Two unsettling, but unrelated things have occurred recently on the Minnesota sports scene. Minnesota second baseman Alexi Casilla, the once and always second baseman of the future, has failed. There is no other way of putting it. He didn’t hit, he didn’t field, didn’t use his head and perhaps the most damning of all, didn’t hustle.

He was sent down to the Twins’ AAA affiliate in Rochester, N.Y. It’s hard to understand; here is Casilla with all the tools needed for a 10-year starter, be a millionaire and it seemed like he didn’t care about the opportunity that a lot of us would cherish.

Is Brett Favre going to become a Minnesota Viking? News reports were on again, off again. First, Favre would consider it, then he was going to stay retired. The latest word as I write this is: No, he isn’t going to play. However, that could change tomorrow, so stay tuned as they used to say on the radio.

His agent Bus Cook, said, “Like anyone else he could always change his mind about retiring.” That leaves the door open a crack and I’m sure we have not heard the last of Favreand the Vikings. I wish I had someone begging me to come to work and make millions.

One measure of relief to all this is that we can do nothing about either guy. They, like the weather is beyond our control.

Something we can control is how we spend our leisure time during this beautiful spring weather. May I suggest visiting our State Parks. We are fortunate to have the parks that we do, for in some countries park land is strictly controlled. For example, in Scotland fishing rights to sections of rivers are sold.

The closest park for many of us and where I work is Mystery Cave/Forestville State Park. It’s a beautiful wildflower time with False Rue Anemones, Virginia Bluebells and Marsh Marigolds taking turns at showing off. While you’re there, tour Mystery Cave or attend a program with a naturalist, hike the cemetery and overlook trails, fish the stream, ride your horse and if you have time, reserve a campsite for a few days. History is preserved in the Minnesota historical townsite of Forestville. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get rid of thoughts about the house mortgage and layoffs. The park is fun, reasonable and renewing.

Whitewater is another close park with knowledgeable naturalists, trout fishing and hiking. It’s where many of us have caught our first trout. Other wonderful parks that are near include Lake Louise, Kilen Woods, Myre Big Island, Nestrand Big Woods, Beaver Creek Valley, Frontenac and others.

Those of you on the Internet go to Minnesota State Parks and explore all the possibilities, both nearby or those available with a half day journey. I spent a couple of days three years ago in the Hibbing, Gilbert, Chisholm area seeing some of the parks on the Range and northeast Minnesota. The parks include Gooseberry Falls, Moose Lake and I was very impressed with the Soudan Underground Mine. It’s a fun history lesson of Minnesota’s past.

I never realized why the mine was so important. It’s that the ore had a lot of oxygen and when it was used in the Pittsburgh furnaces created a hotter flame and thus better steel. You start the tour looking at the sheer walls created by the first miners as they dug down into the earth until it may became too dangerous. Mine shafts were then dug and miners descended by elevator into the dark and cold. Each miner had two candles that had to last the entire shift. In the winter the workers never saw the light of day except for a day off.

If you want fun history or to just enjoy yourself, consider one of our parks.