Penny Meets a Wok from Shawn Horton on Vimeo

Leslie and I bought a few household improvement items at IKEA. As we were unpacking everything, Penny started acting very skittish. We soon realized she didn’t like the form of the wok. I pride myself in knowing that Penny is fearless, so I wanted to quash this unfounded fear of a cooking vessel. Watch as she overcomes her fear and grabs her Kong from within the wok.

I realize it’s almost a month since the big “E” day, but I still haven’t told most people how everything transpired. So, in a short recap, at least until you speak to me in person, this will assuage you.

I was thinking of a great place, somewhere we could revisit; a place that was special in some way to both of us. Leslie went to school at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. She has told me many times that she never felt “at home” growing up in the Twin Cities, yet when she returned from a break to campus, she felt inner peace. Lake Superior, aside from being photogenic, has been an anchor in my life as well. For the majority of my childhood, Duluth was as far south as we would travel: back-to-school shopping, class field trips, “road trips” in high school with friends. I knew that the northland (a place which I affectionately refer to as “the 218″) was the best destination.

Outside the Duluth city limits, there were a few places I had considered. The first place that came to my mind, and the place I eventually proposed, was at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The drive was beautiful, the leaves were just past peak color. Even Penny was excited about the drive up Scenic Highway 61. When we arrived at Split Rock, there were several groups of sightseers. I knew I wanted to be alone with Leslie, but I didn’t know where I could find enough solitude. We took a few pictures at the lighthouse and the grounds keeper’s quarters, but soon, Leslie was getting anxious to head back to the car. The icy wind from Lake Superior was quickly hindering my chances. I asked Leslie to walk with me to the shore, so we could take a better picture of the lighthouse, and for Penny to jump at the breaking waves. As we meandered down the wooden staircase to the shore, I encouraged Leslie to take off her gloves, and take a few pictures along the way. I pointed out the great “photo op” potential in the large waves crashing against the rocks. Leslie and I were down on the shore, Penny was still tucked away in my fleece jacket (the state park doesn’t permit dogs on the foot paths or the grounds). I let her down on the shoreline, and I asked Leslie to walk with me closer to the lighthouse, yet further from the other sightseers. I sat down next to her on a boulder, and asked her if she would marry me. Not traditional, no kneeling. Just her and I, side by side, Penny as our witness.

Here are a few pictures of our weekend. (MobileMe Gallery)