our fall getaway

It was cold and windy on the North Shore, but that didn't stop Steve from skipping a few stones into Lake Superior while we were in Grand Marais Wednesday. When Daniel saw what he was doing, the way he made the stones hit the water and then bounce, he started to giggle hysterically! And then he picked up a few stones and tried to throw them himself. Before Daniel was born, Steve always said he looked forward to teaching his son to skip stones, and now I guess the education has begun. Fifteen minutes after this picture was taken, I stepped wrong on the stone steps leading out to Artist's Point and twisted my ankle (provoking another giggle fit from the boy). Yes, yes, readers, I'm all right! I spent the rest of the day with my ankle on ice, and that probably saved me from days of swelling and pain.

We stayed at Fitger's (**using our Minnesota Public Radio two-nights-for-the-price-of-one membership discount) in Duluth this time. Our room's walls were so thin that we could hear every word — indeed, every sound — of the amorous couple in the room next door. With entertainment like that, who needs cable? (We did! On their third go-around, we turned The Daily Show up nice and loud to let them have some semblance of privacy.) I wonder if they could hear our room just as well. If so, I'm sure they were thrilled to be next door to a babbling, sometimes-crabby baby (and the voice of Jon Stewart)!

**(Edited to add)