As quickly as winter left, spring has arrived. Minnesota spring-time is short and condensed. It’s almost as if you can watch the flowers come up through the thawed and warming ground. Our lilacs are bursting forth, the peonies grow inches overnight, and the greenest of ferns have started to unfurl. From a tight bud to the gentle arches, they are a study of delicateness and beauty. Soon the fronds will be straight and upright, but I love the soft curves that they now show.
Photography
Minnesota fishing opener weekend
This weekend has been the Minnesota fishing opener – a tradition of celebrating the beginning of open lakes and water, the promise of spring and summer, and the outdoor recreation of fishing. This is the weekend for the opening of walleye and Northern pike fishing – a time that finds all fisher-people out on the water. We have participated in this ritual for the past few years, heading north to some of our favorite lakes. This weekend we camped near Inguadona Lake and we were fortunate to be rewarded with a wonderful sunset. Although the day had been sunny and windy, with clouds around, the evening calmed and the sun broke through the clouds before setting. The reflection over the lake seemed fitting for the close of the day. As we later slipped into our tent, we drifted off to sleep with the sound of loons calling across the lake. All in all, a true Minnesota celebration of the fishing tradition and the North Woods and Lake Country.
Easter and spring-time
Today is Easter — a celebration of hope, spring, and renewal. So many things come to mind when I think of Easter, but one that brings a smile to my face are Peeps. With their sugar-coating, the beady eyes and pointed beaks, these purple peeps remind me of the child-like wonder that made Easter so special when we were young. My Easter and spring wish for you is a renewal of that hope and wonder we all search for at this time of year.
Spring in the heartland
Last weekend as I was driving home from Iowa to Minnesota I was reminded of the beauty of the Midwest heartland. No big looming mountains, no expansive oceans, no rugged red rocks. But there’s a vastness of the land that spreads from horizon to horizon. Here’s the area responsible for much of the food that’s delivered to our tables, and this land goes through the temperature extremes of freezing, thawing, flooding, and drought. While I was driving on the interstate I kept one eye to the western sky and the colors that were building up to sunset. As the pinks were glowing I pulled off onto a county road; the smell of soil and cool winds came wafting through the car’s open window. This one field was between seasons with some snow still clinging to the cold earth, the soil that was thawing, and the ribbons of water and puddles that were reflecting the last light of a beautiful day and sunset. So much to be thankful for in this spring season of hope and renewal!
Store-bought spring
Spring has been hard-to-come-by in Minnesota. Although we’ve had some warmer temperatures they seem to be interrupted with cold fronts and more snow. Desperate for spring, I decided that even store-bought color would count. Yellow and green are the colors that represent the hope and promise of spring, and these lovely yellow tulips were calling to me at the store. With some sunshine and temps in the 40’s, I took my spring bouquet outside to photograph. A little bit of filtered sunshine seemed to bring them to life. What you don’t see in this image is the white snow that still covers the ground in places. But I can look at this image and focus on the promise of spring to come.
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