Category: Americas

And then it was gone

I looked away for a moment and the eagle vanished. It’s one of a pair raising chicks across the river from where we live, but it likes this safe perch on our side of the river where it presumably scopes out meal options. I then spent way too much time trying to track down a quote about the prey being dead the moment its image touches the retina of an eagle. AI assures me Saint-Exupéry never wrote anything like that, but I’m not so sure.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Led my friend visiting from the UK along a dirt path, past abandoned grain elevators to the seemingly dilapidated Harris Machinery Company building. Closer inspection reveals thorough stabilization. The rebuilt first floor now hosts The Market at Malcolm Yards, a food hall where my friend chose Argentinian cuisine and I, Korean.

Standing on a bridge to nowhere

Near the start of a cycle ride with a friend, we stood 680 feet out over the Mississippi on this bridge. Behind me, the bridge abruptly ends mid-river. The Rock Island Swing Bridge had two decks when it opened in 1894: a railroad above and a road below. We capped off our morning at a friendly coffee shop where we indulged in way too much cake.

“Shop and swap wishing well of free sh*t”

My goals on two wheels today were to 1) photograph an eagle (FAILED) and 2) find new potatoes (FAILED). However, my ride in Nordeast Minneapolis did lead to an interesting discovery: a wishing well outside a home containing a “Chrono Decoder” (a 60-minute countdown timer for a board game), books, a ball of string, and (drum roll, please) a package of fresh bratwurst.

A wiggling rear end gives hope for hatchlings

Across the river from our home, there’s this eagles’ nest. Some years a pair raises chicks; other years, nothing. This morning’s walk surprised us with the sight of an eagle’s wiggling rear end (just visible in this pixelated photo), apparently while tearing apart something lower down the food chain. We’re hoping to see chicks soon. Sometimes one of the eagles swoops past our windows, riding the thermals.

Where do I put my eyes?

Clearly, I tried to fit a lot into this photo today: the modern Pierre Bottineau Library in the foreground, with the former Grain Belt Brewery (now offices) behind it. I do like the ghost staircase. Next is my old hoss taking a breather, and across the road, the former brewery office, now apartments.

A link to the past

After our respective Thursday volunteer gigs, we’re usually unwilling or unable (exit row airline-speak) to summon the energy to make dinner. This evening we walked the two blocks to Maxwell’s Pub. When I first moved to Minneapolis over 45 years ago, this was a rough industrial area with abandoned rail yards where our home now stands. I’d be sad to see remnants of that time, including the Maxwell’s building, disappear.

A pedestrian/cyclist freeway

We modified our usual Sunday morning walk along both sides of the Mississippi because three out of four bridges are currently being repaired or replaced. Here, a new pedestrian/cyclist trail is being built above the entrance to a dock then through a tunnel under Plymouth Avenue (just beyond the crane). The tunnel will lead to a recently opened park, Graco Park. The Minneapolis park system is a big reason we live where we live.

Last walk on Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 (for now)

Our Sunday walk took us across the curvy Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9, the closest Mississippi crossing to home. It closes tomorrow for eight months of railing, deck, and abutment work. I’ll miss this quick route to the University of Minnesota’s East Bank campus and points beyond.