Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out #3
Man, I don’t know about you, but I read the news these days and it’s a serious downer. I want to keep up with what’s going on in the world…but do I? At some point the news is such a mental drag I think I’d be better off just staying ignorant.
That’s when I pick up my pen and make drawings of good stuff. I draw a picture of a dog and smile. I document an old man happily making pierogies because he knows he’s making something good. It’s a reminder the world is full of great stuff and you probably ain’t gonna find it on the news.
So turn off the news and take a look at some positive stuff I’ve been checkin’ out.
(Oh yeah…I like Substack because whether you’re reading in email, on the web, or in the app you can click on the drawings to see a larger version. They look decent that way so give it a shot if you haven’t already.)
ROAD TRIPPIN’
Nelson Stone Barn. Nelson, WI
All we gotta hear is “pizza farm” and we drop everything and go. We forgot to order “easy on the cheese”…this is Wisconsin after all, so the pizza was one giant cheese bomb. I can eat a lot of cheese, but this was too much for even me. But it didn’t matter much in that location…sitting on a picnic table in a big field on a nice day.
Small town. Plum City, WI.
We went to a small restaurant in this town run by a woman that has a farm and sells produce out of a shed. The food was fantastic and she told us stories about the town history…like how the Union House used to be a brothel…and the brothel is right next to the church. I bet that made for interesting Sunday mornings for some of the men in town.
Liquor store. Prescott, WI
There’s a great little bar bar on the water in Prescott where we watch people load up at the liquor store and hit the river on their boats. Sun, booze and speed on the water…killer combination. I’m guessing St. Croix Liqour doesn’t move a lot of good wine out of there, but if you like your wine by the gallon, in a box…this is your spot.
Colonial Bread. Des Moines, IA
Now THAT’S a sign. Why don’t companies put up signs like this anymore? It’s too much money? This sign is so damn good it’s become an icon of Des Moines. It shows up on postcards, t-shirts…I even saw it printed on kitchen towels. What’s the ROI on that? I can’t answer that question, I just know the world needs more cool signs like this one.
St. Paul Farmers Market.
Pam read about some bao buns at the St. Paul Farmers Market that were supposed to be pretty good. And like any good outing, you just need one reason to go find half dozen other cool things along the way.
Urban’s Farm.
The summer veggies have flipped over to pumpkins and squash, this guy also had a pretty good selection of hot peppers in just about every color you can imagine.
Minnebun.
This is the bao bun spot Pam was reading about. We grabbed a pretty good selection from veggie to lemongrass chicken to a couple sweet options…one was even decorated like a bloody eyeball for Halloween.
There was a nip in the air so the warm soft dough buns went down pretty well.
I like how the dude was sort of dressed like a bao bun…but I don’t think that was intentional.
Natasha’s Pierogi.
This obviously wasn’t Natasha (maybe her dad, or husband?). Didn’t matter that it wasn’t his name on the truck, he was way into making our order of onion and potato pierogies. The smile on his face as he worked said it all…this guy loves his pierogies.
They were deep fried, that threw me off a little as I’ve always had them boiled or steamed, but if this dude and his thick Eastern Bloc accent say this is the way to eat them, that’s good enough for me.
The pierogi keychain hanging from the wall of the truck was a nice touch.
Street musician.
I didn’t stop and talk to this dude…I should have. I usually do. He didn’t look like a typical street player. Probably just out for fun…and the people watching. I bet he’s got some good stories.
Oh yeah, always tip the street musicians. They’re workin’ hard and adding a lot to the atmosphere and vibe of a place or street corner or wherever they’re playing.
When In St. Paul…
Blair Flats.
I always like to stop and get an eyeful of one of the coolest buildings in the cities. The detail is amazing. I’ve drawn it a few times and I’m sure I’ll draw it a few times more. The building deserves it.
We sat outside in the sun and had a bump from Nina’s Coffee. Right across the street is W.A. Frost. This is probably the building we should be living in.
DOGS!
Like I said…when the news gets bleak, draw dogs. I realize I smile the whole time I’m making a dog drawing. This goofy guy was all legs. Dogs are the best.
SWEET RIDE
This dude was lookin’ smooth in what I assume is a powerhouse of a pink car. I say that because it had a checked flags badge on the side…that must mean it’s a speed demon disguised as a grandma car, right?
4-FRAMER:
See you next week…
Maybe Colonial Bread went out of business because they spent too much on the sign....