Off to the Lake

I sure like the sound of that.  If only the lake wasn't frozen.

But even the croaking of frogs everywhere abounds, as our spell of bitter cold weather is changing to the balmy somewhat recherche air of a hopeful thaw, for this time of year.

Emerging from his bed of snow he hops into a warm pocket of springy air.

I'm free!

Of course not all that is frozen will be released from the icy clutches that weigh them down.

The upside, no long lines, and plenty of parking.

This snowy street in Stillwater, surely caught a melting spree yesterday, with more arriving this weekend.

Not all of our lakes and rivers are frozen solid.

Although lakes like Lake Nokomis are frozen shut, but with easy access from shore to ice.

Okay so this photo was taken back during the summer.  The quote is important to recall.

SNOW POETRY

Lost in a blanket of fluffy white snow

we drift down

softening our bottoms

whistling in the face of blizzards

yet, all cozy and comfy 

by the fireside

with perspiring faces

thirsty for cocoa

and the frost on our bottoms

to take a leave

until the next round

puts us chest deep in fluffy white snow.

Oh well.  It is what it is.

BUT!


On my way to the lake, I'll be stopping by a Montessori school for a precious little munchkin and then it's off to visit the Trumpeter Swans of Monticello, Mn.  and more about visiting the Trumpeter Swans!  

Trumpeter Swans aren't new to Minnesota and I've tracked them to Hudson, Wisconsin and even closer to home in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.  

It's been a long while since I've posted any photos of them here.

Silly?  No way, it's one of the things that keeps our frozen tundra of minds flowing freely.

Good Fences On A Roll

"Some days nothing beats a really good drive." - 

GOOD FENCES

On A Roll taking the scenic route drive by shot!  Especially when it's -15 degrees outside! 

(I stopped the car to shoot this!)

Preparing for take-off on a fictitious landing strip getting ready for

Any place that's warm! Take off! Up, up, UP! Destination warmer climate!

How about checking out the floating, frozen Lilly Pads, or Ice Pancakes floating along the Cannon River?

Only certain cold-weather (and spinning round and round) conditions form these sweet circles of frozen river water.

Just up the river is a quaint little cafe- it over looks the Cannon River

In the Misty moonlight! I had my birthday lunch here last May.  A beautiful day it was, minus the snow and ice and freezing winds!

On a whim caught my old green friend busy climbing trees and fences!

Then there was the drive to Franconia Minnesota and this photo in neighboring city Stillwater, a lovely river town!

Time Trapping

Why "time trapping" is so rewarding.

Many of us build and create new ideas from our past, doing so ignites passions that otherwise may wither away.

Not just an old Gnome any more but rather-

New age Pirate Gnome.

Now more about, Time trapping.  This video speaks to me, as I'm sure it will to many of you.  It's truly a valuable 6 minutes to absorb.  See for yourself.  All the way to the end.  Be still and watch.  Learn.

(Note: If you're an adventurous sort of person, or enjoy a true life adventure story you will want to view other Ransom Riggs videos.  Truly well worth your time.  Like this one.)

Refreshing and enlightening right?

Of course that's not to say we can't hang on to treasures from yesterday.  If it works, use it.  Or, you could design another robot.  (Which by the way is where this Brownie is headed.)

Oddly enough, often times the places we have escaped from, become later the very places we seek for solace.

Learning the value of things.  Learning, reveling and accepting who we are.  There is no other, You.

Sleep is not, death is not;

who seem to die live.

House you were born in

Friends of your spring-time,

Old man and young maid,

Day's toil and it's guerdon,

they are all vanishing

fleeing to fables

cannot be moored.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thoughts on old, abandoned houses,

"These houses aren't graves

they're secret histories, waiting to be read." - Ransom Riggs

Talking Pictures

"Photos capture a moment in life

 so we can hold the memory of it forever."

Talking Pictures, don't need captions.

They tell their own story quite well.

No words necessary.

Okay, perhaps you desire details like-

Is he alive?  Yes.  This young man accompanied my daughter on a school field trip, and suddenly decided to soak up a bit of nature.

I really wish I could say my title "Talking Pictures" was my own idea, but I can't.

I should mention that I share a few quirky things with the man that published the book "Talking Pictures" - Images and Messages Rescued from the Past.

You see he has an unusual hobby of collecting pictures of people he doesn't know.

Me too.


As it goes, he caught my attention on Saturday and I couldn't resist putting a post together with that title.

He also wrote a Sherlock Holmes Handbook: The Methods and Mysteries of the World's Greatest Detective.  Currently I'm reading his first book, about Peculiar Children.

His name is Ransom Riggs, does that name sound familiar to you?

He's an American writer and filmmaker best known for his Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  He was born in Maryland on a 200-year old farm, and yet grew up in Florida, where he attended the Pine View School for the Gifted.

Below are a couple unknown folks from his book.

Okay.

And

If you like old photos, especially where the heart and soul as well as the pure emotion of the moment stands out clearly, then by all means check out his book.

The Mag - Mad Women

"One minute you're on top of the world, the next minute some secretary's running you over with a lawn mower." - Joan Holloway

Photo by Elene Usdin

for

THE MAG

WHAT A WOMAN WANTS

Unable to accept his, no!
she stacked her luggage high
her premise quite clever
she took to the top.
Her prose a critical touch
with existential poise 
of peerless fashion all to win his approval.

As each stomp of her foot
broke deep beneath his blasphemous cursing-
his NO!
hammered with mallet-like stabs
of incoherent growls of control-
and so she grinned, bursting
in uncontrollable laughter.

Yet her rousing 
sudden eruption 
of endless energy that seized 
through her pounding 
heels of determination
he bellowed again, NO!
Still unable to accept no-
she lit a match
and burned his plane ticket
she'd vacation solo.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Welcome to another  Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Brace yourself as we travel the eccentric road for

New, red, breakfast, simple and circle.

Today you are you

and your day is brand New!

Hello sweet Sparkle.

They said they fled for red

but red had spread and  red was 

So the color of your last haircut

I prefer this instead!

Made my checklist for breakfast

half past Memphis

and far from Belfast

before I got my precious breakfast.

My Mama said don't play with your food, but she never said don't play around taking pictures of it!

Do not dwindle or dawdle

unless you stumble on a cymbal

There's quite a little riddle 

to hunt for something simple. 

Like Misty on the deck, wishing and hoping someone will come out and play!

Circle me this.

I go round and round

my circle

abounds

round and round

bigger and bigger

by my end everyone

wants me in their circle.

and can't wait to eat me up!

Thank you for stopping by and if you care to play along to just go here.

Six Word Saturday - Cabin-Fever, Portmanteau, and Clowns

"I love people who make me laugh.  I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh.  It cures a multitude of ills.  It's probably the most important thing in a person."
Audrey Hepburn




Cabin-Fever (a common-winter-disorder Floridians never get) 
Where perfectly fit and sound human beings (and a handful of animals)
unexpectedly get caught inside the eeriest realm within the boundaries of their own house.  Even large rooms begin to feel unbelievably small.  Their normalcy becomes inflicted with sudden periods of intense fear, and they believe
that their frozen tundra of an existence may never melt away.  So they panic. 
 Or worse yet, mind-boggling bouts of unreality may brutally strike at the weakest of moments and the only hope for survival is-
sensing a blissful awakening budding from the pit of their tummy and, 
reaching for
a musical clown.
Yes, this has saved a good many cabin-fevered individuals.  Thank goodness.


SIX WORD SATURDAY



A CLOWN HAS TWO SMILES THAT

CAN BRIGHTEN OR SHATTER YOUR DAY!

ONCE YOU CATCH A CLOWN'S SMILE 

YOUR LIFE IS SO MUCH BRIGHTER

Meet Ah Choo Alfie, Baggy Badin, Ernie Eckles and Kranky Knic Knac

They travel here from afar inside their very own-

Portmanteau - is a large trunk or suitcase, 
typically made of a stiff leather
 and opening into two equal parts.

Always find time for the things that
make you feel happy to be alive.

Things We Miss

How many times have you been somewhere and later realized, I never saw that?

San Francisco, California

Bliss Dance

Little did I know at the time I was shooting these pictures, but a little Robin was following me around.

Things we miss, are often times the very things, folks put out on display.  Just for us to see.

But sometimes those wagon wheels-

leaning against a building go, unnoticed.

Unless of course, you're making it your mission to uncover wagon wheels.

Bet you wouldn't, shouldn't or couldn't miss this wagon wheel fence.

But good luck spotting the wagon wheel in this photo below.

Closer look?

Moving in for a closer look.

and last but certainly not least

Walking through an alley between houses in Minneapolis I caught sight of a strange thing to spot in someone's backyard.  What do we have hiding behind these shrubs?

"The truth of the story lies in the details." 

Paul Auster