Heartbroken during the drought

 This made things real for me like no other.

How the Mississippi River should look at Coon Rapids Dam (this is normal flow, not flood stage) 

How the Mississippi River looks today, in the worst drought since 1988, and the worst drought in the modern history of how droughts are recorded.

Before and After: Drought Edition

 We're having a very real drought here in Minnesota.  The rest of the country is at flood stage of almost everything.  Here's pics taken in the same place at Sherburne Wildlife Refuge, at the side of the road on the same stopping point.  One was taken April 28 and the other was taken July 1 this year.

Water is so low. 

COVID Diaries - Before and After

One of the unexpected side effects of quarantine is that I've started drawing.  A lot.  Apparently I am fascinated with the color of water, because that's what most of my drawings have involved.
The original photo here was taken in late 2014 in Buffalo MN.   Here's today's rendering. 

Super Moon Rise: Before and After

I ran my Saturday long run at Sunset.  Which is also Moon rise.  And this month, we're having a Super Moon.  (Work wasn't crazy last week, so I guess it's waiting for me this coming week.  Sigh.) My running route is a loop around a marsh.  Each loop takes six to seven minutes to run, so I got to see the moon rising, and took pictures around the same spot on each loop.  Here's the final four loops of the run.  The moon is in the first pic, but it's pretty close to the trees!

Before and After: Spring Snow

This is one of my favorites for April.  This is from April 9 and April 10.  Spring snow storms are real people.

Before and After: Lake of the Isles

I went for a run today.  In the rain.  It was one of those slow misty rains where the air was holding so much moisture.  Here's what it looked like today.  The downtown skyline is totally missing.  I'm sure it was behind the clouds.  And a couple pictures from the same location in happier times.

Before and After: Mississippi River

I've been spending some serious time along the River Flats this training cycle. It's got tons of hills. It's reliably plowed.  And it's beautiful.  Most of the time.  Here's a summer/winter 'before and after'.  I can't believe it will ever look like the summer picture again.  Winter is so long.

Before and After: Snow Run

This may be the coldest/snowiest Long Run I've done.  Ever.  For sure I've raced and had shorter runs in colder weather.  I've done some 1 mile runs in more snow.  This was 10 miles of "WTF, weather channel said the flurries would stop and the real snow wouldn't start 'till I was done".  I was too far 'out' on the Out and Back before I realized what was happening.

On a related note, I was just talking to Dungeon Master who still remembers wiping off her face in this race and then wishing she hadn't.  The snow/ice becomes like a shield at some point. I told someone today 'no one will ever believe I wasn't really that cold'

Before and After a snowy run:

Before and After - Weather

This week, I started on Sunday wearing shorts and a tank to work out.  On Monday, it was still warm running weather.  By Saturday, fall came roaring in.

Downtown Before and And After

This is a 'before and after' from the same day.  I started this run around 6:30am and sunrise is around 7am.  Starting off I had a great view of the sun reflecting off the buildings downtown.  The lighting was quite different towards the end of the run.

Before and After: 1 Week

What a difference a week makes, right?

Before and After: Super Bowl Edition

Super Bowl festivities are in full force.  The gym I go to most often looks out onto some of the outdoor activities.  I've watched them being set up, scouted with bomb sniffing dogs, the whole situation.  Obviously I was curious enough I spent time checking things out.  Then one night Dungeon Master wanted to do the thing properly and walk all up and down Nicolette Mall and see all the things.. 

One of these photos is on my own, in a mildly warm (for Minnesota) day.  The other, I have on 2 pairs of long johns under my sweat pants, 3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of gloves, 2 gaiters and 2 hats.

Before and After: The Blizzard Edition

Even though I didn't have to work today, I set my alarm. So I could get up and run my mile.  Before the blizzard.

About 7:30pm, I went out to begin clearing off my car and shoveling around it a bit.  It's not done snowing yet, but I had to get started somewhere.  I may make another trip out tonight.

Bonus: Tile floor in my entry way was 100% the correct decision because I was soaked when I came in and I left my wet coat, hat, gloves, etc there to dry out.

Before and After

Went to the State Fair yesterday.  It was my first time doing the Park and Ride.  And first time seeing the fair in the evening.  Here's a 'on the bus before the fair' and 'on the bus after the fair' photo op.

Before and After: airports

One thing that may not be totally clear from my Flying Pig race reports is the sheer amount of rain we endured in Cincinnati.  Think monsoon season.  These were taken before the plane left Cincinnati and when we arrived in the Twin Cities.  Guess which is which.

Before and After - Buffalo

Seen while running in Buffalo. Top photo is from this week. Bottom photo is from fall of 2014 when the sun set much earlier in the day, and I was getting done running just in time.

Before and After - Rum River North

Last time I found myself at Rum River North County Park was all the way back in June of 2014 when there was wicked flooding pretty much everywhere around the metro (and somewhat outstate as well).  Today, the river is maybe a bit high, but certainly not at flood stage.  See how the bases of the trees are above water? And there's grass as well?

Before and After - Baker Park Reserve

This is odd because the "after" shot of the summer is actually taken last year and the "before" shot of early spring was taken just now.  A good reminder that green is coming and beautiful things are on their way. 

Before and After - 2

I liked my first Before and After so I'm doing it again.  One picture is from today and the other is from the fall.

Before and After

Two pictures, taken from roughly the same spot on Medicine Lake.
One if from January 2016.  The other is from March 2015.  See if you can tell which is which.