Now Hiring. Wayzata Boulevard at 6am.

Will the warmth dilute the plunge?

Minnesotans are accustomed to greeting each other with "Cold enough for you?", "How was your drive in?" or " F'n freezing". It is not really a complaint as much as an obligatory admission of reality.

Not this season. the trails are clear, the sun is out and the ice is thin. Oh, you see a few autos being pulled for the icy depths, but not many. Even the foolish have their limits. It is warm.
"
But I am apprehensive. Will the "Polar Plunge" be a balmy bath? There is no snow to speak of, so my traditional photographic excursion's success may hinge on a cold snap.



A scene from last year....actually this year day 1. A founder takes a plunge.

Merry Christmas!

Looking out onto Lafayette Bay

This is actually a subtle reference to the fact that the original Lafayette Club, owned by James Hill, burned down in the 1890s.

Tonka Bay

5 fitness facts for men

Inspired by the “mommalicious blog” I have decided to write my own 5 rules for men at the health club.

1. STAND CLEAR WHILE MACHINE IS IN OPERATION

2. An attractive woman within 10 ft. of a man lifting weights, will cause him to instinctively increase his weights by 15 percent.

3. If you cannot bench 300 lbs, sit at the bench with the weights, wipe your forehead, and act tired.

4. “No pain, no gain” and “Feel the burn” are moot and ineffective techniques after 50.

5. Grunting, moaning and groaning while lifting should be restricted to the qualified. This rule applies to men only.



A healthy dose of reality is always required.

Jurassic politics

On thin ice

I was surprised by the activity on the lake, with only a thin covering of ice glazing the bays. But the sportsmen and adventurous were out, skating, fishing and taking their fates in their own muklucks.
Excelsior Bay was quieter, with fewer people and broad open stretches still lingering in the distance. Today's 39 degree temps will not change that.



Soon Excelsior Bay will host the always entertaining and sado-masochistic Polar Plunge. One cannot help but enjoy the thinly clad men and women of the tundra as they plunge into the icy depths with a unanimous "Oh....my...God....!"

Later in the month is the fun filled and semi-brawl called "Pond Hocky Tournament".

Winter Benches of Deephaven

A red Thorpe Park

On the advice of a friend I stopped by Thorpe Park, Deephaven's main park. The pond has turned a brownish- red color. It is an odd rusty hue that I can only guess came from chemicals introduced to control algae during the warmer months. Although the fact that we had almost no rain for the last months of summer and fall could have contributed to the color.

The following shot represents a more normal water level and color from a few years ago.

Another December - 2009

Let's just drift back to the past. The sun was breaking over Deephaven, St. Louis Bay, early in December 2009. I had a little more time to reflect and wander about, taking photos in daylight hours.