How quickly the year has gone by. Here we are once again at the wonderful season of Christmas. No matter what one’s faith, there is a specialness to this time. If we look past the pressure to shop, the expectation of finding the perfect gift, any anxiety over meals, cookies, etc., there is still a child’s unbridled excitement over the mystery of the holiday. I encourage us all to focus on the joy and beauty that surrounds us at this holiday time. Our spirits can be lighter and we can be of good cheer, and with a bit of encouragement that attitude can become contagious and spread to many. May you find and rekindle the joy and happiness that can reside in each of our hearts and spirits during this time of year, and may you keep that alive within you as we all prepare to begin 2011. Merry Christmas!
conservatory
Spring color in bloom
It’s winter outside — the ground is covered in white, the temperature is in the teens. But this morning I walked into a breath of spring when I visited the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. The Winter Flower Show is now on display in the Sunken Garden, and it’s colors and sights are a treat to the eyes as much as its smells and scents are wonderful to experience. The pinks of the azaleas and the pale whites and yellows of the pansies were a beautiful combination of color — soft and delicate as only spring can be. In order to create a “softer” feel to this photograph, I placed a piece of plastic wrap over my lens. It had a wonderful effect of softening the lines and making the image more about the colors and the “feel” of the colors than of the lines of the flowers. As we deal with the snow storm that’s moving through over the next three days, I’ll easily return to my photos and my memories of the smells and colors of the conservatory garden.
Winter at Como Park
Snow has continued to fall this past week. We haven’t received the dumping that the East Coast is dealing with, but rather we have a beautiful coating that’s put everyone in the holiday spirit. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is located in Como Park in Saint Paul, and is a wonderful gem in the city. No matter how cold and wintry it is outside, it’s warm and tropical inside. It’s presently filled with poinsettias, begonias, and hibiscus — a wonderful burst of color during this season of white. As Christmas is fast approaching this week, I wish everyone a season of joy and wonder, family and friends.
McNeely Conservatory summer flower garden
One of my favorite places to go, whether to photograph or to soothe my soul is the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. The Sunken Garden flower shows are a feast of color to the eyes and a treat to my sense of smell. Right now the summer flowers are on exhibit in the garden. I was fortunate to be there one night this past week when there were only a few fellow photographers. It was peaceful, calm, and very quiet except for the water flowing at the base of the sculpture. This bronze piece is titled “Play Days” and was created by Harriet Frishmuth in the early 1900’s. On this night the young woman was surrounded by a beautiful reflection of the evening sky and the blooming flowers of summer.
Double rainbow at Como Park
Spring is an unsettled time of year in the upper Midwest. Our weather comes from all four directions, oftentimes colliding over Minnesota. Last week we had a beautifully sunny and warm day. Until about 5:00pm, when the clouds rolled in, the winds picked up, and it started to rain. I headed to my office to get some work done, not realizing that the front was moving through quickly and it would be followed by clearing. About 7:30 the clouds parted from the western horizon, creating a beautiful low directional golden light. With the rain still to the east a vivid double rainbow emerged. I grabbed my camera and hurried to nearby Como Park and the McNeely Conservatory. Luckily I arrived before the rainbow disappeared, thanking the weather and photo gods for presenting such a stunning and vibrant display.
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