Espresso drinks, Double dip cones, and New York Times best-sellers: You'll discover it all in Excelsior.

As you get closer to Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior, there's ice cream and great java (Dunn Bros.) on this side of the street, and the book store opposite.  Pina turned down the java offer, but I went for my usual iced skim latte. At Excelsior Bay Books I bought the new Barbara Erenreich; Nancy was searching for a couple of children's titles for the grands, but the store was out of stock.  We will definitely go back.

26th Street & Lyndale, next to Common Roots Cafe.

Common Roots was one of the first coffee shops/restaurants in the Twin Cities to do away with the "tip jar." Menu prices did go up, but no spare change needed to be left behind when time came to pay the tab. Net, net:  cost to the customer was the same.  Stress was eliminated. And staff received raises as well.

I asked the owner once how things were going. He said " ..well, very well." I stopped by CR last week for a coffee and a couple of cookies and asked the counter man what he thought. Business was reported to be strong. Customers and staff preferred the new way of doing business.

Back to those cookies I mentioned: chocolate chip with sea salt. OMG. To die. And a softy-ginger cookie? You'll have to taste it to believe its goodness.  No tipping permitted.

Cukes so Ginormous you can't Believe they're Free!

Driving south on Homestead Trail on my way back from Baker, my car seemed to stop on its own accord when it spied the word "Free." And when I stepped out to check these epic cukes, well, of course I helped myself.  I also wrote a note of thanks and tucked it between the table top and one of the cucumbers. Why other cars you see in the foto here didn't stop to load up on the freebies ..... well, that's their loss.   Table was empty last night, but/and I'm hoping Farmer Brown (isn't there always supposed to be a Farmer Brown?) has picked a second growth from his garden, and re-stacked the table in front of his spread.

About to take Three Rivers Parks Survey, Kevin from Medina will reveal Trail Use stats to Baker Park's summer intern, Lindsey.

Lindsey from Three Rivers Parks System engages Kevin from Medina with urgent Trail Use Survey.  Kevin and his stunning TREK electric were in Baker to conquest the challenging 6.2 mile loop I  had just completed on my GIANT foldy. Lindsey could see that I was dripping wet, thirsty and dry, and gifted me a Gatorade from her blue and white cooler.  Not sure how many surveys were collected, but it's comforting to know Park officials listen to the velosters, walkers, bladers, birders, runners and others who use Baker Park.  

Poppy flips a few burgs, hungry fam members could be seen drooling in anticipation.

90-10 top sirloin to fat, 400-degrees on the barbie, a little Worcestershire drizzle, maybe 4-5 minutes per side, and we had ourselves some might yummy burgers for dinner this week. What looks like a tent at the front of the grill is a corn tortilla pretending to be a standard Pepperidge Farm hamburger bun.  One of the guests was observing a wheat-free crusade, and the tortilla did the trick. 

A young fisherman's gentle hands, a young fish rests safely in them.

One of the fisherboys working the Wayzata docks the other day  pulled in this little pesce.  My guess is that the fish was returned to the teeming waters of Lake Minnetonka from which it was lured by a yummy night crawler on a hook.