Finally gnoming

Hiya friends!

Sorry for the delay, but I'm online and loving the updates - so keep them coming! And Mere, I truly hope the birthing process went well for your canine friend. New puppies are always fun!

It actually provides a great segue to my goings-on of late. On Sunday, I was "up north" in Hayward, Wisconsin with some family. We had some tots along, so we decided to go to this place called Wilderness Walk. It was a cross between a petting zoo, a real zoo, a deer farm, and an old Western town. Basically, it had a lot going on - a tiger, some bears, bunnies (one the size of my dog!), a lemur, a river otter, some bison, a score of peacocks, dozens of goats, and at least a hundred deer. The dangerous animals were caged up, but the deer roamed free as well as some goats and peacocks. So it was quite strange having a deer walk up to you so you could pet it. My favorite animals were this pair of baby pygmy goats. They were really hyper and ran up to you in this sideways-hopping fashion, then nibbled on your hand. It was probably the funniest thing I've seen in quite a long time. So if you're ever up in northwestern Wisconsin, I suggest giving the Wilderness Walk a try. It's just down the street from the Norske Nook which sells award winning pie and yummy lefse.

In other news, I'm settling back into my Arden Hills home for probably the last time. After I get back from my trip with Wash U to Beijing (25 June - 12 July), my parents are suggesting I move in with my sister down the road a bit. I haven't been able to get out and do much though, since the surgery I had last week restricts me from driving while on my meds or lifting things over 10 lbs. So I've kinda just been hanging out and getting things in order as much as possible. It feels good to be grounded and to get a chance to hear about all of your crazy fun experiences!

That's all I got for now, but I'll try to inform you of my lunch plans and so forth as the month progresses (today: cereal with yogurt and lefse with butter and sugar). And also, you guys are awesome.

Nikki x