Jaw-dropping Beauty on the Iron-Range

     My vegetable garden has been dominating my days lately.  Finally, the plants are growing gangbusters, and everything seems out of control.  Because of that, I haven't been in my kitchen nearly as much as I'd like.  And since there is no recipe to pass on today (I've been in the garden tying up the tomato plants that are now towering over me), I thought I'd share photos I took last week in northern Minnesota. 

     My husband and I biked a portion of the Mesabi Trail near Grand Rapids.  The Iron Range trail will eventually run from Grand Rapids to Ely, Minnesota, and along the way, passes many manmade mine-pit lakes.  We happened upon this one early in our ride, and it immediately took my breath away.  It was beyond stunning.  It's like nothing I've ever seen before.  And when I showed friends the photos, without any facts, they were baffled

     The conditions were ideal.  Another day, another time, it would not have looked like this; cool temperatures with low humidity, perfectly still, and not a cloud in the sky.

TAKE a LOOK: