In the Bleak Midwinter

In the Bleak Midwinter

I love the holiday season, but this year it has thrown some 

of my better habits off-course. There was a period of denial 

after Thanksgiving, then the cold weather arrived, now 

Christmas is imminent.

I would like to blame my not getting out much with my camera 

recently on all of the holiday build-up, and I guess there is a 

grain of truth in that. By last Thursday, however, I started to feel 

cranky, and realized the reason was that I desperately needed to 

get back outdoors.

The next morning I headed to work early, but with my camera on 

the passenger seat. I took a detour toward the upper Kinnickinnic 

River. The temperature was in the very cold range. I paused for a 

while at the Quarry Road crossing and found this ethereal moment 

unfolding.

~ Hal

Confluence

Confluence

This time of year, I always hear them before I see them. In the 

late afternoon when I'm working in the yard I hear their unmistakable 

honking. I look up at my patch of sky, hoping their flight path will 

bring them low over our house. Every now and then it does.

Lately I've been getting reacquainted with Kinnickinnic State Park. 

When we first moved to River Falls I used to go there to watch the 

sunrise before my morning commute. A couple of days ago I had 

some time after work and decided to pay a visit.

I got to the park after the sun had set. The river (which only a few 

months ago was crawling with boats) was perfectly still. As I walked 

the shoreline where the Kinnickinnic and St. Croix meet, I heard 

these geese behind me. I managed to turn around just in time to witness 

their formation flying downstream over the St. Croix River valley.

~ Hal

November

November

I've lived in the upper midwest now for 18 years and I can honestly 

say that I am only beginning to learn the meaning of November 

around here. I got an inkling a while back, when Maggie explained 

to me that brown is not just brown. Each variety of grass transforms 

with its own signature hue. When the grey skies and rain come, the 

grasses begin to glow.

The bright leaves of autumn have dropped; only a few varieties of 

oak are left with color. Their rusty brown leaves had the patience to 

hold out for a more subtle moment to sing. The sun, low on the 

horizon, knits the harvest and hills together.

~ Hal

Skylight

Skylight

This past week I was starting to feel a little claustrophobic after 

all of the rain and low clouds we've been getting. The dark, 

damp, early mornings with no starlight or moonlight whatsoever 

are difficult to wake up to.

On Saturday a fresh wind blew in and the sky came alive. While 

running errands just past the edge of town, I kept my eye on these 

open holes in the clouds. When they drifted overhead, a large 

patch of sun would follow. I chased one down and pulled the car 

over to catch this moment.

~ Hal

Back Home

Back Home

Work took me up to Duluth for a couple of days this week, and 

the feeling of "winter coming in" was pervasive. On Thursday 

afternoon, a group of us ran in a 5k race along the boardwalk. 

Running into a very stiff Lake Superior headwind, we watched 

the waves smash against the rocky shore, and dodged the spray 

as best we could.

When I got back home, 40 degrees and the promise of a little sun 

seemed like perfect weather. After working in the yard most of 

Saturday, my evening run was very mellow. I brought my camera 

along and stopped to check out this crab apple tree for a few minutes.

~ Hal

Autumn Breezes

Autumn Breezes

Things dried up nicely this weekend, it was a good time to 

get fall chores done. With the sun out, the trees really started 

to hit their peak.

On Sunday my dog Stella and I went walking in the woods 

again. The thing I noticed most was the sound of the wind in 

the tree-tops. The breezes were pretty strong and the leaf 

action up high made a wonderful sound.

I remembered this spot on the hill where the tallest aspens grow. 

I was thinking it would be cool to look up at them and listen for 

a few minutes from the relative calm of the forest floor. Once I 

got there, this was the view that caught my eye.

~ Hal

Fall

Fall

This weekend we were back up north, helping Maggie's folks close 

up the cabin for winter.

Sitting at the breakfast table and looking out the window toward the 

lake, we were reminded that "fall" is a verb. The trees were making 

quick business of shedding their leaves - whole stems of black ash 

were coming down in clumps.

The maples at least had the decency to let go of their leaves one at a 

time (albeit in rapid succession). They flitted in circles, catching an 

occasional updraft, but never really questioning their final resting place.

~ Hal

On the Trail

On the Trail

Over the weekend, Maggie and I (and a handful of friends) ran 

the 10 mile portion of the Twin Cities Marathon. It turned out 

to be a beautiful morning, especially as we ran along the Mississippi 

River, glimpsing the sunrise coming up through the trees over 

St. Paul's Summit Avenue.

Our dog Stella wasn't quite so happy however, since our weekend 

schedule meant that she didn't get out all that much. So yesterday 

when I had a little extra free time, I took her for a nice long walk 

up on Hoffman Hill.

This is one of our favorite spots along the trails up there.

~ Hal

The Invisible Embrace

The Invisible Embrace

On Friday I told Maggie I was going to build the gate for our 

back fence. She lifted an eyebrow at my declaration, mainly 

because this is a project that I've been putting off for, oh, about 

2 years.

On Saturday morning Maggie and Maura went off to a swim meet; 

the boys were sleeping over at friends' houses. I did not go directly 

to work on the gate. I walked out to the back fence where I was 

overtaken by the warm sun, the buzzing of bees, and the joyously 

overgrown end-of-summer jumble of plants.

So I put off the gate for another half-hour or so and got lost in the 

morning.

~ Hal

Hop Harvest

Hop Harvest

Tim (my good friend, co-worker, and home-brewing buddy) has been growing some massive hop vines this summer. In the spring he set up 14 foot poles in his back yard and strung rope to the ground where the little rhizomes were planted.

On Sunday Tim, his wife Joan, and their son Levi invited a few of us over to help with the hop harvest. Naturally we also brewed beer and had a great time trying out each other's summer brews.

This is a shot of one of the hop buds before we cut the vines and got to work.

~ Hal

Up North at the Cabin

Up North at the Cabin

We headed up to Maggie's parent's cabin this Labor Day weekend. 

Beverley and Decker were there to greet us as we rolled in late 

Friday night.

The weather was absolutely perfect. We played some badminton, 

ate walleye, did a few chores, burned the brush pile, walked the 

dogs, talked, and read a lot.

All around were hints of autumn. On our Sunday morning run, 

Maggie and I noticed these ferns. I went back the next morning 

and found them again.

~ Hal

Some Kind of Ecstasy

Some Kind of Ecstasy

Yesterday after work I was watching Garth perform stunts on 

his scooter in the alley, when I heard some music floating over 

the breeze and remembered that Chris Silver was playing at the 

park downtown.

I grabbed Maggie, we abandoned the kids to their own devices 

and walked toward the river for some fun. The early autumn sky 

came in beautifully, our friends were there, and Chris' band was 

rocking.

Toward the end of the night, Chris looked out at everyone and said, 

"This is my community," and it was real and true - and not just for him.

~ Hal

Summer Thunderstorms

Summer Thunderstorms

Our last fling of summer was to drive down through Iowa to Rock 

Island, Illinois for Maggie's 25th high school Reunion. We got up 

very, very early on Saturday morning and made our way down 

through some beautiful farm country while the skies put on a 

dramatic show at sunrise.

We had a wonderful time catching up with old friends and I made a 

few new ones as well. We also spent some good time with Maggie's 

folks, who put up with our coming and going and helped with the 

kids for the weekend.

On the way home we ran into some really intense summer 

thunderstorms rolling east of Waterloo, Iowa. I pulled over and 

got out of the car to take some photos as the leading edge of 

these scary looking clouds bore down on us.

~ Hal

The Pond Out Front

The Pond Out Front

The children and I went down to North Carolina to visit my parents 

this week. There was something of a bittersweet quality to trip for 

me because this coming fall they are moving from their mountain 

home in Cashiers to Asheville.

We did all of our favorite things: played golf and tennis, swam in 

the Chattooga River, talked to the llamas down the road, went to 

bluegrass church service, made a campfire and ate s'mores. The time 

went too quickly.

We spent Sunday afternoon in Asheville, and fortunately the kids 

gave the new place their seal of approval. So... next time we visit, 

we'll start a brand new chapter.

~ Hal

River Falls Farmer's Market

River Falls Farmer's Market

On Saturday morning Maggie and I went down to the farmer's 

market. Our summer schedule has been so irregular this year 

that despite the fact that it's only a few blocks away, this was 

the first time we've been this season.

While we were there we ran into a bunch of friends we hadn't 

seen lately and had a great time catching up.

Naturally I was keeping an eye out for whatever revealed itself. 

I've always loved the explosive, fractal patterns of dill blossoms; 

I found them bunched together like this in a bucket near one of 

the market stands.

~ Hal

Back in the Groove

Back in the Groove

After our trip to the Boundary Waters, it took me a while before I 

really felt like taking photos for the journal again. I still had a lot 

of images from the trip running through my head.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I took my camera in to work. At lunch 

time I went out front and ran across the same patch of prairie plants 

that I took pictures of earlier this spring. The difference was that 

now they were in full bloom.

I ended up chasing this bee around for a while, which I imagine 

was pretty amusing for folks passing by.

~ Hal

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

This is the third year we've taken a summer family camping trip 

to the Boundary Waters. According to the kids it's now a tradition. 

They'll get no argument from me.

We camped with our friends Craig and Shelly, whose children are 

the same ages as Maura and Garth. The fishing was good, and we 

encountered all kinds of wildlife, including a bear that visited our 

camp.

The first two days were cool and cloudy, then the sun came out 

and we took a day trip to this area on Disappointment Lake, where 

we warmed ourselves on the rocks, swam, fished, and enjoyed a 

little bit of heaven.

~ Hal

Family Reunion

Family Reunion

On the last night of the family reunion, the four girl 

cousins (by now sisters once again) danced by the fire, 

then linked arms on the dock.

The moon shone on them, and blessed them as they 

blessed each other.

May this moment last forever.

~ Hal

Kiss the Summer Hello

Kiss the Summer Hello

This rose has been climbing our trellis for a couple of months now. 

Today I got home from an early morning run and noticed the bees nearby.

The sunlight was bright and hot, but it was reflected into the shade 

and the glow was palpable.

No need to wait any longer - just kiss the summer hello.

~ Hal

Wonderland

Wonderland

At the other end of my daily commute to the city is an unremarkable 

six-story brick office building. Unremarkable, that is, except for a 

sometimes ragged looking native prairie landscape planted between 

the street and the front entrance.

A few days ago I was out front, waiting for my ride home and noticed 

this particular plant unfurling. I didn't have my camera with me, but I 

brought it into work the next day. It only took a few moments to fall 

into a completely different kind of world.

~ Hal

Meadow Anemone

Meadow Anemone

I've had my eye on this Pasque Flower all spring. Maggie planted it a few years ago just at the bottom of our front steps, so it's kind of hard to miss, especially on the mornings when I'm sitting right next to it, waiting for my ride to work.

It originally bloomed at Easter, and since then has made an amazing transformation into something that looks more like it belongs underwater than at the edge of our front lawn.

~ Hal

The Secret Life of Plants

The Secret Life of Plants

Today I asked the boys to move a couple of woodpiles from one 

place to another. During the explaining I noticed a few ferns poking 

up next to the outdoor spigot.

In the evening, while the rice for dinner was cooking and the sun 

began to set, I grabbed my camera and went outside to take photos 

of the blossoms on our apple tree, which is now in full flower.

Thinking of the ferns for a moment, I glanced at them and was 

disappointed to see they were already in the shade. I got down 

on my stomach and took a couple of shots anyway, then moved 

over to the apple tree before the rest of the light faded.

I had no idea at the time what those ferns were really up to.

~ Hal

Spring Green

Spring Green

The first leaves are beginning to unfurl, and from a distance the 

wooded hillsides seem to gently promise that spring is truly here.

Maggie and I were talking about it and she told me that as a child, 

whenever she got a new box of colored pencils she immediately 

looked for "spring green," her favorite color.

I went looking for some way to bottle a little bit of this green 

magic and found a willow tree down the block, swaying with 

the breezes.

~ Hal

Maple Blossom Special

 

Maple Blossom Special

Word from the sugarbush is that the sap has stopped running. 

Friends who have been boiling syrup for the past month or 

so are emerging from the woods with smoky clothes and 

sticky fingers.

Here in town the hard maples are blooming. From a distance 

the flowers don't look like much, nothing more than little fuzzy 

blobs at the end of a dry twig. Most of the branches are so high 

up that you don't often get a chance to see one in detail.

On Sunday I had the bright idea to drag the tall ladder out of 

the garage and get up close and personal with the maple tree in 

our front yard. I was surprised to see how beautiful and colorful 

these flowers really are.

~ Hal

 

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

This year it seems like spring has been taking forever to arrive.

Maggie and I went out with friends to hear Chris Silver and

Tommy Bentz play on Saturday, and when we came out of the

show, it was snowing (again).

Yes, the snow laden trees were beautiful the next morning, and

I did take some nice photos, but I have been dying to see some

sign of new life. Thankfully, the snow had melted by noon and

despite a stiff wind, the sun was out to cheer us up.

Later in the afternoon, after finishing up some chores, I walked

home through the alley and ran across these little daffodil tips

poking out of the leaves in our neighbor Marcia's garden.

Hallelujah!

~ Hal

Spring Break

Spring Break

This past week, while Maggie headed down to the Quad Cities to help her Dad with his back surgery, I took the children up north to the Lardner family cabin for some spring skiing.

"The melt" was on, and we had a couple of wonderfully sunny days on the slopes. On the first day, I skied with the kids, on day two they left me behind for their own fun and adventure.

On returning back to the cabin, I took the dog for a walk in the late afternoon sun. It was then I came across these seeds in orbit, on the verge of escaping the gravitational pull of their pods.

~ Hal

Winter Fishing

Winter Fishing

This Saturday was the winter trout (catch and release) fly-fishing

opener. A small group of us showed up at Chris's house with our

gear, hoping for the best.

Joe and Ben reported that the river was running high and dark.

Below the dam in River Falls there was seven inches of foam on

the water's surface.

After some discussion, we decided to take a look at the rivers

east of town rather than climb down the icy trail to the lower

Kinnickinic. We drove about 5 miles to the Rush, then headed

further on to the Eau Galle.

Parking below the Spring Valley impoundment, we walked

along the Eau Galle river. My catch of the morning turned out

to be this brief moment on the trail.

~ Hal

When the Blue Hour Comes

When the Blue Hour Comes

Melting snow's fog settling in at dusk.

Next to the old cemetery,

a soybean field with a tree at its center.

~ Hal

Frozen Memories

Frozen Memories

We're in a "freeze and thaw" weather pattern right now, a

warm-up last week created lakes of melted snow in the yard.

The boys were out hacking at the surface with the ice axe,

flows of ancient lava burbling and gushing forth as they

rode the tectonic plates from here to there.

I went peering below the surface and found a few ancient

memories lurking in suspended animation.

~ Hal