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.
Saint Paul
Unlikely photographic subjects
Like many photographers I often head out of the house with an idea of what I’m planning to photograph, or at least an idea of what I might find. The other evening I wandered over to the horticultural gardens at the University of Minnesota. There is a wonderful display of flowers, trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables. No matter which season or what time of the year I go to the gardens, I am almost always guaranteed to find something of interest. I had spent close to an hour photographing various flowers. As the sun was getting lower in the sky and the light was fading I decided to pack up and head home. I passed through the flower gardens and then through the vegetable gardens, but something caught my eye. The dill plants were glowing in the evening light. And as I passed, they didn’t look anything like the herb I was accustomed to seeing. With the sun setting behind them they took on an ethereal quality – something so delicate and lovely. I spent the next 15 minutes racing with the fading sun to make the photographic images that were delighting my eyes and senses. I certainly hadn’t planned to photograph any herbs, but this was a wonderful surprise.
Brightness and colors of summer
Summer is about sunshine, warmth, and color. We’re surrounded by blue skies, green grass, and the flowers that bloom profusely, sharing their colors. Our gardens are in full bloom now; the coneflowers, roses, lilies, clematis, and coleus. The coneflowers have always been one of my favorites. They start out a pale yellow, with their petals reaching upward to the sun. As they mature, the petals become a deep pink and then turn downward. It’s almost as if they were two completely different flowers. Their beauty and brightness always speaks to me of summer.
Sunset fishing
The past week has been stormy and rainy, with downpours of historic amounts. What a delight to have a return to sunshine on Friday – it seemed as though everyone got outside to enjoy the warmth of summer again. The unsettled weather has also brought some amazing clouds, and on this night there was a beautiful reflection of light and dark, pink and gray, as the sun was setting in the west. The lake at Como Park was filled with people – walking or biking the paths around the lake, taking in the sunset, or fishing. Summer is short in Minnesota so it’s important to make the most of each wonderful evening.
A fresh snowfall
We awoke yesterday morning to a fresh coating of snow – about four plus inches. And while it was still snowing, the forecast was for quickly clearing skies. I bundled up and headed over to Como Park. Arriving before dawn, there was already activity all around. The skiers were out on the golf course enjoying the open spaces, and the groomer was methodically going around the course near the ski hill laying the tracks. As the sun made its way above the low-lying clouds, it caused the shadows to pick up the patterns of the track – line after line after line. Just a few minutes after I made this photo, a group of skiers swooshed past me and down the hill, smiling and chatting and commenting how lucky they were to have such a glorious morning to be out and about.
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