Spring Ephemeral

Spring Ephemeral

One of the things I love about working in the field of natural 

resources is that my team tries to hold our quarterly meetings 

at various parks around the state.  This spring we decided to go 

down to Big Woods State Park (near Northfield, Minnesota).   

Most of us also ended up camping there and exploring the woods 

in our off-time.

All over the park, we found the forest floor peppered with bunches 

of these trout lilies in bloom.  I had hoped to spot the very rare 

dwarf trout lilly, but it turned out I was a week too late ~ they had 

already bloomed and hidden themselves again.

Nonetheless, this tender beauty brightened my eye after an evening 

run through the woods with my friends Chris, Mike, and Shelly.

~ Hal

Winter's Exhalation

Winter's Exhalation

For the past week the warming temperatures and melting snow have resulted in a string of beautifully foggy mornings.  Their eerie nature drew me to Foster Cemetery, one of the lonely, lovely spots hidden around town.

I found myself high on the hill above the Kinnickinnic River, sitting with my back turned to the old settler’s grave stones.  I listened to geese flying through the gray soup.  Every now and then a pair would emerge from the fog of winter’s final breath, only to disappear again a moment later, headed downstream.

~ Hal

Duck Stamp

Duck Stamp

I was up early on Saturday to drop Garth off at school for his 

choir concert trip.  After saying goodbye, I headed over to Glen 

Park and followed the trail down the hill to the Kinnickinnic River.

If you’ve ever been traveling away from home and stopped into 

a small-town cafe mid-morning, you know the feeling I had as I 

emerged from the woods;   heads turned to eye my entrance when 

I joined these mallard ducks at their regular gathering spot.

After a moment, they went back to stamping their feet and discussing 

their plans for the day.  I took this photo, then wandered further up 

the river.

~ Hal

Barn Bluff

Barn Bluff

On Saturday morning I woke up early to go for a hike on 

Barn Bluff (down in Red Wing, Minnesota).  Over the years 

I’ve rock climbed there and I wondered what it would be like 

to hike along the stone walls in winter.

I don’t usually get excited about “grey” snow days, I tend to 

favor the bright winter sun.  This morning, however, I 

rediscovered a soft, reflective quiet that had me thinking 

about past summer adventures.

I took this photo as I walked along the quarry trail, revisiting 

old familiar haunts cast in a different light.

~ Hal

Running Water

Running Water

One of my favorite spots on our regular running route is the 

small bridge where we cross over the South Fork of the 

Kinnickinnic River.  My anticipation builds as the path curves 

away from the main part of the University campus and bends 

down through a patch of sumac toward the stream.

I love to listen for the exact moment when I first hear the water 

flowing over stones in the stream bed.  The sound of the small 

riffle below the bridge comes just a few gratifying seconds before 

I round the bend and the water comes into view.

On this particular morning we stopped on the bridge to look at 

these exquisite patterns where the ice caught the light. I came 

back later to take this photo.

~ Hal

Kelly Creek

Kelly Creek

Once or twice a year I head over to take a walk at Kelly Creek, 

a beautiful little cold-water feeder stream that flows into the 

upper Kinnickinnic River.

Besides being a wonderful sanctuary for native brook trout, the 

magical thing about this creek is the way it springs wholly from 

a modest rock outcrop beneath an old bur oak tree. I can stare at 

that spot for hours and never come close to plumbing its depths.

This time of year it's just nice to check in on the green watercress, 

and poke around in the brushy alder, watching the birds come to 

the water for a drink.

~ Hal

New Years Day

New Year's Day

The sound of my skis, following a path left years ago. The tall 

hardwood trees move with the wind up high. Every now and 

again one of their trunks makes a brittle, deep cracking sound. 

A winter prayer.

We went up north for the long weekend and spent most of our 

time cross-country skiing and reading around the wood stove. 

The weather was very cold, the snow was perfect.

On New Year’s morning we skied this trail at The Nature 

Conservancy’s Catherine Wolter Wilderness Preserve (near 

Presque Isle, Wisconsin) with our friend Kath who was also 

up for the holiday.

For me, this quiet, nearly silent New Year’s Day felt like the 

perfect bookend to a warm and busy holiday season with all 

of our family and friends.

With thanks, “Happy New Year.”

~ Hal