The day started gray and blustery. The promise of a blue-sky spring day was not going to be a reality on this morning. After a few hours the wind picked up, the sky darkened, and the rain began making its own music as it hit the window panes. And it left its distinctive spring smell hanging in the air outside. As I walked into the room I saw the two tulips framed in the window. They are both past their prime, one more so than the other, and yet their curves and shapes were so nicely set off by the straight lines of the window. Their beauty was so very evident in all their simplicity.
Minnesota
Purple and gold of spring
The season of spring is the season of color. We come out of the white, silent world of winter and our senses are shocked by the abundance of colors. Our grasses are green, the new leaves are starting to emerge, and the flowering trees are now taking their turns. My eyes have been caught by the brilliant yellows and golds of the forsythia bushes that are now blooming. And when I drove past an entire hillside of them glowing in the sun I knew I had to return. But yesterday morning was cloudy and cold, with a gusty sharp wind that was keeping our temperatures in the 40’s. As I drove over to the yellow hillside I wasn’t too terribly excited because of the conditions. But what I found as I wandered around on the hill was a beautiful old redbud tree that has also responded to our early spring with buds of purple that were starting to emerge. Those of you from Minnesota will know that the University’s colors are maroon and gold, and so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this hillside of forsythia and this wonderful purple/maroon redbud was on the Saint Paul campus. Do you suppose this is a coincidence?
Morning magnolias
Last week saw the end of winter with ice-out on our Minnesota lakes. This week we plunged head-first into almost-summer (oops – where was spring?) with green grass nurtured by light rains and warm sunshine. The birds have been singing early in the mornings and there are daffodils and crocus showing off their colors amidst all the burgeoning green.
Last month I posted a photo of the magnolia tree that is outside our front window. At the time the tree had buds and looked rather gangly. She has now come into her prime, graced with large white blossoms, hiding the softest of pinks near the blossom base. It is a joy to see the white petals shimmer in the early morning mist, and then turn almost translucent as the sun reflects off them later in the day. It is one of the short-lived joys of spring that graces our transitioning landscape prior to the arrival of summer.
An early morning symphony
In a highly unusual fashion, summer came blowing in on southerly winds this past week, seeming to pass over spring and jumping straight to 80 degree temperatures. When I awoke yesterday morning to 59 degrees I grabbed my camera and headed out the door. I was hoping to photograph the red-winged blackbirds which have flown back into our area and have been heard with their brilliant singing. At a nearby lake I wandered down near the shore where there were cattails and reeds. The area was anything but peaceful. I could hear the blackbirds (although they were sitting high in the trees) and the distant cardinals and blue jays. And high overhead the geese and ducks were calling back and forth as they searched for open water. Many of our lakes have experienced an early ice-out due to the warm temperatures, but on this lake there was open water near the shore, an area of thin ice towards the center, and then another area of water. A muskrat floated by the shoreline in a lazy enjoyable manner. The morning was alive with activity and was in such stark contrast to our quiet hushed mornings of winter. As I composed this photograph I heard the sound of something or someone walking on the dried leaves across the small inlet. I looked up and found a deer watching me. She didn’t seem upset by my presence but rather curious. We watched each other for a while, and then she was joined by another deer. Perhaps they were also enjoying the morning’s early symphony, the smells of spring, and the promise of the changing seasons.
Dogsledding for a Cause
Way up in the northern-most part of Minnesota is an area known as the Gunflint Trail. This paved, two-lane road travels inland from Grand Marais on the western shore of Lake Superior for 57 miles ending at Seagull and Saganaga Lakes. Bordering on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the area is a treasure of hills, cliffs, lakes, forests, and some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Last month when we planned a mid-March trip to the Gunflint we expected to do some snowshoeing and winter exploring, anticipating lots of snow and cold temperatures. Little did we know that last Friday’s 20 degree temps would change into sunshine and near 50 on Saturday. There’s still plenty of snow in the area, and the lakes are still frozen with 20+ inches of ice, but it doesn’t seem like the middle of winter when you’re taking off hats and coats to cool off! We also didn’t know that this was the weekend for the Mush for a Cure, a non-competitive sled dog event to raise funds to help find a cure for breast cancer. With close to 40 mushers and lots of loud and excited dogs, the Mush began on frozen Gunflint Lake. The event is all for fun, with mushers, dogs, and spectators festooned in pink costumes and paraphernalia. The race is led by Captain Mammogram who rides his pink snowmobile enhanced with fake breasts. This was the sixth year for the Mush for a Cure and this year alone they raised over $29,000 (and still counting) to donate to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, bringing their total donations to close to $130,000. But this isn’t just a dog sledding event, it’s a weekend of activities including a pajama party, a king and queen coronation, and head shaving. We received an invite from John of Cross River Lodge to his crossing on Cook County 46. By following his sign that read “Free Beer 11 am to 1pm” we found a crowd of delightful and supportive people. For every free beer and/or beverage he handed out his Lodge donated $5 to the Mush, up to $500. With the warm temps, the cold beverages went quickly, and John made good on his pledge. And I’m proud to say that all the people at John’s crossing were more than ready to help out with an unfortunate accident that took place — our thoughts go out to the musher and his family. The organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and participants — everyone was having fun while raising money for a very serious cause. There was a grand feeling of community, of everyone coming together to celebrate the near-end of winter and to support a great and unique event. What a fun way to spend a winter weekend in northern Minnesota!
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