Less than 24 hours

 It doesn't take long for the weather to change. Less than 24 hours after 60 glorious degrees, it is snowing.

Not a lot of snow but it was coming down at a good clip.

An Amazing Day (weather)

 Historic warmth!

Bundled up for run to coffee and stripped off layers for run home.

Warm enough to wear new v-neck shirt at Isles Bun and Coffee.

Random photos

Saw these two Teslas parked together on my walk back from coffee this morning. Some people have a lot of money.

A friend is in Vail, Colorado for work. He was on his way up the mountain and took this photo out the gondola window. Really makes me want to go.

Volunteering

Had the opportunity to volunteer for Project Success last Saturday. Project Success is a social services organization that helps kids and their families with school choices and encourages kids with all aspects of their school life.

Project Success hosted a fun day for Franklin School in north Minneapolis. It was planned as a winter outing with snow shoeing, cross country skiing and tubing. Unfortunately our snow this year has been scarce. Instead of cancelling, the event was turned into an out-of-doors day with games, toasting marshmallows and roasting hot dogs.

My snow shoeing duties turned into leading the toasting and roasting. Some kids had never toasted a marshmallow! It was so neat to see their faces eating a first-ever s'more.

Florida vacation

Spent nearly a week in southern Florida visiting old and new friends. I didn't take very many photographs but had a very enjoyable time.

Got to see and stay with Bud and Sureyya in their beautiful home in Ft. Lauderdale. Also saw another friend from Minneapolis, Andy. Ft. Lauderdale was cool, actually cold for the locals. Many people were bundled up. It was comical. Even more comical as I had been snowshoeing on Minneapolis the day before and then barefoot in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea the next.

I took my first yoga class with Sureyya at his LA Fitness. It was fantastic. I went with Sureyya again the next day for my second yoga class.

I also got to spend time with my new friend, Dennis. Dennis and I went to Naples on the Gulf coast for Valentine's weekend. We stayed at the Naples Grande. We rode bikes (very far), played tennis (we are both just okay), walked on the beach, and ate at fun places.

Bud and Sureyya's beautiful pool

Dennis and I on our bike ride around Naples.

Naples Grande resort

 

 

Dennis found a friend. The dog is a Brussels Griffin named Gizmo.

A sea eagle along the beach

relaxing on the balcony

City of Lakes Loppet

The City of Lakes Loppet was this weekend. It is an outdoor winter activity smorgasbord. Activites are at Theodore Worth park, Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles or for some events on all three.

Jenny and I went onto Lake Calhoun Saturday for speed skating, ice biking, skijoring, cross-country skiing and snow sculptures.

The speed skating was on a one kilometer oval of cleared ice on Lake Calhoun. Eight or nine co-ed skaters started at 1:30. It was a 50 lap race! That's 50 kilometers! We saw the start and a few of the laps before we realized that event was going to take a long time.

We headed over to ice biking that was very close by. The course this year on Lake Calhoun was boring compared to previous year's races on the lagoon between Calhoun and Isles. Nonetheless we had fun with another spectator. There is an odd 20 minute the final lap format bit we had fun cheering the competitors.

We then turned around for the start of the skijoring. Skijoring is cross-country skiimg with one or two dogs pulling the skier. The start is fantastic with dozens of dogs and their humans flying past. Most of the dogs were crazy excited to be running at full speed. Others were excited to be out with their humans. Others were distracted by all the other dogs. It all was so much fun.

We headed over to the event village to see the snow sculptures. The photos speak for themselves. We also got to watch the skiers crossing the finish line.

On the way back home we got to see the finish of the 50 kilometer skating event. The two leaders had been together the entire two hours! The skater in second had drafted the lead skater for 49 laps. The lead was out of gas and was easily taken over by the guy behind. I felt bad for the guy who had done all the work but ended up in second.

Jenny and I had a great time.

50k speed skating

ice biking

skijoring

skijoring

this white poodle ran full out the entire race

frozen pizza oven

Liked this snow sculpture

very artsy

Ground Hog Day snow storm

The forecasters got the start time spot on, however, they didn't do so well on the amount. The snow started to fall right before noon on Tuesday.

It came down fast and furious being whipped around by a pretty strong wind. It snowed all day and into the night. The temperatures remained in the upper 20's and low 30's. By the time the storm moved out, there was 10-12" in my backyard.

Inspired by friends' post of photos on Facebook and wanting to get out of the house, I went for a walk down to Lake Calhoun. It was still snowing and blowing but also peaceful and magically.

There were others out walking, running, biking and even a kite skier on Lake Calhoun.

31st Street during the snow

Lake St. bridge from the Lake of Isles to Lake Calhoun lagoon

31st and Emerson

backyard drifts

snow piled up on bench

glass fish sno-cone

Minnesota winter activities

I always say that you have to keep doing activities during the winter and especially outdoors. It isn't always crazy cold and even if it is, there is usually some warming tent or fire or activity to warm you up.

This weekend was actually balmy as winter goes. It was above freezing and the sun came out occasionally. So Friday a group went to the ice castle in Eden Prairie. Even after sun down the temp was reasonable.

selfie

blue

green

Ice slide video:

the gang at Old Chicago, Eden Prairie

Saturday I went for a run. See separate post.

Sunday I went to the US Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis. Yes, on the lake. Thousands of people hanging out on a frozen lake or in the warming tent on the shore. There was also a beer tent on the lake itself....and it was heated.

The ice wasn't great for the hockey players because of the warmer temps but it was comfortable to be a spectator.

Lake Nokomis

Molly and I with the 'golden shovel' at US Pond Hockey Championships