Mindful Writing Day 2012 and Skywatch Friday

Beyond a sheet of onyx lake water, lit here and there by the moon, ducks muttered. Shearing wings above me as they settled their arguments.

Were ducks awake that early under the dock?

I think it was the drowsy moon laughing at my eavesdropping.

 What I heard on a new day over the lake linked to

Skywatch Friday

Mindful Writing Day

 



 

just call me Scooter

I am in the midst of a winter whiteout, ennui has set in while the sky stays white with occasional bursts of sunlight or buttermilk. [overheard at the gym: one lady, 'is that the sun I see?, next lady: 'yeah, but catch it quick. Keeping up with the sky around here will give you whip lash!]



There's nothing in my archive that I can find interesting enough to post. Maybe I will joint Scooter and take up ice cream painting. Or maybe I'll just eat the ice cream. Either way, here's wishing you a 'sunny' Monday.

here we go again

Up north we had a bit of Leap day oddness in the form of several inches of fresh snow overnight. We've had buttermilk skies off and on all week so this photo is a pretty good example to be added to Skywatch Friday shots.

'you can't keep Minnesotans off the water'

Minnesotan ice fishermen are jumping for joy since we've finally been in the single digits this week, weather wise [I was meaning not I.Q.-wise, but then again, who in their right mind would sit on the ice waiting for a fish to come by?]. Now at least one or two ice houses can be spotted on the local lakes...usually many more like these on White Bear Lake. Driving by at night some lanterns can be seen shining on the ice, or is that a television screen?

More seasonal skies @ Skywatch Friday.

sisters and shadows

Earlier this month I spent a day at the Monastery of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota for a quiet time in the spirituality center on the campus. The sisters of the order of St. Benedict were my elementary teachers in Idaho so it was a bittersweet visit for me to this monastery so far away from my childhood.  Fifty years have passed and my memories of strict German nuns are with me still. To my surprise and delight I found this community of mostly middle-aged to retirement age women thoroughly filled with faith, gracious, caring and able to minister to us who grapple with every day life in the 21st century. During free time I wandered the grounds to a small vineyard and a huge garden spot, earth recently turned, ready for spring. The shadow in my photo is cast by a tall octagon shaped martin house and thriving bittersweet.

Time is a great healer. And what was a quick decision to face my fears left me with a light heart.

I'm linking my experience to ABC Wednesday whose letter du jour is S.

"A sign of God is that we are led

to a place we did not intend to go.”

Anonymous

Skywatch Friday from the North Woods

These are sky views along the upper north shore of Lake Superior between Grand Rapids and the Canadian border taken in September. The shoreline is so impressive with rocky outcroppings and pine trees but no beaches. Its easy to imagine how this rugged shore could be dangerous for ships.

I've included this view of the lake because if you enlarge it and look toward the bottom of the photo you can catch a glimpse of lake rocks because the water was crystal clear and an incredible blue that day.

More incredible skies here.

praying for rain

September's full moon floating over Lake Superior last Saturday--a peaceful sky view from Grand Portage Chippewa Reservation, Minnesota near the Canada border.

The next day as we rode back to the Twin Cities I took this [shaky] photo from the motorcycle of the sky approaching Duluth. The clouds were full of smoke from the wildfires burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area near Ely and the sun was fiery amber.  What a contrast with the North shore's blue skies and beautiful sunsets. The fires are still burning.

See more skies of note @ Skywatch Friday. 

summer skies

Green calm below, blue quietness above. John Greenleaf Whittier

Minnesota farm roads and ominous clouds--a skywatcher's dream! More beautiful skies to see at Skywatch Friday.

I had only heard about this drive-in and yesterday on a late-August, early-early fall Sunday afternoon we rode around Lake Minnetonka and on to Delano, a little farm town west of Minneapolis. There it sat in all it's pink glory! The Peppermint Twist drive-in is pretty famous in these parts, and was even featured on the Food Network a few times. Its all about bears, famous red raspberry shakes, free juke box and car hops. To keep things in the red family, there's Dave on the right waiting for me, as usual.

We had soft ice cream cones and played Roy Orbison, Jan & Dean, the Sufaris and Beach Boys on the juke box. Did that date us sufficiently?!

I'm thinking about Ruby Tuesday for more delicious reds.

hazy, crazy days of summer

A perfect day in August:

lazy morning clouds at sunrise burning off into a hazy blue sky the rest of the day.

We treasure these hazy mornings and clear days up north knowing fall is in the air, showing itself in the cool morning air.

More cool skies can be visited at Skywatch Friday. 

Farewell, Klaus!

Johnny Depp meets Skywatch

Sunday the motorcycle took us to WineHaven Winery in Chisago City for a wine tasting. O.K., so the first state that comes to mind when you think wine isn't usually Minnesota, but this winery only imports grapes for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and the rest come from this beautiful little valley.

 

Below is the sky view across a corn field leaving the winery. All in all a perfect day for a ride, a sip or two of rhubarb wine or honey mead, a jazz trio backed by incredibly blue skies and lakes.

See more skies from all over our dear planet @ Skywatch Friday. 

Wino Forever

Johnny Depp's tattoo once read 'Winona Forever'
 

open season for Orbit

This is what summer days should look like. A calm lake, blue skies, a fishing pole and

and a dog that can fish the bank for you. This guy, named Orbit, was 'walking' quickly back and forth in the shallow water looking for fish. His owner said he loves to fish. He didn't catch any while I was there.

Skywatch Friday where you can see the catch of the day!

cel-e-brate

I give you red from northern Minnesota in anticipation of another snow filled winter [something I am loathe to think about.] These vehicles advertise for a company called Mattracks in Karlstad that manufactures rubber track conversion kits.



 

From the silly clever to the reds in the summer annuals on my deck. Above are the little, sliver-y blooms on a Nectarine Sage plant on the left, and below a cherry -red geranium decked out for the Fourth of July to come.

Have fun visiting Mary's meme for more reds.

windows: the daydreamer's tools of the trade

examples of sublime windows in Chicago and D.C.

looking out the window at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota

So they all went away from the little log house. The shutters were over the windows, so the little house could not see them go. It stayed there inside the log fence, behind the two big oak trees that in the summertime had made green roofs for Mary and Laura to play under.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

More W fun at ABC Wednesday here. 

Skywatch Friday from the Land of Sky Blue Waters

Another photo of the highway running through the Chippewa [Ojibwa*] National Forest from a motorcycle trip a couple of weeks ago. This forest is unique because it has both a mix of northern hardwood forest between the western Minnesota prairies and northern boreal [coniferous] forest to the north and east toward Duluth and Lake Superior. And the sky is always huge here.

*The Ojibwa people call themselves Anishinabe in their own language, which means 'original person.'

Visit Skywatch Friday for more sky views.