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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Today's Flowers, cupcakes and coffee

More summer dreaming on the last day of February. . .I took this photo at the end of August from the little 'wall' garden next to my favorite cupcake bakery & coffee shop in St. Paul just called Cupcake. I've posted about this place before; besides their colorful cupcakes this garden was a riot of color in an otherwise semi-industrial main street linking St. Paul and Minneapolis through the University area.

More colorful flowers here.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Alliterated St. Paul

Sunday's snowy sky at the Cathedral of St. Paul in, you guessed it, St. Paul. See more skies at Skywatch Friday.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

always watch for pedestrians

Frogs, be they ever so pedestrian, are my pick for ABC Wednesday's letter du jour, F. Above is a photo of now Dr. Erica on a vacation in Maine when she was in third grade. Already a budding scientist, she was amazed & a bit nonplussed, at finding this little guy in our hosts' front yard.
Fast forward to the present when Dave and I were visiting our favorite pie spot, the Norske Nook in Wisconsin, where we were momentarily distracted from our rhubarb pie to watch this intrepid frog scale the window with its two beady eyes on the hanging geraniums above.
More F-u-n here.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Who knew!

Dave and I found this great barbecue place in downtown Minneapolis after the bike show earlier this month. Its small but has a big history of celebrity visitors, and repeat customers for ribs and brisket. I personally loved the vintage neon sign and was cheered by how its multi-bulbed redness laughed in the face of that buttermilk sky.

Watch the Food Network's Neeleys when they visited this restaurant, and as an added bonus, you'll get to hear the true Minnesotan accent from the owner. See more red at Mary's Meme Ruby Tuesday that celebrates all things red. Enjoy!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

What's a mother to do?

As we hunker down for a 11-17 inch snowstorm I thought it might lighten the forecast by remembering a kinder and warmer time last summer, when a mother duck tried to send her ducklings on the straight and narrow. Metaphors, all.
See more @ Camera Critters.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

its always something


Our sky today you could cut with a knife. We're having a heat wave of sorts, in the 40's and 50's but today when I was walking home from the coffee shop, this is all I could see of Owasso Lake. Note the ghost trees to the right. Between the black ice on the sidewalk, dirty snow, unearthed things and the pewter sky, an eerie walk indeed.

My new friend--someone who sat down across from me this a.m. and regaled me for 30 minutes with the whys and wherefores she had found herself in a Caribou Coffee, driving an hour in the fog to take her dad to his chemo session--said it is important to sing every morning as well as listen to the birds singing. So I did, all the way home.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies to sing about!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

What?


Always a little wary of taking photos of people's homes but I had to risk it to capture the expression on this watch-cat. He/she had a wonderful vantage point onto the neighborhood street from its regal tuffet. No denying the expression.
Below is my very own watch-cat in her many moods. . .only seen between naps.





See more important critters at Camera Critters, a great way to start the week. Thanks to Misty Dawn for her clever MeMe.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Headline: spring comes in February from now on

Its official: I'm sick of winter. So, I rummaged through my favorite sky photos from last summer when we rode the motorcycle to Iowa and back along the Mississippi River. The corn was high, hay was already cut once or twice and that big, blue Midwestern sky was incredibly full of clouds. Behold my dreamy contributions to this week's Skywatch Friday.


Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. — Søren Kierkegaard

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Here be Dragons


What limits will someone actually go to see a dragon? Why wouldn't there be a biker who loves dragons? I found out Sunday at the International Motorcycle show in Minneapolis. This bike was part of the custom collection. Note the fangs and reptilian bike seat! This was my pick for 'most amazing in an Arthurian category' and I dedicate these photos of 21st Century dragons to my friends who love these brave, spiny but misunderstood creatures: Granny Smith and Mrs. Dragon at Twisty Lane.

More 'D's at ABC Wednesday.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

peaceful kingdoms

On a recent winter trek I saw this little ogre at the feeding station on a rest stop. See if you can find a curious visitor who showed up in this picture.
post script: we too have a red squirrel that regularly usurps the bird feeders in our back yard. He/she has given Dave a run for his money as he stands knee deep in snow to fill the seeds. Our red friend loves the suet block and Dave, feigning disinterest, actually bought a case of suet for the feeders awhile back. I think they both have a good thing going!

More delightful creatures can be seen at Camera Critters.

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.
Dr. Seuss

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Skywatch Friday from Duluth

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon I posted about a few days ago ended yesterday with the closest finish in the marathon's history: winner was Ryan Anderson of Ray, Minnesota and Defending champion Nathan Schroeder of Chisholm crossed the finish line just behind him.

My pics show how clear and cold the day was with a bright blue Minnesota sky.
See more beautiful skies at SkywatchFriday.

Then tune in to the YouTube Video below of both the two and four-legged finishers.

Happy Friday!




Tuesday, February 1, 2011

California dreaming or how I forgot snow for a day!


Dreaming of being in California where I spotted these very old cactus plants inside the Mission San Miguel grounds outside of Salinas. The buds reminded me of red potatoes--but then, everything reminds me of food somehow or other!
C is for Cactus and California @ ABC Wednesday.
Factoid: It has been brought to my attention by Maria Berg that these are indeed seeds and not blossoms. Edible at that!