Hi, friends,
Carver County barn quilts are still covered with snow. That snow storm contributed 11 inches to our annual accumulation. Since this coming weekend is Super Bowl VII, I want to detour for a moment. Unfortunately for us Viking fans, we’ll be hosting, not playing. Nonetheless, the Twin Cities are bustling with Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriot fans. Guests from all over the country, probably the world, are making their way to our Bold North. They will be welcomed with “Minnesota nice” and introduced to numerous, perhaps, unfamiliar events and experiences – ice sculptures, an ice castle, warming rooms, man-made northern lights, a blocks-long ski & sliding hill, a frigid zip-line across the frozen Mississippi River and St. Paul’s Winter Carnival parade. (The St. Paul Winter Carnival started in 1886 making it 132 years old this year!)
During the Super Bowl, you’ll see plenty of photos of US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis so I featured the EcoLab ice castle in St. Paul. Let me share a few facts about this impressive monument to the North: At its highest point it is 70 feet tall. More than 4000 ice blocks were used. The ice blocks were harvested from Green Lake near Spicer, MN. Yes, a walleye is embedded in one of the ice blocks – eye-level for children to enjoy. Fun for all ages and a nod to Minnesota’s most famous fish.
Back to the barn quilt trail. While photographing a picturesque, road-side fence, I heard their “trumpet” and looked up just in time to snap this shot. What a joy seeing them heading west along our tour route. Stunned by my luck of capturing this magical moment . . . and curious, I found the following facts: Trumpeter swan are the largest bird in North America; besides the size, their distinguishing characteristic is their black beak; their size is astounding – weight range, 26-35 pounds and their wing span, up to 10 feet!
Enjoy!
Barb
Barn Quilt Treasures