Fountain Of Yute

Downtown Minneapolis, somewhere around Orchestra Hall, is where this fountain is located.

Insect Identified

I posted a photo last week on June 21,2010 showing a mystery insect. After a bit of investigating, I can confidently say that I've identified the bug in question. It is a young cadydid. If you follow this blog, last summer on August 10, 2009, I posted a contrasting photo of an adult cadydid resting on a lily. Today I am showing both the adult and youth, from similar side profiles, so you can compare and see what the younger version will grow into.

Flash Floods Hit Cottage Grove

As I type, the second round of severe thunderstorms roll through the Twin Cities. The second night is more to the southern part, but just north enough to clip the city I live in Cottage Grove. My drive home from work last night was an adventure. I was expecting rain when I left my work place, and boy did I get rain. As I headed into the real heavy rains, I saw just ahead of me, what looked like the clouds had fallen from the sky. It was just pure white, as I hit, what I thought was clouds, it was raining like I'd never seen before.

At one point, I had to get off of the highway and wait for the rain to slow up as I couldn't see but five feet in front of me. Once I let the heavy stuff pass, I continued on my way. I drove through the back roads of Newport to get to Cottage Grove. Newport had been hit hard by the storm. I saw branches down, leaves on the ground like it was fall, trees in the road. There was several sections of the road where I tree, or two trees had fallen into the road. I had to drive on the shoulder of the road just to pass the tree.

The flooded road in today's photo was due to the heavy rains. I'm unsure if the sewer drains were plugged or if they couldn't handle any more water. This section of road was flooded. It was the four way stop at 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue.

Once I did make it home, the really heavy rains picked up for a second round. We were watching it pour out in the streets, there was hail, there was lightening, the street in front of my home almost became a lake as the waters from curb to curb almost were touching. Once the rains slowed, I went into my office, which is in the basement of my home. Oh no, there was water leaking into my office. It wasn't too much water, but my entire desk area had a pool of water around it. Yes, my two computers and all of my electrical work was sitting in the pool of water. I unplugged the outlets from the wall and salvaged what I could.

As of this evening, I have a fairly dry office, my electrical work is safely off of the ground in case the storm outside unleashes more heavy rain. I spent all afternoon removing most everything from my office so I could dry it out and get things set back up safely once again. What a storm it was.

Flower Banners

Found these in a parking lot in Burnsville, one of the smaller strip malls. They were attached to the light poles. They're kind of blah to me, but someone liked them enough to put them in print.

Free Speech

I took a different way home from work this week due to road construction in my city. While on my way, I passed this sign posted on a fence to a home. As I passed, I read the first part of it, but I wasn't quite sure what the entire sign said. I had a good idea, but what did the last part say for sure? So, the curious side of me had to turn around and get a better look. Proof that freedom of Speech is still alive in this country. I'll keep the location a secret....

Schmidt Beer On The West Side

On the corner of Wabasha Street and Isable Street in St Paul's West Side neighborhood, you can find this ghost advertisement of the Schmidt Beer logo. The building looks as it has been recently painted, thankfully they left the logo intact.

If you look really close at the faded logo, you can somewhat make out yet another Schmidt Beer advertisement logo in the same corner of the building. It's very tough to read it, but in the red portion of the logo, you can make out the letters 'hmid'.

Don't Tread On Me

I cannot identify this insect, however, he gives off a tone, that this flower is his and he is not to be disturbed.

In Bloom

That's A Foul

Yellow

It was almost a week, but the sun shines again in the Twin Cities. I believe we had rain and clouds for six days straight. Not rain all the time, but at least some of the day. But finally, that system has moved on and the sunny days begin.