Photos

It was wonderful to get outside over the weekend and attend some winter carnival events. The grand day parade was a little shorter than usual and there were no horses or marching bands which is pretty unusual for a parade. There were Vulcans and King Boreus was there too.

The weather was lovely over the weekend with temperatures soaring into the teens and twenties above zero.

There are ice sculptures in Rive Park too. It was a bit too crowded to get any decent pictures. I should be able to get some photos this week and am confident that they won’t melt anytime soon.

It was wonderful to see so many people in the park enjoying live music, food, and ice sculptures.

It is the first day of November and we are still having some lovely fall weather. Even though we are experiencing drought in Minnesota there is a lot of fall color. Fall has been a little longer this year too. I am sure winter will be a beast but maybe it will be a short one.

Turkeys are a common sight in St. Paul. It seems like I am seeing more of them this year than in the past. We also see fox and racoon and an occasional deer walking down the street but never all at the same time.

Bald eagles are fairly common and so are hawks. The picture wasn’t taken this year but a couple of years ago when we had green grass.

The Pioneer Press got it wrong. St. Paul did not cancel public fireworks. There hasn’t been any kind of city-sponsored public fireworks here since 2014. There will be fireworks after the Saints game at the ballpark in Lowertown.  Those fireworks will be seen by ticket holders and those who live in the building surrounding the park.

Minneapolis has public fireworks over the river where everyone can see them but canceled this year because of the drought.

Fireworks are illegal in Minnesota and we have strict laws. Anything that explodes or flies is illegal, but the laws are not enforced.

Keep your hose handy this weekend.

Here are some pictures from 2014 and 2013. Both fireworks displays were sponsored by the city and held in locations where they could be seen for free and were visible for miles.

 

 

Walking is the best way to really see a city. The stairway in the top photo is partly hidden and one of several stairways that go up to Summit Avenue. The gargoyle is also one of many that can be found on or near historic houses in the Summit Hill and Crocus Hill neighborhoods.

I have used some of the stairways. It is more fun to go down than it is to go up.

Yes, the Saint Paul Winter Carnival Starts today. Like most events during the last year, it is going to be virtual and there are in-person drive-through type events. See the full schedule on the carnival website.

This year is the 135th anniversary of the event which was designed to show the world how wonderful it is to live in the bold, cold North. Some of my earliest memories growing up in St. Paul are of freezing my feet while standing along the parade route of a Winter Carnival Grand day or Torchlight parade. As a teenager, I looked forward to watching the torchlight parade with friends, and as a mother, I brought my children to carnival events. It is all a part of being a St. Paulite.

Here are some pictures from last year’s grand day parade. I’ll call it this year’s virtual parade.