remembering Vincent

Yet another stunning sunrise this week in baby blanket colors of pink and blue.

I                                                                          I was thinking of Vincent's Blossoming Almond Tree painting when I chose this tree along Como Lake to shoot. 

                                                                                                                                                                     

More skies to enjoy can be found @ Skywatch Friday.

Take your pick: reeds or reds, both seen on a beautiful early Autumn late August day at Como Lake in St. Paul. More (nearly 250) skies at .

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Weekend Reflections: listen carefully

The only reflection that seems to be happening this time of year is in my head** so I was tempted to re-visit spring while I was up there (in my head). I took this photo at Como Lake in late spring last year when the wood ducks had returned, the ice had melted and buds were on the trees. Bliss of a rare kind can be found in reflections. Visit James' meme Weekend Reflections. for more.

**I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me. Anna Quindlen

Saturday comes early

Morning
by Billy Collins

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,
the swale of the afternoon,
the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,
his many-pointed stars?

This is the best—
throwing off the light covers,
feet on the cold floor,
and buzzing around the house on espresso—

maybe a splash of water on the face,
a palmful of vitamins—
but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,
the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,
a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows—
trees fifty, a hundred years old
out there,
heavy clouds on the way
and the lawn steaming like a horse
in the early morning.

SkyWatch Friday in St. Paul

55Two views around Como Lake this week66

Up until yesterday we've had blue skies and sunshine in St. Paul. Then storms arrived, including tornadoes in downtown Minneapolis and east of St. Paul with much attendant rain today. Wildflowers have flourished along the lakes as well as much green algae atop which makes the ducks and geese happy. These are my SkyWatch Views for this week.

In a more wooded area around Snail Lake I found another rustic bench to add to Rune's Friday bench postings. Visit him here.