Winter – Page 4 – Valerie's Voice

St. Olaf’s Ice Arena

St. Olaf College built a spectacular ice arena on campus. It opened in January. Many hockey games have been played on the rink already. I believe it’s the end of hockey season but hopefully next year we can attend a game.

The new ice arena is housed in the Tostrud building at St. Olaf College.

The ice arena is used for several other events too…there is a Figure Skating Club that meets weekly and I know it offers Open Skate on Sundays.

It’s a great place for families with little ones learning to skate. It’s an indoor rink so it’s much warmer than skating outside. Our son and his family gave it a try. My son retrieved his skates from our basement and he rented skates for the rest of his family at the rink. Rental skates were available in all sizes.

It was the first time my daughter-in-love tried ice skating. She moved to Minnesota last December and is embracing winter, although it’s been a tough one, even for Minnesotans. Of course, their children tried skating for the first time too.

When we stopped by to see them skate, the 4 year old and 3 year old were resting on the sidelines, enjoying watching the skaters go by, after their initial attempts at skating. They got back on the ice and when they arrived home they were so excited for this new adventure.

Having fun watching the skaters from the sidelines.

Ice skating on my neighborhood rink was an activity I enjoyed a lot when I was much younger. I still have the only pair of skates I’ve owned, from high school. I have used them many times over the years. They are very thin leather, and unlined. I believe my toes may have been near frostbitten back when I was young, because now when I go outside in wintertime my toes get cold quickly. I love the invention of toe warmers!

Maybe I should try skating again….my rational self wonders if I’m too old. I don’t want to fall. But I am tempted. I don’t want my physical age to get in the way of my youthful memories of skating.

Cross-Country Skiing

We were able to get out cross-country skiing at the Carleton Arboretum a couple of times this past week. It is one positive for all the snow that has fallen this winter.

The white, pristine snow blankets the ground and frosts the brown tree trunks. Water flows through open spaces in the river, the trail recently groomed for skiing, and the temperatures reasonable, even nice, to be able to be outside and enjoy this tough Minnesota winter.

Open water on the river that runs through the arboretum.

Yesterday gentle snowflakes fell during our time on the trail. Quiet beauty surrounded us. It was peaceful. It is always peaceful at the arb. It is sometimes hard to remember downtown is within a mile or two. We are fortunate to have this beautiful, wooded arboretum so near and accessible.

Several years ago I wrote a poem while skiing at the arb and I thought of it again this week.

Cross-Country Skiing
 
Arms swinging
Poles digging
Jacket swishing
Legs trekking
Skis gliding
 
River Flowing
Snow falling
Birds singing
Peace ringing
Prayer bringing

The contrast of dark and light, white snow…brown tree trunks…gray water, is striking, but there can be color in winter. We saw this sunset the night before our last snow fall.

The sun setting over snow covered fields one evening while driving out of town.

Snow and Cold

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.'” -Lewis Carroll

A quilt of snow fell Sunday night and we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland.

However, the weather forecasters predict we will experience our coldest temperatures in 20 years this week, with 25-30 degrees below zero temperatures. Brrr…We will need to bundle up with our own warm quilts, inside.

Northfield’s 20th Annual Winter Walk

We attended the 20^th annual Winter Walk in Northfield last night. The downtown is festive: all lit up with white lights and Christmas decorations, different groups of carolers singing, and stores offering sweet treats.

One of the decorated trees downtown Northfield. Photo taken right before sunset.

We received a special invitation to stop in at a business in town, which is where we always start our walk, after tasting some wonderful morsels.

Beautiful and creative special invitation for a Winter Walk event.

Next we visited Content bookstore, then checked out two new stores downtown before heading to the old Model Train exhibits, set up in our library at the end of Division Street.

We strolled back towards Bridge Square, along the closed-off street, full of cheerful folks meandering, a horse-drawn carriage, fire pits, and different music groups. We stopped at a couple other favorite stores: The Rare Pair and an antique store. They were packed with people. Depending on the weather the stores can get very crowded. It was chilly and the stores were full.

Bridge Square during Winter Walk, Northfield.

When we first arrived downtown we caught the beginning of a parade. This is a first for Northfield’s Winter Walk. For me it was too chilly to stand out to watch it go by, but we did see a couple of the entries while walking to our first stop. I enjoyed seeing the tractor decorated in Christmas lights, then we dashed inside.

The lighted tractor to begin the parade at Northfield’s Winter Walk.

Last weekend we planned to go to Faribault’s Winterfest Parade of Lights, including fireworks, but it got postponed due to weather. How ironic, the Winterfest, postponed by winter weather. HA.

That parade has been rescheduled for December 14^th so hopefully it will be “warm” enough to bring our newly arrived grand-children from Africa to see it. “O, what fun…”

A Week in Winter Wonderland

Last week it snowed one day, and then another, and then another and for some reason the snow mostly stayed on the tree branches making the world around us a winter wonderland. For me it was breath-taking. Everywhere you looked the trees were frosted. I tried to capture a few photos.

The first snow – ice crystals clinging to tree branches and glistening in the sun.

The second snow – Evergreens along County Road 9.

Second snowfall – we went snow-shoeing on French Lake.

Overlooking fresh fallen snow on an open field.

The third snow – walking in vehicle tracks on Crystal Lake.

Chunks of ice carved out of Crystal Lake, preparing a hole for a polar plunge (which we did not stay to watch.)

Continuing to walk all the way across Crystal Lake.

Into the woods on the other side of Crystal Lake.

A lone pine cone hanging on to a snowy branch.

Stunning beauty all along the Highway 3. I can only imagine what it would look like with blue skies.

Every branch (and every tree) is covered with snow.

Impromptu Hike

The sun was shining, the snow was glistening and the woods were calling. Fortunately, we had no where we needed to be so we headed out to Big Woods State Park to hike in the winter wonderland.

Over a bridge and through the woods. Clean, white, fresh snow.

Ending our time with a walk through the campground.

History Lessons

Into the woods, heading towards Loon Lake.

Our time with my aunt (87) and uncle (my father’s brother, 89) was delightful. We enjoyed staying in their beautiful home on 150 acres in northern Minnesota. The farm, with lake shore, was very picturesque with the clean, fresh fallen snow covering the fields, and lake.

We did some snowshoeing on their property, took a walk down their lane to pick up the mail, helped fill a wooden trough with corn because my uncle feeds six deer each day, and filled two large bird feeders outside their kitchen window, but mostly we visited. After catching up with family talk we spent hours reminiscing of days gone by, focusing on their lives but including tales of my father, who passed away when I was twenty, and my grandparents who came over from Norway. These history lessons come alive when told from a personal perspective and we listened intently to the stories. We asked questions and they in turned asked questions of us to show their interest in us too…it was a very special time as we slowed down our lives to be with these fine folks.