Olmsted County Fair - Rochester, MN

from flickr user Ed Denbow
I'm well aware that the Olmsted County Fair in Rochester, MN isn't the first county fair in Minnesota but it's one of the largest and it's in full swing this week as witnessed by this glorious capture of a ferris wheel in motion -- running through Sunday. If you're up for a trip to the home of the Mayo Clinic, it's well worth the drive.

Minnesota - Abandoned Playground

from flickr user Bebertz
A rainy day drove the children from this play-set and the older people from the benches. Perfect for photographing.

Eden Prairie's own Lions Tap burger

from flickr user Kevin Held What
The photographer says: my first burger from the Lions Tap in Eden Prairie. I consider myself an expert on burgers, and this was one of the better ones I've had.

Oddly enough, the thing that REALLY made the burger was the bun.

Gooseberry Falls

from flickr user Old dog 507
The photographer says: This photo was taken during the infamous Minnesota state shutdown in July of 2011. Needless to say all state parks were closed so everyone had to park along highway 61 and walk in. After our 2 mile walk, OK, not quite but pretty close, we finally got to the spectacular Gooseberry Falls. You would have never guessed the park was closed, because there were just as many people as usual.

U2: The Calm Before the Storm

from flickr user Brendan Meier
The photographer says: I was lucky enough to have gone to the U2 360° Tour as it stopped in Minneapolis on Saturday night. I'll just start out by saying that it was definitely one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. It's a show that I would jump at the chance to see again if the tour weren't coming to a close in less than a week.

The title here I use both literally and figuratively. Having arrived at the stadium shortly after 6, we were there nearly three hours before U2 took the stage. This was taken before Interpol, the opening band, took the stage. On the literal side of the title, mother nature attempted to not be outdone during a majority of the 2+ hours that U2 was playing. It was a spectacle of rock concert, lightning, and pouring rain. Something I will not forget anytime soon.

U2? Yeah me too!

from flickr user Light The Underground
U2's 360 show made its way through Minneapolis Saturday evening at TCF Bank Stadium and a monsoon accompanied by lightning made for a spectacular show by Bono and company.

Score

from flickr user TriciaV
The old football field and score board in Two Harbors, MN. The folks had a beautiful view of Lake Superior in the background as they watched the game. By the looks of the place it has not been used in many years. The bleachers were falling down.

View of the lake in Ely, MN

from flickr user thenugespeaks
Minnesota is full of colorful, serene and striking scenes like the one pictured her from the north woods outpost of Ely, MN. It's scenery like this that makes it difficult to return home from any vacation taken in Minnesota.

Moving in for Rescue

from flickr user KaaPhotography
Two bullfighters move in to rescue a downed rider during Extreme Bullriding in Cannon Falls, MN during the Goodhue County Fair

Jungle Gym

from flickr user Matthew Henry
The photographer says: Disposable 35mm camera. My daughter playing with some neighbors. I didn't bother cloning out the fuzzies from the scan... I sort of like them in this case :)

I like the dust and noise from this scan too. Sometimes traditional film photography's imperfections trump the perfection that digital gives us.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe train derailment

from flickr user Reckless Artist
A great photo showing the train derailment from this weekend in Fridley. Look at all that corn on the ground and the damage to clean up and repair.

Rainbow Connection

from flickr user Tricia V
After Sunday's round of storm in the northern Amazon we know as Minnesota, a double rainbow presented itself over the photographer's barn. Nice capture.

Bring on the Tall Ships

from flickr user lukibob17
This weekend marked the arrival of the famous Tall Ships to the port of Duluth, Minnesota. These giants of the seas arrive each year in mid-July to the largest inland port in the country.

Mississippi River Hideaway

from flickr user Pureheart11
The photographer says: During our weekend away one of our activities was to bike. On our way to a maritime museum we biked along the Mississippi River and spotted this houseboat.

My Grandloon arrived yesterday

from flickr user NaPix -- Hmong Soul
This is the first time I've seen a newly hatched loon catching a ride on one of its parents. Even if you have a heart of stone you have to admit that this is the cutest thing in the whole world.

Warped Tour 2011 Crowd

from flickr user Josh Olson
The Devil Wears Prada crowd at the 2011 edition of the Warped Tour at its stop at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Even with horse racing and the card room closed due to the Minnesota Government Shutdown, last Sunday's Warped Tour stop went on as planned. On a side note, I'm still looking for a photo during Less Than Jake's performance at Sunday's stop. If you have one, please post it to the MinnPics Flickr pool. Thanks.

Re-inflated Metrodome Roof

from flickr user Ben Josephs
The MetroDome's roof was re-inflated yesterday. The approximately four month long project was completed ahead of schedule. In case you forgot, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome's roof collapsed in December under the weight of heavy snow in the wake of a blizzard. The roof's collapse forced the Minnesota Vikings to play a "home" game in Detroit and another home game outdoors at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium making it the Viking's first outdoor home game in nearly 30 years.

Lake Minnetonka is full of sticks

from flickr user minnetonkafelix
When a group of sailboats sit this close together it's easy to confuse the masts of the sails with giant sticks and in their reflection it's even more eerie.

Dairyland Restaurant

from flickr user Tricia V
While this Dairyland sign isn't as new and fancy as the Taco John's sign down the street from it, I can imagine that the surprises that await the Dairyland customers inside its doors are much more welcome on a hot summer day than Super Nachos.

Closed Permanently

from flickr user Debbie Koenigs
The long-neglected and closed Cedar Avenue bridge is shown here with weeds growing in its wooden deck still stands alongside the new Highway 77/Cedar Avenue bridge connecting Bloomington and Eagan across the Minnesota River. It's one of a few closing not due to the government shutdown in Minnesota which is in its second week.

Gold Medal Rays

from flickr user Doug Wallick
The photographer says: Taken near the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, we were waiting on the fireworks to start and set up here, had to move about 50 feet away when they started, because the tree was in the way, had been hoping to get the Gold Medal Mill Ruin in the fireworks shot.

Sunset on Lake Calhoun

from flickr user Dean Gulstad
Flowering grasses at the edge of Lake Calhoun at sunset.

Lake Superior Lightning

from flickr user ShawNicholas
Taken on the south shore of Lake Superior, in Superior, Wisconsin, this is the perfect example of lucky timing. The photographer explained that he was simply working on compiling exposures for a HDR photo and lightning struck. I am normally not a fan of HDR photography but this one is done right and with fabulous results.

Red, White, and Boom

from flickr user zman z28
Independence Day fireworks over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

On the way to no where

from flickr user Tricia V
Grain bins are as common in the farming areas of the midwest as skyscrapers are in New York City but the fact that this photo of Butler grain bins (my parent's farm is also home to some Butler grain bins) was captured on film -- a dying photographic medium -- makes them seem almost iconic. Printed photos, even though they tend to deteriorate with time, are something which are very real. They can be held. They can be touched. They are a truly printed form of capturing what once was.

Blast of fireworks

from flickr user Zman z28
Bloomington had their fireworks on July 3 out at Normandale Lake. A very nice display they put on.

The stars come out to play in Minnesota

from flickr user Matt Wilson
Could a photograph taken over the 4th of July weekend be more appropriate? A perfectly dark sky dotted with stars above of of Minnesota's 10,000-plus lakes seems to be the best fit possible for what turned out to be an amazing weekend.

Boundless in Duluth Minnesota

from flickr user Boreal Bird
A girl determined to learn how to fly.
Rose Garden, Duluth MN