Mankato State University Hockey!!!!

Brooklyn is playing hockey this year so we thought it would be fun to get season tickets to the local college hockey team. We have amazing seats on the glass!  It is going to be a great year of going to hockey with the Brooklyn & Kennedy, and maybe a game or two without them!

Start of the 2015-16 season...Go MAVS

Waiting for the game to start.  Kennedy is wearing her new hat she just won!  

Kennedy scored an official puck used in the game from the ref as he came off the ice!  

The girls hanging out after the game.  

Enjoying "Hockey NIght in Kato"   Eating BBQ and listening to the band play some great music before the game starts.  Downtown Mankato is a great place to enjoy a great date night out!  

Kennedy playing in the grass as the band plays.  

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Fall Field Work

We have been busy working in the field for the past couple of weeks, picking corn and harvesting soy beans.  The weather has been amazing!  

Driving the grain cart while waiting for my dad to return with a full load of corn.  

Dad opening a new field.  

Great view of mine waiting under the tractor.  I was waiting for a filter. 

Cabin getaway!

After a nice trip without the girls, we thought some family time at the cabin in Deadwood, SD was a great idea.  We had perfect hot weather and the girls got to do their favorite things in the black hills.  

Keri is cleaning up after dinner before the big game of pool started.

Waiting for coffee to get done before we go out for the day. 

View from the deck. 

Deck view overlooking the golf course outside of Deadwood. 

Brooklyn is enjoying the great weather as we wait for dinner to arrive.  She couldn't wait until we eat Taffy at her favorite shop in Keystone. 

A great place to enjoy a drink 

Looking for ghosts in The Bullock Hotel 

Brooklyn and Kennedy having fun at dinosaur park. 

June 2015 Progress

I took these pictures last week before our west coast trip.  All the grow tubes are up, the weeds are sprayed, and freshly mowed.  The day we left we had a storm roll in with winds up to 80 mph.  I woke up in the morning expecting to be picking up grow tubes for the next couple of hours.  To my surprise, not one tube blew off.  It was a great start to the vacation.  We are continuing our streak of hot humid days that are making these vines grow like crazy!  

Vineyard #2 is looking great after a clean mow.  The weeds were sprayed about four days before and by the end of the week they will all be dead.

Vines are shooting out of the grow tubes. By the end of the week, all vines will be above the tubes.  

Vineyard #1 vines are growing and producing nice clusters.  

Hosta Plants

My uncle Jim's Hosta plants look great this year.  This photo is just a little sample of what he has planted.  He has over 20 different types of hosta plants for sale.  If anyone is interested in buying some, please email me.  They are only $10.00 per plant.  They are twice as big as any hosta plant you will buy at a nursery.  More photos to come! 

Thank you,  Markus 

gravelridgemn@gmail.com 

This year's vines

All these vines were planted on May 1st 2015.  As of today June 7th, they are several inches tall.  This week grow tubes will be put around the vines so spraying for weeds can be done.   We received several inches of rain in the last three weeks and this coming week the temps will hit 90 F in southern Minnesota.  These vines may grow over a foot in the next week.  It really fun to watch them grow right in front of your eyes!  

Three weeks after planting, these vines are really taking off.  Some of them are several inches tall already.  

It's not a great photo, but all these vines have popped and are taking off great.  

Filling up the water tank.  I can fill this 200 gallon tank in about three minutes!!  

Planting Weekend!

This weekend we planted 960 Frontenac vines.  We could not have asked for a better weekend.  The weather was 85 and sunny with little wind, we both got burnt!  The water tanks worked great and Keri even got a shower out of the deal!!  In the coming weeks we will install wires and grow tubes.   

Driveway to the vineyard 

Keri said she could not work without music! 

Keri is watering and getting a tan

Sitting down at the Gravel Pit for dinner.

Kennedy even got dirty and planted some vines! 

Working on new vineyard

Thought I would show some pictures of work in progress.  April has been a windy month here in southern Minnesota.  We plant May 1st.

Brooklyn thinks it is a long walk to Keri.  

Brooklyn is helping to mark out pole roles.  

Oh turkey!

Keri found some turkeys checking out the new vineyard.   It's great to see these guys growing in numbers around the farm.

Vineyard work

Work on the new vineyard is coming and it is starting to take shape.  If the rain holds off for a couple more days,  I hope to get the rest of the poles up and set.  

The girls are helping pick up some grow tubes that were still out. 

I think Kennedy is taking a break to warm her hands up. 

Easter

We had a great busy Easter weekend on the farm.  We ended the day  with an egg hunt at the Vineyard / Gravel Pit.  The weather was amazing on Easter Sunday and even got a little work done around the yard!