Winter can be cold, blowing, bitter, and rough. But there is also a uniquely delicate side to this season. The snow can fall quietly and softly, and it can alight on the most delicate of surfaces, gracing them with its white coating. These bee balm seed heads seemed to cup and receive the snow as it came down, holding onto it in the center. Without the weight of a wet snow, the stems stayed upright and beautiful – proud of their place in the winter wonderland around.
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Ice along the St. Croix River
Winter made its comeback this week with colder temperatures and snow. The St. Croix River, which creates the border between northern Wisconsin and Minnesota was showing the results of the weather change. Just last week the river was flowing freely, cascading southward to join up with the Mississippi River. This week was another story. The shoreline was filled with thin and uneven ice pushed up against the banks, yet the river flowed freely in the middle, carrying smaller sections of ice with the current. If the cold temperatures continue the river will freeze completely and will remain frozen until the warmer temps of spring.
A byway to come back to
We just returned from a quick trip to Salt Lake City. In addition to visiting family and enjoying Thanksgiving hospitality, we also hit the road for some sightseeing. After reading about the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, we headed out to see how far we could go. We had a wonderful brunch in Kamas and then left town on Utah State Route 150. The road follows the Provo River as it tumbles down through the Uinta Mountains, and although the weather was unseasonably warm in northern Utah, there has been snow in the higher elevations. We were only able to drive 15 miles, but we were not disappointed. The terrain is beautiful, and as the road climbed upward the landscape became white. The patterns of the trees with their light and dark, the snow and blue sky — it was all a delight for the eyes. And whenever we stopped en route, we could hear the river below as it moved over rocks and rapids. As much as we marveled at the area on this shortened trip, we know we will return to travel and explore the full distance of the byway.
A black and white landscape
The past three weeks we’ve had a Friday snowfall, and each one has been different. One was wet and sloppy, one was a dusting of dry snow, and another was driven from the north. This one painted the trees on one side only, outlining them from the wind direction. Birch and aspen that are generally white had an extra coating of brighter white on the north. With a cloudy sky overhead, this color photograph became a black and white scene without any alterations. Each of these snows have been short-lived as they’ve been followed by warmer temperatures and sometimes rain. But as the months progress, we know there will soon be the snow that stays and is increased with each storm – all the way until next spring.
The turn of a season and a calendar page
Like the flip of a switch, spring blew into the Twin Cities this past week. Last Monday, May 1st, brought us snow flurries in abundance – it looked and felt more like November than May. But as the week wore on, the temperatures rebounded, the sun appeared, and the leaves started opening. The tulips and daffodils became riots of color, the crabapple trees were awash in pinks and whites, and the once-barren, brown grass became green again. This weekend found people outside – gardening, walking, running, biking, having parties on their patios and decks – anything to soak up the warmth and the return of spring.
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