An open letter to Minnesota: More snow, please

Oh Minnesota, why have you forsaken me?!

Dear Minnesota,

In my 27 years of existence, I like to think we've grown to know each other pretty well. I've camped in your parks, I've fished in your lakes, I've biked on your trails and -- begrudgingly -- rooted for your Vikings in good times and bad. While others clamor for the big cities, big mountains and ocean views, I've remained loyal to your river valleys, rolling hills and abundance of lakes.

I've stuck by you through thick and thin. I toughed out the Halloween blizzard of '91, pressing on for more candy in my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume while other trick-or-treaters cowered in your snowy wake. I've also endured your hot n humid summers year after year by keeping myself cool with regular trips to the lake and icy cold beverages in the malted hops variety.

Like a spouse in a marriage, I've grown to appreciate you for both your strengths and your shortcomings. I don't ask you to be perfect; I only ask you to be yourself

It is with that in mind that I come to you with this simple request: Enough with the wimpy weather, send some snow this way.

Most would agree that you've been pretty easy on us this winter, more so than most even. There's been an occasional cold day from time to time, but those have been lost amid a steady stream of days in the "sunny and upper '30s" variety.

Even worse, the snowfall has been substandard. In Faribault, it's been downright abysmal.My sled hasn't come out of my closet all winter and the snowshoes I got for Christmas have yet to be used. Meanwhile, friends of mine in more southern locales have been posting Tweets about snowstorms and photos of snowmen on Facebook. I even saw a post about a sizable snowstorm in -- gasp! -- Texas.

This is unacceptable, Minnesota. One of the things I've always appreciated about you is your tough-love approach to winter. While other states baby their residents with mild temperatures and brown landscapes, you barrage us with sub-zero temps and white-out conditions to toughen us up. Instead of shying away from you wintertime fury, we've learned to embrace it with activities like ice fishing, skiing, curling and polar plunges.

Heck, Paul Bunyan never complained about it being too cold in the winter. He just put on a flannel, grew a beard and started chopping wood to keep warm. If he tried to do that this winter, he'd probably die of heat stroke.

Minnesota, the fact of the matter is that we've come to expect a certain level of performance from you in the winter and you simply haven't been delivering the goods this year. Texas, Oklahoma and other wimpy southern states should not be stealing headlines for their massive snowstorms. You're supposed to be the top dog for harsh winters and even got recognized for it in a Leslie Nielsen movie.

In my opinion, your title as heavyweight champion of winter weather is in jeopardy. You're also running out of time to turn this wimpiness around. Temperatures are expected to be in the 40s and 50s this week and we're drifting closer and closer to those spring/summer months, when the expected norm switches to hot, humid temps, swarms ofmosquitoesand the occasional rainstorm.

You made a solid effort to buck that trend last week with a snowstorm that blanketed parts of the state with close to 10 inches of white, powdery goodness. However, the effort wasn't consistent as Faribault got nothing but rain for those days. Instead of breaking out my snowshoes for a long-awaited maiden voyage, I went running in a long-sleeve shirt and shorts and skipped a rock across the near-flooded ditch by my apartment.

The ball is in your court, Minnesota. I know you have at least one more big snowstorm in you.

Sincerely,

The frustrated guy in Faribault who wants to go snowshoeing

When it rains...

After a rather negative entry on Thursday, it was nice to see the beauty of life being reinstated over the last two days. Yesterday morning on my ride to work I had another meeting with "the poser" -- although I'm not sure who should be calling who names here. There's this old guy I see running in Surfers Paradise every so often as I ride to work. We always give each other a wave, but for some reason, the wave is more like a pose than a wave -- as if each of us is waving to a huge crowd of admirers clapping on the side of the road. I don't have an explanation for how this came about, just that it started one day shortly after I commenced this commute, and it happens everytime our paths cross now. Still, it's a nice way to start a day I guess.

Speaking of yesterday's "issue", I was specifically called into my boss' office today to be told that they approve of my lifestyle (like they had a choice there), but still have the issues that I mentioned yesterday. Maybe they'll come around later, maybe not. Maybe there's something I'm not being told. Either way, I'd be happy to let this issue die for now. I did get to round off the week with a ride home in beautiful rain. It was a real downpour, and it felt so pure! If only it would do that more often.

So onto today's ride, and a chance to enjoy the fruits of the downpour in Currumbin Valley this morning.









As can be seen from the swollen creeks and waterfalls, the rain of this week left a legacy. So many people complain about rain, the way it stops them from doing things, or it's too cold or whatever. I take a different view. If it's too cold wear Goretex, and it won't stop you from doing anything. Instead, get out and enjoy it, look at the new life it creates, the beauty it creates in a once barren landscape. Immerse yourself in it, but just do it! Once you let go of the pre-conceived "rain is bad" notions, you'll realise that it isn't so "bad" after all, and that feeling is quite liberating, and you're left to enjoy the beauty, free of distraction and worry, and free of the interference of those who are coddling indoors because "rain is bad".

I Am Soooo Over Winter

Two blizzards and temperatures in the deep freeze, I have had enough of this winter. As of the start of the new year, the Omaha/Council Bluffs area has received more snow than we normally receive the whole winter. Yesterday we got another 5 more inches.
Add that to we have had one day above freezing since Christmas. The winds have been blowing the snow all around, closing the roads. Christmas Eve I got home in a freezing drizzle. The road was closed here from then til Sunday 27th. Today, the road closed again - my car is stuck in a drift about a mile from home.
More photos and my commentary on The Winter of 09-10 is posted on my web site.

Super Duper Doggeh Organizations Near Our House!

TGIF! We just pawed Ma to tell about all the people-to-dog and dog-to-people organizations within two miles of where we live! Just down Highway 101 is the Marin County Humane Society
which has a lot of amazing programs, including one of which you'll find by clicking on the "society." Our pal, Sierra Rose just mentioned its director, Trish King, in her last post, who was also at the K-9 Carnival, courtesy of the Rangers at McInnis Park. And... even closer to us is the California campus of...
Guide Dogs for the Blind (this is the Facebook address.) It is a gorgeous setting and anyone coming to this area to visit should schedule a tour - amazing! Above is one of GDB's biggest supporters - the golden girl herself with... who else? Another lovely golden girl!
And this picture is not about a furpal organization, but rather, about a TV program we caught the other night. We don't watch a lot of boob tube, but stumbled on this NOVA program by accident: Dogs Decoded. It was quite scientific and we were a bit horrified by so many dogs kept in what seemed like a zillion cages for research in part of the program. If you get a chance to see it, we'd like to know what you think. You can click on the program site to learn more about the premise, which is actually very interesting. Also, I was looking for a wintery template and want to give this blog designer a big thanks for letting me use this one that we chose! Have a great weekend!

Happy Snow Day

While our first proper snowfall of the winter has adults grumbling as they slip and slide along pavements, or find their cars executing slow-motion spins on glassy roads, children know how to enjoy a day of snow. I had to be at my children's school at one point today, where I found this evidence of a well-spent morning, complete with regulation school tie. The age of the 'children' who had frolicked about making Mr Snowman? Eighteen. Males of the species, needless to say...

Poly Mountain Sunrise

Poly Mountain Sunrise, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

I woke up at 5:50 this morning to go on a sunrise hike. It was definitely a great sunrise - clouds rolled in which captured the light of Sun. With the clouds came wind, and with the wind came cold. It's starting to feel like fall here in San Luis Obispo - what about in your area?

Thoughts and Quotes on Art

As I see it, the world is made up entirely of photographic subject matter...with pictures you can say what you can't with words. Peter Sekaer

It seems that the artistic personality has a certain contrariness
to it. If you are conventional, than perhaps there's no impulse to create. Author unknown
Art comes from a desire to make sense of the world and one's experience in it. It's intended to make up for the separation that we feel between us as humans and beauty. The artist tried to recreate beauty...to make the world whole again. Author unknown