May 2: A mourning dove departs one of our feeders yesterday in a light rain in Bloomington, Minn. Most of the time, this bird feeds on the ground (if our squirrels permit). According to “Birds of Minnesota” by Stan Tekiela, the mourning dove is one of the few birds to drink without lifting its head. In a mild winter, it remains in the state, otherwise migrates. I especially like the whistling sound the wind makes as it rushes through the dove’s wing feathers during flight.
April 28: Oh, oh. Don’t tell Dorette, but there was a bunny in her backyard before dark tonight. Usually that means setting a live trap, and if successful, free transportation to a local park preserve.
April 23: Another welcome sign of spring. Dorette Kerian and I made our first walk around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. It’s part of one of the greatest urban park systems of America.
April 27: Dorette and I looked in today on the latest special exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, “At Home With Monsters.” It features the work of the Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist Guillermo Del Toro. The horror genre is one of his specialties. The exhibit includes film clips and other items such as “maquettes” (preliminary models) used to visualize movie characters. I’ll be surprised (and relieved) if this one, photographed with my iPhone, doesn’t appear in my dreams tonight.
April 22: When I want a fresh book to read, I need only go next door. This is Sheila Owen’s new “LITTLE FREE LIBRARY” in Bloomington, Minn.
April 21: Dorette Kerian and I had a great time with our friend, Louise Ambrosio Manno, this afternoon, watching Chanhassen defeat Eden Prarie in softball. These young women know how to play!
April 19: How squirrels stay dry (relatively) in the rain, as seen in our backyard today. Turns out their tail makes a handy umbrella.
April 11: Full moon over Bloomington, Minn.
April 6: Downtown Minneapolis photographed today with my iPhone. Many streets still are under reconstruction, but it was a nice day to wander around before attending a Minnesota Orchestra concert (especially Schubert’s Symphony in C major, “The Great”).
April 5: Teamwork at the bird feeder, in our back yard, Bloomington, Minn.
April 5: So Dave, you’re sure winter is over, right?
April 4: Moon early tonight over Bloomington, Minn. It will be full April 11.
April 3: A cool day in Bloomington, Minn. Our Shi-zhu, Pixie, decided to take her morning nap near a heat vent.
March 30: The state Capitol, photographed with my iPhone today from the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. Dorette Kerian and I were at the Center to see a new exhibit about the Penumbra Theatre. It was founded in 1996 to create a forum for African-American voices. One of those voices was that of August Wilson, 1945-2005. If you haven’t seen the recent movie “Fences” based on his play, by all means rent it from NetFlix. I had the privilege of meeting him at the 1998 University of North Dakota Writers Conference.
March 29: March 29: “Dammit, Dave Vorland has been feeding squirrels with stale French bread. But what about the bunnies who can’t get through this fence?” (Actually, they DO get in via another route when Dorette’s garden comes up. She live traps them and transports them free of charge to a nature preserve several miles away).
Bloomington, Minn., photographer Dave Vorland captured these images in the Twin Cities the past couple of months, ranging from wildlife to landscape and celestial sights.
