Categories
Out and About

Historic Downtown Chaska in Winter

For one reason or another, I haven’t taken many photos in downtown Chaska over the years. But this says more about me than it does their historic downtown area–because it is charming.

I took these five photos today from 11:34–11:50 a.m.

Carver County Justice Center
Formerly known as the “Co-Op,” this is SouthWest Metro High School. I had basketball practice here when I was in middle school and took a film photography course here–which I loved–when I was in high school.
St. John’s Lutheran Church & School
Pine garland in a gazebo, which is at the center of Chaska City Square Park
Chaska City Square Park
Categories
Out and About Pug Life

Centennial Lakes Park in Late October

This afternoon, my mom, my puggles, and I visited Centennial Lakes Park in Edina, Minnesota. These photos were taken from 3:13–4:10 p.m.

Walking labyrinth/meditation maze
Prairie grass
Pugsley
Missy
Pugsley and Missy
Missy
My mom and our puggles next to a Rotary International clock at the entrance
Categories
Out and About Pug Life

Leaf Peeping 2022: Excelsior, Minnesota

For my third outing leaf peeping this year, I visited Excelsior, Minnesota, with my mom and our two puggles. I took these photos today from 11:42 a.m.–12:11 p.m.

Small plane that started flying over the Excelsior Commons as soon we got there
Scarecrow in someone’s yard
Licks Unlimited
Port of Excelsior
Tommy’s Tonka Trolley
Staircase to a pier
Pier Four
Missy, Pugsley, and my mom
Categories
Out and About

Leaf Peeping 2022: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

For the second installment of “Leaf Peeping 2022,” I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum today in Chaska, Minnesota. I took these photos from 8:19–9:35 a.m.

Main road
Rose Walk sign
Main road (again)
Red flowers
House with picnic tables
The beginning of the Three-Mile Walk
Pond with green algae
Brick path
Signpost
Purple flowers
Crabapple tree
The Canada goose on the right is eating a crabapple
Paul Granlund; American, 1925-2003; Swimmers, 1990; Bronze
Acer saccharum, the sugar maple
Acer platanoides, the Norway maple
Acer saccharum nigrum, the black maple
Rosa ‘BUCbi’ (Carefree Beauty)
Pine Tree Exhibit land art
Pinus nigra, the Austrian pine
Maze Garden
Douglas Freeman; American, born 1952; Family, 1989; Bronze
Sunlight on an oak tree
Vista over Green Heron Pond
Categories
Out and About

Leaf Peeping 2022: Lake Ann Park

I am starting a series this autumn titled “Leaf Peeping 2022.” I plan to document various stages of fall colors and the eventual falling of leaves (phenology). For this inaugural post, I went to Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, from about 11:20 a.m.–noon today.

Trees by a fence for a tennis court
Trees behind a fence, which is the bokeh
The same fence in the above photo, but this time the trees are the bokeh
Ambulance bay
Mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees by a parking lot
Tall conifer growing by a parking lot
Metal halide lights (or are they LEDs?) above trees by a baseball field
Yellow tree growing by a baseball field
Birch trees (left) growing on a hill
Conifer that somehow has red leaves inside
Conifer with cones
Lodge overlooking Lake Ann
Watercraft Rental next to Lake Ann
Dock for Watercraft Rental on Lake Ann
Fall colors are well underway on Lake Ann
Categories
Out and About

A Mid-September Afternoon at the Arb

Today, I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (the Arb) in Chaska, Minnesota. I hope to visit the Arb many times this autumn (I’m an inveterate leaf peeper!).

These are my first professional-camera photos taken this September.

Gate where the Three-Mile Walk and Three-Mile Drive meet
White and yellow wildflowers
Diseased tree
Pinus strobus, eastern white pine
Malus, ‘Jubilee,’ Crabapple
Categories
Out and About

The Arboretum’s Three-Mile Walk in Late Summer

This evening, my mom and I walked the Three-Mile Walk at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota.

Birch trees
Black-eyed Susans
Malus, ‘Sundog,’ Crabapple
Malus pumila, Crabapple
Sundial
Pad-mounted transformer and conifers
Douglas Freeman; American, born 1952; Family, 1989; Bronze
Unknown red flowers
Categories
Out and About Personal Life

Recent Photos From My Facebook Profile

Lately, I have been active on my Facebook profile. I will try to update this post as I add more photos on Facebook.

09/19/2022: Even though I’ve lived in Chanhassen, Minnesota, for close to 30 years and been to Lake Ann countless times, today is probably the second time I’ve been to Lake Lucy—which is a stone’s throw away from Lake Ann. The first time was probably a week or two ago, when I didn’t even realize it (caption from Facebook).
09/11/2022: Heron Dr. & Audubon Rd (with the National Weather Service’s Doppler radar in the bottom-left corner) at 7:46 p.m.
09/11/2022: I took this photo of a baseball field at Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at 7:30 a.m.
09/07/2022: Taken at 6:39 a.m. in Chanhassen, Minnesota, this photo shows three trees in foggy Sunset Ridge Park with Powers Ridge Senior Living in the background
09/06/2022: This is me inside the historic Red Barn at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota. I took this photo at 4:31 p.m.
08/31/2022: You know you’re destined for throne work when the Current plays Trip Shakespeare, the Velvet Underground, and Yo La Tengo for three out of four of the last songs. And all you want is Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola. #NQTD (caption from Facebook)
08/29/2022: CNN announced at 8:38 a.m. EDT that Artemis I is not launching today. “This is good news they caught it [the fuel leaks and engine problems] in time,” according to Michio Kaku (caption from Facebook).
08/28/2022: I recently discovered the Libertarian Party—which my brother, Marc, worked for while in college in Washington, D.C.—has official colors. My brother is also getting married on 10/22/2022; October 22 is celebrated as the spiritual new year in Eckankar, a cult-like religion with its headquarters in my family’s hometown of nearly 30 years (since 1993). My brother attempted to murder me by manual strangulation on my dad’s 54th birthday (12/30/2012), a crime for which no one in my family was arrested. #politicalterrorism #religiousterrorism #attemptedmurder Cc: Carver County Sheriff’s Office; FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation; The White House (caption from Facebook)
08/24/2022: There are just three weeks left of Chanhassen, Minnesota, holding the title of “Best Place to Live in the U.S.
08/23/2022: Lake Ann in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at 8:18 a.m.
08/21/2022: At 5:55 p.m., I took this self-portrait at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota
08/17/2022: I took this photo at 8:06 a.m. across the street from the National Weather Service (NWS). It shows the City of Chanhassen putting a wind-damaged conifer through a woodchipper. The tree was growing sideways for years, and I always respected NWS for keeping it alive.
08/13/2022: Me at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota
08/11/2022: My neighborhood two minutes after sunset
08/11/2022: Audubon Rd (the road outside my neighborhood) seven minutes before sunrise
Categories
Out and About

NWS Launching a Weather Balloon

The National Weather Service launches two weather balloons each day, separated by 12 hours. I took these photos at 6 a.m. this morning. The next launch is presumably at 6 p.m. (these times are probably different if the time is CST rather than CDT).

If you ever come across a weather balloon on the ground when you’re walking around, follow the instructions to send it back to the National Weather Service, since they reuse some of the equipment. As this “kidscorner” article on the National Weather Service’s website states, “The balloon flights last for around 2 hours, can drift as far as 125 miles away, and rise up to over 100,000 ft. (about 20 miles) in the atmosphere!”

These photos were taken at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Getting ready to bring out the weather balloon
Getting ready to bring out the weather balloon
Bringing out the balloon
Getting ready to launch the balloon
The balloon launches
The balloon quickly rises
Categories
Out and About

Chanhassen’s 2022 Fourth of July Celebration

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 mori
Water Hogs
Break a Bottle
Prizes
Balloons
Tickets, ATM, and Ferris wheel
Fair food
Lemonade concession stand
More fair food
View from the Ferris wheel
Self-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 Fury
Various stuffed animals for prizes (including pugs!)