On my way to the final ELL summer school class, I passed the old Love Power church. The congregation moved out in 2018, but the mural is still there, a local landmark. When it was painted in 1997, the church wanted a blond, blue-eyed figure. The artist, however, chose to paint one with darker skin, much to the congregation’s dismay.
Category: Minneapolis
Not-so-dangerous adventures: going boldly through a portal
Cycled a short loop up one side of the Mississippi and down the other. At Ole Olson Park, I rode a new section of trail that’s opening soon. Extensive regrading has carved out a gradual slope under a somewhat dilapidated but still operating freight rail bridge. (Yes, I’ve sometimes crossed the river on that bridge.) A permanent steel framework over the trail looks strong enough to protect trail users if the bridge falls apart.
Pristine freight car sighting
On our curtailed Sunday walk–shortened due to low energy and excessive heat–we passed a line of freight cars. Unusually, there was almost no graffiti. The car on the left, repainted in 2023, was still a blank canvas.
Fireworks and apple pie
Watched fireworks from our balcony. Friends were set to join us, but our colds, sadly, put a stop to that. Still, they kindly dropped off slices of freshly baked apple pie. “Feed a cold with apple pie” is an adage I happily live with.
Preserved textures
My get-up-and-go had got up and gone, but I found the motivation for a short walk around our neighborhood. Here, the view looked much as it did 100 years ago. From the bridge, I spotted workers unloading huge fireworks for Saturday night’s “choreographed pyro-musical,” which is one of the biggest displays in the country. We’ll watch from our balcony.
Did I just glimpse the future?
Spotted this in our neighborhood this morning: low-carbon transit. It looks like a great way for students to earn cash competing against short-distance rideshares while staying fit. And, for now, it’s immune to the onslaught of AI. Given our extensive bicycle infrastructure, I could easily imagine this being faster than a car during busy times.
Stone Arch Bridge: officially closed, unofficially open
Cycled across Stone Arch Bridge today for the first time since spring 2024. It’s due to officially reopen on August 9th after a $36 million restoration, but it looks like some enterprising person moved the barriers just enough for people to get through. I hope the workers are being fairly compensated for finishing the job over two months ahead of plan.
Lunch break in the park
Walked home past groups of children enjoying a lunch break and the lovely weather in Gold Medal Park. They were likely there for activities at the adjacent Guthrie Theater or Mill City Museum. The Guthrie, for instance, offers several one to two-week summer camps for older kids, covering everything from stage management to performing Shakespeare. Seeing kids engage with the real world rather than screens really gives me hope.
Word of the day: obligatory
Waited for a friend at Minnehaha Falls. Groups of people were peering over the edge, taking the obligatory photographs. With the Falls going full blast, I couldn’t resist taking my own.
Three-eagle fly-by: a call to presence
Some moments are best experienced without a camera or preconceptions. Sitting here, I looked up from my reading just as three bald eagles from the nest across the river flew by in an arrowhead formation. I stood up and followed them with my eyes as they turned towards our building and out of sight. Earlier, while out on his run, Dwight looked up at the nest and saw two fledglings sitting together on a tree limb.