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.
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!
The sounds of winter’s arrival
Just when we were resigning ourselves to the prospect of a brown Christmas, the snow moved into the Twin Cities yesterday afternoon. It snowed throughout the evening and into the early morning hours, and when I awoke today our scenery was coated with four inches of white and fluffy snow. I grabbed my camera and headed over to Como Park early. There were few people on the streets but even the sound of the three or four cars was muffled by the snow. After about 15 minutes of walking I could hear a snow shovel scraping the pavement. When I arrived at the park I could see, and eventually hear, the sound of the trail groomer as she laid down the cross-country ski track; we exchanged waves as she drove past. Another five minutes passed before I heard the whish of a skier coming up behind me. And shortly after that the sound of geese flying south filled the air. It was one skein of geese after another, no longer content to be in an area of frozen lakes and ponds and headed to warmer climes. I watched and wondered how far south they would fly today. Another ten minutes passed and I could hear children’s laughter and squeals as they were sledding with abandon down a nearby hill. The time passed quickly and as I headed back home the city had awakened. Traffic was moving carefully on the snow-covered streets and people were either shoveling their walks and drives or using snow blowers to clear the paths. The sounds of winter have arrived once again.
On the wing
The days are shorter. The nights are colder. The first snow of the season has fallen. And our lakes are starting to ice over as we begin to slide into winter. Along with all these changes there is an increase in the activity of the ducks and geese. One of my favorites sights and sounds is a flock of Canada geese flying overhead — the beat of their wings and their honking is music to my ears. Since I live between Lake Como and the agricultural fields of the University of Minnesota I am on the path of the geese flying from the water at the lake to the food at the agricultural crops at the U. So many times I am stopped in my tracks to look up and appreciate their flight overhead. I know that soon enough the majority of geese and ducks will have migrated south to warmer climes and we will return to the hush and quiet of the snow and the cold of winter. In this week of Thanksgiving, the geese and their winged flight are one of the many things I appreciate and am thankful for.
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