Sightings, Part 3: Spring Days

There is a goose nesting on the small island

at the north end of Snelling Lake in Fort Snelling State Park.

There was a river clean-up along the gorge (north of the Ford Bridge) on Saturday, April 18.

It was sponsored by the Friends of the Mississippi River.

Photo locations: Fort Snelling State Park, Hidden Falls Regional Park, West River Road.

All photographs by Baya Clare unless otherwise noted. To use a photo, contact me at baya@bayathread.com.

Sightings, Part 2: Spring Saturday

Photo Locations: East River Road, the Minneapolis neighborhoods of Keewaydin, Wenonah, Minnehaha and Morris Park, and St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.

All photographs by Baya Clare unless otherwise noted. To use a photo, contact me at baya@bayathread.com.

Hot Turkey

There's a really large flock of turkeys in the vicinity of Mile 844 this year,

and they all seem to be centered around this handsome fellow:

Male turkeys collect a harem, and this one seems to have exceptional charm,

since there are about 15 or so females in his flock. I've seen them at Fort Snelling State Park,

and also up in St. Paul near Edgecumbe Road and Hampshire Avenue of late.But who could resist a face like this, after all?

All photographs by Baya Clare unless otherwise noted. To use a photo, contact me at baya@bayathread.com.

Sightings, Part 1: Spring Sunshine

Locations: Highland Village, Randolph Avenue, Keewaydin, Hidden Falls, Fort Snelling State Park, VA Center.

All photographs by Baya Clare unless otherwise noted. To use a photo, contact me at baya@bayathread.com.

Good Friday Ritual

The annual Good Friday prayer/protest/rally at the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Ford Parkway in St. Paul drew a somewhat larger crowd this year, in part because the Roman Catholic Archbishop, John Neinstedt, stopped by. The anti-abortion folks (singing and praying) and the pro-choice folks (hollering and waving signs) were separated by police and barriers. The event lasted from early morning until late afternoon.

Photo locations: Highland Village in St. Paul.

All photographs by Baya Clare unless otherwise noted.

Looking for Color

It's around this time of year that the winter's lack of color really starts to grate here in the northland. We know it's been greening up in places further south, and we're ready for some variety here too. I went looking for it earlier this week on the campus of the College of St. Catherine (soon to be renamed St. Catherine University!) which has a well-deserved reputation for beauty, thanks to Horticulturist Pete Nipp and his team of hardworking gardeners.

They start everything in the greenhouse in Mendel Hall:

You can peer in the greenhouse windows and get a preview: In the flowerbed just north of Derham Hall...

the tulips are just getting started.

As a little foretaste of the feast to come, here's now they looked there last year on May 7:

Click here to see a photo of the north side of Derham Hall in 1909.

News

The road to Picnic Island is open again in Fort Snelling State Park, but as of Tuesday, the walking path to Pike Island was still closed due to flooding.

Missing St. Thomas student Daniel Zamlen still has not been located, though a bloodhound did pick up his scent on the riverbank yesterday. Many students and other volunteers continue to search for him in the area around St. Clair Avenue and Mississippi River Boulevard. The river is still too high and swift for a water search at this time.

Jews began their celebration of Passover on Tuesday evening. Today is Maundy Thursday for Christians, the beginning of the Triduum, or three days leading up to Easter Sunday, April 12.

All photographs by Baya Clare, CSJ unless otherwise noted.

Please contact me for permission to use.

Spring Flooding

The road to Picnic Island at Fort Snelling State Park has been closed
since the Minnesota River flowed over it last week.

Here's how it looked on March 28:

March 29:

By April 1 it was a torrent.
A friend walked through it, and it went over the tops of her Sorels.

By April 4 it was receding a bit:

By April 5 it was possible to walk in again without getting wet,
though the road was still closed to cars.

Shortly before I took this photo (around 2 pm) the gate was opened to let a Hennepin County Sheriff's SUV towing a Water Patrol boat exit from Picnic Island. When I learned later about the disappearance of University of St. Thomas student Daniel Zamlen, who went missing early Sunday morning and is presumed to have fallen into the river near St. Clair Avenue, I guessed that might be why they were there. He has still not been found as of today, and the searching and the praying continues.

I suspect the road to Picnic Island may be opened today or tomorrow. The walking trail to Pike Island has also been closed due to flooding.

I saw about 10-12 deer in the park yesterday afternoon, most of whom were on the ground, resting.