White Castle, E. Lake St., Going Strong.

Iconic White Castle stands strong and vital, corner of E. Lake @ 36th in SE Mpls.  Poster-size fotos on white-washed exterior wall celebrate "Castlers" -- then and now.  Satisfied customer in left hand corner of pic awaits the uptown bus.

Amish Hat Look, Minnesota Carriage.

A custom horse-drawn carriage resides in a garage near us. We've had the pleasure of riding on those comfy leather seats, with four Percheron's in harness, and coachman Mike inspiring confidence with his knowledge, experience and "touch."

The Amish hat, on the other hand, is new.  It looks as though it's been there forever.  Sure does make the carriage look authentic, and adds some sparkle to the foto

Spice Girls Once Owned this Mini Cooper.

Now that Britain's Spice Girls have been re-united in a Herculean (maybe Olympian would be the more appropriate adjective?) cause, I wanted to present a set of wheels with serious historical significance.

Check this Mini Cooper convertible, ca. 1966. The Girls used to own this beauty.   I'm told the silver sparkles were painted on across the pond, and not after this one-of-a-kind cabriolet arrived here in Minnesota.

The grille is a little the worse for wear (a metaphor for the Spice Girls themselves) but on balance, this baby is holding up pretty darned well.

God's Gift Vanity Plate:Beemer or Owner?

What do you suppose THIS means?

Does the vanity license plate imply the BMW is a Gift from God?

Or is the Beemer owner the gift?

Maybe the dude is into photography and is celebrating a digital file? 

MN Beach Blanket Bingo!

Our gang was headed home from a picnic lunch when we heard a lotta beach action going down water-side in Long Lake.

Big wakeboarding, Vitamin Water, MarineMax product promotion taking place.

With Reggae beat in the background, a shirtless, deeply tanned Emceee strutting around with his wireless mic, working the crowd into a late summer frenzy, fun was had by all.

You'll note pretty sparse attendance: a result of modest population density rather than event quality I would imagine.

Plymouth Apples Piling Up.

Out riding my bike in Plymouth this week.  Came across a massive pile of small-ish red apples. The fruit hadn't fallen from any tree; wholesale aging had not yet set in. You'll note the relative mass by comparing to size 12 Keen's in the foreground.

Legs. Ankles. Tattoos. Flips and Toes.

Waiting in line at the hot dog stand, Wayzata Community Church Rummage Sale.

Legs, ankles, tatts, flips, and toes.

How'd You Like Your Pint of Java?

Dunn Bros. Coffee in Plymouth, MN offers its best brew in these exquisite pint glasses.  When you're finished with your double latte, or Infinite Black Cold Press, Barista Abby washes the stemware, then aligns it on top of the refrigerated case so amateur shutterbugs like old Poppy here can snap away!

My Friend Helen Gurley Brown Dead at 90.

"Long before Sex and the City introduced us to its unabashedly sexual female icon, Samantha Jones, there was Helen Gurley Brown. The author and longtime editor in chief of Cosmopolitan passed away Monday morning at age 90, Hearst, the magazine's publisher, confirmed in a statement. 

Known for her outspoken advocacy of women’s sexual freedom and right to have it all (“love, sex, and money,” in her words), Brown was 40 when, in 1962, she published her bestselling Sex and the Single Girl, an advice book that encouraged women to experience the joys of sex before marriage. She was editor at Cosmopolitanfrom 1965 until 1997, and afterward remained at Hearst as editor in chief of all Cosmo international editions. 

In a statement released Monday, Hearst called Helen a “true pioneer for women in journalism—and beyond.”

'Round the World Giant Rules.

Tonka Cycles legendary sales rep, Beth,  mentioned today that a professional photog had snapped a shot from this perspective and published it in a local magazine.  Still waiting to see how the other guy executed -- hate to be a copy-cat, but what the hell.

Salsa: get 'em while they're hot!

After hanging out at the service counter this afternoon with Beth, Ben and Jason of Tonka Cycles in Hopkins, I poked around the sales floor to see what was new.

The Giant rep had just made a sales call and 2013 models were already on display.

Then I saw this 45-degree display of higher-end mountain bikes, and couldn't resisit a foto.  Colors are a little weird as I edited in antique mode.

But you get the picture (no pun).

Russian Oompah Brass Band Trumpet Player.

Our San Fran friends Bill and Vickie Sherman are traveling in Russia this summer.  Bill snapped this fine foto of Boris - Bill's new BFF and oompah band trumpet player .

Boris had just finished a solo out front of the Summer Palace of Catherine the Great in St. Petersburg.

Minnesota Honey Bees Doin' Their Thing.

A mile down the road from us in Medina honey bees are busy doing their pollinating best this evening.  I kept waiting to get stung, but I got a great close-up instead.

As I was taking this shot a Police cruiser came by looking for a lost Golden Retriever.  I must have looked a bit lost myself among the reeds and cat-'o-nine-tails.

YMCA of Rockies Gate Locked Tight.

There's a dirt path off Mountainside Drive in land owned by YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park, Co. For some reason the gate controlling access to the path is locked up snug with FOUR serious padlocks.  I didn't bother to jimmy the locks -- simply accepted the fact that I was unwelcome in these parts, and took this photo instead.

Bumper Sticker Prophecy on Steamboat SAAB.

The owner of this SAAB 900S doesn't mind speaking his/her mind.  And the bumper sticker variety and display leaves very little to the imagination. I nod my head in agreement with many of the sentiments, but I've kept my car clean -- so far! How 'bout you, dear reader?

Bike Wash at Backdoor Sports.

Bike tech at Backdoor Sports in Steamboat Springs, CO does a roadside clean-up on a high-end mountain bike.  Didn't get the tech's name but he explained that "... washing a bike with grease and dirt-cutting detergent is not much different than cleaning a car or truck!"