Linda Staats' Photo Blog

Trumpeter swans

lindastaatsphoto — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:33:14 +0000

Our landscape has become winter-like this past week with a couple of small snowfalls accompanied by sub-zero temperatures. Lakes that previously had thin ice have become more consistently frozen and our winter wildlife has become more at home with the cooler weather. Within the heart of the Twin Cities are many lakes and wildlife areas, and this morning we ventured north about seven miles to an area of lakes that feed into each other, connected by canals or waterways. This year there is a group of about 40 trumpeter swans that are calling this urban area home. As we walked into the park the snow enveloped us with its quiet and hush, even though a county highway wasn’t far away. After a bit we could hear the sounds of the swans and their accompanying mallard ducks as they traversed the canal. They seemed quite content in this homeland within the city. The trumpeter swans are large birds having a wingspan of up to seven feet. As we stopped and watched it was easy to lose ourselves in their honking and the sound of their wings flapping. The ducks were flying in and out of the waterway, and on the far shore we even spotted a mink as it scurried along the rocks and the ledges then slipped silently underwater. It was a wonderful treat to spend the time in the outdoors surrounded by the wildlife and waterfowl that have given us this opportunity to observe them so close to our homes.

Red Bull Crashed Ice in Saint Paul

lindastaatsphoto — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:10:13 +0000

Saint Paul has been on the international map this weekend as it hosted the 2012 opening race of the extreme sport of ice cross downhill. This also happened to be the US debut of the sport, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The Red Bull Crashed Ice races were held over the past three days on a course that started next to the majestic Cathedral of Saint Paul. The ice track (think of a bobsled course) travelled a quarter of a mile with jumps and hairpin turns all going downhill towards downtown. The competitors wore full pads, helmets, and hockey skates and were clocked up to 40 mph as they made their way to the finish line. It was a party atmosphere when I attended Friday night’s elimination rounds. The temperature was about 10 degrees with a wind chill near zero, requiring my warmest boots, hat, coat, and gloves. As all good Minnesotans don’t let cold and/or snow deter their fun, the crowds came out in the tens of thousands to watch the races. It’s high-speed and fascinating to watch, and certainly not for the faint of heart. The finals took place last night in front of a crowd of 80,000 fans. I won’t mention who won; instead you can watch the rebroadcast of the Saint Paul series by NBC on Saturday, January 21st at 1:00pm CST. Check it out, or go to the Red Bull Crashed Ice website to learn more.

Winter sunrise

lindastaatsphoto — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:45:15 +0000

This past week has been filled with beautiful crisp and clear mornings. There’s something about the air in winter, especially in the morning, that is fresh and invigorating. In order to enjoy all that a winter morning has to offer we headed out before dawn this morning. As we left the house there was a nearly full moon hanging low in the western sky and although we don’t have snow cover the moonlight was bright and beckoned us on our early outing. We journeyed west of the Twin Cities to Wright County, an area that’s made up of farmland, rivers and lakes. As the eastern sky was just beginning to brighten, we arrived at the shoreline of Fountain Lake. The temperature was about 18 degrees with no wind, but in the quiet just before dawn we could hear a rumbling sound echoing across the lake. As the ice was contracting and expanding there was a moaning and groaning that shattered the early morning stillness. Once I was accustomed to this sound and understood what it was, we enjoyed the change of colors in the eastern sky and followed the sun as it lit up the tracks on the ice. With this cold start to the morning there was a thin layer of frost on many of the grasses and trees and the sun caused the landscape to sparkle and shine as it moved higher in the sky. After a delicious and filling breakfast in a local cafe we headed out to explore other areas of the county, taking advantage of our unseasonably warm temperatures.

Cue a new year

lindastaatsphoto — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:19:48 +0000

With our brown grass and unseasonably warmer temperatures it really hasn’t “felt” or “looked” like Christmas, let alone winter. For New Year’s Eve we planned a quiet day of running errands and making turkey soup, and then headed out for an evening movie at the historic Riverview Theater in Minneapolis. And as things seem to have a way of cueing up at just the right time, we came out of the theater around 9:30 to the sight of a beautiful snowfall. We walked across the street to a lovely cafe and wine bar, and enjoyed the mixture of lively conversation and a band while watching the snow collect on the sidewalks and trees. This was a wet and heavy snow, and the flakes were the biggest I’ve ever seen. Some could easily have been over an inch and half square! It was as if 2012 had taken its cue to enhance our mood with a much-needed and appropriate snowfall.
As I look back on 2011 I am thankful for so many things – friends, family, and good health (including one repaired thumb). I’ve had the opportunity to make over 5,100 photographic images this past year. Granted, not all of them are the “perfect” image, but many have served as “sketches” for a final image. I’ve also taken two short videos – one was intentional and one was not. And, for the 3rd year I have posted a photo and entry to this blog every week. I started to blog in 2009 as a challenge to maintain my love of photography. Some weekends I approach my computer and blog with joy, wanting to share a great photo and a wonderful experience I’ve had. Other weekends I start to panic on Sunday realizing that I haven’t had my camera out and I feel a deadline fast approaching. Each of those scenarios have taught me things about myself and my photography. Thanks to all of you that follow my blog, and to those who comment. Your interest in my scenes and stories, coupled with your comments and your stories keep me coming back week after week.
May this coming year be filled with peace, hope, beauty, vision, more photographs, experiences, and a life filled to the brim!

Blue sky Christmas

lindastaatsphoto — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:25:58 +0000

Wishing you the best and the brightest of this holiday season. I am ever so thankful for friends and family, near and far, who make this such a special day. Merry Christmas!

The rush and pause of winter

lindastaatsphoto — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:14:34 +0000

Here we are past the middle of December and quickly hurtling into the final week before Christmas. Everyone seems to be moving at an exaggerated pace trying to accomplish all that needs to be done before the holidays. In search of some very specific Christmas presents we headed north of the Cities today to Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. This small city was founded in 1839 and was the site of the first commercial sawmill along the St. Croix River. As we parked the car I could hear a rush somewhere nearby and upon following the sound I saw the cascading water of the creek that was emptying into the St. Croix River. It made a musical sound as it tumbled downward, and here in this one small spot was both the rush of the waterfall and the pause and suspension of the ice on the banks and the rocks and trees that were laying over and near the creek. I was reminded of how important it is at this season to enjoy the rush and the hustle and bustle of all we’re doing, but to also pause and appreciate the season of light and Christmas, the beauty of nature, and the friends and family that we enjoy. Wishing you the best of Christmas this week and into the coming new year.

Semifrozen Minnehaha Falls

lindastaatsphoto — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:00:04 +0000

Our weather in the Twin Cities has been cold this past week – the coldest temperatures since last March. With that many of our lakes have frozen over, and I even made a first sighting this winter of a person ice fishing on a nearby lake. We were in Minneapolis today having a delightful brunch with family, and afterwords stopped by Minnehaha Park. It was the perfect opportunity to see the falls in a semifrozen state, surrounded by large icicles. Minnehaha Park includes the area where Minnehaha Creek empties into the Mississippi River. The park dates back to the late 1800′s and the name Minnehaha is from the Dakota language meaning waterfall. Minnehaha Falls is a 53 foot waterfall drop surrounded by limestone bluffs. After heavy rains in early summer the falls flow full, and in times of drought they’ve even been known to stop. But today there was one stream of water flowing over the bluff above into a small pool of open water. I was at the falls in late morning and the sun was beginning to reach against the northern side of the bluffs. As it heated and melted some of the icicles, they would come crashing down with the sound echoing throughout the ravine.

The sounds of winter’s arrival

lindastaatsphoto — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:20:15 +0000

Just when we were resigning ourselves to the prospect of a brown Christmas, the snow moved into the Twin Cities yesterday afternoon. It snowed throughout the evening and into the early morning hours, and when I awoke today our scenery was coated with four inches of white and fluffy snow. I grabbed my camera and headed over to Como Park early. There were few people on the streets but even the sound of the three or four cars was muffled by the snow. After about 15 minutes of walking I could hear a snow shovel scraping the pavement. When I arrived at the park I could see, and eventually hear, the sound of the trail groomer as she laid down the cross-country ski track; we exchanged waves as she drove past. Another five minutes passed before I heard the whish of a skier coming up behind me. And shortly after that the sound of geese flying south filled the air. It was one skein of geese after another, no longer content to be in an area of frozen lakes and ponds and headed to warmer climes. I watched and wondered how far south they would fly today. Another ten minutes passed and I could hear children’s laughter and squeals as they were sledding with abandon down a nearby hill. The time passed quickly and as I headed back home the city had awakened. Traffic was moving carefully on the snow-covered streets and people were either shoveling their walks and drives or using snow blowers to clear the paths. The sounds of winter have arrived once again.

Mother Nature’s gift

lindastaatsphoto — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:19:03 +0000

This past week I headed south to the Kansas City area to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I left the Twin Cities with two inches of snow on the ground and a temperature of about 24 degrees. After an hour or so the sun broke through the clouds and I found myself looking repeatedly at the landscape and trying to understand what I was seeing. With the low angle of the sun and some of the distant dark clouds the trees seem to take on a white appearance. I knew it wasn’t snow and yet it seemed that it was too late in the day for frost. After about 30 minutes of craning my neck from side to side I pulled off the interstate to look more closely. As I got out of my car I realized there was a thick layer of hoarfrost coating the trees and other plants. It was beautiful the way the sun was glistening off the frost. I was in the farmlands of southern Minnesota and the browns of the fields and the golden grasses all made a wonderful contrast to the sparkling frost. Within about 30 minutes the sun disappeared, the winds picked up, and the beauty that I had stopped to appreciate was gone. This was my start to a week of thankfulness: for nature’s moments that are given if we only stop to notice, for health that we too often take for granted, for family and for friends, both near and far.

On the wing

lindastaatsphoto — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:31:39 +0000

The days are shorter. The nights are colder. The first snow of the season has fallen. And our lakes are starting to ice over as we begin to slide into winter. Along with all these changes there is an increase in the activity of the ducks and geese. One of my favorites sights and sounds is a flock of Canada geese flying overhead — the beat of their wings and their honking is music to my ears. Since I live between Lake Como and the agricultural fields of the University of Minnesota I am on the path of the geese flying from the water at the lake to the food at the agricultural crops at the U. So many times I am stopped in my tracks to look up and appreciate their flight overhead. I know that soon enough the majority of geese and ducks will have migrated south to warmer climes and we will return to the hush and quiet of the snow and the cold of winter. In this week of Thanksgiving, the geese and their winged flight are one of the many things I appreciate and am thankful for.