The Huntiest Things I saw today

I went on a walk in the park this weekend and saw some intense treasure hunters.


They were wearing earphones and knee pads while using metal detectors.

One of them stopped, knelt down and started digging with a spade.

I wonder what he found...

The Stickiest Thing I Saw Today (File Under: Ceating with Photos)

So I have not been able to keep up with drawing all of the beauty of humanity that surrounds and astounds me each day, I apologize to you and humanity.

I do have drawings, they are just waiting to be tweaked. I seem to have become behind at most everything and I am getting better and better at procrastination. Ask my chess friend, I just made my first(possibly suicidal) move in our game since like June.

Yesterday I made a snap decision. I grabbed my camera and I decided to just take pictures of some of things I have wanted to draw for you!

I hope that helps while I catch up on my art.

To begin, I have the house with the best fence ever. This fence is homespun and it is constantly growing, becoming more confining to the 4 X 7 foot plot of yard it protects.


I got lucky, because there are usually some nice, smiley elders sitting out in the yard, guarding the fence.

As you can see, one side of the fence is standard chain link, The other three sides are pure wire, rope, and various sticks. Some sticks are from nature, some from household goods, some from sports equipment, and some are unidentifiable from the sidewalk.

There are always new sticks being added in between existing sticks, and they have even started laying some flat across the top of the fence.

What makes me smile the most is that so much work is being put into protecting a couple trees and a lot of crabgrass. Those trees and that crabgrass are very important to someone. What's not to love about dedication?

The Bow Wowiest thing I saw today!

I love holiday decorations! I do!

We all know about houses that go crazy filling their yards and homes with props and lights, and then more props and lights!

Well, this house in my neighborhood had a different vision than most and I love it! I salute it!:



I hope it is clear that they gave their house jowls and a red tongue so that it looked like a dog, because that is just what they did!

The varying sizes in the upper windows make the dog that much more charming, in my opinion.

I cannot wait until I have a house to decorate. Bravo!

The saddest thing I heard about today- Blog Action Day.

Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is Poverty. My friend N just returned from over a month in Patna, India, which is in the state of Bihar. Bihar is located in the northeastern part of India near Nepal. She is a nurse and she volunteered at an eye clinic through an organization called Unite for Sight. I am very proud of her!

She has countless stories of the struggle and poverty that she witnessed on her trip, things that I cannot even begin to wrap my head around. One thing she saw has stuck in my head and I drew what I imagine it to look like for today:



What she witnessed is hundreds of people gathered to sleep on the median dividing traffic on a very busy road. She said that the median was the only place to lay down and sleep that was not filthy with waste. The alleys and sidewalks are frequented by cows, dogs, pigs, and other humans, who all leave messes behind. There is less of that traffic on the concrete median, so people with no where to go home to sleep there to be cleaner.

Remember, I did not see this, so I cannot do this sad reality justice. I have never seen anything like this, not so many and not the dangerous median of a busy thoroughfare. I cannot fathom being so desperate to rest on a clean surface. Unfortunatly so many around the world can and do every day; even here in Minneapolis where the nighttime temperatures reach below freezing much of the winter.

I have been looking into new volunteer opportunities, both short and long term, as a way to contribute to helping those in my community who struggle. There are so many ways to help, it is overwhelming!

Of course there are always fundraisers to attend, including the Empty Bowls Project, there will be one of these in my neighborhood on November 7th. Maybe I will see you there? Maybe there is one near you?

The Team workiest thing I saw today

Today is the one year anniversary of the I-35W Bridge Collapsing here in Minneapolis.

I live and work near the bridge, so I have been watching how hard all the bridge builders have been working ever since that day one year ago.

There are people working on the bridge 24 hours a day. They worked through bitter cold in the winter and hot humid days in the summer. There are all kinds of cool trucks and cranes and barges getting things done.

You may not know this if you don't live here, but they have already made the bridge connect across the river:

It is scheduled to open in September.

I am very impressed at how fast all the legislators and what not worked to get organized and get the project going, I mean, if they had just decided to replace the bridge it probably would have taken a year just to narrow down a design and decide who would pay for the bridge. am I right?

Then of course the people working on the bridge are amazing. I have seriously driven by around 1am on cold winter night and seen people out working on the bridge. BRRR!


Oh and the people who survived the collapse! They are out of this world. For example, the kids that were on the school bus made this mural together:

The mural is right by my house, so I can go by and think of how brave they are all the time!

Lastly I am proud of the community-at-large for supporting the victims and for dealing with the lost bridge very patiently. If you do not live here, then you probably do not know that this bridge is a major freeway artery and also that a long stretch of freeway just south of the bridge had already been under major construction before the collapse (and still is today- FYI 35W will be closed this weekend between 494 and 94). I have not heard people complain about having to detour around the bridge...but they do complain about the "normal" construction!

Way to be a little patient, community-at-large!

The Twiggiest Thing I Saw Today!

Today the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Department of Forestry brought us a new tree for our boulevard!

It is a "Greenspire" Linden.

The old one caught some tree disease and was removed about a year ago. Great turn around City of Minneapolis!

It is pouring rain right now, I hope that helps it grow strong roots here!

I hope it likes the neighborhood. I hope it does not get spooked by the upcoming May Day Festival.

The Legally parked-iest thing I saw today!

I apologize for my absence, I have been too wrapped up in work and school and my rock and roll lifestyle! Shame on me!

So as you know, economic times are hard and people are doing what they can to get by. In the alley behind my home we see people picking through the garbage and recycling everyday, looking for some metal treasures to trade in for money. There are all levels of scrap metal hunters, from people with a pick-up truck full of goodies to little old ladies with a little old lady grocery cart full of cans.

On my way in to work yesterday, I saw that one of these treasure hunters must of had an appointment downtown:
I wish I has been walking to see if their meter needed to be fed, I would have hooked them up.

The Securest thing I saw today.

Bikers have been stirring up attention in Minneapolis and some of it has been very sad.

Walking up the block the other day I saw a bike cleverly stored away from your everyday bike theif:


The bike was suspended 2 floors up, hanging out a window. It was secured by a rope that was slammed in the window and I assumed it was balanced on the very thin vanity ledge on the building.

I suppose they either:

1: pulley the bike up by the rope every day for storage

2: shove the bike out the window

3: are very tall, and therefore too tall for the bike

4: rarely use the bike

5: See it as an art installation

Either way, I commend their efforts!

In a similar vein, check out this tree suspended off a building in Paris.

The Scurvy-est thing I saw today.

While talking a brisk walk through the park by my home, I came upon a man head towards the shore of the tiny lake with an air of determination.

He was dressed as some sea men have been known to dress, he carried a bucket one might take to fish, but rather than a pole, he had a handmade gadget that I am not sure has a name:

Twas this the Pirate of Powderhorn Lake?!?!!?!?

I knew the neighborhood had riff raff but I had no idea it had gotten this bad!

This picaroon was dressed in pirate boots, a piratey hat, and, I kid you not, a puffy shirt.

Along with the bucket, he carried a black pole with a child sized plastic chair stuck on the end. I have no clue what that is for- perhaps a perch for his parrrot or to tend to the futtocks shrouds?