Last leg(s)

Literally the last stretch for Twin Cities marathoners, this is what runners see as they descend the hill past the St. Paul Cathedral towards the finish line by the State Capitol. Good luck to all runners this Sunday.

Down river

A cousin to yesterday's post and still part of the theme for this week, this photo was taken on a smaller river within a day's drive of the Twin Cities which eventually makes its way to the Mississippi watershed. We have SO much water around here.

K is for kayak

On a misty morning on a Minnesota lake. This photo does double duty with this week's theme and ABC Wednesday. To see other contributions to "k" click here.

Crossing busy Hiawatha

Walkers and bikers can safely cross Hiawatha - always busy with car traffic and light rail trains - by using this bridge named after former Congressman Martin Sabo.

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.

Hmmm... fresh bread

The Mill City Museum is more than visual exhibits. You can smell and taste what comes out of the museum's baking lab.

Focused shopping

This visitor to the Farmers Market in St. Paul knew just exactly what he wanted - no more, no less.

Harvest time

They'll be wrapping up the fall harvest soon at Fort Snelling and cooking up a storm with all that wonderful produce.

Still constructing

So much construction going on in these cities. A lot of it for the light rail line between St. Paul and Minneapolis like this bit along the Washington Avenue bridge which goes through the U of M campus. This also reminds me to schedule a visit to the Weisman which has reopened after a renovation.

J is for jet

I feel like I might be jinxing (hey, another 'J') our pleasant early fall weather by posting this photo taken last year at the start of a very long winter. Despite the de-icing that day we did not get out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

More ABC Wednesday entries for J are here.

Daily walk

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

Fall arrives

We are lucky in the Twin Cities to be within an easy drive of spectacular fall foliage - an hour away, a weekend away. Make it happen.

Busy as a ... (part 2)

Back to the Farmers Market. Things are still pretty busy down there even if the produce will be getting more limited. Those farmers are hardy and stick it out until the snow flies.

Aliens

The State Fair may be over for another year but I am still marveling at the nighttime scenes (the best time to be there). Two gondolas of the Skyride (mysteriously ghostlike in this time exposure) glide right by the Ag building, all of them colored like late summer popsicles.

How did you do with last week's theme? We had winner! The correct answer was groups of three - 3 Paris tea towels, 3 riverboats, 3 funky equine bushes, 3 barges (with a break in the middle for ABC Wednesday).

Waiting for grain

A common sight on the Mississippi this time of year as the barges line up waiting for their cargo. This is taken slightly upstream from downtown St. Paul not far from the confluence with the Minnesota River. Last post for this week's theme and last chance to guess what it is.

Fantasy foals

These prancers were drawing curious crowds at the Minnesota State Fair a couple of weeks ago. Wouldn't it be fun to have them growing in your front yard? We're back to the mystery theme today - Monday was the Paris tea towels, Tuesday the riverboats, now this. What's your best guess?

I is for Iris

Taking a little pause from this week's theme - remember the Paris tea towels and the Mississippi riverboats for when we pick up the mystery again on Thursday - to join the ABC Wednesday project for the first time. Irises are an earlier bloomer so you won't see any of these in my front yard or anywhere else around here right now. Come back next spring for these beauties.

Maneuvers

Riverboats cruise the Mississippi from docking points across from downtown St. Paul. One even has a theater (that one stays close to shore). Post #2 for this week's theme.

The Palate loves Paris

Have you been out to Stockholm, Wisconsin recently? We featured this day trip earlier in the summer, but today's photo of the Palate Gourmet Kitchen Store is a fitting start to this week's theme.

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.

1 of 10,000

This may be one of our last weekends to get out on a lake before it gets too cold to waterski. Just do it!

The theme ending yesterday was ... wet.

Cooling off

Stretching the day trip label a little again as this was taken in Millennium Park in Chicago. This digital fountain right along Michigan Avenue displays enlarged faces of Chicagoans who end up "spitting" onto the pavement. It attracts a daily crowd of families seeking relief from the heat and a whole lotta fun.

Last post for this week's theme. All will be revealed tomorrow.

Irvine Park

Earlier this year fountains was the subject for theme day. Here's a little different view of the lovely 19th century repro fountain at Irvine Park near downtown St. Paul. We're getting to the end of this week's theme. You should have it by now.

Lace

Has anyone else noticed the prevalence of spider webs this time of year? Are they just trying to stock up for winter? Never heard of a hibernating spider. What gives?

Post #3 for this week's theme. Do you want to venture a guess?

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.

Life is just a bowl

It's the start of a new week and a new collection of photos that follow a theme. We've been here before at the sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center, but this is a bit different view to satisfy this week's theme.

Messaround

It's time once again for the Minneapolis Messaround at Memory Lanes - "only traditional hotrod and kustom car show" according to their website.

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.

Busy as a ...

The final post for this week's theme is in a neighborhood garden (and surely you have it by now). Check out Monday-Friday to see the other posts. I'll reveal the theme tomorrow.

Theme day: Spider's perspective

The next installment of this week's theme and simultaneously the theme day for the City Daily Photo. This spider has a great view of downtown St. Paul from the High Bridge.

To see other entries for this theme day, click here.