The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is in full swing this weekend. This is the time when we celebrate (and embrace) the cold weather. There are events ranging from parades to ice carving to snow sculpting to hockey games to outdoor beer gardens to Red Bull Crashed Ice and a sleigh and cutter rally too. Although we’ve had some serious cold weather this past week our snowfall has been minimal. But there was enough for the sleighs and horses to be out today. With temperatures right around freezing and a light snow coming down it seemed like I had been transported to a different era. Many of the drivers were dressed in period clothing to match their sleighs or wagons, and the horses seemed to enjoy the open space and the snow as they trotted along. There were one and two-horse sleighs, and a few sleighs pulled by ponies whose feet had to work overtime to cover the same distance as the horses. This driver and his matched team seemed to be reveling in the event and the weather. The image made me think that they had been out for a drive and were now headed back to the comfort and warmth of their respective home and barn.
Saint Paul
A different way of seeing in the snow
One of the pluses to photographing in the snow is it allows you to see things in a much different way. My primary photographic influence is color – the hues, the saturations, the play of one color off another. But when the landscape is covered in snow I find my eyes “see” differently. The abstract becomes much more visual for me. I was especially caught by this scene. Here was a light post by the side of a street. The street had tire tracks in the snow creating the horizontal patterns. The light pole was the vertical cross-pattern to the tire tracks. But then there was this wonderful swirl and curve that was created by the blowing snow all around the base of the light post. All the visuals seemed to play off each other in what would normally be a rather nondescript scene.
Winter’s arrival
Winter has arrived, in all her glory. It started snowing during the night and has continued all day. From a dusting, to a few inches, to piles, it’s still continuing to fall and grace our landscape. I ventured out this morning when we had about three to four inches. The landscape was beautiful with the snow outlining the trees and structures. Everything was graced in a beautiful white coat. I went to the horticulture garden on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. In the spring and summer it’s filled with the bright and bold colors of flowers, blooming shrubs, and vegetables. There are small tables and chairs that invite people to stop and linger and to enjoy the surroundings. Today I had the garden to myself, however the tables and chairs still seemed to be calling for people to pause and marvel at the beauty in the garden. Although not the summer colors, I was pleased to find the red berries and twigs, the golds of the grasses, the greens in the shrubs, and the dark textures of the trees – all a welcome contrast to the white coating of snow.
Early winter moonset
Our weather has been cooler since Thanksgiving when we had a bit of snowfall. The consistent cold temps have allowed ice to form on our lakes and ponds. With the promise of a crisp and clear morning I headed to the nearby golf course, not knowing what to expect. What I found was a beautiful dawn with pink skies, a full moon that was slowly making its journey to the horizon line, a frozen pond without snow cover that provided a beautiful soft reflection to the trees, and a wonderful stillness and peace that prevailed in the early hours. The warning signs for “Thin Ice” have already been placed, and some of the ducks and geese are being forced to larger lakes as they search for open water. Slowly we are moving into winter.
Petals of fall
I’m fortunate to live in close proximity to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Saint Paul. No matter what season or what the weather’s like outside, there’s always a view of color and warmth at the conservatory. And as we’re quickly approaching Thanksgiving, the sunken garden is filled with the warm colors of fall – yellows, oranges, and all the shades in between. As I was photographing here this morning I was reminded of so many things I have to be thankful for: my eyes, my health, my friends and family, a warm house, plentiful food, and the joy of living a wonderful life. I hope your week of Thanksgiving gives you pause to appreciate all that you have and the world around you.
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