The Minnesota State Fair ends it’s 2016 run tomorrow; a 12-day event filled with animals, rides, vendors, music, art displays, food on a stick, and millions of people gathering as summer winds down. Minnesota has 3,000+ dairy farms and honors those in the industry with its own Dairy Princess. There are numerous finalists from different counties around the state, and one princess is chosen to be Princess Kay of the Milky Way. She and the other princesses serve as goodwill ambassadors for the dairy industry. Since 1965 Linda Christensen has been spending each day of the fair in a 40 degree cooler carving a 90 pound block of butter into the likeness of Princess Kay and the 11 other princesses. It takes Linda about six hours for each butter bust, requiring the princess and Linda to dress warmly and take breaks. As the platform rotates inside the cooler, fair-goers can watch Linda’s skills and marvel at the sculptures she’s completed, all while savoring the malts, shakes, cones, and cheese curds that are sold right next to the cooler. When the fair is complete, each princess gets to take home her own butter sculpture. It is just one of the things that makes the Minnesota State Fair so special.
summer
Quiet at dawn on Lake Como
Yesterday’s cool rain cleared overnight, but left pockets of fog in some of the low-lying areas. The stars came out with the promise of sunshine today. I was up before dawn this morning and went to Lake Como. The air was still — no wind to form ripples or waves across the lake, and the fog that was expected hadn’t settled in over the water. Gradually the dawn sky was growing lighter. The canoes and kayaks that are available for rent rested in place on the dock, waiting for today’s patrons. The peace and quiet were a welcome relief from the busyness and crowds that are a short mile away converging on the Minnesota State fairgrounds.
Too much rainfall
We wandered south of the Twin Cities yesterday on a dreary, rainy Saturday. August has been unusually wet with heavy downpours occurring frequently, resulting in high rivers and standing water in many fields. All this was noticeable as we drove through the countryside, but it became more apparent on a stop in the town of Cannon Falls. Here, the Little Cannon River flows alongside and through the town. In a “normal” August, average rainfall for Cannon Falls is four inches. To date this month they have had close to double that – almost eight inches. And with yesterday’s rain continuing to fall, it was obvious as the river stretched out of its banks. The falls were roaring and tossing the brown, sediment-filled water into the air as it tumbled toward the Cannon River which then flows on to the Mississippi River.
The freshness after the rain
This past week started out with unusually hot temperatures and high humidity. Everyone was staying inside and trying to keep cool in whatever way we could. After about four or five days of heat, a storm moved through with heavy rain and wind, followed by a cool front behind it. The next morning I was out for a walk in our neighborhood. The lighter, cooler, fresher air was a welcome relief. I walked over to Como Golf Course and spent a few minutes watching the sun clear the hills and trees. People were out and about walking their dogs, running, and bicycling. It was as if everyone was anxious to enjoy the cool of the morning and the promise of a new day. I turned a corner and found this cat precariously seated on the house railing – as if he too was enjoying the morning and waiting to welcome the sunrise.
Yellows of summer, and a signal of change
Today we are on the cusp of the last month of our meteorological summer. As I’m getting ready to turn the page of the calendar to August, it’s not something I want to do, but yet it is reality. These yellows of summer will soon be fading, much as our daylight hours are already diminishing. Yet, I remind myself that change is good and often we must go through change to get to something better. Without the cold and snow of winter, we would not have the beautiful forests and trees that grace our state. Ten years ago I moved to Minnesota – truly a huge change after living 30 years in Washington state. I am amazed at the things I’ve seen and learned, and humbled by the changes in my life. I’ve learned that a mid-west winter can be survived (and embraced) with temperatures that remain below zero; that frozen lakes can be driven on; that hockey can be played on those same frozen lakes; that there are small little “houses” that spring up on those frozen lakes where people ice fish; that a horizon line that goes off into the distance as far as I can see holds immense beauty and openness; that thunderstorms can be as beautiful as they are sometimes destructive; and that the colors of autumn are intense and beautiful, yet they can’t be timed to the calendar each year. But the biggest thing I’ve learned is that life continues and we adjust – we can chose to adapt and embrace those changes and live our lives fully. My life has become bigger with all those changes and new experiences, and I know that there will be more in the future ahead, just like the inevitable change in the seasons.
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