Joy!

Ahhh... to catch a snowflake!

I know... who wants to think about snow now that Spring is officially here. But, this photo reminds me how children bring joy to the moment, whether it's catching snowflakes or butterflies, piling up autumn leaves, or squishing through the springtime muck. Today I smiled as I noticed the soft ground yielding to my boots on my afternoon walk.

Bundled up and bootied up

Here are a couple more favorite images from the start of the 2011 WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race. With the day being somewhat chilly, mushers, volunteers, and spectators were bundled up appropriately and some of the dogs had little booties protecting their paws. Guess which participant can no long contain his excitement?!

Spectators are captivated by the beautiful bootied doggies.

Winter Fun... Run

Run, run, run! The 4th Annual WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race in Ely, Minnesota kicked off this morning with the 6 dog teams leaving the start at 9AM. Cooler temps and a touch of fresh snow were ideal conditions compared to the meltdown last year. Info on the race and results can be found on the WolfTrack Classic website: http://www.wolftrackclassic.com.

Winter Sun

The North Arm Trails were just the place to be today. I made a brief pause to snap this photo, and then I was moving onward on my skis. The cold seeped in despite the vigorous motion, and the skin on my face was feeling tender by the time I was approaching the end of the loop. But, what a spectacular day to be out!!!

Goddess of Snow

"Pssst. Spring will come." was Mother Nature's message on this last day of the Ely Winter Festival. A teaser, perhaps, as the Goddess of Snow is not ready to give in quite yet. She is standing strong, though just a little delicate on the finer edges.

The "Le souffle de Khione, Goddess of Snow" sculpture, one of my favorites this year in the Ely Winter Festival, was created by Team Manitoba: Carole Dagenais and Madeleine Vrignon of Manitoba and Mike Sinesio of Ely.

State Change

Meltdown.

Was.

Am.

Will. Be.

Winter Excursion

A day of gentle snowfall softens the landscape. On the lakes, the distant shore invites exploration. Oh, the delights to be found, to be revealed, if we move onward into the hazy unknown, if we are open to possibility!

This past weekend I skied up Hegman Lake to the narrows. Viewing the pictographs standing upright and in the snow which was sometimes gently drifting down, sometimes screaming sideways, was a different sort of contemplative experience than sitting in a canoe coasting by in the heat of the summer, listening to the drip of the water off the paddle and the buzz of mosquitoes. Yes, winter is a glorious time of year!

More information on the Hegman Lake pictographs can be found at this site.

Snow transformed

Form is ever changing. Here, snow was packed into a block and carved to allow the open spaces to reveal the dragon within. The snow will melt. The dragon will be a memory.

What will we see if we allow open spaces around us, if we jettison the extraneous "stuff" of life? What shapes us? Who are we, at the core?

[This photograph was taken in early evening with a slow shutter speed by a photographer in motion (yes, it was too chilly for me to sit still for long) and is an abstraction of one of the snow sculptures in the Ely Winter Festival this past weekend.]

Winter revived

Winter has been reinstated. After two weeks of unseasonably warm weather and even a touch of rain, the snow came back, followed by the typical January cold temperatures. This past Sunday, I wandered around Shagawa Lake and the temporary community of ice fishing houses. Not many diehards were out. I thought it was because of the weather. Silly me. A friend later reminded me that the likely scenario was that most were at home, staying cozy and, more importantly, preparing to take in the Vikings football playoff game. For me - a perfect day to be out and about in the Winter quietude!

Peace

New snow and skiing are at the top of my list for favorites of winter. This holiday weekend brought both. A smile was on my face, gliding along the trail, making fresh tracks, brushing aside the snowy branches, listening to the chickadees chick-a-dee-ing... being present with the blessing of these peaceful moments.

I enjoyed this Christmas holiday with my family. I hope you enjoy special moments of peace, joy, and love with your family and friends this holiday season.

Delicate beauty

Yesterday afternoon the rain turned to snow. As evening came, the temperature dropped, and snow stuck to blades of grass, to leaves, needles, branches of trees, and to the canoe sitting on top of my truck. Last night, the clouds rolled away and the stars twinkled at me as I carried wood in to feed the fire and keep the cabin cozy. This morning the sun mingled with the landscape of snow and fall color. I stood still, breathing slowly, the sun warming my face, and I acknowledged the beauty and blessings of the moment.

Moon over bay

The ice is holding out.  Some brave souls drive through the slush pit near shore on Lake Vermilion and out onto the lake.  They must know the lake and ice situation really well.  Today I watched them drive out and come back through an hour later.  

A day of snow squalls

Last Friday was a spring sort of day with quickly moving clouds and flurries of snow interspersed with brief moments of blue sky and sunshine.  A lovely day it was!  I enjoyed the snow, especially since it melted as it hit the ground.  The 5+ inches of slushy snow we got earlier in the week is still sitting in the driveway at the house; the snowblower quit on me 1/3 of the way down the driveway.  My 4-wheel drive truck is nice to have for times like these where the snow removal system goes "kaputz" or where I simply put it off in favor of alternative winter activities!

April fool's snow

What a beautiful spring (?) day in the north country!  I think I hear everyone chuckling as the snowplow makes another pass up the main street.   Hmmm.  That might be groans of dismay I hear...  But, surely, there are some chuckles out there due to Ely's latest shenanigans to be in the limelight.  See ely.org or ely2016.com.

Tracks on lake

Ski tracks.  Fox tracks.  Otter slides.  Bike tracks...  Yes, I skied across the lake today whereas the fox trotted, the otter ran and slid, and some other creature, pining for spring, biked across the lake on this fine spring day!

Tracks on creek

Spring.  Thin ice.  Safe?  One tentative step.  Ice cracks.  Step back.

Edge of winter

Winter is slowly relinquishing its hold under nature's steady persuasion for the change of season.

Glorious spring snow!

The snow on the lakes is melting down to ice.  The snow in the woods has a crust that enables the forest creatures to scamper about playfully.  (This includes HMN...  until a weak spot is found and she must extricate herself from the knee deep hole and carefully swim back to a stable crust.)  The snow on the house roof is quickly disappearing, and sprinkles of sunflower seed shells adorn the yard.  A welcome gift on this first day of spring is the gentle snowfall that gives a temporary covering to it all...

Wide open spaces

Warm sunshine,

longer days,

wide open spaces...

Dressed up

After several gray days of rain and knowing that spring is months away, I was ready for winter weather to return.  A delicate layer of snow freshens up the winter landscape and is a delight for my eyes.  These pines with their lacy covering of snow stand tall at Bear Head Lake State Park.