I knew I was getting off work early today so I packed up my camera and brought it with. On the way home I drove to Lake Calhoun and parked my car, took some pictures, drove off and parked, took more pictures, etc. I'd seen people ice-fishing out there before but they weren't there today - however, I did catch a guy rolling around on his windsurfing device, an ice skater, and a bunch of people walking their dogs. I also ventured out onto the ice, freaking myself out pretty solidly, and took some pictures of the world frozen in time beneath the surface of the lake that just thrill me! I'm really happy I did this; hopefully I can talk some friends into joining me!

Weather's been warming up lately so much of the snow is melting. It looks like spring, but do not be deceived.	A broader view of the snowy park, the running trail, the trees in hibernation and the very wealthy housing.
Take a long walk off a short pier! ...onto a very solid and frozen lake.	The blear of the sky off the lake - that's where we get our name, Minnesota.
Without retouching in Photoshop, that's what downtown Mpls. looked like to me from across the lake today.	Detail of a cement block in the middle of the park; unknown purpose.
SENTENCES NOT COMPLETE	The lawn descends to the sandy beach, where people never used to swim, and they can't now, but... well...
Yes, this is as close as MN gets to sunbathing.	Very expensive homes. Very expensive homes.
These girls ventured out onto the ice to show their dogs the miracle of frozen water.	I didn't mean to get a shot of her ass. She just bent over at exactly the wrong moment.
Piles of snow form where the plows push them, to clear out this parking lot.	Ha, this is the bike path, ringed by snow fencing. No one was using it today.
Buildings crisply reflect off the ice in this panoramic view.	Another shot of businesses and expensive homes from across the lake.
I noticed there was a graveyard right behind me and I had to get some shots. Nothing says "winter" like "graveyard."	I liked the stark contrast of the colors and layout here.
This is the end of the tour for the trolley. Last stop, everybody off.	Probably it would be more interesting for me to actually go inside the graveyard and get these shots...
I began experimenting with black and white shots. The snow, headstones, and dead trees begged for it.	Black and white negative image isn't possible on my camera, but this was eerier than I'd anticipated.
Another area of the graveyard in the winter, in black and white.	The hilltop, a tangle of trees and a carpet of dead bodies.
A shot of the neighborhood, our public transit system, and some strange trolley sign.	Close-up of the sign - no idea what it signifies.
An increasingly common sight for this time of year, around these parts.	Playground in Winter Revisited.
I'm sure lifeguarding is easier in the winter than in the summer. You don't even need to know how to swim.	I liked the jutting poles at off angles contrasted against the geometrically-aspiring layout of the city.
I think this guy was just walking on the ice. I don't remember him doing anything special.	My first glimpse of the iceboat (the fastest sailcraft in the world).
Here he is, just spinning around, easy as you please.	Racing back and forth like nobody's business...
Yes, just... sailing around... powered by wind...	There's his base camp, a little windproof tent, in fromt of expensive corporate housing and such.
Okay, I didn't realize I'd gotten so many pictures of the guy. It was impressive at the time.	I'm really sorry about this. Sure, I could delete them, take them down, but... no. I have to learn my lesson.
Here's a shot of the sun setting over the frozen lake.	Same thing, in black and white.
On the north side of the lake the windsailor would run out of speed and have to push his cart around.	Some guy just walked down from off the street, across the park, and out onto the ice. I thought it was neat.
Here am I, looking very tense about even having gone not far at all onto the lake.	Nicer houses, lined up to face the beautiful Lake Calhoun, even in winter.
Something just struck me about this scene, the fallen branch, the tainted snow, the weeds and the ice...	Same shoreline, opposite direction.
I'm guessing the darkly-hued stump retained just enough heat from the sunshine to melt all the snow around it.	Just a little sand drift poking up through the snow. I thought it was neat.
One guy started walking his dog out across the lake. I think dogs are freaked out but this at first but ultimately adapt pretty well.	Close-up of the guy and his dog.
Here I am, further out onto the lake, but still not entirely relaxed.	Now I start focusing upon the fissures in the lake. Is it safe to walk on?
Fascinating tracks, dual-layered, well beneath the surface of the ice.	The contour of the surface was as interesting to me as anything else.
Three deep grooves tell the story of huge cakes of ice heaving, cracking, and "healing" again.	Very deep fissure that opened up and immediately filled up with packed snow. Look how deep it runs!
Juncture of deep fissures, you can see them in the movie below.	Proof that I was actually here - though it looks like I'm just floating over it.
Lake weeds frozen in the ice! Photoshop really brings out the colors and details.	Beneath this snow-packed crack you can see the glow of the lakebed.
Okay, I went a little overboard on the fissures in the ice, too...	This one flaked off to the sides as it ran along, too. Weird dynamic to the ice structure here.
This is what the underwater weeds looked like with my own eyes.	This is what they look like when Photoshop filters out the glare of the ice.
This was an interesting patter that was forming on the surface of the ice. So many things going on out here!	Fresh crack in the ice. Snow hasn't filled it yet. This put a little panic in me.
Very large fissure filled in with snow; you can see the contour where light and shadow play on the snow.	And me! Grinning my ass off, completely charged from walking around on the lake!
MOVIES! Narrated by XN! Iceboat sailor zipping across Lake Calhoun XN "trips out" about being on a frozen lake Ice skater enjoying himself	(Right-click to download) Deep gouge/fissure in the surface of the ice Multiplanar field of trapped bubbles Iceboat really racing around this time