Hauling home a little mushroom loot

Minnesota State Fair.

Somebody's got to do the work around here, Volume III

Meat grilling. Getting prepped to feed some hungry folks rolling into the Minnesota State Fair today.

Controversy

The controversial Genetic Experiments with Humans and Vegetables booth. Minnesota State Fair.

Stool sample

Minnesota State Fair 2013.

Where's the rest of that corn dog?

No matter how many times I asked to take this guy’s photo, he never complained once. Minnesota State Fair 2013.

Should've called it the StratosFEAR

Stratosphere Swing Tower and Midway, Minnesota State Fair.

Trolley ride

On the bus, that's where we're ridin' / On the bus, okay, don't say hi, then.
The Replacements' song would've lacked some of its punch had they named it "Kiss Me on the Trolley".
Minnesota State Fair.

Life is good

Cheese curds, a drink, and a little patch of green grass. Life is good at the Minnesota State Fair.

Minnepumpkin, I salue thee

Best thing I put in my mouth-hole at the Minnesota State Fair: the Minnepumpkin pie. Deep-fried pumpkin pie with cinnamon and a flaky crust dusted in sugar, then served with your choice of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. This thing knocked it cleaned out of the park.

Into the oven

Looking straight into the sun on Judson Ave. at the Minnesota State Fair.

Farm Hands

Good morning from the Minnesota State Fair. Another day of the hot, hot heat.

Rolling up to the fair

Rolling up to the Minnesota State Fair on a hot, hot day. For the days of the fair thus far, the average daily temperature (92.3 F) is second only to the year 1931.

Swedish egg coffee

Lining up at the crack of dawn for Swedish Egg Coffee and other treats from the Salem Lutheran Church booth.

Somebody’s got to do the work around here, Volume II

2013 Minnesota State Fair.

Fast or slow, the law's the law

Riding tall at the Minnesota State Fair.

Somebody's got to do the work around here, Volume I

2013 Minnesota State Fair.

The Incredible Price Tag Gun Attraction!

Debuting today at the 2013 Minnesota State Fair! Guaranteed to be loads of fun for all!!!

Good moooooning

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair, naturally.

Whole lotta mini donuts

From a 2010 statistic: How many DOZENS of mini donuts are eaten each year at the Minnesota State Fair?
Nearly 338,000.

Proud to be AWESOME

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair.

Little screen time in front of the big screen

Arcade action at the 2013 Minnesota State Fair.

Nanners

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair.

These beautiful things we gaze at longingly

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair.

Seven ways to die

Not that anyone is counting.
At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair.

Sunflower morning

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair.

Zippin'

I get dizzy just looking at this. The dreaded Zipper, foe to anyone with vertigo or inner-ear issues. Also: don’t eat a pile of cheese curds and climb on this thing. Just don’t.

Don't forget the mustard

The Minnesota State Fair Food Finder lists 310 places where you can get food. As far as determining the actual number of items available for stuffing into one’s mouth-hole, I don’t even know if anyone on the planet, not even Stephen Hawking, could count that high.

And so it begins

The Minnesota State Fair 2013. Twelve glorious days of healthy food, a heavy nod toward the agricultural roots of the fair, rides, games, and Macklemore playing the grandstand. Boom, bap.
This shot was taken about 6:15 a.m. on opening day.

Corinthian, Doric, Ionic, or Ironic?

St. Paul, near the James J. Hill Reference Library.

One more from Lake Mendota

Every time I start thinking I could see myself piloting a boat, I remember one important thing: large bodies of water sort of terrify me.
Madison, WI.

Approach with caution

All hail the tall curvy bike. Madison, WI.

Lake Mendota

It’s that time in my life when the kids are starting to check out colleges. We were in Madison to tour the University of Wisconsin and got to spend a few minutes down on The Terrace, along the shore of Lake Mendota.

State Street Freakin'

State Street, Madison, WI.

BalloonGuy

Dangerously close to the entity known as “BalloonGuy”.
Midway Stadium, St. Paul.

Las pieles de gato negro en las sombras!

St. Paul, MN.

Laundry distortions

Laundromat in Duluth, MN.

On the next episode of Nuns vs. Cops

Actually this is from Midway Stadium, where the St. Paul Saints spend their summers playing baseball. One of the things a person can do at the game is get a massage. From a nun. I am not making this up.

Hamms bear on high alert

West 7th Place, downtown St. Paul.

Another Canterbury Tale

Paddock area at Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN.

Jamming

Let me give you some good advice young man/
You better learn to play guitar
-John Mellencamp

A positive attitude counts for a lot

Foosball table, Eau Claire, WI.

Let this be a warning to you all

You can tell it’s important because it’s in all caps.Sign in an antique store, Minneapolis.

Are You Down?

Sand, cast stone, and bronze sculpture at Franconia Sculpture Park. By Michael Richards.

A new era

I, for one, welcome our new giant lizard overlords.
Franconia Sculpture Park, MN.

This one’s hot

Hot Metal Pour at Franconia Sculpture Park.

Spoon moon cherry crane

Walker Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis.

Drowned

Partially submerged utility poles, Morris, MN.

Danger, High Voltage

You kids keep your fingers out of that arc welder!!!
Morris, MN

The hard stuff

Concrete manufacturing plant, Morris, MN.

Apple of the earth

The Pomme de Terre River, Morris, MN. One of my daughters tells me this is French and means “apple of the earth", which usually refers to the potato. The wind was blowing like crazy while shooting a few photos here, so some of the tree details aren’t as sharp as I’d like, but I think it still turned out prettier than your average potato.