Photo: Fil and Al/Flickr

Rick Howell says he's a bit taken aback by the sudden interest in the Nordic skiing speed-date event he helped plan for 6 p.m. at the Elm Creek Reserve in Maple Grove. He and a friend, Kati Campbell, just wanted a way for folks with similar interests, and who were in the market for companionship, to break the ice, as it were.

"We thought it would attract a few people," he said. But that was before notice of the event made it onto skinnyski.com, a popular Web site for Nordic skiers in the Twin Cities. Then it was posted on gearwest.com, and eventually at twincities.com. "It just snowballed from there."

Here's how it works: Nordic skiers of any ability are welcome to show up between 6-6:30 p.m., and pay for a trail pass and a $10 entry fee. They'll get paired up according to age, ability and other factors, and then light out for an easy 2 kilometer loop and get-to-know-you moment. Maybe phone numbers and waxing tips will be exchanged. Then they'll return and repeat the experience with a new partner, again and again, as long as they can hold up (one guesses).

Want to know more? Check the links above. And be careful out there.

Photo by whatshername/Flickr

Rochester police say they've arrested several teenagers after two ice fishing houses on Cascade Lake were blown up early Sunday morning.

It doesn't sound like anyone was injured in the explosions, but one of the shacks was destroyed.

According to the Rochester Post-Bulletin, police were after a witness saw the suspects run from the scene to a nearby underage party.

"This is a relatively serious offense," Rochester police Sgt. Mike Drees told the newspaper. "They could be charged with arson."

Add teenage terrorist bombings to the list of "why ice fishing sucks." Here's another:

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(photo by chippenziedeutch)

It may be hard to believe with the humid, sunny weather we have had lately, but in about two weeks Minneapolis pools, beaches, and other water-based facilities will be closing. Pour some beer on your sidewalk tonight for your favorite beach or wading pool. Summer, we hardly knew ye.

A complete list of locations and dates follows the jump.

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Photo by Waldo Jaquith

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Photo by Stefatty

When you decide to "get away from it all" this summer and conquer some wilderness for a weekend, remember that the creatures that live there will likely check out your goods and steal what they please.

The Minnesota Zoo helped campers see what could happen to their own campsite if they don't store food properly. Zookeepers set up a mock camp site and let three brown bears go to town on the poorly stored food. Maybe you'll think twice about bringing a smelly bedtime snack into the tent with you this summer unless you'd like an unexpected giant visitor to slash through the top of your tent wall.

There's a video below to help drill it in.
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Photo by Jason DeRusha

Interested in beautifying your yard, adding home value and maybe knocking off a few bucks on your energy bills? Minneapolis is offering 1,000 residents a tree for their yard for $25.

You can choose from Black Hills spruce, Korean mountain ash, prairie fire crab, accolade elm, bur oak, and mount royal plum trees.

Who doesn't enjoy a cheap tree? And if you think trees aren't worth it, Arbor Day Foundation gives you the details on their benefits.
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There are people living under bridges all over Minneapolis, but this woman's story has people pretty worked up. It's probably because her home now sits under one of the new Crosstown/35W bridges going up in Minneapolis and she wants a buyout ASAP.

We don't blame her. In the last year, she's survived constant construction vibrations, noise and clutter. Her cabinets swung open, pictures fell over, and she started to see cracks in her walls. And now she's got an enormous freeway overpass above her home. Finally the state is giving in and considering options to buy her home so she can move.

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People are going all-out sledding this winter, but hospitals are flipping out about the amount of sledders who end up in the Emergency Room. Don't make a day of sledding a death sentence! 
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The hardest part about surfing the Great Lakes is waiting for a low pressure system. This is the all-important factor in getting the surf spots in Duluth to fire. During the reporting of this story, the systems kept staying clear of the area. Six straight weekends turned into duds. And although it sucked, it hammered in the point that these waves are rare.More »