The perfect antidote for another snowy April afternoon was an outing to the Minnesota State Capitol building. Last summer the building reopened after a restoration and renovation that took over three years. After clearing away 110 years of grime and dirt, repairing water damage, repainting walls, restoring skylights and stained glass, the building is a jewel of color and beauty. The rotunda sparkles and shines and is surrounded by paintings and statues telling the story of the state and its people. It’s an architectural (and decorative) wonder for having been built in the early 1900’s.
Author: lindastaatsphoto
Spring amongst the snow
Easter and April mean spring. Spring means warmth and colors. Except when Mother Nature decides to put a white icing over the landscape. I spent some time at the McNeely Conservatory yesterday morning photographing the spring flowers. Outside the weather was cold and windy and snowing, but the conservatory was the perfect antidote to the weather. I was surrounded by the smells of tulips and daffodils, hyacinths and magnolias. In the bonsai section I found this lovely azalea. Its diminutive structure seemed to mirror the snow-covered tree outside, while its brilliant colors were the opposite of the landscape beyond the window.
Sunrise and ice
The dawn was cold and crisp. Although the temperatures have been above freezing during the day, they still dip into the teens and twenties at night. The multiple inches of snow on the lake have melted and frozen many days in a row, and what snow remains is only an inch or two deep on the lake. The sunrise was an explosion of color greeting the day, and some of those brights were reflected in a portion of snow-free ice on the lake. I am always energized after sharing in the beauty of a dawn like this.
Lines and patterns in the woods
It was sunny and warm yesterday – perfect conditions for snowshoeing. We headed off into the woods without a specific destination but rather to explore. The snow was still deep where is was sheltered from the full sunlight making our snowshoes a definite requirement for any navigation. There were numerous deer trails and turkey tracks throughout the woods. After awhile we came upon a small clearing that was more open to the sunlight. The shadows fell strong upon the snow, in undulating lines and patterns — a dynamic statement of the beauty of winter.
Blooming bravely before spring
Soon the snow will melt, and soon it will be spring! We enjoyed a quick vacation to Salt Lake City the past few days. There were remnants of snow when we arrived, but the sun was warm and the temperatures climbed each day. Being from snow-bound Minnesota, I was thrilled to see these lovely spring crocus – fighting off the cold and the snow of winter, bravely blooming and reminding us that spring will conquer winter and we will be surrounded by color once again. Soon.
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