The Falls from Creek Level

The state is going below freeeeezing and staying there for the rest of the week. The weather guy says it's a cold snap, but it's really just an average December. I had to go to the bank and do some errands, so I extended my trip to take in Minnehaha Falls. This time I went down the long staircase to creek level to get another angle for the photo. The last time I was there the lower level was shut down for "alterations." There is some water going over the falls, but in a couple of weeks it will solidify and ice will prevail. There were very few people at the park today. It was about 31 degrees and cooling.

I did see a couple of bikers out in the afternoon. They were likely commuters, rather than pleasure riders, and they were dressed for the chill.



The mask exhibit below stands a few tens of feet from Minnehaha Falls. It's been there quite a while, but is not so noticeable when the trees have leaves. I think it was placed there by a native American group, but I'm clueless about the reason for its placement. It's an interesting object in an interesting spot.



It was a day off from tennis. I played with the GTA yesterday at Fred Wells Tennis Center. We've been extending our tennis week to a third day because the weather denies us some of our other activities. I'm playing pretty well and using my ten year old, duct taped racket. I may have to spring for new equipment for the cold season, just to keep pace.

UH is still in the wilds of Arizona. He called from the Grand Canyon and said he was getting some great photos. I guess it's high enough ground there to keep the temperature comparable to the North Star state. I look forward to the photo unveiling.

Double Doors

With a theme day titled "doors," you might expect at least a few photos of Jim Morrison, at least from bloggers of a certain age. I passed up the obvious and am posting the doors to The Fred Wells Tennis Center. It's a place that I use twice a week and so I pass through these doors at least four times a week. Today was no exception. We played at 2:30 and that meant missing most of the first half of the highly hyped football game of the local pro gridders flailing away at the Packers in Green Bay. The local boys managed to beat the cheesehead favorites and everyone in Minnesota seemed happier for at least a little while. Today's tennis sets at Fred Wells went well, too. The doors appear to be propped open by a pumpkin, perhaps a nod to the recently completed candy wolfing holiday.



PP went to a Halloween party last night and I'm including a photo of her costume. She went as a pirate, complete with a parrot and a sword. [Not a real sword or even a real parrot.] She managed to survive the party and is safe again from the demons of Halloween. I guess she learned a little about her coworkers and the evil firewater.


November is here. And immediately it warmed into the fifties. I feel somewhat encouraged.