After a “brown” Christmas with many Minnesotans grumbling about the lack of white, we awoke to a 6-inch snow on Saturday morning. The landscape was once again white and clean. I was wandering around the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota and found these bicycles and “Free Air.” The snow had piled up precariously on top of the handlebars, tires, and bicycle seats – almost like frosting on a cake. The colors of the bikes and the chains added a bright contrast to the white and brown scenery all around. With the forecast of colder temperatures I doubt this snow will be melting anytime soon.
winter
Fog and stillness at Como Park
The cold and crisp of winter moderated the past two days with temperatures in the 40’s. With our layer of snow and cold temperatures on the ground we awoke this morning to a beautiful landscape of fog. The stillness of early morning and the fog’s softening effect made the landscape magical. Everything stood quietly as the fog moved in and out, becoming thicker and then lessening to a thin veil. I was at the McNeely Conservatory at Como Park this morning, where the thin ice of the Frog Pond allowed the fog to form above it in a narrow band, still leaving the dome of the conservatory visible above.
Winter’s arrival
The seasons change quickly, and so it was this past week. Overnight we went from autumn to winter, with snow and ice and January-like temperatures. Usually we have a teaser of a snowfall that quickly melts, but this week has had Minnesotans reaching for their dead-of-winter hats, coats, gloves, and snow shovels. Many of the autumn chores were rushed or left undone, including these clothespins that became decorated with snow. They clung desperately to the line as the wind rocked them back and forth, waiting patiently for someone to collect and store them until spring’s arrival next year.
Early morning at Gull Lake
I was lucky to have a great friend visit this past weekend. No matter that our beautiful autumn has passed and the colors are gone, we went exploring and hiking and got caught up on each others lives. We headed north to the central lakes region of Minnesota and stayed at the historic Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake. Two days before our arrival they had a couple of inches of snow, and although it was chilly the weather was fine for us. In the morning we walked along the lake, and this scene truly seemed to represent a lovely late summer’s day (although in reality the temperature was 34 degrees and the wind was blowing). I feel fortunate to have wonderful friends in my life, and this long weekend reminded me of a quote I read recently: “You can always tell when two people are best friends because they are having more fun than it makes sense for them to be having (author unknown).” And so it was for us!
Sentinels to winter
Winter made a comeback this week with a snowfall in the early morning hours. Fighting the slow traffic with the other commuters, I decided to get off the highway and visit a small local arboretum in Roseville – Central Park. I waited to park the car as the snow plow operator made his carefully practiced swipes of the lot, clearing the area in short time. I then had the quiet and the stillness of the park to myself. The landscape was white in all directions until I walked past a grouping of paper birch trees. Their peeling bit of color provided a contrast to all the snow. The birches and the small twigs seemed to be sentinels of winter with their watch over the cold and snow. In the distance I heard a single Canada goose honking as he took to the air, and somewhere a cardinal was welcoming the day. I then heard something I couldn’t recognize. Turning around I saw a cyclist winding his way down the path, leaving a single line of tire tracks in the fresh snow.
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