My mom and I went to Chanhassen’s Fourth of July celebration two times today (it is free, after all). It was sprinkling the first time we went at about 2:30 p.m., but otherwise the weather was nice; the precipitation was over by the second time we went at about 6:45 p.m. The weather is significant because, for Independence Day, there will be heavy rain and a chance of thunderstorms.
All photos were taken with my smartphone.
Coin pusher game with a memento moriWater HogsBreak a BottlePrizesBalloonsTickets, ATM, and Ferris wheelFair foodLemonade concession standMore fair foodGoats in an enclosureView from the Ferris wheelSelf-portrait from the top of the Ferris wheel. I also took photos of my mom and myself on the Ferris wheel last year.Pirate’s FuryVarious stuffed animals for prizes (including pugs!)Large crowd of people sitting at tablesLive music
Today, my mom and I drove to see my grandparents in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. I had not seen them in person since the pandemic started, though my mom had. It was nice to see them, since it seemed like it had been so long. The temperature was mild, it was sunny, and there was no noticeable wind, which were all perfect for hanging out in their backyard during the start of the Fourth of July weekend.
PugsleyMissyMy puggles, mom, and grandparentsPortrait of my momPortrait of my grandmaPortrait of my grandpaPortrait of my grandpa and grandma
I took these photos of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota. For the uninitiated, I have been photographing this entity since at least high school. It’s located right next to my neighborhood, and it’s been pretty neat getting to grow up next to it.
Pictured on the right is the Doppler radarThis is the building where they inflate the weather balloons. The dome on top houses the tracking antenna.Pictured is the Doppler radar and the office building
I went to the grocery store Lunds & Byerlys in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at about 11 a.m. today. As I parked my car, I saw two people riding horses in the parking lot. Not wanting to miss a photo opportunity, I ran up to the equestrians. I presumed they were with the Carver County Sheriff’s Office and practicing for the Fourth of July (though I never bothered to ask what they were doing). I did, however, ask if they were police officers, and they said, “No,” but they did say they were volunteers for the Carver County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Posse. They then told me to send a photo to the Carver County Sheriff’s Office so they can post it, which I will do after I post this article.
On a related note, today is the 15th anniversary of the iPhone. See this article from the Associated Press to find out what some of their photographers from all over the world think of the iPhone. Note: It might not be what you expect! (They’ll stick with their professional cameras, but the smartphone still has its uses, such as for this photo I took of horses in a parking lot when I didn’t have my professional camera.)
Carver County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Posse at Lunds & Byerlys in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Hailing from the Hudson Valley in New York (where I went to college for a few years), country-rock band Raquel & the Wildflowers put on a lively show in Chanhassen, Minnesota, this evening. This was the third concert in Chanhassen’s 2022 Summer Concert Series.
Raquel & the WildflowersRaquel & the WildflowersRaquel & the WildflowersRaquel & the WildflowersRaquel & the Wildflowers
Today, my mom and I checked out the 40,000 blooming tulips and completed the Three-Mile Walk at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota.
Red, orange, and yellow tulipsPink tulipsRed and white tulipsIdyllic path near the beginning of the Three-Mile WalkAthyrium filix-femina, the lady fernFallen Quercus rubra, the red oakMy mom sitting on a benchFallen cones from Pinus wallichiana, the western Himalayan pineScenic viewMale red-winged blackbird on cattails by a pondMushy path in a bubbling bogSignpost along the Three-Mile Walk
For my first photos of 2022 (taken with my professional camera), I visited Excelsior, Minnesota, at the golden hour—the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. I was there today for the sunset. These photos depict some of my favorite places as a child.
The Glow Lounge (I’m not sure what it is)Excelsior Coin & Collectibles, a shop I used to visit as a child to add to my coin collectionLicks Unlimited, where my favorite ice cream flavor was SupermanExcelsior Dock Cinema, where they are showing the 2022 adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novel, Firestarter. I didn’t see that many movies here as a child, but I do remember seeing Twister.Leipold’s, a store selling antiques and odds and ends. There was an article about this unique store in the Star Tribune, which one can read here.An abandoned gas station in the heart of Excelsior. I wonder what they’re planning on doing with this building.Trinity Episcopal Church, the church my family attended when I was a childRentMyPartyBus.com was parked near Lake MinnetonkaLady of the Lake, a three-deck charter boat on Lake MinnetonkaA tree in the foreground and the moon in the way, way backgroundCommons BallparkBark on three similar trees near Lake MinnetonkaLake Minnetonka two minutes before sunset
On October 9 (one day before my birthday), I visited Stillwater, Minnesota, with my mom and our puggles. This was my first trip to Stillwater, and, boy, have I been missing out! It’s a beautiful, touristy city on the St. Croix River and Minnesota-Wisconsin border.
They were also having their Stillwater Harvest Fest at Lowell Park on the river, though I did not know about this until I got there. It was crowded and, I’m sure, relatively difficult to find parking (see where we parked in the last two photos).
Here are 19 photos I took today. All but the two from the restaurant, which were taken with my Google Pixel 4a, were taken with a Canon EOS R and kit lens.
My mom and our dogs after arriving at Lowell ParkPumpkin sculptureBoy on a bungee trampolineLine for amusement park attractionsMissy getting petted by childrenMy mom and our dogs by the St. Croix River with the famous Stillwater Lift Bridge in the backgroundBoat on the St. Croix RiverFiddler performing a solo songBand performing “Rocky Top”Black Letter BooksPugsley and Missy drinking water outside a storeLeo’s Grill & Malt ShopA much bigger dog next to MissyFestive display next to outdoor diningChestnut Street and the Stillwater Lift BridgePatio for Domaćin Restaurant & Wine BarRoasted vegetables. Delicious!Where we found parking on hilly 2nd StreetView from 2nd Street
Today and tomorrow are in “a run for hottest day of the year,” according to the National Weather Service’s forecast office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, MN (which is located right next to my neighborhood).
I took this photo at 7:23 a.m.
The morning sky on one of the hottest days of the year