I spend a fair amount of time on the St. John’s campus. My two middle children attend St. John’s Preparatory School. Luke has attended open gym or strength and conditioning several times each week. Since he’s not old enough to drive himself anywhere yet, we’ve spent lots of quality time together in the van. His workouts have given me the opportunity to go biking on the Lake Wobegon Trail until he’s ready to be picked up again. My bike rides have been a highlight of my summer days.
Back in June, I literally (almost!) bumped into a fellow high school classmate and two of his children as they embarked on Day 3 of their Bellingham, Minnesota to Bellingham, Massachusetts bike trek to the East Coast. Ten seconds later and we would have missed one another. Truly it was Divine Intervention that allowed for a total chance meeting on the Trail in Albany.
June was also the month I saw for the first time ever, a large clump of our incredible Minnesota State flower – the showy lady slipper – right along the Wobegon Trail between Avon and Albany.
Evie’s Gardens, just to east of the trailhead in Avon, had various flowers blooming all summer long. This photo was taken a week ago.
But, my favorite show-stopper of floral display is right on campus. I wish I knew the monk(s) who are responsible for keeping the well-attended flowers on either side of the Abbey church looking like a scene out of a magazine. They do a fabulous job. These photos were taken last week.
One more thing about St. John’s that I’ve enjoyed this summer was a tour of the St. John’s Bible located in the basement of the Alcuin Library, directly across the street from the Abbey. Wow! I’d highly recommend seeing and hearing about the incredible concept-to-reality collaboration between Donald Jackson of Wales, the team of scribes and various committee members and the Monks of St. John’s.
Just like the song goes, How beautiful are the hands of God….His personally and those doing His will.
Rita Meyer is married and the mother of four children age 19 and under. She and her family are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Meire Grove.