The main sanctuary of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis is surrounded by statues of the Twelve Apostles and a marble baldachino stands over the altar. On top of the stone canopy is a 9 foot statue of Mary which is under the 140 foot high interior ceiling dome. It is first church in the U.S. to be elevated by papal decree to the honor and dignity of a minor basilica.
Sanctuary of the Basilica of Saint Mary
The flowers didn’t get to glow in the sun today but instead they were dripping with moisture so the hydrangeas were ‘blue’ because of the weather.
Blue Hydrangeas
This owl must have heard about all the food at the state fair on a stick as it seemed to be licking bugs off the car antenna like it was “bugs on a stick” treat. This was before it started a staredown with me and I think the owl cheated and turned its head when it was going to blink.
Great Horned Owl
Watch the owl enjoy bugs on a stick and staredown match.
The September rains are creating trouble for farmers trying to get hay dry enough in between the wet periods so some days it is a race to get the hay raked and baled before the next storm.
Raking Rain Race
The sun was out bright and the flowers seemed to glow in the sunshine, like these blue hydrangeas which matched the blue sky.
Pretty in Blue
The storms overnight and additional rain today made the rivers with low fall flow, surge with rushing water again.
Flowing Again
The holiday day started out cloudy and windy but people were still lined up for boat cruises to celebrate the day and the un-official end of summer. A lighthouse and sea caves are big attractions of Devils Island of the Apostle Islands of northern Wisconsin.
Cruising Past Devils Island
Set on Summit Hill overlooking the city of Saint Paul, the Cathedral of Saint Paul (the fourth building to bear that name) stands 306.5 feet tall and is 307 feet long and 216 feet wide. The body of the church is made from granite stone from the state and the cornerstone was laid in 1907. The exterior was completed in 1914 but the main interior work was not completed until 1941.
Cathedral of Saint Paul
The Labor Day weekend, the birds heading south, the start of school and one of the final signs that summer is over is trees showing autumn colors. This tree always has sections of green leaves when other sections are displaying the bright red colors, almost in a Christmas theme. But while I love the autumn colors, I’m not ready for summer to be over yet.
Autumn Coming
Another sign that summer is over beside school starting, is the disappearance of some birds, like the house wren and orioles. So there will be no splash of bright orange feathers on my porch until next year when the orioles come back in the spring and find my feeders again.
Orioles Gone
