St Paul Undressed

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Good Morning St. Paul

This shot was taken from my back porch before dawn this morning.  This is what we woke up to, our annual mid-March snow storm.  The snow is heavy and wet but it won’t need to be shoveled away because most of it will melt.  It makes driving a challenge though.

The docks

The docks and boat slips along the river don’t get much use this time of year but they are still fun to take pictures of.  The river is quiet in this shot, mostly because there are no boats on the river.  The shipping season will start in a few weeks, there is still ice on much of the river.

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It was actually warm yesterday, it got up to 48, felt like 60 on my back porch.  I saw a robin but it flew away before I could get a picture so you will just have to believe me.  The sparrow in the picture was not as camera shy.

For those of us who live by the river one sign of spring is the sound of water from snow melt running into the river.  I could hear it last night so I know that spring is coming soon.

Reflections

Just for fun, taken at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) building. Oh, yes that is me.

The Ordway

The Ordway Theater for the performing Arts, all lit up on a Saturday night.

The Lady Slipper

The Minnesota state flower since 1902, and a protected species in Minnesota since 1925. they are orchids that grow wild Minnesota in damp woods and boggy areas. I have seen them growing in the wild and they are beautiful. The plant can live for 50 years and can take as many as 16 years to grow and bloom. This plant grows in captivity at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, Como Park,
in St. Paul, MN.  Most of the photos I have seen of them are not this up close, which is why I took one, they are gorgeous.

Signs of Spring

Yesterday it was warm enough outside so that I could get out of my car to take pictures.  For the past month or so, may of my outdoor shots have been taken from the comfort of my car.   It is never too cold to be outside but it has been too cold for me to take my gloves off so that I can push the tiny buttons on the cameras.

The shot was taken from the south river bluff of the Mississippi river looking at Wabasha street as it bridges the river and heads on into downtown.