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

Winter's Gifts

Winter's Gifts

Thursdays are my “work-from-home” days. No commute, good coffee,

and (at least when the kids are at school) few interruptions.

One of the side benefits is that it’s easy to pop outside when the

opportunity for a photo presents itself. I was standing at our kitchen

window when I noticed these flowers (bee balm) basking in my

neighbor Eric’s back yard.

It has been a very cold, snowy week and the visual geometry of the

landscape has shifted dramatically. Some days, the cold can really

sap your spirit; but I’ve also noticed that when everyone is wearing

a fluffy white cap it’s not all that hard to spot winter’s gifts.

~ Hal

First Snow

 

First Snow

This has been the week when November’s grey skies finally gave way 

to the first real snow of the season. A truly welcome sign... Hallelujah!

Now that I’m a few weeks into this project, I’ve been thinking about

the small changes it has brought to my life. For one, I’ve been studying 

sun’s schedule and the shifting windows of opportunity for capturing 

its magic. I find myself checking the sky and bringing my camera on 

quick trips to the grocery or when I’m hauling the kids around town.

I took this photo on an errand to pick up art supplies for my daughter’s

school project. However instead of taking a proper left at the shopping 

center light, I detoured down the gravel drive marked “fishing access” 

and got lost for a while along the banks of the Kinnickinnic River.

~ Hal

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

This past week we traveled to Milan, Illinois to celebrate Thanksgiving

with Maggie’s family. The children were looking forward to pulling on

their rubber boots and walking down the hillside and across the field to

Mill Creek, dogs in tow.

Maggie and her brothers grew up messing around in this creek. When

the kids returned, wet and hungry, we listened to their stories.

I headed down to the creek myself after a few chores were checked-off

the list and the afternoon light began to soften. The laughter of adventure,

somewhere around the bend, was muted in the sunlit afternoon.

~ Hal