Just when I think I’ve gotten tired of the cold and the snow, Mother Nature puts a new spin on winter. Yesterday morning I woke up to a beautiful scene. The fog that had crept in during the overnight was freezing and coating everything with a wondrous layer of white. Within a mile from the house I found these lovely flower heads that had been leftover from summer. On any other day I would have walked right past them. But with a frosting of frozen fog and their delicate arching, I became mesmerized and photographed for over a half-hour. It was as if each small snowflake was layered ever so gently, one on top of another. And yet this was all short-lived, as within a matter of hours the sun broke through the clouds and the wind picked up, eliminating any remnants of this morning scene.
Minnesota
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.
Trumpeter swans on the Mississippi
During the winter months in Minnesota many of our rivers and lakes freeze. But there is a section of the Mississippi River that runs through the city of Monticello where the waters remain open because of a nuclear generating plant that operates upstream. From mid-November through February, this area is home to over 1,500 trumpeter swans. Because the swans weigh between 20-35 pounds each they need a large area to take off and land. During a recent visit to Monticello, I spent a wonderful few hours along an open stretch of the river observing and photographing the swans as they came and went. Not only was this a visual treat, but an auditory one as well. The swans’ wings make a distinctive sound as they’re preparing to take off in flight. This sound, along with their honking and the sounds of the Canada geese and ducks that were also in the area made for a wonderful cacophony that filled the cold morning air. This is not your documentary photograph, but I chose a slow shutter speed to better convey the flight of the swans; their grace and beauty was reflected in the river below them as they flew past me and upstream.
Winter weekend of fun
In the bracing cold of winter, we Minnesotans can not be said to shy away from outdoor activities! And yet Mother Nature has played a cruel trick on us here in the Twin Cities this year. In what is traditionally the coldest time of the season we have had temperatures above freezing, and rain…requiring some adjustments on our activities. This was the weekend of the US Pond Hockey tournament on Lake Nokomis. Unfortunately the rinks were covered with 2 to 3 inches of water, making a puck useless, and postponing the presentation of the Golden Shovel award to a later date. This was also the beginning of our Winter Carnival in Saint Paul — an annual celebration of the enjoyment of our white season. The Vulcans were out en force, celebrating in their raucous tradition, and getting ready for their overthrow of King Boreas in the upcoming week. And there was a sleigh and cutter rally at Lake Phalen, where the horses and ponies were tromping through slush and standing water, rather than gliding along over inches and feet of snow. But we know that winter is not done yet. There are predictions of colder temps returning again. In the meantime, we’ll promise to enjoy the winter, adjust to Mother Nature’s schedule, and revel in whatever is doled out to us.
Not your usual ice fishing houses
In Minnesota we are proud of our winter sports and activities. Although many people don’t understand, there is a complete culture of ice fishing fanatics who count the days in winter until they can slide their ice houses out on the frozen lakes and pursue their catch of the day. On a bay of Medicine Lake on the western side of Minneapolis you will find an unusual collection of what looks to be ice fishing houses. But this is a different collection of people — this is a group of art shanties that are set up on the ice for about five weeks each year. The collection of 20 “houses” includes a teepee shanty, dice shanties (where you can sit inside and play card games), and a dance shanty, where the music has a great beat, and people keep warm by dancing on the wood floor with a chandelier overhead. If one ventures further out on the lake, you’ll find the more usual collection of ice houses, with the dedicated fishermen and women, but Medicine Lake (and Minnesota) is big enough to cater to all types in this cold season of winter.
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