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.

A river runs

I have it on a reliable source that the Sunrise River - about an hour out of the Twin Cities - is now fully thawed and running wild. Even in January this spunky little stream managed to keep moving! More from the Sunrise here.

Multicolored fun

The Lego store at the Mall of America continues to fascinate. What I could make with all those little colored pieces!

Beautiful spring

Isn't spring in Minnesota lovely? Just waiting for those crocus to appear.

Herb Brooks

The coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that beat the U.S.S.R. in one of the most exciting games in Olympic history is commemorated by this victory statue in downtown St. Paul.

Snoozing

Even covered in snow (but not for long, we hope) the benches in Loring Park appeal to nappers.

Pinocchio

I wonder how many people will be spending St. Pat's day with this view from a public toilet stall.

Woodstock on Grand Avenue

He's on one of the many Snoopy statues that dotted St. Paul a few summers back. This one ended up on the front lawn of a veterinarian's clinic.

Columnar trees

More columns. This time on a former Christian Scientist church turned River of Life church. But mostly I like the way the trees and their shadows on a late afternoon mimic the facade of the building.

Serious melting ahead

It may finally be on its way, though the melting could cause trouble for more than a few households this year.

Church of England

Every time I walk by this Presbyterian church on Summit Avenue I feel like I could be in some village in rural England.

Ramaley's

You can tell from the sign that Ramaley's has been around for a while. I've been noticing how many liquor stores around town have not updated their signs in decades. It's been so long they're starting to look cool again.

Mrs Frosty

How about those olive eyes? Good choice since coal is pretty tough to come by these days.

Column obsession

I'm getting a little obsessed with all the columns that I've started to notice in my neighborhood. This is an interesting mismatch on the front porch of a very large house off Summit. Remember where this started? And where it went to from there?

Weisman

I think the Weisman, the modern art museum on the University of Minnesota campus, is looking a little worse for the wear. Maybe that's why it's closed until the fall. You can't miss it though as you drive along the river road.

Angel in my neighborhood

She stands on the grounds of a church on Summit Avenue. So strong and so proud.

Cracking 6PM

There may still be feet (!) of snow but the sun now sets after 6 PM. And when we spring ahead to daylight saving time very soon - next weekend, I think - it'll be even better. If only that shift in daylight hours really was an additional hour tacked onto the day. We need it to get this snow melting faster.

Ready for a dip?

I don't know when these people are going to be able to enjoy their new pool. There's so much snow you can barely see the house from the street. I sure hope they made the right decision.

Concrete column

Yesterday's photo of the graceful columns at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul contrasts (favorably or unfavorably, your call) with this one in the Macalester College chapel just a few miles up Grand Avenue.
More Macalester art here.

Ionic? Corinthian? Doric?

The Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul has one of the most beautiful interiors in the Twin Cities. The former court house and post office hosts a lot of civic events like the governor's inauguration and a popular St. Pat's day celebration. But what kind of columns are they?

Wood sculpture

Waiting for the wood stove or maybe just there to catch your eye while on a walk in the woods. This photo is dedicated to a good friend who celebrates a milestone birthday today.

Red light district

On a recent foggy day down by the river, an approaching train stopped the traffic. You couldn't really miss the signals.

March theme day: Favorite part of town

It has to be along the Mississippi no matter what part of the city. Here it has turned east to flow past downtown St. Paul before it curves south again heading to the gulf (of Mexico, duh!). Of course, the river doesn't look like this on March 1. See what it does look like at other times of year.

This is part of the City Daily Photo theme day for March 2011. Thumbnails of other posts from around the world are here.