My perfect Saturday — in color.
8 a.m. Blue is for shimmering Lake Harriet. I run around it in shorts and a light T-shirt, because it is always summer in Minnesota, right?
8:45 a.m. Red is for roses. I stroll over to the nearby Minneapolis Rose Garden (4124 Roseway Rd., Mpls.) and get lost in the eye-popping beauty of this fragrant city treasure.
10 a.m. White is the color of the decadent cream cheese frosting heaped onto the famous cinnamon buns at Isles Bun and Coffee (1424 W. 28th St., Mpls.), made from scratch every day. Hey, I ran, remember?
11 a.m. Brown is for mud. Princess Penelope of the Lakes (aka Penne the rescue whippet who has yet to discover she has no lineage) gets to run and splash like mad at the Minnehaha Off-Leash Recreation Area (5399 S. Minnehaha Park Dr., Mpls.). This happy time is followed by an outdoor bath back at the house.
1 p.m. Green is my favorite color and one of my favorite venues, too. We drive out to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska), with its green rolling hills, bird song and wildflowers. This 1,100-acre venue is a gift to Minnesotans in every season (snowshoeing in winter, leaf-gazing in fall, blooming-bud seeking in spring). But summer is picnic time and we've brought ours: An award-winning baguette from Rustica (3220 W. Lake St., Mpls.), an assortment of cheeses and nuts from France 44 (4351 France Av. S., Mpls.), and fruit from one of our abundant farmers markets bursting with fresh produce.
7 p.m. Yellow is for Mango Lassi. We have dinner at the consistently delicious Taste of India (5617 Wayzata Blvd., St. Louis Park), with this refreshing yogurt beverage.
9 p.m. Purple is for guilty pleasure. My boyfriend, Patrick, and I jump on our burgundy Vespa and head to Lake Calhoun.
9:30ish. Orange is for Wow. We sit on the wall separating the bustling traffic at our backs from runners, walkers and bikers down below, cherishing the tiny hint of light still visible in the western sky. And, then, a fiery sunset.
11 p.m. Black is for Good Night.
