Yards - Extensions of our home

This picture is from last year but it's not doubt the deer are around and ready to munch in flower gardens and vegetable gardens.  What do you do to save your plants?  Send in a photo for the next Look at Lakeside with your super fences, dangling device tricks, and strategies for keeping plants in your yard. 

I hope you've had a chance to look at the June/July 2014 issue.  This issue marks the completion of 2 years for this publication (total of 12 issues).  I've done by best to include bits on current local happenings, introducing people who live here, and a bit about the past.  I plan to include more quizzes and field trips (let me know if you'd like to attend the tour of St. Michael's School building on June 13 at 8:30 a.m. - there are a limited number of spots available, please RSVP), and coming this fall a service opportunity for LAL readers.  It's fun to see how quickly the newsletters are picked up at places and I love when one issue gets read by multiple people such as in a waiting room.

Today was a drenching rain day and the Altrusa Club of Duluth had their plant sale in the parking lot of the Joe Golcz State Farm Insurance in Lakeside.  All funds raised go to support community organizations.  You'll find Altrusa at assorted events this fall selling things to again raise funds. 
Adding more perennial native plants are good to provide food for the bees and insects.  You also don't need to mow them.  This year our yard garden area is extending to the other side of the sidewalk on to the easement next to the street.  It's the sunniest spot of all.  I planted plants from the Altrusa sale and a mix of native plant seeds.  More to plant in the backyard vegetable garden as we enter June.

Thanks for reading the Look at Lakeside newsletter.  I would love to have a youth submit a short 'report' on a neighborhood topic.  How about that for a summer project?  The next deadline is July 15.  Maybe a drawing of something in Lakeside.  I appreciate local art and people 'stretching' themselves to try new things.   Check out in Superior the artwork beside storm drains.  You'll be hearing in the news soon how six artists have painted beside the drains.  A bit of color and fun as a tool to educate about helping keep Lake Superior clean through preventing stormwater pollution.   Lakeside, downtown Duluth, Superior, Two Harbors and other communities sit beside Lake Superior and are potential contributors to pollution. 

Back to a plant topic - I am on the 'hunt' for where the banana plant went from the Lester Park Greenhouse.  It's not at Glensheen; it's not at the UMD Greenhouse.  I hear it is at a Senior Apartment complex and am trying to find out which one.  Anyone know?

Happy summer days.  Yeah for wearing shorts and sitting out on the deck. 

Announcements to Share

I'll pulling together announcements I'm finding about news in Lakeside for the June/July issue. I'm hoping more people will submit announcements to share relating to Lakeside and even share some of Lakeside's history in future newsletter issues.

  The busy summer is ahead with Lakeside being a great place to relax out in the backyard, at the park, or on the rocks at the beach.   The last few weeks of school are in full gear and probably people are planning a vacation getaway or two and family visits.  Plant sales will be starting up.  This year I want to add cosmos to the yard again.   I can't wait to see the flowers in bloom.  The progression of days in these long daylight months is exciting.    The fixing of the railroad overpass at 36th Ave. E. isn't quite done.  Workers are on the job to finish the project so the North Shore Scenic Railroad train rides can come on over. 
I went to the Duluth Preservation Alliance annual meeting on Monday night and heard the story of the acquiring and renovation of a train car that belonged to the Merritt Family.  With hard work many things are possible.  
So far Seven Bridges Road is still closed from the June flood of 2012 - almost two years ago.  I know many people have used the closed road as a wide walking path.  It's beautiful any time of the year.  Perhaps we will be able to drive along at some point.
In the newsletter I'll share a piece of Lakeside area's past that I bought off e-bay. 
The newsletter will be wrapped up in the next few days and out to the subscribers and then to the distribution sites by the end of the month.  Can you believe May is already have over?  I put together a Dulcimer festival the 1st Saturday in May.  It's a whirl of activity bringing 4 out of town musicians to town to come teach the twenty classes.  I was happy again to have participants come who want to learn more about taking part in making music and to hear wonderful concerts.  I love folk music and a mix of folk instruments.  Mountain and hammered dulcimers have been special to me for decades.  This was the 13th year for the festival.
Now I'm more free to work on other things like the newsletter and perhaps a documentary on Park Point.  I'd like to start interviewing people in June relating to Park Point's early days. 
As a reminder you can watch these two neighborhood video's I made:
Early Days of Lakeside
Early Days of the West End (Duluth)
Over 2500 people have watched them through vimeo and I've done showings through Duluth community ed.

Enjoy wearing shorts again and short sleeves.  My sandals are ready and waiting.

Wendy