One of the nice things about being back in northern Minnesota is that it gets light much earlier in the morning. That means we get up earlier for our morning walk and that's exactly what we did today. It seemed strange to look at pine trees instead of palm trees and to walk up and down hills instead of flat paths.

After finishing our walk and having breakfast, we got cleaned up and headed off to Bemidji (the neighboring town about 25 miles east of us) to restock the pantry. Our first stop was the Fleet Farm Store. Our son Matt had called and said there was a great deal on DeWalt tools--exchange an old drill for a new set and get $100 off the price of the new one. John needed a new drill set--the rechargeable batteries in his were worn out, so this was the perfect opportunity to get a replacement.

We made a quick stop at Burger King for lunch and then headed off to Wal Mart to tackle the grocery list. I'm sure that we will find we missed a couple of items, but for right now we won't starve. Matt is coaching a sixth grade boys basketball team. They are playing in a tournament this Saturday so John went up to the school to watch their practice and possibly offer some advice. Grandson Sam is very exicited to play this weekend and we are looking forward to seeing the games.

Our daughter-in-law, Jo, (son John's wife) invited us up to their place for supper. Their kids, Josh, Jenni, and Julie, had all grown taller over the winter and looked more grown up. They have wii, so after supper we had a blast playing the different games. Julie, who will be five in July, beat me in the sword dueling game. She showed absolutely no mercy for her poor, old grandmother. I will have to practice quite a bit before I try playing her again. It certainly feels good to be home and to spend time with family again.