
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 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 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!

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.