Photo Friday: City

The Viking Bar has been closed for a while now which is a shame. It was an iconic landmark near the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota.

Go here for more Photo Friday images.

ABC Wednesday: E is for Edibles

The alleyways in my neighborhood make good use of south-facing garage walls with baskets of hanging tomato plants. And, they're ripening up about now. More ABC Wednesday entries here.

Theme day: Cobblestones

Cobblestones are not found very readily any more on Midwestern streets, but my neighborhood has maintained a block-long stretch that is teeth-jarring. No wonder most cobblestone or brick streets have been paved over. If you'd like to see more theme day photos, go here.

Better watch out

They're on their way! Don't forget the cookies and milk... and a lawn chair.

Along the watch tower

The Prospect Park water tower, built in 1913, is on the highest point of land in Minneapolis and thus visible from many points in the Twin Cities. Rumor has it that Dylan's song title refers to the tower which can be seen from the U of M. You can go up to the look out level but only once a year around Memorial Day when the neighborhood holds an ice cream social.

Uh-oh...

Watch out for the mounted police in my neighborhood.

Composting

This will be one of the last weekends to get those leaves to the compost. This site is off St. Clair near 35E in St. Paul and is jam-packed with cars and trucks on the weekends.

Did you get this week's theme? It was pretty easy, no? Birds - live or otherwise (see Monday or Thursday).

Shadow play

Time for a drink at Palmer's Bar which has been on Cedar near Riverside for over 100 years. Though a 10th anniversary of sorts was recently celebrated.

Slow down

Old St Paul has an entire behind-the-scenes life. Here's one example from the Merriam Park neighborhood. This is the first post for this week's theme. Stay tuned for more.

Last night's scores

Monday night football - the morning after - at Nina's coffee shop. Post 2 for this week's theme.

L is for library book

Post three for the theme this week and my contribution to ABC Wednesday is taken at the Rondo Community Library in St. Paul. To see more "L" photos click here.

This page is also dedicated to a good friend who has an important milestone birthday today and couldn't live without books!  CB, happy birthday.

Home run

Summer softball is over, but there's always the fall league. This photo starts a new theme (after taking a break for a week). Check back tomorrow for another entry and a chance to guess what it is.

Daily walk

The sun is rising later and setting earlier making for more dramatic strolls.

Farmers market

It's a perfect weekend for a trip to the farmers market in St. Paul. The forecast is for decidedly fall weather as of midweek, so the time to go is now.

Thirsty lawn

We never would've thought in June that watering our lawn would be necessary but here we are at the end of summer with brown grass. Feast or famine, I guess. And, if you're selling a house on upmarket Summit Avenue you want the curb appeal to be at its best.

Post #2 for this week's theme.

Weekend breakfast

A holiday weekend and it's time to stop at Patisserie 46 for a croissant and the New York Times crossword. More food posts here.

Did you get last week's theme? Should've been easy - a deer, a hummingbird, a giraffe, a spider, a bee.

Red brownstones

I'm a little behind on the new week's theme posts, but here we have #1 for the week of Aug 15-19. These solid brownstones on a gracious side street in Saint Paul are built from the same material as the more renowned J. J. Hill mansion around the corner. It was quarried in the Apostle Islands up in Lake Superior and really cuts a dramatic line in the old neighborhoods of the city.

House columns

Back to photographing columns - these are down the street from me. The house on the left is a typical turn-of-the-20th c. four-square with graceful turned woodwork. The house on the right was built a few years ago and its porch, while fitting the general style of the neighborhood, just somehow doesn't live up to the elegance of the old house. What do you think?

Night play

When the little ones are away, the big ones will play (at Linwood playground).

Gimme an L, gimme an I...

Can't miss the library on Hennepin Avenue in Uptown.