The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is in full swing this weekend. This is the time when we celebrate (and embrace) the cold weather. There are events ranging from parades to ice carving to snow sculpting to hockey games to outdoor beer gardens to Red Bull Crashed Ice and a sleigh and cutter rally too. Although we’ve had some serious cold weather this past week our snowfall has been minimal. But there was enough for the sleighs and horses to be out today. With temperatures right around freezing and a light snow coming down it seemed like I had been transported to a different era. Many of the drivers were dressed in period clothing to match their sleighs or wagons, and the horses seemed to enjoy the open space and the snow as they trotted along. There were one and two-horse sleighs, and a few sleighs pulled by ponies whose feet had to work overtime to cover the same distance as the horses. This driver and his matched team seemed to be reveling in the event and the weather. The image made me think that they had been out for a drive and were now headed back to the comfort and warmth of their respective home and barn.
snow
Merry Christmas!
Wishing you all the joy, hope, and wonder of the holidays.
-Linda
Winter’s arrival
Winter has arrived, in all her glory. It started snowing during the night and has continued all day. From a dusting, to a few inches, to piles, it’s still continuing to fall and grace our landscape. I ventured out this morning when we had about three to four inches. The landscape was beautiful with the snow outlining the trees and structures. Everything was graced in a beautiful white coat. I went to the horticulture garden on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. In the spring and summer it’s filled with the bright and bold colors of flowers, blooming shrubs, and vegetables. There are small tables and chairs that invite people to stop and linger and to enjoy the surroundings. Today I had the garden to myself, however the tables and chairs still seemed to be calling for people to pause and marvel at the beauty in the garden. Although not the summer colors, I was pleased to find the red berries and twigs, the golds of the grasses, the greens in the shrubs, and the dark textures of the trees – all a welcome contrast to the white coating of snow.
Trumpeter swans
Our landscape has become winter-like this past week with a couple of small snowfalls accompanied by sub-zero temperatures. Lakes that previously had thin ice have become more consistently frozen and our winter wildlife has become more at home with the cooler weather. Within the heart of the Twin Cities are many lakes and wildlife areas, and this morning we ventured north about seven miles to an area of lakes that feed into each other, connected by canals or waterways. This year there is a group of about 40 trumpeter swans that are calling this urban area home. As we walked into the park the snow enveloped us with its quiet and hush, even though a county highway wasn’t far away. After a bit we could hear the sounds of the swans and their accompanying mallard ducks as they traversed the canal. They seemed quite content in this homeland within the city. The trumpeter swans are large birds having a wingspan of up to seven feet. As we stopped and watched it was easy to lose ourselves in their honking and the sound of their wings flapping. The ducks were flying in and out of the waterway, and on the far shore we even spotted a mink as it scurried along the rocks and the ledges then slipped silently underwater. It was a wonderful treat to spend the time in the outdoors surrounded by the wildlife and waterfowl that have given us this opportunity to observe them so close to our homes.
Cue a new year
With our brown grass and unseasonably warmer temperatures it really hasn’t “felt” or “looked” like Christmas, let alone winter. For New Year’s Eve we planned a quiet day of running errands and making turkey soup, and then headed out for an evening movie at the historic Riverview Theater in Minneapolis. And as things seem to have a way of cueing up at just the right time, we came out of the theater around 9:30 to the sight of a beautiful snowfall. We walked across the street to a lovely cafe and wine bar, and enjoyed the mixture of lively conversation and a band while watching the snow collect on the sidewalks and trees. This was a wet and heavy snow, and the flakes were the biggest I’ve ever seen. Some could easily have been over an inch and half square! It was as if 2012 had taken its cue to enhance our mood with a much-needed and appropriate snowfall.
As I look back on 2011 I am thankful for so many things – friends, family, and good health (including one repaired thumb). I’ve had the opportunity to make over 5,100 photographic images this past year. Granted, not all of them are the “perfect” image, but many have served as “sketches” for a final image. I’ve also taken two short videos – one was intentional and one was not. And, for the 3rd year I have posted a photo and entry to this blog every week. I started to blog in 2009 as a challenge to maintain my love of photography. Some weekends I approach my computer and blog with joy, wanting to share a great photo and a wonderful experience I’ve had. Other weekends I start to panic on Sunday realizing that I haven’t had my camera out and I feel a deadline fast approaching. Each of those scenarios have taught me things about myself and my photography. Thanks to all of you that follow my blog, and to those who comment. Your interest in my scenes and stories, coupled with your comments and your stories keep me coming back week after week.
May this coming year be filled with peace, hope, beauty, vision, more photographs, experiences, and a life filled to the brim!
lindastaatsphoto.com 