Allen's Photo Blog

Eyes on the world

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Hi ... and welcome,

In this blog I'll share photos and thoughts. 

It will be about looking out and looking in.

It's a window onto and into my world.

Allen

Spring Today, Winter Tomorrow

February 27, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

It's another one of those days in Minnesota - spring-like ... near the end of winter.

Today (February 27, 2016) it's 58 degrees. In two days, it'll be back down to 14.

Trails along the Mississippi River and at popular parks are downright crowded. Warmth and sunshine bring people out in droves. We Minnesotans have an uneasy truce with winter, so there's nothing like an almost-spring day to make us feel giddy that winter is disappearing.

Here is a series of photos taken at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis at 58 degrees. We're moving on to another season.


Watch-your-head infrastructure

May 21, 2014

High water, I expected. Falling concrete, I did not.

The location is Hidden Falls Park (South Unit) in St Paul, Minnesota. This is the Mississippi River Gorge. High water from recent rains flooded a section of the riverside trail. The yellow sign on the barrier also cautions about another hazard - falling concrete from the Highway 5 bridge over the Mississippi.

Falling financial support for infrastructure means falling concrete.

Watch your head!


Spring Thaw

March 11, 2014

Finally winter's harsh polar vortex has gone away. All the melting snow confirms that spring is upon us ... but the water puddles make you paranoid about the true depth of potholes. Spring thaw also makes it hard for police to distinguish between the erratic driving of pothole-evader-hopefuls and drunks.


The Faceless Homeless

January 06, 2014
Browsing through old photos I came upon a couple interesting ones of a homeless person. The pictures here were taken exactly one year ago - January 7, 2012 - in a downtown St Paul park. The low temperature that night was 23 degrees above zero. This person was spending part of the day totally bundled up, with his possessions by his side.
 
The temperature in St Paul last night - this one year later - was 23 degrees BELOW zero. I hope all the homeless had a warm shelter to go to.
 
I’m self-conscious when I take photos of homeless people. I usually don’t take their photos unless I can sneak the pictures ... as I could in this case.
 
In the first photo there is a paperback book wedged in the crook of the tree. In the second photo there is a newspaper wedged in the seat of the bench. Homeless people are regulars in the park. I like to think that this reading material may be a kind of library.


Bitter-Sweet Flower

September 28, 2013

The Minnesota wildflower in the photos below is an "aster." I have another name for it:  "bitter-sweet."

Blooming in late summer/early fall, this delicate, dainty, sweet flower appeals to me.

However, there's bitterness, too, because the petals mark the end of summer. Fall's cooler temperatures and shorter days are acceptable. There's a sad feeling though, because summer activities I should have done are impossible.

A sweet flower with bitterness. It's more than an aster. It's a reminder.


In Minnesota, where you park your car matters

February 06, 2013

It was just a couple inches of snow. In Minnesota, that's no big deal. Not even a minor irritation. Just a typical day.

Well, maybe it irritated some people ... those who parked on a slushy street that was plowed ... by a fast plow.

I thought it was humorous. It would be nice if the car owner could see the humor.

If the owner laughs, that's Minnesota Nice. If the owner cusses, maybe he/she is from another state.