Light Traffic

Saint Paul, MN.

Bicycle and doorway

Rome, Italy, April 2018.

North Shore S h i m m e r

Lake Superior as seen from Schroeder, MN.

Morningflow

Mississippi River, Saint Paul, MN.

Long Division

Fresh snow down by the Mississippi River.
Saint Paul, MN.

Taconite Harbor

Taconite Harbor Energy Center Power Plant, Schroeder, MN.

Pro Stop

Saint Paul, MN. November 2018.

Winterrust

November in Saint Paul, MN.

Make this last forever

Como Park sunburst, Saint Paul, MN.

Walkin' the Dog

Como Park, Saint Paul, MN, October 2018.

Como Park Bridge

No-snow version, October, 2018.

First snow of the season

Como Park, October 2018. I was going to say it seems too early for the first snow, but I'd claim that even if it was the end of December.

Daniel

Thought I was going out for a peaceful evening of photography. Then I met this guy, who yelled at me with such an air of familiarity, I was convinced we knew each other and that my memory was once again failing me. When I asked who he was, he laughed like a freight train and roared, "You have no idea who I am, do you?" He introduced himself as Daniel, then told me he was an actor ("a really excellent actor"), a musician, and an electrician ("I want to wire Michael Jackson's house; I'd really like to see inside that sonofabitch"). He dodged every question I asked with some nonsensical answer. I couldn't tell if he was inebriated, deranged, or a spy. Maybe a bit of all three.

 

Last Stand for O'Gara's

This weekend the Twin Cities bids farewell to two bars, one on each side of the river. In Northeast Minneapolis, Grumpy's bar will be razed to make way for an eight-story, 150-unit apartment complex. Meanwhile, in Saint Paul, the 77-year-old O'Gara's won't shutter permanently, but will be closed until late next year or early 2020, returning at only a quarter of its current size, freeing up space for an apartment building, parking lot, and co-working space. So raise a glass to the regulars, god rest their guts.

Knockout

Taken in Rehoboth Beach, DE, a few days before Hurricane Florence made landfall. Even though Florence was still several hundred miles south at that point, the ocean was as crazy as I've ever seen it, the waves strong enough to have knocked loose part of a wooden jetty. 

Boats, Grand Marais

Waiting for clearer skies.

Fish Cleaning Table

Stockholm, WI.

Topless

Just announced: Topless Mondays are BACK! At The Minnesota State Fair!!

The Hangar

MN State Fair, 2018.

 

Leinie's Lodge

Brisk business at the Leinie Lodge today during the Minnesota State Fair. I think the thermometer topped out at around eighty-couple, but the humidity made it feel like two hundred and six.

Behind the animal barns

Minnesota State Fair, 2018.

Riding tall at the Moo Booth

Minnesota State Fair, 2018.

Any Time

Prowling the less traveled paths at the Minnesota State Fair.

Freedom

Veseli Ho-down, Veseli, Minnesota.

Onion Rings Flaneur

Steele County Free Fair, Owatonna, MN.

Treats

Smiles all around at the 51st annual Veseli Ho-down, where one can engage in activities such as a Polka Mass, grilled pork & dumpling dinner, bingo, silent auction, and other shenanigans.

Hideaway

Under the Robert Street Bridge, Saint Paul, MN.

Reflector

Contemplating it all, 500 feet above Alma Wisconsin and the Mississippi River Valley.

Bird Bird

A pair of scooters in Northeast Minneapolis.

The L With It

Saint Paul skyline and the Mississippi River on a summer morning.

A moment to be still

Under the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, Minneapolis, MN.

August

I’d like to propose that summer last NINE months, and we fit everything else into the remaining three. Who’s with me?

Industrious

After a cloudy day in Schroeder, MN, the sun finally broke through the clouds, making for some swell conditions for photography. This is just a beach or two away from the Taconite Harbor power plant.

Detour

Northeast MPLS.

Love Butter

Regular butter: good.
Love Butter: 10X better.

Little Mekong Night Market, Saint Paul, MN.

We Who See The Deep

Just a few short steps to wonderful Lake Superior!

Transitional

A moment of calm on Lake Superior.

Building blocks

Possibly abandoned house on or near the site of the former Colonel’s Creek Campground, Fayetteville, PA.

Skipper

Rocking it in Grand Marais, MN.

Skim

It's summer. It's the weekend. Hope you are in your happy place.

Morning, Hennepin Avenue Bridge

Early morning in Minneapolis.

Win Win

Outskirts of a block party on a June Saturday in Grand Marais, MN. Folks were dealing with the triple whammy of rain, wind, and chilly temperatures.

Totem

What appears to be the site of a former flea market or some similar thing that everyone just walked away from and no one has disturbed since, because, you know...THE MONSTER. One of many intriguing sites along Route 30 between Chambersburg and Gettysburg.

BYOB

Route 30 in Pennsylvania, somewhere between Chambersburg and Gettysburg.

Preseason

At Fattoria Poggio Capponi, Montespertoli, Italy, about 45 minutes southwest of Florence. April, 2018.

Overview

Lake Street/Hiawatha light rail stop, Minneapolis, MN.

Last stand

Last stand for the ice and snow for at least a few months (I hope). We've had our share of harsh weather this April; I'm looking forward to some long days of sunshine and warmer temperatures.

Final Approach

It wasn't a long walk to my grandparents' house--maybe 15 minutes in the worst of conditions. A dirt lane filled with sand, gravel, rocks of various sizes, and truckloads of rubber horseshoes, which fit perfectly into a young boy's hand and were excellent for throwing at rusted tin cans. Rain would carve channels into the lane, making the trip treacherous for a nice car, especially if you were a fastidious sort of fellow (hi, Dad). However, for my grandfather's old beat-up blue Rambler, rough terrain wasn’t a big deal: just try to avoid ripping anything off the undercarriage and who cared if a rock chipped a bit more paint.

The lane consisted of an initial steep decline for a few hundred yards, then flattened out for about twice that distance. Next was a sweeping right curve, then a slight rise where the trees closed in on both sides (where this photo was taken). Then a gentle bend to the left and a quick drop before the final flat run to the house. It was a thrilling bike ride, especially when two of my older cousins would set up wooden ramps at the bottom of the hill that's just out of sight here. Soaring through the air on a single-speeder with a banana seat wasn't the issue--landing was. I still have scars that testify to that.