Winter river

It’s the middle of winter, but the Baptism River still flows under the snow and ice.

We took a little weekend getaway up to Two Harbors and Tettegouche State Park, where I got acquainted with snowshoes. Minnesota has gotten a couple of cold blasts this season, including one in progress as I type this. But Lake Superior is almost completely unbound by ice, unlike last year, and the park’s positively gushing river still peaks through its shell here and there. A window still parts the icicle curtains around High Falls, one of the state’s tallest waterfalls.

Moving water is amazing. It and a couple of feet of snowpack created some beautiful scenes.

Thanks for a nice time, Two Harbors, and thank you for looking.

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Packing Snow

I talk about how I want winter to end, and wouldn’t you know it, the next day we get a perfect, beautiful snowfall with temperatures just below freezing and no wind: beautiful conditions for sledding and snowball-making. We’ve got about 3 or 4 inches on the ground now, including this fractal-looking slush that settled on a pond in southeast Fayetteville.

I walked around Huntsville Road for a while before heading to Wilson Park, which has popped up on this blog once or twice. I figured a few people might try the park’s hills for sledding. I underestimated that one.

People are very patient with my floating around with a camera. Laughs sounded out from every direction, and the energy was infectious. One guy even let me try a toboggan for the first time in years. (I’m 24 and sound so old.) It’s obviously below freezing, but the air felt oddly warm, comfortable enough to be outside for hours. If we’re stuck with winter, this is how it should be.

I hope winter’s bringing you some fun.

Thanks for looking,

Dan

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Flu Season

This window display has the right idea. Who else is ready for winter to end? I got hit with the flu last week, and water keeps falling from the sky in one form or another. That’s about all I have to say about that. (This blog can always use more movie references.)

Then again, there’s no matching the quiet of a calm snowfall, even in the middle of a city. Everything slows down, even the precipitation. Earlier this week, when I took these photos, the air was still. The noiselessness of snow is practically a cliche; I posted about it almost as soon as I got here. Still, I notice it every time. That counts for something.

The pigeons are always watching.

Keep an ear out for the quiet between the noise. Thanks for looking,

Dan

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Wintry Mix

These two scenes are from the same weekend. Saturday’s Mardi Gras parade partied its way under sunny skies and a high of 66 degrees. Temperatures dropped and snow and sleet fell last night, and at this moment, we’re sitting at 19 degrees with a layer of sleet covered by snow. A little more could be on the way today and tomorrow. It’s a winter as chaotic as last year’s, though with a bit less snow.

Mardi Gras took me completely by surprise this year — Tuesday seems so early — so I caught only the tail-end of the parade this time around. The rest of these are from a couple of Fayetteville trails.