Several days after picking up Fannie as a two-month-old puggle puppy in Wisconsin, my mom and I took Fannie and Missy to Centennial Lakes Park in Edina, Minnesota, where Fannie ran away for a minute. We took Fannie and Missy to Centennial Lakes Park again today, and luckily there were no problems this time. It’s interesting to compare these photos of Fannie to the previous ones, because she has grown so much in the last three months.
I took these 12 photos this morning between 10:42 and 11:42 a.m.
Fannie and Missy shortly after arriving at the parkMissy checks out the miniature golf courseFannie and Missy get some restFannie smells some of the flowers in the Hummingbird GardenMissy, Fannie, and my mom by a weeping willow and the man-made pondAnother photo of Missy, Fannie, and my mom by a weeping willow and the man-made pondMissy, Fannie, and my mom under a pedestrian bridgeFannie and Missy stare each other down by the man-made pondMy mom gives Fannie and Missy some waterFannie looking recharged after drinking some waterFannie, Missy, and my mom by the man-made pondFannie, Missy, and my mom leaving Centennial Lakes Park
This morning, my mom and I brought Fannie and Missy to Carver Park Reserve Off-Leash Dog Park in Victoria, Minnesota, for Fannie’s first visit to a dog park. As I say in this post from 2021, this was also Pugsley’s first dog park.
I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum this morning to see the 40,000 tulips on display.
I took these 12 photos from 8:24 to 9:19 a.m.
Various tulipsTulipa, ‘Teddy Kollek,’ Single Late TulipTulipa, ‘Yosemite,’ Single Late TulipTulipa, ‘Yosemite,’ Single Late TulipTulipa, ‘Ballade Lady,’ Lily-Flowered TulipTulipa, ‘Belle du Monde,’ Single Late TulipExpansive view of the tulip gardenBeginning of the Three-Mile WalkQuercus rubra, Red OakFraxinus nigra, Black AshMimmo Paladino, b. 1948, Italian, Sud II, BronzeUnidentified pink-flowering plant
My mom and I took Fannie and Missy to Centennial Lakes Park in Edina, Minnesota, for Fannie’s first time this evening.
Unfortunately, my mom dropped Fannie’s leash as she was conversing with other pedestrians, causing Fannie to bolt approximately 100 feet along the man-made pond. Luckily, someone caught up with Fannie and stopped her from going any farther—avoiding a potentially dangerous situation with the water.
These four photos were taken between 5:56 and 6:15 p.m.
Fannie on a sidewalkFannie on the sidewalk near a boulder. It was a boulder like this one that helped the Good Samaritan catch Fannie’s leash and potentially save her life.Fannie and Missy check out some flowersFannie on a sidewalk after her misadventure
With sunny skies and a high of 73 degrees Fahrenheit, my mom and I made our way to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota, this morning. I took these 13 photos from 10:47 to 11:43 a.m.
Ginkgo biloba, ‘Autumn Gold,’ maidenhair treePseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas firIn Loving Memory of Dan OhlandPinus resinosa, red pine (both trees)Populus tremuloides, labeled trembling aspen (right) and quaking aspen (left), though both trees are the same speciesPlacard on the quaking aspen in the previous photo reading, “In Memory of our Beloved Friend Gerry Marshall 2006”Austrian pine plantingMalus sargentii, ‘Select A,’ Firebirdâ„¢, Sargent crabappleForsythia, ‘Northern Sun’Magnolia x loebneri, ‘Leonard Messel,’ Loebner magnoliaThe Peony Pavilion (Chinese: 牡丹äº)Tops of various trees, including hickoryMom with a pair of Nikon 8×42 binoculars, a Christmas gift from me last year
For the most part, the Twin Cities hasn’t had snow this 2023–24 winter season. It’s by far a winter unlike any other I’ve experienced in Minnesota. Though I enjoyed the warmer days and better driving conditions, I was pleased to see bright snow outside my window when I got up this morning.
I took these seven photos today from 10:17 to 10:35 a.m. The National Weather Service’s forecast office for the Twin Cities is located next to my neighborhood in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
My houseThree conifers with the N.W.S.’s Doppler radar in the backgroundBackyard of the N.W.S.Snow-covered treeN.W.S. signFront yard of the N.W.S.N.W.S. building
This weekend was the 35th annual Hudson Hot Air Affair in Hudson, Wisconsin. The hot-air balloon festival was supposed to take place yesterday, Saturday, as well, but they had to cancel it because the conditions weren’t perfect. Apparently, weather conditions that do not seem particularly worrisome to the average Joe or Jane could spell disaster for balloonists. With that said, today is my mom’s birthday, so everything was perfect for us.
I took these 20 photos from 7:39 to 8:17 a.m.
Mom with binocularsThis was the last balloon, but the crew decided not to go at the last minutePutting away the balloon from the previous photo
Today, my mom and I visited the Mall of America—the largest mall in the Western Hemisphere—in Bloomington, Minnesota, so I could take photos for my own archival purposes.
I took these photos from 11:24 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.
We parked in the California lot on the second level by Macy’sSkyway to Macy’sMannequins at Macy’sThe entrance to the mall after passing through Macy’sNickelodeon Universe (formerly Camp Snoopy)The LEGO StoreJerk KingSugar Factory ExpressThe LEGO Store IIMom sittingApple StoreUrban OutfittersTesla vehicle outside NordstromCaribou CoffeeH&M and ZaraBath & Body WorksTwin City GrillCinnabonBarnes & NobleSwatchL.L.BeanFossilNickelodeon Universe IINickelodeon Universe IIIStarbucks CoffeeNikeSwarovskiYankee CandleSpencer’sIT’SUGARNickelodeon Universe IVUrban PlanetNickelodeon Universe VNickelodeon Universe VIKappa ToysApple Store IIThree levelsCoachLegacy ToysWink WorldCulinary on NorthGameStopPrince Music CompanyLululemon and Peloton eventWalgreensWalgreens IIRainforest CafeMargaritavilleBubba Gump Shrimp Co.Three levels II
Tonight, I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota, to see their Winter Lights walking tour that goes through the end of the month. I’ve never been to the Arboretum in the winter, much less seen their Winter Lights display (though I’m not sure if they’ve had it in previous years).
I took a bus in Chaska to get there, partly because the Arboretum was sold out of tickets for parking on-site. A SouthWest Transit employee at the park-and-ride facility in Chaska told me there would be 4,000 attendees tonight—with 3,000 people parking at the Arboretum and 1,000 people taking the bus.
As these photos illustrate, there is no snow on the ground. Furthermore, I recall only two days this fall and winter season when there was any measurable snow on the ground, and they were on October 30 and 31. Needless to say, there won’t be a white Christmas this year. In fact, the two main reasons I went to this event tonight was that it was warm (the high temperature in Chanhassen today was 47 degrees Fahrenheit) and that I wanted to document the brown Christmas, which happens much less frequently than a white Christmas in the Twin Cities. The high temperature for tomorrow (Christmas Eve) is 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
I took these 19 photos from 4:49 to 5:37 p.m.
Arb logo at the Oswald Visitor CenterA reindeer guiding a snowman on a sleighAppleFrosted RomanceSteps leading to the carouselThe carouselHouse with a starPollinator PathMiscellaneous lightsMiscellaneous lights IIWinter VillageWinter Village IIMulticolored building (probably the Oswald Visitor Center)Arb logo at the Oswald Visitor Center IIApple II (not the computer)Water Lily WayApple treeSouthWest Transit busSouthWest Transit bus II
