I finally have a chance to post some pictures from my vacation. We went to a family reunion in Minnesota, where there was much kayaking and paddle-boating and horseback-riding and family fun. We heard loons in the morning, which made me extremely happy.

Much of Minnesota is still faced with extremely high water levels (which doesn’t bode well for next spring’s flood forecast). At the resort where we stayed, the beach volleyball courts were completely under water, the marina was sandbagged, and the mini-golf course provided some soggy obstacles for the kids.

My mom and dad, who have fought springtime floods in Fargo for 11 of the last 30 years, joked that it was entirely appropriate for our family to be vacationing in a flood zone. Not inappropriately then, it even rained part of the weekend, which meant I got a chance to introduce my mom to the joys of summer-weight Smartwool socks.

Then I ventured out on the riding trails with my siblings, getting outfitted with a hideous helmet…

…and finding myself on a horse that was none too impressed with me.