the wandering chick
...Minnesota
a.k.a. Minnesnowta
Off Highway 19

Dear God, thank you for balmy, sunny places and sandy beaches with palm trees and seashells. Now, can you please create a WARM snow? One that doesn't bite us in the a....(Sorry). You've got its beauty down pat, but you just gotta raise the freakin' (sorry) temps a bit. Amen.

Truly, why does it have to be so dang frigid? Unfortunately, this warm-blooded, heat-lovin' beach bumb at heart finds that the prettiest season in Minnesota is, indeed, the winter, when the snow fields extend as far as the eye can see, and the stark blue sky creates the perfect backdrop.

So, I bundle up best I can, take a few pictures, then run back inside to the warmth and coziness of my sister's house, drying my eyes and cursing the bitter cold.

Here are a few pictures taken the last couple of Christmases off of Route 19, just south of the Twin Cities.

a mn barn
christmas mn08
sun dogs in mn
sun dogs
Above and Left: Sun dogs, also called mock suns, are an atmospheric phenomenon in which ice crystals form a replica of the sun, usually to the left or the right, or as in this case, on both sides. Sun dogs can be seen at any time of year and in any season.
typical MN barn in winter
a walk in the woods
snowed-in
winter09 in mn
a cozy birdhouse
tx boy shoveling snow
This ol' boy, my brother, despite his south Texas beach-lovin' roots, does his share of snow removal.
off route 19 south of the cities
fields of snow
horse riding in mn
Just to show that Minnesota does actually have non-snowy days, I've added these pictures, taken in late summer.
pretty pines

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OTHER: HOME | My Favorites | the Andreas family, Moab | Vilseck DoDDS teachers' reunions

 

 

 

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moon, Lonsdale
in the lilly family
sunrise over Lonsdale
Sunrise over Lonsdale
grandpa's hideaway, Jordan
A shed called Grandpa's Hideaway, Jordan
Stillwater
Stillwater
Stillwater liftbridge
Stillwater liftbridge
Stillwater
one of many old Victorian mansions
Stillwater is a charming, historic town situated on the St. Croix River just east of the Twin Cities. Between the river and the lumber, settlers were attracted to the town, making it one of the oldest in the state. Its Victorian mansions are scattered on the streets overlooking the town of approximately 18,000 residents. The next several shots were taken in Stillwater, the movie location for the films "Grumpy Old Men" (1993) and its sequel "Grumpier Old Men" (1995).
Stillwater
Stillwater
Stillwater
Stillwater
Stillwater restaurant, The Freight House