0º

It was almost too cold to walk outside today. But the sky was blue and quite pretty in a desolate sort of way. NCW was willing to walk a little, even with her surgically repaired and healing ankle. Plus I wanted a photo of what Minnesota looks at zero degrees. That was the reading on the car thermometer when we stopped on the east side of Como Lake to walk and take a few photos. We walked a little bit after this, but realized the error of our ways and went off to a mall for mall walking, lunch and a round of Christmas shopping. The wind was adding its own charm to the afternoon and we didn't like the feel of it. Later on (now) the temperature rose to a full degree above zero, but it's pretty hard to be very happy about that. But, as I said before, the sky was pretty in a desolate sort of way.

This is the lake at Como Park when the temperature is 0º F. and after a round of powdery snow.    Usually there are people walking or running around the lake, but today the walkers were very few and very, very far between.

Incidentally, on the way to the park on Lexington Avenue, we spotted, not one, but two hardy guys biking along the icy auto lanes. One guy was not particularly well dressed for the day, because as we passed we could see that his shirt in the back had pulled up enough to expose skin. That could mean a nasty bit of frostbite.

And the sky was pretty in a desolate sort of way.