Attack Of The 50 Foot Mermaid

For as long as I can remember, this very large mermaid has yet to put her arms down. It sits atop a restaurant on Highway 10 in Mounds View. The name of the restaurant shouldn't be of surprise, it is called 'The Mermaid'. Since I've started this photo blog, there are a few things around the Twin Cities that I've had on my list to photograph someday, this was one of them.

Optical Illusion

While this beautifully red painted paddle wheel looks like it's in good working order. Take a close look at the slats of wood that are just about sitting in the water. By the lack of paint, this tells me that the paddle wheel is just for show and never moves. I do know there are a couple of boats docked up at Harriot Island on the Mississippi River in St Paul that are permanent. I would have to guess this was one of the fixed ships.

City Pages Street Team

A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I went out with a few other couples for the evening. After our dinner stop in downtown Minneapolis, we made a stop at a tavern nearby called Glueck's. While we were there enjoying our favorite beverages of choice, someone from the City Pages Street Team asked if they could take our photo. Everyone in our party agreed with the teams of signing a photo waiver of some sort to release the photo for the weekly local newspaper. [The City Pages is a very popular weekly newspaper with a somewhat different take on Twin Cities news and events] While I did agree to sign the waiver, I also asked if I could take their photo to include on the Twin Cities Daily Photo. I took the verbal agreement and the 'thumbs up' in the photo as a green light. I must give credit for this photo to my wife as I posed with the City Pages Street Team member.

10 Foot Parking Zone

While sitting at a stop light on my way to work, I pulled along side this bus. Having my camera by my side, I snapped a quick shot, the light turned green and continued on my journey.

And Like That....It Was Gone

Follow up from a couple of days ago. I swung by the site of the Green Stairs on the West Side neighborhood. The removal has completed. All I found at the site are the cement stairs and green railing that lead the tower portion.

I also received an email from Carol, formerly of St Paul Daily Photo. She too documented the green stairs with photos. She was able to watch a good deal of the stair removal and took some photos during the process. See her photos here

Under The Hood

Arrgh, I've misplaced my camera. Where did I leave it? For the photo....Standing under the Wabasha Street Bridge in St Paul.

Two Different Elements

Where else can you find a beautiful, all glass building, with a river barge parked right in front of it? I'm across the Mississippi River with downtown St Paul nearly at my back for this shot. The two extremely different man made objects really contrast each other.

Prepare For Digital Television

February 17, 2009....That is the last day to receive over the air, analog television signals in the United States. The morning of February 18, you should receive 'snow' on your screen without a convert box. While some television providers will continue to broadcast analog signals, the majority are no longer allowed too to make way for future innovative services. If you have cable, satellite or have digital television, a converter box is not necessary. As of now, you have less than 9 months, or 269 days before the switch....

For more information:

DTV Answers
Digital TV Facts
Digital TV Transition

Repost - Green Stairs At Night

With the news of yesterday's photo still in mind, I had to repost one of my favorite photos from the green stairs which is in day two of dismantling.

  

Dismantling The Historic Green Stairs

The 92 year old, 191 stairs and a historic piece of the lower West Side neighborhood in St Paul, has closed and is in the process of being dismantled. A steel beam was damaged earlier in May when a huge chuck of the limestone cliff damaged the structure and cracked a gusset plate. Sadly, this small icon of St Paul will be lost. Growing up very close to these stairs and playing on them quite often, it is sad to see this happening. My friends and I would have a stop watch, race to the bottom and back up to see who was the fastest. It was a grueling workout and I often saw people using the stairs for exercise.

So far, about a third of the structure is gone, plus the walkway from the bluffs to the main stairwell. If time permits, I will return tomorrow to photo graph the progress. There is talk of raising funds for a replacement stairwell by the two US senators of Minnesota, Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar.

The green stairs have been a favorite location to shoot photos from. The view is a classic downtown St Paul view.

Night time shot from the top of the green stairs
Day time shot from the top of the green stairs