We just returned from a day trip to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minnesota. Located right on the banks of the Mississippi River, the museum is a hidden treasure. The main reason for our trip was to see a special exhibit of 70 Ansel Adams prints. I was thrilled and amazed to see and study the creativity that Adams brought to his final prints. His use of black and white filters and his burning and dodging brought his images to the final representation of what he was seeing and experiencing when he captured the image. On our way back to the Twin Cities, we crossed over the River and followed the highway north along the Wisconsin side. Just outside of Pepin, Wisconsin we passed this amazing fence. Amidst the snowy landscape and the overcast sky that mimicked the ground cover, we stopped to marvel at this bright fence made entirely of winter skis. The color was eye-catching and the whole idea reminded me that just like we had observed at the Ansel Adams exhibit, there is creativity all around us.
winter
A new year with a look back to 2014
I was reading another photographer’s blog and she had posted her 12 favorite photos of the past year. With a nod to Kim Manley Ort, I culled through 4,142 images to pick 12 photos that were my favorites. Some have personal meanings, like the family photo after my mother’s death or the Royal typewriter that has been passed down through my father’s family. Others transport me to a cold winter morning (much like today!) or an unusually emerald-green lake with a sandy beach in north central Minnesota. The year took twists and turns that weren’t expected, yet I’m learning to embrace the changes, meet the challenges, and appreciate each day that is given – with joy and wonder. May the coming year be filled with 365 such days!
Free air in a winter landscape
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.
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.
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