We woke up to three inches of snow. It was the first morning on a recent trip to Madison where I met up with my friend from Indiana. This was the end of October, and to see 3″ of snow was a little earlier than I’d like, but it was beautiful.
However, our plan that morning was to go to Olbrich Botanical Gardens and the snow only enticed us more…we were excited to see how the snow enhanced the gardens.
Three inches of snow.
It was a delight. The skies were fall blue, the air was crisp and the paths were inviting…we said we felt like we were in Narnia.
From an elevated platform in the gardens.
Snow covered the tree branches and plants and bushes…all outdoor furniture… and a gentle wind blew swirls of snow off the trees. The paths were mostly clear because the sidewalks were warm enough to melt the snow as it touched the ground.
A lone rose.
Still water.
After spending a good amount of time outside we finally got chilled and went indoors.
IThe snow had already melted off this fall display.
Once inside we walked through the warm, tropical conservatory with birds and butterflies. It was a great way to warm up our whole body.
Inside the warm conservatory.
Even though I’m not ready for winter to begin, the first snowfall of this season turned out to be a wonderful event. But I’m thankful we were in Madison and there was no snow back home in Northfield.
The other day as we drove by Memorial Park in Northfield we noticed the city snowploughs sitting in the swimming pool’s parking lot. And then we noticed the blades were painted with vibrant colors and wonderful pictures.
We stopped to look at the interesting paint jobs. Later, I returned to take photos and to read the signs posted next to each machine, but they did not tell me what I wanted to know.
But what I assume is this was an art project done by the students at St. Dominic’s School…in different grade levels. It seems a student created their own work of art by re-creating another artist’s painting. Then the student, or group of students, painted their rendition on the snowplough blades.
The ploughs were on display for a short while at Memorial Park. The signs next to each plough showed a photo of the original painting and told about the original artist. The student’s grade level were on the blades, but no recognition for the student artist(s).
It must have been a fun, new and creative way to paint.
I’m glad I was able to take pictures to show off the beautiful machines that will be clearing our streets in Northfield this winter.
One fine, autumn day we went on a drive enjoying the country landscapes and ended up in Wisconsin. We stopped at the Nelson Creamery for lunch, and then headed to Alma and a small county park there, with an expansive overlook of the Mississippi River. The sun was out, the sky was blue and trees were an array of beautiful fall colors.
Beautiful ivy on Nelson Creamery’s outside patio wall.
While entering Alma a barge was approaching Lock and Dam #4. We decided to park the car and walk to the observation platform to watch the interesting process of moving a barge through the lock.
A view of the front of the barge entering the lock.
It was process. This particular barge, technically called a 9-pack barge because each unit is called a barge and when tied together they are identified as packs. A 9-pack barge is three barges wide and three barges deep. For simplicity in this blog I am using the term “barge” to identify the entire barge pack.
A view of the length of the barge.
The tugboat would not fit in the lock at the same time as the barge so the barge went through first, after disengaging from the tugboat. Once it passed through it was secured to shore while the tugboat went through the lock. The two were reconnected – the barge and the tugboat – and it continued on it’s way again, down the mighty Mississippi River, to the next lock and dam.
Overlook from Buena Vista Park in Alma, WI. The 9-pack barge waiting for the tugboat to pass through the lock.
It was interesting process to watch and it took over an hour. And this is just… one barge… on one section… of one river. This process is repeated several times a day for many months of the year.
Pleasure boats go through the lock and dam too. This boat waited a while before it could pass through.
In the meantime a train came rumbling through town on the railroad tracks and there we were, between the train and the river barge. It seemed like a lot of activity in this small Wisconsin town of 791 people.
It’s interesting to stop and think of all the ways commodities are transported in this country…quickly or slowly…by boats, trains, trucks…mostly unnoticed… and the availability of goods taken for granted.
We like to go to the theater. I’ve always enjoyed seeing plays. In high school – a very long time ago – I help with play productions, behind the scenes. We are delighted to have some great community theaters in Northfield and in towns surrounding us.
The other weekend we went to a very unusual play. It was held outdoors, in the Carleton Arb, and you walked from set to set.
The inside cover page for the program.
The play was called “Nature”. It was the story of the unusual friendship between Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and the many twists and turns their relationship took. Emerson and Thoreau were both writers, and promoters of the importance of our natural environment, and of connecting with nature in order to survive well.
Nature was touring across the country and it happened to be in Ely, MN last summer when my husband was in the BWCA. The group of guys he went up north with took time out for some “culture” and they went to see this play. Gary learned it was going to be in Northfield and thought I would enjoy seeing it, so we got tickets.
There were four different sets and we walked to six different scenes and the play lasted two hours. Gary suggested we bring our camp chairs and that was a good idea. The evening was cold and very windy but the play went on.
It is a clever idea… a play about nature, acted outdoors… in nature. Another unique fact is the great, great grandson of Waldo Emerson was an actor. His character was, of course, Waldo.
One of Thoreau’s more well-known books.
The tour has ended for now but it may come back again. They told us this was their 9th season. The program states that the touring group is “Collaborating with parks, arboretums, universities and communities across the county in this creative movement to reconnect with the natural world.” I think that is a great goal.
The walking play, Nature, is unique, memorable and fun.
Looking out over the expansive dark lake, at night Gazing at the full moon rising Reflecting a sparkling path on the water Streaming it’s light directly towards shore Guiding my eyes upward Resembling a cathedral between the trees. Behold, A moon cathedral, God-made, inviting praise for His beautiful creation.
An additional story from the Tribute to the Eagles concert…
I happened to know one of the ushers working at the Tribute to the Eagles concert. During intermission I talked with her for a few minutes. She’s a friend that I have bought fresh eggs from in the past. During our short converesation she said, “I have an unusual question for you”…and proceeded to ask me if I needed any eggs. She had brought two dozen eggs to the concert for someone else to pick up but they didn’t show up. She thought I might be interested….and I was.
I paid her, she kept the eggs in the back room during the concert, and we picked them up when it was over and walked out of the theater with fresh eggs.
Fun music and fresh eggs!
I laugh thinking this could only happen in a small town.
We were happy to show off, to our friends from New Hampshire, our charming town in Minnesota, with the motto: Cows, Colleges and Contentment.
A flyer for the Tribute to the Eagles concert.
Prior to knowing of their plans to visit we had bought four tickets to a Tribute to the Eagles concert. To our delight, the concert happened to be the day after their arrival to Northfield and they were eager to attend the concert with us.
The Armadillos and Collective Unconscious; the two bands performed together for the Tribute to the Eagles concert.
So off we went to the Paradise Theater in Faribault. Two groups, the Armadillos and Collective Unconscious, formed the tribute band. Together they recreated songs by the Eagles, a “California Rock Band from the 70’s.” With eyes closed one could imagine being in a concert hall with the original Eagles band members playing and singing their energetic tunes. They put on a lively show.
Dancing up front.
We were moving in our seats, but in the end we were up and out of them, dancing to the music in front of the stage. It was a great concert.
And that was the evening of the first day.
The next day we were showing our friends St. Olaf College. We took a stroll on campus and stopped to look in beautiful Boe Chapel.
Boe Chapel on the campus of St. Olaf College.
There were musicians practicing up front. A gentleman came and explained the group practicing was called Together in Hope and the choir’s mission (per their program) is to be “a catalyst for healing and reconciliation through the transformative power of music.”
He told us they were going to perform a concert that evening. We had just made dinner reservations at the Ole Store right down the street from St. Olaf and the timing worked out just right for the four of us to attend this beautiful chorale music concert.
The Together in Hope choir at Boe Chapel.
The choir was accompanied by a few current students and some alumni of the St. Olaf Orchestra. They performed two works by Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen: So That the World May Believe: A Motet for Unity and Service and The Holy Spirit Mass. The program stated these songs were originally performed by the choir in front of the Pope, in Rome, in 2018.
And that was evening of the second day.
On the third day we all decided to go to a Germanfest at a country church nearby. It is an annual event and known for it’s good German food with music.
German flag image.
When we arrived a polka band was playing. Although the weather was frightful…rainy and windy…we stood under the tent outside and listened to a couple of polka tunes and watched one couple dancing to the music.
And that was the evening of the third day.
It was great fun to happen upon these three vastly different types of quality music available during these three specific days, in a row, all in rural Minnesota. What a gift.
We were blessed to have an opportunity to travel to the north shore a second time this fall, within two weeks of our first trip up to Lake Superior.
Yellow Birch and Aspens contrast with the dark evergreen trees that line the shores of Lake Superior and Highway 61.
The first week up on the north shore we had a great time with family and saw abundant fall colors. Our second trip to the north shore we enjoyed showing off one of our favorite places to our visiting friends from New Hampshire.
The forecast was dismal…rain was predicted for every day we were to be up north. And, on our first day – the drive up – it was misty rain all day.
The beauituful, brick Split Rock Lighthouse.
The Fog Signal Building next to the lighthouse.
But, even so, we stopped at the New Scenic Café for a delicious lunch, and then toured the impressive, historic, and iconic Split Rock Lighthouse, which opened in 1910 and was deactivated in 1969.
Looking out over Lake Superior from the platform of the lighthouse…where is the lake?
The spiral staircase in the Split Rock Lighthouse.
Looking out over the railing we could not see the big lake. It was fogged in and clouded over, but inside we climbed up the spiral staircase to the top to see the special lens. Click here to read more on this fascinating lens.
The special lens in the lighthouse, only used for special occasions now.
We also toured one of the lightkeeper houses. An antique oven was lit while bread dough was rising so it was very cozy in the house as we warmed up in the kitchen on a cold blistery day.
A docent showing off the antique oven in the light keeper’s house.
Even in the rain we stopped a few more places along the way to Tofte, where our friends had rented a condo.
A different view than I normally see of a Lake Superior sunrise.
Much to our surprise we saw the sun rise over Lake Superior the next two mornings. What a treat – what a delight! We were grateful!
The view from the deck of the condo.
For two days it did not rain, and was partly sunny…to mostly sunny.
Looking Up.
We took a another look on Oberg Mountain by hiking the trail for a second time in two weeks. The colors were fuller and even more vibrant than on our first hike two weeks prior.
From the top of Oberg Mountain.
It’s hard to capture the yellow trees closer to the lake which turn color later than the inland trees. Lake Superior is in right hand corner.
We meandered a long time at the top of Oberg, to enjoy God’s spectacular creation and amazing colors.
Another view off Oberg Mountain.
Near the mouth of Temperance River.
Along Temperance River.
We showed our friends a taste of the wonderful north shore: Temperance River, Grand Marais, Naniboujou Lodge, and we spent time on the rocks, had a bonfire, and drove one of the fall color tours on the back roads.
The skies clearing in Grand Marais.
The Grand Marais breakwaters, backlit with sunshine clearing from the west.
It brought us much joy to show off the beauty of Lake Superior. Time went by too quickly.
A stretch of Lake Superior shoreline.
Early in the morning, on the last day, our friends headed north – they were driving back home through Canada. We headed south – back to Northfield, once again basking in the glory of the north shore and grateful for a second look at it this year
Through the years, at various outdoor locations, we’ve noticed signs that recognize the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) for their valuable work in natural history preservation. In the visitor center at Gooseberry Falls State Park we browsed their exhibit about the CCC, and noticed a statue dedicated to the men who served in the CCC on our walk to see the falls.
The statue at Gooseberry Falls State Park, dedicated to the CCC participants.
The CCC was a program President Franklin D. Roosevelt put in place in 1933 and it continued until 1942. It was a very innovative program and it was successful.
The plaque for the statue.
The CCC was a voluntary public work relief program that put young men to work during the depression. Men between ages 18-25, who were single and unemployed, could work for the CCC. It was unskilled manual labor and they had to leave home to find work.
From the display at Gooseberry Falls State Park Visitor’s Center.
The men worked for the conservation and development of natural resources in lands owned by the federal, state, and local government. The program employed three million young men over the years it was in operation. I learned they were paid a wage of $30 a month, but $25 had to be sent home to their families. The men were provided with shelter, clothing and food.
A cap issued to the CCC workers, with the division number.
This manual labor helped both the young men and their families. Apparently the young men developed an improved morale, learned skills to make them employable in the future, and improved their physical conditions.1 The money sent home helped their families.
From the display at Gooseberry Falls State Park Visitor’s Center.
And…it helped all of us seventy years later. Gary and I often comment on how grateful we are for the people who went before us who had the insight and fortitude to protect the natural lands that we so enjoy today. The CCC was a part of this.
Gooseberry Falls.
It seemed to be a win-win situation during a very depressed time in our nation’s history. I wish some kind of program like it could be put in place these days to help those who are unemployed.
I loved these tree roots…on the path to see Gooseberry Falls.
The small, but permanent, exhibit about the CCC at Gooseberry Falls Visitor Center tells of an interesting piece of our history.
