Orono Lake ParkElk River, Minnesota One of the oldest parks in Elk River, Lake Orono sets beautifully in the background of the city. The fishing pier and swmming beach aren't necessarily areas in this particular park that I would utilize, but there are lots of great features about Orono Park that are kind of fun!Throughout the summer there are many recreational boats that sport the lake and entertain the view.And, the baseball diamond is used from spring thaw until winter freeze.For picnic and play purposes Orono Park is quite convenient. Right off the Highway and minutes from downtown.   Directly across from the Elk River YMCA and community garden area. Within walking distance of the city offices and Elk River Library.Just a sneeze away from the Elk River Dam and within walking distan... 09/11/2010

  Just a Happy Labor Day!!!From our house to yours...hoping that you get to take a minute outand celebrate all your hard work today.With the day set aside...hoping that you get to enjoy your family,and some time to relax! Whether it's a walk in the park,day in front of the tv,time spent cleaning the house,or reflecting in the lake.... I hope that your day is as filled with fun as ours will be!May today be a very HAPPY LABOR DAYfor you!!!     In the meantime.... if you are interested in buying or selling real estate in the area please give me a call! Check out my Journey with my Chevy Traverse at Mom's Timeout TwinCitiesSelling Real Estate in Minnesota! If you are looking for professional real estate services I am only a ring away! I am looking forward to working with you. And, please f... 09/06/2010

Sundays are great days to sit back, relax and smell the Gladiolas!If you aren't fortunate enough to haveyour own gardenhopefully you live near someone who does!These gorgeous beauties are in bloom just in time to see the end of summer as we know it! I found these Gladiolas at a house neighboring my parents and just couldn't resist a photo (or five or six!) Next year I will be adding these to my gardens for sure. Now is when the dreaming starts.The planning and notes for next year's gardens. So much fun!If you don't have a garden of your own (or green space to have a garden)now might be the perfect time to look into buying one. Rates are low.Housing prices are low. And, you just can't go more green than growing your own garden flowers and greens! In the meantime.... if you are intereste... 09/05/2010

With Labor Day weekend upon us Minnesotans everywhere are preparing to celebrate their last hurrah before school starts and the weather begins to cool. The states camping grounds and parks will be filled with folks enjoying family time. With many people heading north and west the roadways are likely to be filled with extra travelers throughout the holiday weekend. Those staying in town will be heading out to the great Minnesota get together (state fair) and sporting BBQ's in their backyards.It's a great weekend for fun!Four days of sunshine and laughter.This doesn't diminish the fact that work will go on!There will be plenty of time for those off work to take a peek at some of the great homes on the market and to start the homebuying process.I know that even in the fun this weekend my ... 09/03/2010

  Hudson Woods  ParkBig Lake Twp, Minnesota   This park is one of our favorite parks to play in and it must be one of the best kept secrets around. Complete with picnic area, scenic wildlife area (including pond), a trekking spot (the woods) and a great sized playground it's something for everyone. With plush grass and a playground that's cleaner than I've seen anywherethis is a great place to hang out with the kiddos and enjoy some family togetherness. Just out of Elk River and minutes away from Big Lake this is a convenient and fun place to play! In many ways this park is different than any other around. There are climbing ropes and plenty of swings to keep everyone moving!Slides and mountain climbers...it's ever so much fun. So, grab your camera.Pack a picnic and head out to Hudson ... 09/01/2010

In all seriousness and fun... Eastbound lanes of traffic on Highway 10 headed into Elk River are consistantly greeted by our life size dinosaur sporting his time at the BP station just outside of town. This week it has been reported that Dino dropped his tail... literally.Dino NEEDS a doctor!!! He's waiting ever so patiently for someone to fix his rump while he continues to greet travelers headed this way and that. In all this heat he may have dried out and cracked the tail, but he's only a light sprint away from Orono Lake and could have taken a swim to rehydrate. Poor Dino. Hoping someone soon can take care of his broken tail and help him out! In the meantime.... if you are interested in buying or selling real estate in the area please give me a call! Check out my Journey with my Che... 08/27/2010

    Kelly is at it again this summer!She is making daily appearances at the edge of town greeting highway travelers as they head East and West on Highway 10 in Elk River. Ever present this time of year and showing off her fancy digs.... Kelly is always a sight to see. She attracts a lot of attention to the cars that she's advertising and reminds folks driving through why Elk River is a great place to be. So, if you happen to be driving by don't forget to wave. Kelly's owners might just see you driving by and certainly enjoy giving you something to smile about.       Check out my Journey with my Chevy Traverse at Mom's Timeout TwinCitiesSelling Real Estate in Minnesota! If you are looking for professional real estate services I am only a ring away! I am looking forward to working with yo... 08/26/2010

  Over the last couple of weeks I've been watching in Elk River as the worker bees have been marking, measuring, moving and digging... This week they've been turning out the electric in spots and pushing the electrical lines underground.Hopefully it will be safer during storms and hard weather conditions causing less outages and interuptions to Elk River's electric systems. My kids sat and watched tonight as the lines were being pulled out of the sky and wrapped onto big speels to be taken away. The job is done and the gardens don't look messed with much at all.This could be a great advantage to moving to the Elk River area! If you are ready to find a home in the area that is right for you - give me a call!   Check out my Journey with my Chevy Traverse at Mom's Timeout TwinCitiesSelling... 08/25/2010

  In Elk River you can find the most beautiful of sunsets. (especially during the summertime)What a better way celebrate the end of the day than by watching the sun head over the horizon!Or the back of your house. If you don't have your house yet, give me a call and we'll work on remedying it right away!If you are looking for a home with a better sunset ~ we can find one for you.   In the meantime... if you are looking to move into the area... I'll wait for you to call! Check out my Journey with my Chevy Traverse at Mom's Timeout TwinCitiesSelling Real Estate in Minnesota! If you are looking for professional real estate services I am only a ring away! I am looking forward to working with you. And, please feel free to share my name with anyone that you know who needs assistance buying or... 08/24/2010

The city of Elk River is making it easy to find out about your options as a home buyer. Visit the City of Elk River's website by clicking here. Find out about Foreclosure prevention, Home buyer assistance programs, energy saving tips and more! Whether you are a first time buyer or someone facing foreclosure. I am happy to assist you with looking at all your options. Please contact me for a free consultation!     08/23/2010

  Located just minutes outside Elk River,Nowthen Park is a beautiful place to visit. With plenty of picnic area,a playground area,indoor restroom area, a gorgeous swimming beach,a soccer field,walking paths,a boat launch,and fishing pier... This park has a little of everything.It's located in a quaint and unsuspecting area just off Nowthen Blvd and easy to find.               We had loads of fun checking out the wooded walking trails from the fishing pier to the swimming area.The boys found lots of "treasures" along the way...From acorns to mushroomsto froggiesthey enjoyed the wildlife.I did have to draw the line at them trying to reach in and grabbing the lily pads.                 With large parking areas makind your way to this lake with a boat would not be difficult!They have a gre... 08/21/2010

Nowthen Threshing ShowAugust 20th-22ndSomewhere between Elk River and Anoka I can't believe that I've lived less than twenty minutes away from this event nearly my entire life and never known what it was before. Celebrating their 40th year this spectacular event is family friendly and loads of fun. What really drew me to this show was the pricing. For $8.00 I gained entry with my two boys. (those 13 and under are free)We made it in time to see the daily tractor parade which was ever so much fun! There must have been over 100 tractors that trailed passed us on "Main Street" and entertained us by color, age, shape, noise and size. My boys really liked the tractors that ran off steam because they reminded them of train tractors. I am pretty sure that they were entertaining quite a few far... 08/20/2010

A Minnesotan Garden... Growing a garden in the sandy Elk River soil is a challenge most summers, but this summer has provided some extra challenges for this novice gardener.I am grateful that I have the land to grow my gardens and to expand and experiment without itbothering the neigbhors or looking really really bad.We have added a few 'extras' to our growing garden this summer including corn and sunflowers and winter squash.But, mostly, it's the yearly yummies that we planted.I do love my carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, greens and watermelons.   Every year in Minnesota we run into the samechallenges...First it starts with the deer eating all the little nubby greens that start the plants to growing.This is despite our best attempts trying to keep them away from the plants.(I think t... 08/18/2010

Building a house can be a complicated matter for any family. Finding compromises to building the "perfect" home for each person. From the size and shape to the colors and design - there are many decisions to be made and even more work to be done. I was watching some very hard at work wasps today. They were building and working and working and building.It made me wonder if the bees in the hive ever fight over who gets the bigger bedroom or what color their kitchen would be. How do they choose their jobs? Which bee decides who guards the Queen while the others are off creating paper holes to live in? Do they ever stop working for the chance to celebrate the succes of their efforts?Do they make a plan of action or blueprints to help with the homebuilding process?Or, is it more haphazard t... 08/11/2010

  Took this yesterday... I actually pulled over for this one. It was like God was peeking through the clouds and shining out of the sky. Too early for spotlights - just the perfect lighting through the clouds. Absolutely beautiful and bringing my thoughts back to the maker himself. Don't know what's caused it, but we have had some gorgeous sunsets in our Minnesota horizon this summer! Check out my Journey with my Chevy Traverse at Mom's Timeout TwinCitiesSelling Real Estate in Minnesota! If you are looking for professional real estate services I am only a ring away! I am looking forward to working with you. And, please feel free to share my name with anyone that you know who needs assistance buying or selling a home ~ I love referrals! Lindsey Hasford, RealtorColdwell Banker Vision231 M... 08/11/2010

  If you are out on the trail... working hard and looking at houses...feeling parched and ready to satisfy your thirst...you might just want to stop for a rootbeer float today! There can't be any better day in a year to have a bubbly cold Root Beer and icecream float than on National Root Beer Float Day! In Elk River you can find these yummy treats in many places: Daddy-O's, Sweet Peas, Dairy Queen, Culvers.... What a day for a treat.A chance to have a bonafide timeout! One of my favorite memories growing up is making ice cold floats at home. We even had the mugs.Mom would freeze them and then we'd get out the rootbeer, icecream and straws.. I can taste it just thinking about it. I might just have to give in and celebrate this National holiday!     Check out my Journey with my Chevy Tra... 08/06/2010

Have you ever had that hankering? That inside desire spilling outside that just dreams and wants to be satisfied?Just one spoonful?Yesterday I really really really wanted some chocolate raspberry icecream....and, today, all day, I could buy icecream at a participating Dairy Queen and help the Gillette Children's Foundation. You see,all it takes is $1.00 from every DQ blizzard soldto make a difference in the life of thousands of children.That's what Miracle Treat Day is all about!So tonight, when you look at your spouse......or your kids look at you,and their eyes are pleading for just a little icecream...why not drive into town and grab a little treat?After all - what's a better cause than helping kid's who need healing? Here's to making a difference for many... starting right here in E... 08/05/2010

It takes all kinds to fill the earth.All kinds of people.All kinds of houses.Some are bigand some are small.Some are decked out and some are primitive. To each their own.Each person has their own dream. This one intrigued me. I should have backed the camera out and let you see the matching house in the background. I'm loving the deck off the back...It almost makes me want one too!What is your dream house?What does yours look like? Check out my Journey with my Chevy Traverse at Mom's Timeout TwinCitiesSelling Real Estate in Minnesota! If you are looking for professional real estate services I am only a ring away! I am looking forward to working with you. And, please feel free to share my name with anyone that you know who needs assistance buying or selling a home ~ I love referrals! Lin... 08/04/2010

It's Saturday and the rainy clouds are looming overhead. So, what do the young ones do to keep busy?They build houses. Houses with two rooms, one for each of them, and then they start loading in their precious things...Pillows, blankets, favorite books, and toys. This morning is no exception.My boys have had lots of dreamy home thoughts and if I were to build a new home for us I'd be listening to their advice and thoughts.  I am currently typing this from the font stoop of my children's new home and I'd be proud to show it to ANY perspective buyer. The have proved me proud. The dinette was a bit tight for eating breakfast, but a small family could certainly do well here. That's why I love rainy cloudy Saturdays. They are great for putting those dreams in place. Stopping to think about ... 07/31/2010

  Tonight's storm ended up being a deluge of rain causing deep puddles all the way down my driveway. I am confident that my corn and sunflowers are quite happy with their lengthy drink. But, our weather has been so volitable lately that it seems like watching the clouds is becoming a full-time job for any Minnesota resident. With the recent storms taking out many trees and damaging multiple houses all around our metro area I think that everyone was holding their breath this afternoon when the storms began to roll in. Holding the phone and yakking with my Dad I realized 'for sure' that I wasn't the only one watching the clouds   swirl and twirl in multiple directions. None of the clouds swished round enough to drop out of the sky in a twister, but their were a few that were thinking abo... 07/27/2010