only the brave need apply

I saw reluctant morning skies over White Bear Lake this week, Both the daylight and I were slow to awaken.

Eventually the grey clouds dissipated but not before a fisherman had shoved off into the water and cast his first line.

Spring is edging its way closer to us in spite of a couple of nights of frost. I've noticed two Blue Herons, four white egrets, a flock of cormorants, and a few wooducks out and about in the brisk air.

Factoid: one must be tough as leather to live in Minnesota. . .and like to fish! I'm linking these pics to Skywatch Friday.

Good things come to those who bait.

Minnesotans fish year round [seriously!] so its not unusual to walk past a lake and see at least one or two fishing boats out. This cloudy day, White Bear Lake was loaded with sailboats. . .and then I spied these bass fishermen with a little guy in a red rain jacket between them. Some days red just pops out at me--and I have Mary the Teach to thank for that and her colorful meme Ruby Tuesday. Do stop by!

along the 'Grand Lake' and a bowl of soup

Earlier this month we took a day trip around the Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota, the second largest in the state. It 'overflows' three counties; I took this photo on the Crow Wing County side. Mille Lacs means Misi-zaaga'igan (grand lake) in the first Americans' Ojibwe language.
The silver hue of the clouds that day and the gray water reminded me of a fish. . .maybe because this area is considered the walleye capital of the state.

This area is also known for its wild rice cultivation -- 60,000 acres of natural wild rice is harvested in the traditional way. Yesterday I made this soup from a recipe I found in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, using the hand harvested 'grass' rice rather than the paddy rice.

MUSHROOM-WILD RICE SOUP

Serves 6 to 8
Use any combination of mushrooms here. The soup is easily frozen. It's hearty without being heavy. You may enrich it with a swirl of sour cream or heavy cream. It makes a fine vegetarian dinner paired with crusty bread and sharp cheese and a salad.
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 lb. cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered [I used baby Bellas]
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 8-9 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 c. wild rice, rinsed under running cold water
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
Directions
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are soft and brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the carrots and shallots and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, wild rice, thyme, parsley and season with more salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with more chopped parsley. [yum!]

Visit Sky Watch Friday to see more 'skies from all over our planet.' Happy Friday and happy soup eating!

Seasonal skies watched

Call this summer 20086666

but this is winter6666

winter, 2009 on very frozen Owasso Lake near where we live, taken this week with sub-zero temperatures and diamond flecks of ice in the air. One thing remains the same: the quest for the biggest fish story. Enlarging the photo (ctrl +) will show the brave fishermen parking their vehicles next to the huts on the frozen lake.

I'm grateful to Klaus, Wren, Sandy, Ivar, Fishing Guy and Louise who manage SkyWatch Friday each week so we have all the fun!

Happy fishing!

Welcome to my world!

It was a balmy day in St. Paul today but I couldn't help looking back over my shoulder at what was happening on the multitude of lakes around my neighborhood just a few weeks ago. Ice fishing was all the rage and the lakes were dotted with little, colorful fishing huts. This is my very favorite. So long until next year.