Whittier Neighborhood

It warmed into the seventies last weekend.  For the first time in seven months I found myself overdressed and trying to strip of layers during a walk.  

Washburn Fair Oaks Park

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

At I-35W looking toward downtown

"Big Time" Minneapolis

Do not feed

Dear Minneapolis,

If small wildlife is becoming a problem, Sparta would like to suggest an alternative solution.

Palm Sunday Walk

This will be the first Easter Sunday that I have not worked in something like five years.  In those years I developed the tradition of putting bunny ears on one of the dogs and walking through downtown Minneapolis and use it as a way to talk bring some joy to the folks lingering downtown on a Sunday morning: mostly the homeless.

So this year we headed out on Palm Sunday as an alternative.  We headed down the Mississippi River for a change of pace.  Other than a few dog walkers and joggers, we had the trails to ourselves.

This was Sparta's second year with the ears and she did great.  A few reminders in the first mile that if she shook them off she would be put on a sit/stay while they were put back on and she walked with them perfectly.

We did about ten miles.  It was kindof an awesome morning.  We'll do the same later in the week when we drop in for a therapy dog visit.

Bulbs emerging from the ground.

Warmth is Relative

It was a nice sunny morning with temps in the twenties.  It would have felt heavenly just a few weeks ago but feels harsh only because we experienced highs in the fifties last week.

Not the most flattering picture of me but the dog looks good.

Prescott, Wisconsin

The children had a Saturday event in Prescott, Wisconsin.  It was one of those events that eats up the whole day but you only get to see ten minutes of your kids in action.  In other words, the savvy father finds himself with time to kill.

The oldest man-pup and Sparta joined me on an explore of the town and then the nearby Carpenter Nature Center.

The art gallery has a protector.  Unfortunately the gallery is closed until April.

Groupies.  

He kept up, mostly.

Art on a lawn.

There was an eagle on the nest and the people who traveled from the Cities seemed impressed, but, well, we see eagles everyday.  For the record, I can tell them where to find a nest in Minneapolis.

We opened the patio at the local Dairy Queen.

Sculpture made from river trash.

 I am a big fan of the student sculpture in the high school library.

We jumped a red fox while touring the North Loop trail at the Carpenter Nature Center.  Sparta didn't see it, but as when we crossed its path, she was begged for an opportunity to give pursuit.

Sunday Stroll

Merwyn: protector of the Seward neighborhood's land and water.

American Swedish Institute

Purity Bakery Building, now used for work spaces and storage.

The Minnehaha Bunny: a large bronze on the south side of Minnehaha Creek.

As humans and our dogs have conquered the whole globe, we've had to adapt to many different environments and ways of living.  Consequently humans and our dogs are the two species with the greatest amount of intra-species genetic diversity.

It was a good day.

Northeast Minneapolis

Northeast Minneapolis has a lot to recommend it though visiting it in winter, when some landlords are not adequately compelled to shovel the sidewalks and none of the ethnic delis have their curbside patios set up, requires creativity to find the joy amidst the effort.

We'll be back, though I might have to reach out to some co-workers who live in the area for recommendations.

My oldest son's nickname among his peers is "Otter."

The nation runs on container transport and rail...

...and both presume globalization.

Rails, highways and, in the distance, the skyscrapers of downtown Minneapolis.

The local Marionite Catholic Church, right across the street from a highly recommended Lebanese deli.

A co-worker, half Ukrainian and a self -described connoisseur of the perogie, and I need to make a date to check out the offering of the Ukrainian Catholic church one block down from the Lebanese.  

I'm just thankful there are still some schools out there named after Thomas Edison.

I do love this trooper of a dog.  15 miles and she was ready to wrestle with the other members of the pack.  She was downright sullen that I left her at home the next day.

A Sunday 8 miler

Efficiency is over-rated

A yarn-bomber was here

Dude, Your Rottie showed every sign of being a sweetheart and was under your control at all times.  Still, St. Paul is not asking too much of you to keep her on a leash.  Some people are afraid of dogs and it doesn't matter if their fear is rational or not, they have as much right to the public space and we do.

I've not seen this kind of trap before but I would assume it was for Emerald Ash Borer.

Looking up river from Ford Parkway

Looking up river from Marshall Ave

Taking Advantage of a Warm Day

Today is normally a therapy dog visit day but we all had cabin fever, I was emotionally spent, and wisdom being the better part of valour, we took a five mile walk and called it a day.

Detour on the daily commute.

Rich kid privlidge: the local park provides you with poop bags.  These are not found in neighborhood parks where normal people live.

A "safe place" for the local homeless. 

Artsy

Decorated trees.

Military surplus snowshoes on the car.

Flowers

From the Stone Arch Bridge: a lock soon to be decommissioned.

Can we go again?