After an unusually long hibernation, our bicycles have come out of storage and onto the roads and trails again. Although the bikes adjust quickly, it takes a bit longer for us to get our riding legs back in condition. We enjoyed two rides this weekend on the Gateway Trail. Minnesota has wonderful biking and recreation trails, and the Gateway is one of my favorites. This trail wanders from downtown Saint Paul, through the city, into the suburbs, and then out into the countryside passing farms, fields, lakes, and wetlands. The trail has numerous bridges that go over the main streets and roads, making it much safer for riders and drivers. Built on an old railroad bed, it was the perfect trail for us to help acclimate back to riding form. The weekend was a great reminder of how much I enjoy being on a bike, taking in the sounds and smells around me, and reveling in the trail and the physical exercise.
Saint Paul
Wishing for spring
The calendar turns to March, and our wishes turn to spring. The cold and hardness of winter is still around us, but this is when we yearn for the softness of spring – for color, thawing, and green. In Minnesota, the only place to find that now is at the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park – our very own oasis of spring. These daffodils represent the hope and promise of spring to me. The yellow of sunshine, the green of new beginnings, and the softness that starts the season of spring. Soon……
A hint of spring with magnolias
Our weather has been gloomy with days of gray. Our landscape has been transitional; warmer temperatures this past week caused some snow to melt, leaving patches of brown grass and piles of dirty snow. But one place is an oasis of spring – the McNeely Conservatory at Como Park. With a walk into the Sunken Garden, one is surrounded visually by spring. Colors of pink and yellow, purple and blue – a wonderful sight to the eyes. With encouragement like this, winter can’t last too much longer and we’ll savor the sights of spring when they arrive.
Free air in a winter landscape
After a “brown” Christmas with many Minnesotans grumbling about the lack of white, we awoke to a 6-inch snow on Saturday morning. The landscape was once again white and clean. I was wandering around the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota and found these bicycles and “Free Air.” The snow had piled up precariously on top of the handlebars, tires, and bicycle seats – almost like frosting on a cake. The colors of the bikes and the chains added a bright contrast to the white and brown scenery all around. With the forecast of colder temperatures I doubt this snow will be melting anytime soon.
Fog and stillness at Como Park
The cold and crisp of winter moderated the past two days with temperatures in the 40’s. With our layer of snow and cold temperatures on the ground we awoke this morning to a beautiful landscape of fog. The stillness of early morning and the fog’s softening effect made the landscape magical. Everything stood quietly as the fog moved in and out, becoming thicker and then lessening to a thin veil. I was at the McNeely Conservatory at Como Park this morning, where the thin ice of the Frog Pond allowed the fog to form above it in a narrow band, still leaving the dome of the conservatory visible above.
lindastaatsphoto.com 