Is There Such A Thing Called Halloween Eve?

To those of you who participate in Halloween activities, enjoy and be safe.

Let's Play The Name Game

It took me a while to figure out what this business sold or did. With all of the signs on display, it was quite confusing, yet fun to look at. This photo was taken in the town of Waverly, Minnesota across from the hall, wifey and I was at for a wedding we attended a couple of weeks ago.

On The South Side

The last daily photo here was of downtown Hastings, the buildings on the north side of the road. Today I am posting a photo of the buildings on the south side of the road. They are a bit different in looks, as they almost all have a uniform height to them. There is a gap at the end of the block where the buildings are lower, but looking at a photo of this section of road in the early 1900's, there were two more buildings there that were the same height. Not sure why they were taken down, perhaps fire or structure problems from their age.

One thing I've noticed between today's photo and the photo from the early 1900's is the street lamps. They have been updated as they now have two lamps per pole, but they look to be the exact same shape as the original light fixture. Nice touch.

Walking On Down The Road

My October 23 post of downtown Hastings featured a couple of buildings from the north side of the main road in their downtown. Today's photo is again from the north side of the road, but it shows different uniquely repainted buildings. I've found a photo from the early 1900's that shows today's photo and my Oct 23 of what this stretch of buildings once looked like over 100 years ago.

The Emporium is what is there today and is now home to many things, antiques, home decor, consinement shop and an art gallery. I did a quick search on google to see if I could find out what the building was in it's past but only found it was a beauty school at one time. It has J. G. Mertz & Son built into the top of the building. My guess is it was not originally a beauty school.

An Amazing Incoming Storm

I took this photo of a storm that was headed my way. I had never in my life seen cloud formations like this before. Notice the waves in the clouds from one side of the photo to the other. I should have taken a couple of shots and spliced them together because what I saw was this cloud formation as far as the eye could see. It was very windy as the storm approached, but how does this type of cloud pattern happen?

Our Little Slice Of Niagara Falls

Okay, you got me. This is nothing like Niagara Falls, but if it helps me get some google search hits, then the title was worth it. Actually, this photo was submitted by my parents and they get the credit for this wonderful photo of the St Croix Falls. I believe bank of trees in the distance is the Minnesota side of the river. This photo was taken just before the leaves started turning colors and falling off of the trees like they are now. The St Croix River meets up with the Mississippi River just a short distance from where the photo was taken.

Tie It To Them Posts

These posts sticking out of the Mississippi River are used for tieing up the barges that travel up and down the river. I really like this shot, but I do wish there had been a blue sky versus the washed out white one.

Still In Use And Looking Good

Today's photo is from downtown Hastings. These beautiful buildings are on the north side of the road. Look at the dates on the buildings. They read over 100 years old. It just makes me wonder what these buildings have been used for over the years. I love the fact that they have painted these buildings and made all of the details stand out on the faces of them. The Finch building, note the top triangle with the glass and spoon design on it. This was perhaps a pharmacy building when it was originally built? Hastings is the type of town that has a lot of history involved with it.

Let's Play Hockey

It's hockey season once again and the Minnesota Wild are off to their best start in their short franchise history. They won their first six games of the season and tonight had their first loss. This photo is from the Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks from a couple of weeks ago.

May I Get A Lift?

This is the railroad lift bridge in Hastings. The bridge spans the Mississippi River near highway 61. On the right tower, the red sign reads 'The Milwaukee Road'.

On Top Of The World

Well, maybe not the world, but this photo is the top portion of the Vermillion River, before it becomes the Vermillion Falls. This is a follow up photo to the October 13 photo of the Vermillion Falls.

Such A Busy Display

I can only imagine what the Capital building of Minnesota in St Paul looked like before all of the street signs, stop lights, street lights and all the other objects starting going up in front of the beautiful building. Now it's tough to get a good clean shot from a distance.

The Thin Blue Line

This memorial is on the edge of the Capital Building grounds in St Paul. It is in honor of the police officers who have fallen in the line of duty in the State of Minnesota.

Often Missed

This figure sits behind the St Paul Cathedral on the Sacristy. The figure is not visible from the main road that is used as people view the Cathedral and is often overlooked.

Danger, Will Robinson!

Look closer....Do you see what I see?

I've Fallen, And I Can't Get Up

Vermillion Falls in Hastings, it's height is 30 feet. It's located next to a large factory which I believe is a flour mill to the right in the photo. I have pictures of the mill that I will post in the coming days. The falls are part of the Vermillion River and where I am, is in the Vermillion Falls Park located off of Highway 61 and 26th street. There is a walking path in the park which I've traveled down quite a ways before to discover some amazing sites as it follows along the river. Have never brought a camera into the walking path, but one of these days I'll make the hike back there and snap some shots. I've never been to the falls during the leaf color change. The colors that were there were quite a change from the blooming green that is normally there during the warm summer months.

Aerial View of the Vermillion Falls

Why Don't You Make Like A Tree, And Leaf

Looking at my webstats the past couple of days, I've seen a lot of hits coming from google with the common words being 'Twin Cities Fall Colors' or some variation of them. Thus today's photo has a lot of fall colors in them, but oh what a photo. The bridge is the High Bridge coming from the West Side. The bluff beyond the bridge, the area above is Cherokee Park. Another great place to view the Mississippi River and all that there is to see from higher up. The boats trolling up and down the river, plus the barge docked to shore. The only thing that is missing is my blue sky. I'm not sure why there isn't one, but it was rather sunny the day of this photo.

Holy Facade Batman!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist the title. Today I'm posting two photos of the facade on the Cathedral of St Paul. Mainly to show the depth of the sixty-foot rendition of Christ and the twelve apostles. The inscription on the arch reads "Go therefore and teach ye all nations." To the left is a twelve-foot-high figure of Saint Peter, semi washed out from the suns glare unfortunately, with a matching one of Saint Paul on the right side. I will have to revisit the Cathedral and get some additional exterior photos as there is much beauty I've not captured. Then work my way into the interior as I've never stepped foot inside before.

Let's Take A Closer Look Bob

I must correct yesterday's entry. In my hurried effort to post a little info on the Cathedral of St Paul, I googled in error and ended up at St Paul's Cathedral. Well the St Paul's Cathedral is in the city of London! So yeah, 300 years ago THEIR cathedral named St Paul's was built, again. This Cathedral of St Paul was scheduled to hold it's first mass on Easter Sunday, 1915. However, they finished work a week early and it was held Palm Sunday. This is the fourth building that has been named the Cathedral of St Paul.

The dome is 120 foot wide, curved steel beams, covered with a clay tile surface and overlaid with copper. The copper lantern on the very top is about 30 feet tall. In the photo, I'm standing on the North West corner which is higher up on a hill.

They have a 'virtual tour' page on their website, You can visit the tour here. It has a fairly detailed map of the insides.

Here Is The Church, Here Is The Steeple

Well, it's a bit more than a church. All of this beautiful architect belongs to St Paul's Cathedral. The Cathedral has had millions of people worship here since the first service back in 1697 took place. That's over three hundred years ago. Recently restored in 1997, the cathedral lost it's greenish tint to a newer brown colored top. The old roof I believe was made of copper, thus the greenish tint as the weather took it's tool. I'm not sure if the new dome is made of copper or some other type of metal. It looks very nice, but I do miss the greenish color it once had.

Ice Palace 2004 Series - pic 6

Another photo from my Ice Palace series. Frontal view of the of the main tower. This Ice Palace was built for the St Paul Winter Carnival in January 2004. Each block of ice is about the size of a bath tub.

No Clever Caption Needed

Today's photo is another drive by photo shooting series. I saw the couple standing there as I was approaching, quickly grabbed my camera, powered it on a snapped the shot in a matter of seconds. [If you look close you can see a bug splat spot from my windshield on the mans collar] I'm not sure what to think of the signs they are holding. There was not an abandoned vehicle anywhere on the road I was traveling on. I see the dollar sign for the letter "S". If I were to guess, his sign should read "Need Cash". I'd never seen any pan handlers in this location [in Eagan] nor anywhere else nearby, so they caught me with surprise.

The one question that always pops into my head is, who stops and gives money to people with the usual 'Will work for food' signs? I've read stories of people who do this make more than enough to make a living on, but are these stories really true? Who's giving their money away if it is? Could you ask for a receipt so you can write it off on your taxes as a charitable donation?

I do like this photo though as it shows what a lot of us see here in the United States. I've never given money to anyone holding a sign before, but I have dropped a buck or two into a musical case/hat of someone playing an instrument outside of a sporting event or concert. We've all seen them too, but I have no problem giving money for their musical talent as they are working or doing something for their paycheck.

Where The Sun Don't Shine

The sun was nearly set as I was sitting waiting for the traffic to clear. The Robert Street Bridge, the way the shadows and the sun was hitting the underside of the bridge was something that I've never seen like this. It was really great timing on this shot and I took the snap, looked in the rear view mirror and there was already a car waiting for me to turn. I just hoped the shot turned out as I wouldn't be at this spot to take a shot like this, with the sun shining the way it was, perhaps for quite a while. The days are getting much shorter and I've been thinking about how I'm going to be able to take photos for this site. I typically take them after work hours, but in a month or so, it will be completely dark when I leave work. Couple that with it being dark when I leave....It could prove to be a challenge at times.

I Wish To Welcome You To....

For some reason I was humming the Munchkins from the Wizard Of Oz singing in their high pitch voices, but substituting Cottage Grove in place of Munchkin Land. Sing it out loud right now, it flows perfectly.

Any way, this sign on Highway 61 south is seen just as leave St Paul Park and you enter the land of Cottage Grove, established in 1843. Us property tax payers spent a lot of money on that sign and the upkeep of the trees and lawn through out the year. Someone has to enjoy it, that is your task of the day to enjoy the 'Welcome To Cottage Grove' sign. I expect a full report on how much enjoyment you received from today's entry.

You Can Call Me Ray

I recall a commercial with the title line in it....you can call me Ray or you can call me Jay....I'll have to think on this one or google search it. I know it was for some product, perhaps a beer commercial of some sort. Heck, it was 25-30 years ago when I last saw the commercial.

Anyway, this sunset was from about a month ago. I was at my sons soccer game, it was almost the end of the game, the sky was getting dark. I look over my shoulder and see this brilliant sun ray. Actually there are several sun's rays shining through. I was so happy I brought my camera that evening. Dang those big ugly power lines for getting in the way of my photo.

Daily Photo Theme Day: Taxis

46 Daily Photo Bloggers around the world are posting a theme picture today of a taxi; select a number to visit another: [Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day] 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46