Go away winter! We are not ready for you. 
Too Much, Too Soon!
Tag: Winter
Revived
My aloe vera plant started to show signs of distress last winter. In June I set it outside as it’s last hope.
I guess it loved the hot summer sun. It thrived, and I’m glad. Now I hope it will survive another winter indoors…
Faribo Frosty
A gigantic snowman is fun for any age to see. And this huge snowman, Faribo Frosty, appears each winter in Faribault, MN. It is an annual tradition for this Faribault family to create an enormous snowman with a hat and mittens and scarf, and all other snowman trimmings, including a bucket for his pipe.
We thought it might have melted a little before we got to take the grandchildren to see it this week because of the unusually warm temperatures, but if it did melt any we couldn’t tell…it was still huge, and a big hit with the kids.
The family encourages people to stop by to see FariboFrosty, and to take pictures, and to enjoy their wonderful gift to their community. We are joyful recipients of their labor of love and are thankful for it.
Rime Ice
Over the weekend we got 8-10″ of fresh snow. It was a nice clean blanket covering the ground, although a lot of plowing had to be done.
Then, the morning after, came rime ice (a new term for me…it’s thicker than a hoar frost) covering every single branch with ice crystals. It was breathtaking!
I knew pictures would not do it justice but I couldn’t stop myself from taking a few anyways…
Psalm 148: 7-9
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars…
Robins in Winter
As I looked through my kitchen window over the weekend I noticed a flutter of bird activity on our crabapple tree out front. On closer look I noticed the birds were robins. I was able to capture a photo of two as several flitted in and out of the tree, enjoying the berries still hanging on the branches. Robins and winter…I’d fly south if I were them.
Skiing By Candlelight
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park held their annual Candlelight Ski/Snowshoe/Walk over the weekend. We enjoy this event. This year all conditions were just right for cross-country skiing…the trail was well-groomed, the temperatures were above average, and there was no wind.
It was a delight to be out there in the woods, lit by luminaries. It was calm and peaceful which made for an enchanting evening.
There were a lot of visitors to the park…walking, snowshoeing and skiing. Thankfully out on the ski trail it was not crowded.
As it grew darker, sometimes it was hard to see the track in front of us between luminaries, which made it dicey at times. We chose to not use headlamps. The moon was shining through the trees, casting shadows.
This was our second time out skiing that day…we skied at Riverbend Nature Center in the morning and that, too, was beautiful. It also gave us reason to believe skiing conditions would be favorable to venture out again in the evening for the much anticipated Candlelight Ski.
A Visitor
This little guy greeted us the other day when we drove into our garage. We watched him make his way to the opened garage door and fly away. I’m sure he was anxiously waiting for us to come home.
A Sunday Afternoon Drive
We took a Sunday afternoon drive recently, and headed down a gravel road we had never been on, about three miles from our house. The corner of this intersection is familiar to us because we usually turn right on asphalt to a friend’s house. On the corner sits an antique truck, which is always full of flowers in the summer or greenery in winter.
Continuing straight through this intersection the pavement turns to gravel and on this gravel road we had a fun afternoon of discovering new territory to us.
Right away we noticed a dilapidated building that must have been really spectacular in it’s day. At first we thought it was a huge barn…but unlike any barn we’ve ever seen. It sits far off the road so it was hard to get a good look. I would have loved to get up close; to walk around and to take photos. It had a gabled roof on the main structure with two wings sections on each side making it look massive and impressive, even in the bad shape it is in. We wondered about the stories it could tell. It was on farm property.
Next door, a ways down the road, was a unique dome house. In contrast to the old building, this modern house stood out. Dome houses are unusual dwellings and you don’t see them very often. Our friends lived in one for years, in a different part of town.
Then we came upon a sign “Former site of Fagen”. I was very surprised to see this marker reminding us of a former town, with a history, and it being within five miles of where we lived. Yet, I had never heard of it. I wondered if the farm with the old building considered the former town of Fagen it’s home address?
Driving further we found what my husband was searching for…an old mill. He had ridden by this old mill on his bicycle one summer but couldn’t quite remember how to get there, so we meandered the roads until we found it.
We noticed an eagle perched in the treetop as we pulled over to the side of the road to park, but then it flew away as we got out of the truck to take photos of this beautiful, but decaying and crumbling three-story mill made of limestone, with its walls tumbling down.
With a little research I found out it is called the Oxford Mill Ruin and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The mill was built in 1878 and burned in 1905 and never reopened after that. Click here for more history about this old flour mill.
It was a large mill on the Little Cannon River. Apparently it was one of 27 flour mills in Goodhue County at that time.
Continuing on our way we saw a brick silo standing solo, on the side of a road. Brick silos always look strong and sturdy and are usually in good condition. We did not see any farm houses or barns nearby this lone silo, and again we wondered… if only these structures could talk.
We did drive by many farms, some very well kept, others not so much. Out here in the country the vast fields were covered with freshly fallen snow, dotted with some drifts caused by the strong winds.
The roads were icy and the sky was gray, but it was a delightful drive and a fun day of discovery… so close to home.
Mia: Art in Bloom
During the wet snowstorm last week I braved the elements and went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (Mia) for their Art in Bloom exhibit.
This was my first time to see this annual event of floral artistry. I think it works like this: a floral artist submits an idea using flowers and greenery that depicts different pieces of artwork…either sculpture, ceramics or paintings.
When awarded, the artist starts creating their floral masterpiece which is then set next to the artwork. A plaque conveys the artists name and how many times they have participated in this event.
I was excited to see this exhibit, and it was worth the snowy drive. It was the touch of spring I needed after this rather long winter.
It was the creativity of passionate artists using flowers.
It was the charm of being at the art institute.
It was the warmth being inside and occasionally walking past the vast windows of the Mia looking outside to see large snowflakes falling.
It was a fabulous event. I enjoyed every minute.
April Snow
When temperatures were near 70* on Monday we, along with many Minnesota hopefuls, thought winter as over…the grass had hints of green and all the snow had finally melted on the north side of our house, which is the front side, and always the last side to surrender the snow.
With the warm temperatures we were happy to be outside. We cut down our prairie grass in the backyard and the grandchildren enjoyed riding their bicycles on the clear sidewalks.
Later that same day I heard the forecast for blizzard conditions and it was hard to believe…until heavy snow started falling and accumulating quickly on Wednesday afternoon. We tucked ourselves safely in the house while the snow kept falling into the night.
Early the next morning I wanted to go outside for a walk and check out the effects of the snowstorm. I asked Zoey, our four-year-old granddaughter, to go with me. Her boots were packed away since we thought there would be no more snow, so I found two plastic bags…
I bundled her up, then put plastic bags over her shoes. I was planning to walk in the street, not play in the snow, so I thought the good old-fashioned trick with the plastic bags could work. And it did.
We were walking down the street toward the park when we heard thunder. This must be what they call thundersnow. We could not hear it while we were in the house. Soon the winds picked up and freezing rain began pelting from the sky, stinging our faces. It happened quickly. We turned around and went back home, once again settling ourselves inside for the day. We baked cookies.
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