After a week or more with below freezing temperatures, we reveled in a day of 40 degrees and sunshine. I took advantage of our “heat wave” and went for a long walk that took me through Como Park. As I went past the lake it was wonderful to see the snow and ice patterns. The dark areas in the photograph are clear ice, interrupted by the white snow that had been blown across the lake. There were lots of big cracks going through the surface too. Once we get back to our cold temperatures, the ice will continue to form….all a part of winter in Minnesota.
Como Park
A colorful flourish to the end of summer
Last week I celebrated what now seems to have been a colorful flourish to the end of summer. I sent some time at the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. The sunken garden was filled with its summer flowers, scents, and colors. Since that day our weather has been gray, cloudy, rainy, and much cooler — anything but summer-like. How lucky I was to have soaked up the last bright colors of summer!
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.
The Spirit of Christmas
Wherever this Christmas holiday finds you, whomever you’re with this Christmas, and however you choose to celebrate it – welcome the spirit, the joy, and the love that makes this season so very special. It is all around us. Merry Christmas!
The palm room
One of my favorite places at Como Park is the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, and one of my favorite rooms in the conservatory is the palm room. The central, tallest room has a 64′ tall dome that’s visible throughout the park. Within the room are palms of all types, some nearly 100 years old. Below the peak of the dome is a bronze sculpture titled “Crest of the Wave,” created by Harriet Frishmuth in 1925. Its grace and upward motion leads your eyes up to the very top of the dome, celebrating the spaciousness and the beauty of the glass surrounding the room. Whether daytime or nighttime, the view is wonderful!
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