Let it snow.
Let it snow.
Let it snow,
in historic downtown Faribault on Saturday afternoon.
Beautiful.
Just beautiful.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Poster art showcases Faribault’s historic architecture December 9, 2016
TRAVEL WEST ACROSS the Highway 60 viaduct toward downtown Faribault and you likely will notice the steeples and towers poking above the landscape. Just like on the eastern side of my Minnesota community, these punctuating structures mark numerous historic buildings.
Now Jeff Jarvis, a local historian and artist who works as the City of Faribault’s community enrichment coordinator, has created Steeples & Towers, a photo montage. For a donation to the Concerts in the Park fund, you can purchase this 12 x 18-inch poster featuring 18 spires on educational, religious and residential structures. Places like the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, the Hutchinson House, Buckham Memorial Library.
Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault, was built in 1929 with a Greek theme. Interior features include a Charles Connick stained glass window and Greek murals. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
I’ve long valued the detailed architecture that defines so many aged buildings in Faribault. Jeff’s targeted and documented Steeples & Towers poster art heightens that appreciation and focuses awareness. “How dreary buildings would be if they were all square boxes,” he notes.
I agree.
Likewise, Jeff’s artistic eye and historic awareness drew him to photograph 27 windows in historic downtown Faribault. Places like the Alexander Faribault House, the Fleckenstein Building, the post office. He’s created a Historic Downtown Faribault Windows poster, also available for purchase via a donation.
He writes:
The inspiration to do the windows downtown came initially from reading signs placed in the empty downtown buildings—“This building is not empty; it’s full of opportunity.” Reading these struck me as funny. From my point of view as an artist, I see the beauty of the intact architecture and the variety of exterior colors. It seems backward, but to me a full store is almost secondary.
The prize is being able to stroll about in respect and appreciation of the historic district. I see and imagine the stories hidden behind the facades—the limestone backsides, the alleyways with faded vintage lettering, and the add-ons that can be viewed if you look closely.
Of course, there are lots of metaphors or idioms about windows that are fun that could apply to the downtown situation like “God closes a door, then opens a window,” etc. The project itself was like seizing a window of opportunity to teach others to quit quibbling about downtown—to turn their focus instead to one of the lovelier features in town.
Restored historic buildings in downtown Faribault decorated during a past holiday season. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
Jeff has it right. As a community, we need to seriously appreciate the aesthetic and historical value of the many old buildings that stand in and near the heart of the downtown and elsewhere throughout Faribault. I’m not saying that appreciation hasn’t existed. It has as evidenced in the restoration of many historic buildings, the existence of the Faribault Heritage Preservation Commission, the current interest in possible Artspace development and more. But sometimes we get sidetracked, too often complaining about perceived problems or what we don’t have rather than valuing what we do have.
The Bavarian Musikmeisters, a 35-member band, perform on July 14 at Faribault’s Central Park. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
And one of those assets—Concerts in the Park—is the benefactor of the historic posters sales. Those summer concerts are a 130-year tradition in Faribault. I’ve been attending these outdoor performances for more than 30 years, since relocating here. I’ve grown to love this Minnesota community. The traditions. The people. And, yes, the steeples, towers and windows, too.
FYI: If you are interested in purchasing these historic posters for a donation to the Concerts in the Park, stop at Faribault Park and Rec, 15 West Division Street, or email jjarvis@ci.faribault.mn.us. Donations will help underwrite concert costs.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Art posters copyright of Jeff Jarvis
Southwestern Minnesota: The place of my heart, in images & words December 6, 2016
I shot this rural farmsite/sunset scene while traveling along Minnesota State Highway 67 between Redwood Falls and Morgan.
OFTENTIMES IT TAKES LEAVING a place to appreciate it.
A farmhouse along Minnesota State Highway 19 in Redwood County near my hometown of Vesta.
There are days when I miss my native southwestern Minnesota prairie with an ache that lingers. I long for wide open space and forever skies,
The grain elevator in Morgan in eastern Redwood County.
for farm fields and familiar grain elevators,
This gravel road connects to Minnesota State Highway 19 between Vesta and Redwood Falls.
for gridded gravel roads
A prairie sunset photographed from Minnesota State Highway 67 between Redwood Falls and Morgan.
and flaming sunsets. And quiet.
Sure, I could drive into the country here in southeastern Minnesota and see similar sites. But it’s not the same. This is not my native home, the place that shaped me. Although decades removed, I shall always call the prairie my home.
Minnesota State Highway 67, one of the roadways leading “home.”
With family still living in southwestern Minnesota, I return there occasionally. And that, for now, is enough. I drink in the scenery like gulping a glass of cold well water tasting of iron and earth. I am refreshed, renewed, restored.
This lone tree along Minnesota State Highway 19 near the Belview corner has been here as long as I can remember.
I need to view the prairie, to walk the soil, to reclaim my roots. I need to see the sunsets, to breathe in the scent of freshly-mown alfalfa, to watch corn swaying in the breeze, to observe snow drifting across rural roadways, to feel the bitter cold bite of a prairie wind.
A farmer guides his John Deere tractor along Minnesota State Highway 67 near Morgan.
There are those who dismiss this region as the middle-of-nowhere. It’s not. It’s a place of community, of good hardworking people, of Saturday night BINGO and Sunday morning worship services. It’s lines at the grain elevator and fans packing bleachers at a high school basketball game. It’s acres of corn and soybeans in the season of growth and tilled black fields in the time between. This place is somewhere to those who live here. And to those of us who were raised here.
Every trip back along Minnesota State Highway 67, I am drawn to photograph the electrical lines that stretch seemingly into forever.
For me, this land, this prairie, shall always be home.
© Copyright 2106 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
A photo moment: Two ladies buying squash November 29, 2016
AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, I strive to document, to tell a story, to record moments and emotions, to photograph people and places and events. Succinctly stated, I desire to present life. As it is.
Nothing gives me greater satisfaction in photography than capturing candid memorable moments. Yes, I take posed photos. But I prefer not to. So if I’m cruising with my camera and someone alerts others to my presence, I typically stop photographing. I want to be unseen. Just there. Blending in. Not always easy to do with a bulky Canon DSLR camera slung around my neck. But I try.
Recently I was rewarded with one of those prize shots while photographing at Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, in Jordan. A moment of everyday life right there, outside the signature yellow building along US Highway 169.
Two elderly women were shopping for squash as if it was the most important thing in the world on a weekday afternoon in October. And to them, it was important.
I had one chance to photograph them. I love the results—the joy and concentration on their faces as they peruse the squash. I notice the clothing. I can’t recall the last time I saw a woman wearing a kerchief. There are details, too, of oversized purse (not bag) and cane in hand.
I note also the care the merchandiser takes in marketing the squash with historical information, flavor notations and graphics.
The subject of this image is not extraordinary, newsworthy or remarkable. It’s simply ordinary. Everyday. Two ladies buying squash. And therein lies its value to me as a Minnesota photographer.
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Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store is now closed for the season and reopens in time for Memorial Day weekend.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
In Hayfield, Part III: Free squash at The Legion November 17, 2016
ONE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHIC passions involves small towns. I love to day-trip to Minnesota communities with my husband and then explore. By explore, I mean park our vehicle along Main Street and then walk around downtown before also perusing city streets. I always find something quirky, something interesting, something truly small townish.
A snippet of downtown Hayfield looking from Flying Monkey Saloon toward the post office and grain elevator.
Take a recent Saturday morning stop in Hayfield. Here’s how this community promotes itself online:
Welcome to Hayfield, MN, a sprawling community of 1,300 residents nestled on the corner of Highway 30 and 56 and is almost equal distances from Austin and Rochester in south-east Minnesota.
Hayfield is “close enough to Rochester, but just far enough away” and prides itself with a booming local economy with over 40 local businesses.
Well-crafted words can make any place sound inviting. Only a visit can distinguish between polished PR and reality. I’m happy to report that Hayfield truly is small town neighborly as evidenced at Rothie American Legion Post 330. There, on the back patio, I spotted a sign, Squash Free For the takeing (sic).
As I photographed the sign, a Legion member pulled up in his van; he’d just finished erecting a flagpole. He invited me to help myself to the hybrid squash grown by Charlie Williams of Brownsdale.
And so I grabbed one of the smallest orbs—not just squash, but a symbol of rural Minnesota and the generosity of those who live there.
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This concludes my series of stories, and earlier posts (click here and then click here and, finally, click here), from Hayfield.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Remember this weekend when the snow flies, my dear Minnesotans November 6, 2016
Feeding the ducks in Owatonna’s Morehouse Park on Sunday afternoon.
IF YOU LIVE IN MINNESOTA and did not spend most of this past weekend outdoors, then please do not complain come January. For we have had a gloriously long autumn that has extended in to these early days of November.
Walking on a carpet of oak leaves in Kaplan’s Woods, Owatonna.
What a gift. What an absolute gift. Each day that the weather remains warm, sunny and without snow means one less day of winter.
Every detail, even leaves in a creek in Kaplan’s Woods, delighted me.
For that I am thankful.
Some leaves are still clinging to trees like these by Lake Kohlmier in Owatonna.
Sunshine and warmth defined the weekend, one I documented with my camera. When the snow flies and the temps dip to well below zero, I will pull up these photos and remember the delightful Autumn of 2016. And perhaps that will carry me to spring.
Cruisin’ with the top down along Intersate 35E north of St. Paul Saturday afternoon.
Following a gravel road near Clinton Falls in Steele County on Sunday afternoon.
Finishing the corn harvest south of Faribault Sunday afternoon.
Mud hens bob across the choppy waters of Lake Kohlmier.
Checking out Lake Kohmier at the boat landing.
Taking the 1970s Ford Maverick out for a cruise Sunday afternoon by Lake Kohmier.
Sunday afternoon fishing along the Straight River in Morehouse Park.
Water churns in the Straight River at the Morehouse Park dam.
A recreational trail bridges the Straight River/Morehouse Park dam, a popular spot for outdoor enthusiasts this weekend.
Lots of dogs were out with their owners.
Almost unbelievable: mowing lawn on Sunday, November 6, in Owatonna.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Of pumpkins, pots & photos November 4, 2016
THIS SCENE PACKS A LOT.
I count two dozen pumpkins, 28 flower pots, seven signs, one butterfly and one squirrel.
If I hadn’t photographed this sidewalk sale while traveling along Broadway in Rochester, I would have missed the details. The merchandise would have simply blurred in a flash of orange.
But now, well after my pass through this southeastern Minnesota city, I can study the photo, like examining the pages of an I Spy book. That’s the beauty of an image. Once you’ve shot it, you can return and appreciate what you’ve photographed.
And I always appreciate slices of everyday life preserved with the click of a shutter button.
FYI: I direct you to the work of Red Wing photographer Dan Traun. He’s especially gifted in documenting everyday scenes on the move. Click here to view Dan’s photos.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Happy Halloween, Minnesota style October 31, 2016
I was working in the lab driving into Janesville late one night Friday afternoon, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight…Frankenstein by the train tracks.
I was working in the lab exploring Hayfield late one night one Saturday morning, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight…a sign for Kuster’s Dead & Breakfast.
I was working in the lab walking in Zumbrota late one night early one morning, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight…a witch/ghost with an identity crisis.
I was working in the lab visiting the House of Kuster in Hayfield late one night morning, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight…skulls staggered along a stairway.
I was working in the lab checking my texts late one night early one morning, when my eyes beheld an eerie a crazy sight…my six-month-old granddaughter disguised as Poppy the troll. I laughed and laughed and laughed. Deep belly laughs. I’m still laughing.
Happy Halloween!
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Troll image of my granddaughter, Izzy, is courtesy of her mom, Amber. Izzy’s paternal uncle works for DreamWorks Animation, which is releasing the movie, Trolls, in a few days. He shipped the Poppy hat from California to Minnesota for his niece.
Glorious autumn in Faribault October 21, 2016
THE TIME OF LOVELY, stunning days in Minnesota is fleeting, moving from autumn toward winter. Those of us who live here understand that. And we appreciate each day that brings sunshine, warmth and no precipitation, especially snow.
With that mindset, it’s as if we can’t get enough of the outdoors. Raking leaves, clearing flowerbeds and other pre-winter activities fill our days. As do walks in the woods or drives to see the fall colors, which are nearly gone now except in portions of southern Minnesota.
Last Sunday afternoon, I slung my camera across my shoulder and joined my husband on a walk through Faribault’s River Bend Nature Center. We had about a half hour to hike before an afternoon obligation would draw us indoors.
I am not, by craft, a nature photographer. But I am an observer and a detail-oriented person. Put a camera in my hands and I begin to view my surroundings with even more detail. That’s one of the things I love about photography.
Through the lens of my camera, I notice the play of light, degrees of color or lack thereof, curves and lines and shapes.
Autumn is, if anything, a season when color fades, when muted earth tones prevail.
Except for the occasional flare of fiery red-orange maples and oaks. And the blazing yellow.
I love the cobalt blue skies of this season. While that hue was absent on the afternoon of my walk, I still tilted my head up to a canopy of clinging leaves.
I also aimed my eyes and camera lens horizontally to appreciate plants drying. Cattails dry to a cottony fluff. Milkweed pods burst with the promise of next year’s growth.
The seasons cycle. And as they do, I observe. I notice. I photograph.
BONUS PHOTOS:
TELL ME: What’s your favorite fall activity? What do you appreciate about autumn?
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Fishing on Circle Lake, a photo essay October 20, 2016
Photographed in early October, Circle Lake, rural Rice County, Minnesota.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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