The cold of winter has swept south from the Canadian prairie into Minnesota.  The lakes are icing over, but the rivers take a bit longer because of the current.  We were north of the Twin Cities along the banks of the Mississippi River yesterday.  The early morning light cast a beautiful glow on the barren trees along the banks, and the water was flowing but it contained numerous chunks of ice headed southward.  Eventually the river will freeze in some sections, but the sections that remain open will attract birds and wildlife, and will teem with activity throughout the cold winter months.