Yesterday water was out in our neighborhood (for utility work), so we escaped north to Duluth and cooler weather. It was gorgeous! Like spring was down in the Metro a month ago. Lots of warblers singing, including many Mourning Warblers that are rare back home.
We did a 4 mile loop at Jay Cooke State Park, on the other side of the St. Louis River via a suspension bridge that Tonttu was not terribly happy to cross...
RE: https://ext.sportsbots.xyz/users/239975087/statuses/2059420874873176462
A huge win for the #Huskies. Keep it rolling, boys.
Zeena always loves a good hike, but she got ESPECIALLY bouncy after cooling off in the river!
If only we trusted them off leash long enough to let them romp and splash freely.
Yesterday we made a loop around the SE corner of Afton State Park, checking for the latest warblers and other avian migrants to have arrived. The trip back paralleled the St. Croix river, with a staircase down the steep bank at the end, allowing access to the water. Of course the huskies loved that!
We took the day off Thursday to head north to Banning State Park (half way between the Twin Cities and Duluth) for hiking and birding as migration picks up. The huskies would have loved a faster pace, but they permitted their humans to stop and look/listen for birds along the way.
The park borders the Kettle River, known for the big holes drilled in the bedrock by boulders swirling in the water eons ago.
We were there a bit earlier in migration than usual, which meant no Canada or Magnolia warblers for us, but we did identify several Louisiana Waterthrushes, which is new for us at this park!
Kitchen wants to play, dogs want to sleep. Hilarity ensues.
https://cutetropolis.com/2026/05/14/dogs-kitten-husky-golden-retriever/ #Cats #Dogs #GoldenRetrievers #Huskies #Kittens #Pups
Rescued baby hippo loves cuddles, husky pups star on live cam, mama cat rescued just in time, and itβs Tongue-out Tuesday.
https://cutetropolis.com/2026/05/12/links-a-bumpy-start/ #Cats #Dogs #Hippos #Huskies #Kittens #Pups #Tongues
Back on the trail. Running!
It has been delightfully cool this spring, perfect for the huskies to keep running as things green up around us. I'm still a bit cautious about trail running after previous injuries, but I do hope to keep at it, especially now that my work schedule has lightened up a bit.
Zeena and Tonttu were happy to pick up the pace somewhere other than our neightborhood paths, and to pounce and sniff and get muddy whenever possible.
Paws to Trail
Ryan Talbot π€
WilkoΕaak
CUTETROPOLIS
Dale Trexel