Saint Paul

Winter weekend of fun

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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.

Winter at Como Park

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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.

Resting up for Christmas

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Winter arrived in the Twin Cities this past week when seven inches of snow came blowing in on 20 mph winds.  The temperatures dropped and the snow fell.  It had us all remembering how to drive in snow and slush, how to shovel our walks and drives without hurting our backs, and it sent us scurrying to find our winter clothes and toys.  The sleds, skies, and snowshoes all came out of the closet this past week in a flurry of snowy activity.  However…there were some creatures that were found to be resting up for future activities.  The reindeer know that their big night is coming up in a couple of weeks, and although the snow is here there is much preparation that needs to be done.  Food must be eaten to gain strength, and rest is essential in order to have the energy to deliver Santa around the globe on his yearly mission.  And so this reindeer is doing when needs to be done, knowing that the upcoming job is a big one, and Santa is relying on each reindeer to be in top physical and mental shape.

Winter’s arrival

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Winter has arrived this week, and with it so many changes.  For the past six days, our temperatures have stayed below freezing. We’ve had some blowing snow, although not enough to cover the grass.  But the cold weather is now allowing Mother Nature to ice over our lakes and ponds.  Many of the Canada geese are flying high in the sky, heading south to warmer climes.  Whereas before we heard their calls in the early morning and before sunset, now they are continuous throughout the day as they journey away in large flocks before the winter becomes harder and colder.   What waterfowl remain, find it slippery going on the once-liquid lakes.  Soon the transition to winter will be complete and we will revel in her white and shimmering beauty.

A personal bicycling milestone

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1500 mile ride 2009 PS0610_StaatsThis past week marked a new milestone for me, one I wouldn’t have imagined at the beginning of the year.  On Wednesday I took advantage of a warm late-fall afternoon to complete an 18-mile bicycle ride on the Gateway Trail on the outskirts of Saint Paul.  By completing this ride I have now ridden 1,500 miles this year — an amount that far exceeds anything I’ve ever done.  All those miles have been filled with new sights, adventures, and shared conversations.  The ones early in the year were done in training for the Bike Across Kansas, and the ones at the end of the summer and into the fall were for the exercise and the enjoyment of riding.  I can’t predict how many miles I’ll traverse next year, but I know these 1,500 miles have plenty of enjoyable memories to carry me through the winter and have me looking forward to new bicycling adventures starting next spring.