St. Louis River Overlook

from flickr user Griz version 2.0
Jay Cooke State Park, Carlton, Minnesota

Kites on a lake

from flickr user minomap
My memory is fuzzy but this appears to be Fountain Lake in Albert Lea, MN and last weekend it was home to a winter kite gala of sorts. The vibrant colors of these unique kites against the mainly white ground is striking to say the least.

Hoarfrost

from flickr user DigitalObserver
A section of wrought iron fence with some hoarfrost (not to be confused with whore frost) - the early morning sun was just breaking through the fog on the morning of February 15, 2010.

The ice off Lake Superior in Duluth

from flickr user The Ishman's
At first glance many people would think this is a photo of a sculpture of some sort but it is actually the ice along the shore of Lake Superior. Very cool scene to see and it's on my to do list some winter down the road.

It's mellllltinggggg

from flickr user boscbo
Taken this weekend, this photo shows one rather happy little girl playfully splashing through the puddles from our most recent mini-thawing session.

Whoa, dude

from flickr user wleif
While it isn't anywhere near the Olympic hockey taking place in Vancouver, the two kids watching this match of the Red Bull Ice Pond Hockey tournament on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis seem captivated.

Fall in Mears Park

from flickr user Tim Regan
Taken last autumn in St. Paul, Minnesota's Mears Park, this vacant row of park benches sits among fallen leaves reminding us that even while we are shrouded in a blanket of snow, the changing of seasons is never too far off.

Stella Maris Chapel

from flickr user NVJ
In 1872 a romantic and picturesque chapel was built across Lake Sagatagan to honor Mary, the Mother of God, under the title of Stella Maris (meaning “Star of the Sea”).
More can be found on the St. John's University website.

This picturesque chapel is located in Collegeville, MN - home of St. John's University.

Skiing at Buck Hill

from flickr user Poppyseed Bandits
Buck Hill (In Burnsville, MN alongside Interstate 35) is supposedly where Minnesota (or Colorado) native and Olympic downhill skier Lindsey Vonn cut her teeth on the slopes. I honestly don't think of a ski hill which nearly propels skiers on to a freeway as the place where a future Olympic athlete would learn his or her sport but it just proves that Lindsey Vonn is definitely from Minnesota. Or not.

Winter Shadows

from flickr user Aynchent1
Long winter shadows drape across newfallen snow in Rochester, MN.

Bemidji Curling Club

from flickr user lilchen
Today (Tuesday) marks the beginning of Olympic curling competition in Vancouver, BC. This photo is taken at Bemidji, MN's Curling Club which is the home curling club of more Olympic Curling athletes than any other venue. Curling, though, isn't relegated just to the far northern reaches of Minnesota. Many childhood trips took the family through the small southern Minnesota town of Mapleton which is home to a decent sized Curling club. I wonder if any Olympic athletes hail from southern Minnesota.

C-C-C-Cold!

from flickr user Aynchent1
Daisy Duke, sopping wet, was at the Polar Bear Plunge [in Rochester, MN] this weekend with all her Dukes of Hazzard co-stars - Bo and Luke, Boss Hogg, Uncle Jesse . . . even The General Lee dropped in!
Luckily, it was at least a bit warm (22F, -6C ;-)

Nobody Home

from flickr user Curt Heacox
Taken Friday while large portions of Minnesota were decorated by hoar frost, this ornately painted bird house is nicely framed by a frost-laden tree.

Bumps beneath the snow

from flickr user heinz57sauce
The combination of shadows and newly-fallen snow make for a rather eerie setting in this farm field complete with rows of bumps (corn stalks) rising up from under the snow.

Tour of Lights

from flickr user MNkiteman
A young skier posing in front of luminaries during the Tour of Lights, part of the City of Lakes Loppet in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

George W. Bush "MISS ME YET?" billboard

from flickr user angelrove
George W. Bush "Miss Me Yet?" Billboard along I-35, in Wyoming, MN. Yep, this is the one that MPR's Bob Collins blogged about and created something of a viral story on a national level.

Halfpipe

from flickr user (and MinnPics pool member) squarelogo
In the spirit of the Winter Olympics - beginning with Friday night's opening ceremonies in Vancouver - this awesome shot of a snowboarder tackling a halfpipe at Burnsville's Buck Hill flies off the screen with vibrant color against the stark, cold snow.

Car-cicles

from flickr user massdistraction
As the comments on this photo's Flickr page already point out, the depth of field on this photo is amazing - landing a narrow field of focus squarely on the middle couple car-cicles which are present on vehicles across Minnesota after the Sunday-Tuesday snowfall we just weathered.

Winter Nocturne

from flickr user orangedot777
Taken Sunday night (February 7) as snow began to fall across Minnesota, this bright light shines forth from a train engine in the rail yard in Northfield, MN.

City of Lakes Loppet - Ice Bike Race & Skijoring

from flickr user crossn81
The photographer says: Part of the City of Lakes Loppet [in Minneapolis] celebration - the Penn Ice Cycle Race is a favorite event of ours. Held on the lagoon between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles in South Minneapolis it is a fun event to watch, especially as the two riders above leave the "pinwheel of death"

Off Work

from flickr user DigitalObserver
Even with a bleak and snowy landscape this photo's textures subtly enhance this stark shot from Rochester, MN.

Dog sled

from flickr user conner.mccall
Another photo to add to yesterday's showcase of the Art Sled Rally at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. I am actually jealous of the perspective of this photo - note the people milling around in the background - it reminds me of the photos from the best photographer I ever worked with at a previous job.

Corporate ice sculpture

from flickr user KLZaffke Photography
WestlawNext is the future in legal research. It is the latest greates product from the West Publishing Corporation based in Eagan, MN.

Art Sled Rally 2010

from flickr user MNkiteman
The crowd awaits Santa nearing the finish line. Straw was placed at the finish line to slow down the art sleds as they careened down the hill at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis.

Fine food

from flickr user square logo
Taken in Shakopee, MN, this old-timey sign for Wampach's Restaurant is perched at the end of the Highway 101 Minnesota River bridge in downtown Shakopee.

Lake Phalen - Winter Carnival

from flickr user JustACoolCat
Thank you Minnesota Kite Association for not only braving the cold temperatures that define January in Minnesota but also brightening up the landscape of the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Also thanks to the folks who brave the winter temperatures to photograph the amazing scenery of Minnesota.