In my longing for the colors of spring, I wandered into the McNeely Conservatory at Como Park. My spirits rose as I took in the colors and smells of our long-awaited season of spring – an array of lilies, tulips, ranunculus, and daffodils. Flowers the colors of the sun — the light of spring that we crave so much after the cold and white of winter. From underneath these tulips the light from above made them glow and shimmer – an ephemeral hint at their fragility and short-lived life in the transition between winter and summer.
Como Park
Spring’s attempt is foiled again
Spring is not known for its consistency. After tulips had broken through the ground, ice has been off the lakes, and everyone’s thoughts were turning to warmer temperatures, we got a slap of snow. The temperatures dropped, the winds picked up, and winter came sweeping back into Minnesota. I headed out before dawn to the Como Golf Course. The white dusting left some wonderful patterns and allowed the shapes of the trees to stand out in the landscape. It was still dark enough that the street lights around the lake were lit and glowed a beautiful golden yellow to contrast with the white landscape. And on the green, the red flag fluttered in defiance of the winter weather. Undettered, spring will try again this week to get its foothold on our landscape.
A hint of spring to come
A couple of days with temperatures in the 30s and 40s makes Minnesotans think of spring. I was at Como Lake last night and the evidence was everywhere – people walking, running, biking the perimeter path; cars driving by and splashing all the snow melt water that was standing in the road; and an outdoor event at the Pavilion across the lake – complete with music and cheering. The temperature was 42, but it was easy to imagine a warm(er) spring day. There is open water on the lake, and what ice remains is becoming thinner and slushier. Ducks and geese were flying overhead, coming into the lake, swimming, and then taking flight again. The sunset lit up the clouds in the western sky, and the thin ice allowed the sky’s reflection and beauty to be repeated below. Eventually spring will come, and stay, but it’s a bit too early just yet.
A perfect snowfall
Friday morning we awoke to a fresh snowfall. The dingy remnants of the earlier snow were whitened, the snow that fell overnight lay coating the trees, the wind was still, and the temperature was hovering around freezing – all the elements of a perfect snowfall. As I headed out the door to work, I made a “scheduled” detour to Como Park and the McNeely Conservatory. The lights inside the conservatory gave off a warm glow to the glass in contrast to the blue and white of the snow. And the snow-covered trees were sentinels of the beauty of this winter morning. In the stillness and beauty of the early morning it was just me photographing, and the snowplow driver clearing the roads and paths in the park.
Open water and ice
We’ve fluctuated between winter and warmer seasons (whether fall or seemingly spring), all in the scope of one week. After a lovely snowfall last Monday, our temperatures have risen and stayed above freezing. All ice that had formed is losing its grip. As if reaching its long fingers out to try to hold on, the cracks are evident. The lines between open water and ice are quickly diminishing. Good for the birds, and those people who favor warmer temperatures for winter; bad for those that revel in our winter snow and cold.
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