Community garden

They're all over town sometimes popping up in unexpected places. This one took over a section of the parking lot at the Gateway bike trailhead.

Garage sale season

It's all happening on the weekends now that the snow is gone and the weather is cooperating.

Buena vista

The aptly named Buena Vista Park in Alma, Wisconsin has a bird's eye view of the Mississippi. One of my favorite parts of the river is an easy day trip from the Twin Cities.

Happy mother's day circa 1953

Standing guard

Went to the pet store to get kitty litter. Kitty would've loved all the sparrows nesting in PetSmart's signage.

Swollen St. Croix

There's not much room under the Stillwater bridge for the swollen St. Croix - and it's been a month since the snow melted.

Never try to foil a squirrel

My neighbors probably thought they would keep the squirrels from eating the bird seed if they suspended the feeder from the porch ceiling. You should see those squirrels fly!

Barge season on the river

I love watching the first barges cruise up the Mississippi. A sure sign of spring. However, something about this photo is not quite right. Anyone want to take a guess?

Upside down Ernie

Remember that suggestion to go for a morning walk along the river bluffs? Well, you never know what you'll find.

L3

My kinda place - breakfast, lunch, dinner - all in one place.

Theme day: Mailbox

I looked all over my neighborhood for something good. My, we have boring mailboxes! And then I came across this plucky (sorry!) fellow watching for the arrival of the mail on a front porch. Oddly enough I had discovered other animal-themed mailboxes in my neighborhood just last weekend and posted them before I knew what theme day was for May.

To view other entries, see the thumbnails here.

Morning mist

I highly recommend a morning walk on the bluffs along the Mississippi. This was on the Wisconsin side of the river which I think is particularly picturesque.

Across the pond

The closest I'll ever get to Buckingham Palace. Congrats, Will & Kate!

Baseball bats

Baseball season is upon us (though I'm not sure that Twins fans are having much fun at the outdoor stadium this cold and wet spring) and the Gallery of Wood Art in St. Paul's Landmark Center features this unique collection of bats.

Rebirth

In the week following Easter we are finally see spring arrive in Twin Cities. St John the Evangelist Church in St. Paul has some of the prettier trees framing their front facade.

Stone Arch Bridge

The Stone Arch Bridge was built downstream from St. Anthony Falls in the late 19th century by local railroad baron, James J. Hill (whose mansion still stands on Summit Avenue in St. Paul). On a recent spring day, strollers and bikers were out traversing the river between St. Anthony Main on the east side and the recently developed Mill Ruins Park on the west side. This is the view from the mound at Gold Medal Park looking across to some of the old mill buildings and new condos in the trendy part of the Marcy Holmes neighborhood.

Grrrrr...

Don't leave your toddler in the car in this parking lot. Lions and tigers and bears!

Easter houses

These bright porches light up the neighborhood in northeast Minneapolis even on a dreary spring day.

Pony express

An enterprising and creative neighbor has fashioned these mailbox covers for an triplex down the street. Makes me happy on a dreary spring day.

Arriving

A typical day at the MSP International Airport.

Told ya!

Wish it weren't so, but I warned you. Three days before Easter...

Lightning protection

Somehow this just feels like they know what they're doing, don't you agree?

Snow for Easter?

Like any wise Minnesotan this neighbor has not removed the snow shovels from the front porch even as Easter approaches (on one of the latest dates ever).

Blue state car

'Nuff said.

Czech fest

Today's Czech and Slovak fest at the Landmark Center attracted a crowd of people proud of their old world heritage.

Little yellow men

Telling us where to go and where not to go...

Rokker

Come to a spot on the lawn between Jones, Williamson, and Folwell Halls on the University of Minnesota campus to get an up close view of Rokker V installed in the early 1980s to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the U Alumni Association.

Darling buds of ... April

The first signs of spring along the Mississippi at Lock & Dam 1 (which, for the curious, is at mile 847.9 on the river).

The moons of Ford

The Ford plant in St. Paul got a reprieve a couple of years ago but its days (and moons) are numbered. The assembly plant will close at the end of this year leaving a 125-acre site on the Mississippi River empty and up for grabs.

Blue of night

The last rays of an early spring sunset reflect off the Weisman Museum in the background and the new Science Teaching building lights up the on-coming night. What a magical time of day.

Nina's columns

I'm collecting columns around town. These are on the corner of Selby and Western and belong to a favorite coffee shop.

Road closed

I wanted to bike down in the Minnesota River valley this week but this road was closed due to high water. We didn't have record flooding, though, and now it's starting to recede.

Music al fresco

Walking through the Macalester campus the other day and spotted the source of the music right there in front of the student center.

Oil spill art

I've been meaning to get back to the Bloomington Art Center for the winter ceramic exhibition and finally made it. These are NOT pots. Sorry to say today is the last day so hurry on over.

Gold Medal Park

A fine spring day to enjoy the park on the river next to the Guthrie Theater.

Junk yard snow

Here's where all the snow went when we saw the dump trucks filled to overflowing this winter. By the end of the week this may be a shadow of itself (if we're lucky).

Sixth Avenue Stroll

I've been wanting to get back to these whimsical bronze sculptures along 6th Avenue S.E., and this past weekend it was perfect for strolling. They line both sides of the street for two blocks just south of University Avenue in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. Created by sculptor Aldo Moroni they are models of some of the first buildings erected in 19th century Minneapolis.

Pancakes, anyone?

The Mill City Museum traces the history of milling in Minneapolis which could be a pretty dry topic, but the Minnesota History Center tries really hard to engage visitors - especially children - in fun ways.

Sir Tyrone

It was just the kind of early spring day recently that brings people out in droves - like this group sunning on the terrace of Sea Change overlooked by Sir Tyrone himself (the founder of the Guthrie Theater).

Student activism

Not surprising that students at the U might be on the march again given the recent events in neighboring Wisconsin and the proposals in our legislature to slash education budgets.

Theme day: Edgy edge

This odd building on the University of Minnesota campus seemed to fit the bill for the April Theme Day. One entire side is made up of a series of rough, unfinished edges and the other a line of windows. It hardly looks like a building at all from this angle.
For more photos of theme day, visit this page.

Eat mi, drink mi, bun mi

This tiny, popular lunch spot on the University of Minnesota campus packs them in with people on the left waiting to pay and people on the right waiting for their food. I was squeezed at a small table between the two lines. Good pork sandwich!

Flood stage

It's been worse in past years and it might have been worse this year, but it won't be (knock on wood). Just upstream from downtown St. Paul, the river is lapping ever so slightly at this guy's feet.

Ice-free river

At the end of Summit Avenue in St. Paul, an overlook on the bluff gives a great view of the changing river. Here at the end of March, after a flirt with spring and a return to winter, we can see that the river is completely open. Yahoo!

Read a book

Back to the Rondo library on University Avenue where the quiet corner fireplace surround implores you to "spin a yarn," "express yourself," and "open your mind" among other bits of advice. See a close-up of the fireplace here.

Enjoying a meal

I'm not sure I've seen bliss in the eyes of a squirrel before.

Dancing for spring

We're a little ahead of May Day but I ran across this photo I took of some Morris dancers last year and thought it wouldn't hurt to summon some spring karma.

Vålkommen

It's time to take our minds off the sorry state of affairs that is the prolonged winter weather and imagine ourselves in mid-summer. Just outside of the Twin Cities in Lindstrom this water tower standing over the town makes me smile and reminds me that warm days are indeed ahead.

It's not over yet

I don't know what these dogs in my neighborhood think, but the rest of us are pretty sick of winter. Hey, it is now officially spring so, give up, Mother Nature.

Fishy art

Somebody along Grand Avenue made good use of bits of this and that.