Abandoned in Mankato

from flickr user mygeekdaddy
This post-sunset photo of an apparently abandoned homesteak in the Mankato area is straight-up superb. I have no more words to describe it so add yours in the comments.

The Grandstand

from flickr user nilslorvick
In the Twin Cities there is only one grandstand and that is the grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair. I remember when it was home to a car race on Labor Day but it has been taken over as a concert venue during the fair's annual 12 day run.

After the cows

from flickr user wleif
In the milking parlor at the cow barn.

2010 Minnesota State Fair PhotoBooth

from flickr user Minnesota Public Radio
MPR's Blythe demonstrates the handy "hug-holes" in the Minnesota State Fair PhotoBooth this year. Swing by the Minnesota Public Radio booth to get your picture taken with (or in front of!) the artwork.

Coke bottle Ring Toss at the State Fair

from flickr user [the] printer
Taken Tuesday as workers set up various booths, games and rides for the Minnesota State Fair, this was the scene at the Ring Toss game.

The standout feature about this photo is that apparently most of these glass Coca-Cola bottles are from Mexico given the tagline of "Refresco" visible on one of the labels.

Lanterns

from flickr user Tim Regan
According to Buddhist tradition and Japanese cultural beliefs, the souls of the dead may interact with the living at the time of Obon. The Japanese Buddhist Obon or “Bon” festival takes place each year as a custom to honor ancestors that have passed away. This tradition has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and is also celebrated in Saint Paul as the Como Park Japanese Lantern Lighting Festival.

On a side note, this is the 1000th post here at MinnPics. Not too bad for just over two years. Maybe I'll hang on for another two years, maybe not.

Turkey under the Tree

from flickr user lookin glass
The colors, distance from the subject and the subject itself (a lone wild turkey under the broad canopy of a Maple tree) make for a rather surreal photo.

Under the Bridge

from flickr user John Pihaly
The photographer says: Taken during a Sunday paddle down the Minnehaha Creek between Lake Nakomis and Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis. While floating toward a bridge, I noticed the kayak's shadow surrounded by these bright, shimmering reflections.

Lily pals

from flickr user wleif
J: "Why do lily pads grow in clumps?"
K: "Because they are lily pals!"

In Fenske Lake, just outside the Boundary Waters, near Ely.

Highway 1

from flickr user J.Minor
The photographer says: "This is my friend Kevin on his 08 Yamaha R6 on Hwy 1 in Minnesota. This road is an amazing pretty far north of the Twin Cities so riding a bike like this is pretty heinous."

Washing Well Wenches at the Renaissance Festival

from flickr user LinderRox
With the 2010 Minnesota Renaissance Festival kicking off Saturday that means summer is drawing to a close. This photo, while definitely not beautiful, captures one half of the Washing Well Wenches team deep in to her character. If you haven't seen their performace, be sure to do so as it's not only a great break it's also highly entertaining.

The Half Barn of East Bethel, MN

from flickr user spiralfmz
This is the first time I've seen a photo of a "half barn". Maybe it has a proper name and maybe there's an interesting story behind this seemingly half-buried barn near East Bethel, MN. What is its interior like? Does it still have a hay loft? I obviously have a lot of questions about this particular style of barn.

Nicollet County Courthouse

from flickr user altfelix11
The circa-1881 Nicollet County Courthouse in St. Peter, Minnesota. It was designed byarchitects Edward P. Bassford of St. Paul and Edward S. Stebbins of Minneapolis.

The size and grandeur of this building has always impressed me. It's nice that soem cities have the decency to hang on to their historical structures.

Vineyard structure

from flickr user studiobaker
Vineyard owners, like this one in the southern Minnesota town of Elysian, seem to take pride in orderliness and structure.

Rip it

from flickr user truth and soul- Dan Huseby
I'm not going to pretend to know much about skateboarding because I am not cool but I know that pulling tricks off of a car and grinding across the enge of the roof while other boarders look on is definitely a good time. I'm guessing that this Lincoln wasn't exactly road-safe after a long day of being used as a skateboard ramp.

Lightning on Calhoun

from flickr user soozbot
My camera and I decided to check out the incoming storm [coming in over Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis], and were not disappointed.

Dodd Trail Park

from flickr user rabidscottsman
Lakeville Minnesota..after some pretty serious heavy rains last night this park is under water. This is at the intersection of 170th st and Flagstaff Avenue

Sea Kayak and Storm

from flickr user Bryan Hansel
As evidenced by the sky in this photo of a sea kayak on the shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, MN, the weather on Minnesota's north shore looked just as threatening this morning as it did here in the southern part of the state yesterday.

Benton County Fair demolition derby

from flickr user TedSher
Nothing seems to define a county fair and attract a grandstand audience more than the demolition derby. There's just something primal about being encouraged to drive your car in to that of another at a relatively high rate of speed. It's definitely not high-brow entertainment like a Broadway play or a night at the opera but nothing beats the smell of smoke and mud and the sound of crashing metal.

Ferris Wheel

from flickr user cassandra7788
If it's August then it's county fair time here in Minnesota. This ferris wheel, captured at night via a long exposure, is located for the time being at the Dakota County Fair in Farmington.

Storm Rolling In

from flickr user stefpress
Storm rolling across Corcoran area...

Flooding in Ames, Iowa

from flickr user Sarah Cady
This non-descript concrete building surrounded by flood waters is actually the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. It's where the Iowa State Hawkeyes basketball team plays but today it sits surrounded by murky flood waters after heavy rains - as much as five inches on already saturated ground - pounded much of Iowa last night leading to the closure of U.S. Highway 30 as well as Interstate 35 from Ames to Des Moines by the Iowa DOT.

See more of Sarah Cady's Ames Flood photos here. Additional Ames, IA flood photos can be seen here.

Close to Harvest

from flickr user djsime
Although the traditional corn harvest is about two months away, this photo captures the golden tassles as they bask in the waning afternoon sun in southeastern Minnesota.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

from flickr user photoneophyte
A striking black and white photo showcasing the natural beauty of the Boundary Waters region of northern Minnesota.

S/V Denis Sullivan

from flickr user siskokid
A parade of nine tall ships from ports across North America and Europe sailed into Duluth, Minnesota's harbor on Lake Superior Thursday, July 29, kicking off a four day festival that attracted more than 200,000 visitors. As Wisconsin's flagship and a flagship for the United Nations Environment Program, the S/V Denis Sullivan is the world’s only re-creation of a 19th century three-masted Great Lakes schooner. The Sullivan was built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2000 by professional shipwrights and nearly 1,000 volunteers. Annually the ship travels over 18,000 nautical miles from her summer home at Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin to her winter home in Southern Florida. Duluth was the fourth stop on the American Sail Training Association's Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge, a fleet of international and domestic vessels racing to six cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Water Tower Lightning Strike

from flickr user LoneStarNorth
Shot during Saturday's north metro storms, the lightning only appears to strike this water tower in Center City.

Relax...

from flickr user medium121
Taken on a lakeshore in Spicer, MN, this looks like the perfect way to spend a sweltering Minnesota weekend.

Bridge in Sepia

from flickr user dkadams2010
A rustic looking wooden bridge located somewhere in southern Minnesota shot from a low angle which lends to the photo being above and beyond the typical snapshot.

Monotropa uniflora (Indian Pipe)

from flickr user musicloveranthony
Monotropa uniflora (I think I've always heard it referred to as Indian Pipe).

It's a pretty neat plant that I've never seen in person, though I've read about. It looks like a fungus, but is actually a flower. It contains no chlorophyll, so it does not produce its own energy. It is a parasitic plant that derives its energy from associations with fungi (who in turn derive their energy from trees).

Night light

from flickr user Scott Berglund
Inside of the Chapel at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN

Playground Fun

from flickr user Light The Underground
The photographer says: 5 Different lights, 30 seconds, Only me.

A nice example of light painting. Try it yourself and liven up a summer evening.

Playing Naked In The Rain

from flickr user glness
A cool sculpture in Downtown Denver, CO. No, Denver is not in Minnesota but the photographer is one of my Flickr contacts and the photo and sculpture are both works of art.

Lund reflection

from flickr user je photodesign
This spectacular reflection of an older Lund fishing boat is so perfect that it's almost hard to discern what's up and what's down. It also just clicked with me because I'm gearing up to design yet another issue of a lake-themed magazine.

Loud Moondog fans!

from flickr user xbrandonolsonx
Mankato, MN has much more to offer than a mere three-week stint of the Minnesota Vikings bringing their Brett Favre drama to town. The southern Minnesota city is also home to the Mankato Moondogs baseball team. I'd classify them as town ball but this toddler's face says it all, even town ball crowds can get loud.

Olmsted County Fair

from flickr user Chad Johnson Photography
One of my favorite southern Minnesota photographers takes a trip to Rochester's Olmsted County Fair and captures the midway rides just after sunset during the blue hour for some fabulous long exposure action photos.

A Very Tall Ship

from flickr user -Snapshot-
This week, hundreds of ships billed as "Tall Ships" are sailing in to the port of Duluth, MN. Pictured is one as it sails under the famous lift bridge in the Canal Park area of Duluth.

The Pretty Reckless - 08/01/10 Shakopee, MN

from flickr user chad davis
The Pretty Reckless (featuring Taylor Momsen of the CW's Gossip Girl) on the Altec stage at 2010 Warped Tour.