Copy Cat!

Yesterday Tamera of Colorado Springs Daily Photo posted a lovely winter photo, which is an annual practice of hers to give some respite during the hot weather.  "What a good idea!" I said to myself as our temperature was climbing to 99 degrees fahrenheit! So I decided to do the same.  Thank you, Tamera! The lilac bushes along the fence is our back yard certainly is a "cool" shot!

It is only 81 degrees right now at 6 am and is predicted to stay in the low 80's today. I think I can tolerate the warm weather a bit longer before the ice and snow visit again!

Literary Friends

Last Wednesday several friends and I, members of the Mystery Maven Book Club, attended a double reading at Common Good Books, located at 38 S. Snelling in St Paul, Minnesota. We were treated to readings by William Kent Krueger, a Minnesota writer,  and Cara Black whose mysteries all take place in Paris.  Because the two of them have been friends for many years, we also got an insight into their personalities, not only as writers but as long term friends who shared anecdotes about their friendship. These book readings are a good way to spend part of an evening.

Fallen trees

Unrelenting recent rainfalls have swollen the Mississippi River and flooded part of Hidden Falls Park.  The drenched earth was unable to securely hold some of the old majestic trees. Close to my home, my dogs, young grandchildren, and I often visit the park to enjoy its natural beauty.  The sight of the fallen trees is a sad sight. Didn't deter visitors, though.  The boat ramp was closed but several hopeful fisherman were enjoying their sport along the bank, not far from the fallen trees.

 

Mississippi River Bridge

This bridge close to the University of Minnesota is one of the many in the Twin Cities spanning the river, which we love. The phrase "bridge over troubled waters" comes to mind when I consider what is occurring on the political front of our country.  Too much division and discord; I'd like to change the entire scene to one of placid waters with no dangerous hidden current beneath the surface.

Fresh bread

The best part of my day begins when I can go to the bakery to pick up freshly baked bread!

A real classic !!

My trip to Walgreens this morning was rewarded by a wonderful vision of a 1958 Corvette, black with silver side panels. Orange obvious is the new interior colour for classic convertibles.  It appears to be somewhat coordinated with the shade of the owner's hair!

Home Away From Home

When our children were young we did a fair amount of camping with a pop-up camper. We had some great vacations in western and southwestern states as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin.  I liked being outdoors, waking up to the sound of songbirds chirping or singing for my morning melody,  hearing the wind rustling the leaves on the trees,  and seeing wild animals in their natural surroundings, even the occasional skunk! I also liked the sudden rainfalls and other inconveniences.  I particularly reveled in the fact that our world and activities slowed down considerably. I learned only years later that I was the only one who really and truly enjoyed the experience! Given those sentiments, I doubt that I can now persuade DH to invest in one of these campers to visit camp grounds and national parks that we (. . . I ) hadn't visited in years past!!

Painters

Now is the best time of year to spruce up the trim on a house.  It's especially nice when painters can do the work for you!

Unpredictable Sky

Is it going to storm, or is it going to clear up?!

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Adirondak Chairs

I have lived in the same house in this neighbourhood since 1976. Through the years, neighbours have come and gone, but the popularity of front lawn benches and chairs have remained constant. The most popular are Adirondaks but the curious thing about all these inviting-looking chairs is that I have NEVER seen anyone sitting or resting on one of them.  I walk regularly at different times of day and often am accompanied by my dog, Wild Wendy,  but cannot recall seeing anyone socialising or relaxing, making good use of these lawn ornaments.  Curious!

There is a happy birthday bag on one of the white chairs above.  I wonder if I missed seeing anyone celebrating on the lawn during the celebration?

Habitat Garden

A neighbour who is environmentally conscious has planted this small area in his front yard. The plaque reads-- This property provides 4 basic elements for wildlife to survive: food, water, cover, and places to raise young." It was approved by the sponsor, The National Wildlife Federation.

Linking to Signs, signs

Water crafts

A few days ago, Lowell on his Ocala photo blog posted a photo of kayaks. By coincidence I had photographed the water craft (canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats) that are available to rent on Como Lake in St.Paul. Regardless of the geographical location, looks like our worlds are pretty similar during the summer months.

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Singers

Yesterday I promised that I would show you some of the people who sang as John played the piano at Como Park Lakeside Pavilion.  Singers of all ages got into the act, each contributing their special voice to the music.

The Piano Man

 On Friday night John, a very talented musician, had a gig at the Como Lakeside Pavilion in St Paul from 5-7 pm. John played as part of the Summer Music in the Park program. The sun was shining and the temperature was high, but the open air atmosphere and the lake breeze compensated for the humidity. The audience loved him and some people sang along with John in the piano bar atmosphere. The portraits show the many faces of John as he played and entertained the crowd.  Tomorrow I will post photos of some of the singers that joined John while he played. 

 

A Rest Stop- - Ah!

When travelling with a pet, rest stops are a welcome haven, and Minnesota has many modern  facilities that are very well-maintained and organised. We and Wild Wendy enjoy all of them on our frequent road trips!

Linked to Camera Critters & Saturday's Critters

A wood carving

Because of the small space in front of a local cafe where the sculpture stands, this magnificent wood carving is difficult to photograph. The light also interferes with a decent capture of the image.  As seen from the street, it looks like an enormous eagle, spreading its wings.  If seen on the reverse side, the wing shelters three carvings: an owl, bear, and a wolf. I hope to return again on a day where the light is different so I can take a photo that shows it in a more flattering way. Carving the stump of a felled tree is popular in St. Paul. During the state fair in August and September, wood carvers demonstrate how these artistic sculptures are formed.  It's fascinating!

 

St. Croix River

I have often seen these river boats on the Mississippi but seldom on the St Croix River that forms a border between Minnesota and Wisconsin.   Last Sunday DH and I drove to Stillwater to view the new bridge, which was impressive.  The main street of Stillwater is still crowded with visitors, tourists, traffic and quaint shops plus restaurants galore. We passed some time at the park and walkway along the river to watch the boats and pleasure crafts. The lift bridge was busy with all the river traffic, but now, at long last, traffic is not blocking the streets because  automobile traffic is closed on the old bridge, with the new one serving Minnesota and Wisconsin drivers.

The brick work on the building is very handsome.

Hammocks

These hammocks have been appearing all over the Twin Cities in parks, boulevards  and public gardens.  Usually I see them slung  between trees enjoyed by happy, joyful young people who are taking advantage of  the seasonal weather and sunny summer days. Such fun and innocent pleasure! This is the first time I saw them on private property in a neighborhood yard.  I was taking Wild Wendy for a walk on a drizzly day when I spotted this one. I was sorely tempted to knock on the door and ask if I could take a swing!

Construction Progress

The school where I used to teach is constructing a state-of-the-art addition for math and science.  Although the construction seems to be taking forever, it is moving right along and will be exciting to tour when it is finished.  The winter scene was taken in January, 2018 and the recent version was photographed last Sunday. Cannot wait to see the completed version!

Retirement-what's next"!

 Everyone loves a party, especially one with good conversation, some surprise gifts and accolades for work well-done.  Last week four of my former colleagues were feted as they retired after many years of creative and dedicated service as outstanding teachers at the same time that they occasionally served as administrators. At one time in the past Lucy and I both taught some lively middle schoolers who kept both of us on our toes. Retirement is well-deserved,  and I suspect that Lucy will find many activities to keep her busy!

Lake Nokomis

Typical Minnesota summer scenes at Lake Nokomis

Sidewalk image

One of the summer pleasures is coming upon images like this one in front of a local business when walking down a city street.

Skywatch Friday

I have three Apple products (iMac, AirMac notebook, and iPhone), none of which have truly failed me...until this week. After 11 years of faithful service storing the bulk of my photos, the iMac has decided to fail me.  After two 3-hour sessions with the Apple Genius Bar,  and numerous telephone conferences with Apple Tech people, the wonderful young technicians informed me that the age of the almost-obsolete model could not be updated to accommodate me. Fortuately, I also had the photos  on a mobile back-up monitor. Lucky? No! Suffice it to say, that I am not giving up. . .even after two days in front of a computer, I have not safely saved the photos by importing them elsewhere (about 9 hours of uploading attempts). It is complicated! I don't know if I posted the above image before,  but I checked the few photos I have stored in my notebook and found this one for Skywatch Friday,

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Waterolor- First Attempts!

Our beloved teacher Carol, and my Masterpiece, which I love!

Gordon Parks High School

Gordon Parks, Photographer, Musician, Writer and Film Director

Neither a mural or a sign, this poster adorns one side of the Gordon Parks Alternative School located on University Avenue and Dunlap in St. Paul. (Watch the school's video here)