. All the lakes are still socked in with ice from this point north.

Click to view any image at full size (my Flickr Photostream)

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Red Fox Kits Enjoying the Morning Sun

All the residents of the Northland are enjoying an end to our long Winter, including these Red Fox Kits. I took the photographs and movie this morning down on the shore of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. Click upon either image to view at full size. Link to my Flickr account to see seven more pictures of these cute foxes!

 
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and ... Red Fox Kits - The Movie!

Shooting the Deeps ... Or ... Kayaking Down Waterfalls

This April has been snowy. In fact, this month has been the snowiest April in recorded history ... over 50 inches of the white stuff.

This Winter has been the third snowiest in history ... over 130 inches of the white stuff.

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• Question #1: What happens when snow melts FAST?? 
• Answer: HUGE quantities of water rush downhill to Lake Superior!

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• Question #2: What follows naturally from question #1
• Answer: Kayakers decide to shoot down waterfalls!

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Yesterday afternoon Molly and I walked over to "The Deeps". This waterfall is located on Amity Creek about 1/2 mile upstream from Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. Well folks, we were late for a dinner engagement. Some local kayakers appeared and decided to shoot the falls. I hope you enjoy the one still and three movies of "The Deeps".

Shooting the Deeps

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Shooting the Deeps: Part 1

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Shooting the Deeps: Part 2

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The Deeps ... Some Perspecitive from 3 Weeks Earlier