Susan Waughtal's blog

Go Figure!

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:25:35 -0600

Charcoal drawing by Cadence Nelson

Crossings at Carnegie, the intrepid little art center in nearby Zumbrota, is currently exhibiting figures drawn (and painted) from life. As one of the participating artists, I cordially invite you to attend the opening reception this Saturday, January 12th. [As a proud mom, I also have to note that my daughter, Cadence, also has several works in the show and one of her drawings was selected for the publicity postcard.]

Here is the press release from Crossings with complete details:

Green Holiday Lights

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:11:44 -0600

LED lights provide holiday sparkle using a fraction of the electricity of traditional Christmas lights.

Every year I am astonished by the fabulous exuberance of some people's holiday lighting decorations --but I cringe at the thought of how much energy they are burning. I wish the Post Bulletin would give a special award in its holiday-lighting contest for spectacular-but-energy-efficient holiday displays!

Although I am making a concerted effort to significantly reduce my energy consumption, I am still reluctant to give up my holiday lights. Days are so short during our Minnesota winters and all those colorful lights in December really boost my spirits. So, this winter I took the plunge and purchased energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights.

Explorer Will Steger Talks About Global Warming Solutions

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:23:01 -0500

Float Like a Butterfly; Sting Like a Mosquito

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:06:31 -0500

Monarch-y

Labor Day weekend was absolutely perfect for a bike ride. Rog and I hopped on our bikes on Sunday; our destination was Northern Hills Prairie where we had been told that Monarch butterflies congregate before their long fall migration south to Mexico.

The prairie was blazing with goldenrod, sunflowers, asters and coneflowers. We found the rather overgrown path and hiked toward the woods. Yep, there were Monarch butterflies all right - dozens floated lazily overhead. But as we came to the edge of the woods, we realized that the trees, whose leaves appeared to be starting to change color already, were actually covered with hundreds of resting orange butterflies!

Lawn Whimsy

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:19:07 -0500

A few of the farm animals pastured on a lawn in Southeast Rochester.

When I was a kid, my favorite town was Lake George, a small village in northern Minnesota my family drove through on our way to Itasca State Park. There, for a full block, stretched a magical place --a yard ornament business, jam-packed with colorful concrete scupltures of garden gnomes,little boys fishing, bear cubs, dalmations wearing fire hats, romantic little arched bridges, miniature wishing wells, giant mushrooms, fierce lions, white-tailed deer, jockeys holding a metal ring, little Dutch boys and girls leaning toward each other kissing...all jumbled together in chaotic joy.

Obituary Notice for a SignificantTree

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:06:08 -0500

On a hot sunny morning the enormous cottonwood tree at the Saturday Downtown Farmers market provided enough shade for the musicians who played beneath it, the audience, and perhaps a dozen vendors. Every week, my husband and I have looked worriedly at the notice tacked to this wonderful tree - "This tree condemned for the following reason - a high-risk tree."

We knew that it was inevitable that the tree would be removed, but we were hoping it might survive the entire Farmers Market season. No such luck. This morning on our walk to work we were saddened to find it lying prostrate on the ground, its branches being sawn off and run through the chipper. Half a dozen vehicles(trucks, loaders, chippers, a bobcat) and a crew of urban lumberjacks were busy clearing the parking lot now covered by the tree. Amazing how big a tree looks when it is lying on the ground. Amazing how quickly such a huge tree can be reduced to a big, flat stump.

The Unofficial Ambassador of the Salvation Army Thrift Store

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:18:57 -0500

Shelly, with a few Salvation Army finds

Have you ever noticed how identifiable communities of people inevitably form wherever people gather regularly--the dog park, yoga class, kids' soccer games, the coffee shop? This year, I have become part of the "first-thing-in-the-morning-Salvation-Army-thrift-store" community.

My daily dog-walking routine includes an irresistable stop at the Salvation Army on 9th St SE. I arrive at 8 a.m. when it first opens, tie my pooches to the column, and take a quick swing through to see if there are any new treasures I can't live without. I also get to exchange greetings with the Salvation Army Store regulars.

Coming to Light

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:48:13 -0600

I cordially invite you all to an exhibition of my paintings and a lively opening celebration this Saturday evening.

The show is called "Silence Into Light." It is my first show - actually my first new work - in twelve years. Since moving to Rochester, my artist self has been set aside while I focused on other things, but now it is coming out into the light for everyone to see. Scary! But very exciting.

Most of these paintings are figures, very closely cropped. They are colorful and often whimsical. My goal in facing the canvas again was to rediscover the joy of painting - I hope the joy comes through in the work.

MPR's Drive-through Birthday Party

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 09:53:05 -0600

MPR volunteers serve hot coffee and cookies to passers-by.

On this morning's walk, we took a slight detour to the corner of Broadway and 2nd Street SW, where volunteers with MPR (incuding Rochester station manager Chris Cross, Mayor Ardell Brede, and former Diversity Council Exec Director George Thonmpson) were handing out cups of hot coffee and fancily-decorated ginger cookies to celebrate Minnesota Public Radio's 40th anniversary. Wearing vivid orange safety vests, they car-hopped the treats right up to drivers as they pulled up. (I wonder if they also noted how many cars were tuned to MPR?) They treated us walkers, too, and the hot coffee warmed me all the way home.

Celebrating the 3 R's

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 10:45:23 -0600

In my book, the 3 R's are "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." (As a kid it always bugged me that they called Writing an "R.") Well, today is America Recycles Day--and as an avid recycler, I decided to share with you my favorite recycling opportunities in Rochester.

The Best of RECYCLING/REUSE in Rochester
(places to both acquire recycled items and recycle things in good shape but that you no longer need.

1. Thrift Stores - You can purchase great stuff for a fraction of what it would cost new, and your purchase supports important community services.
* Salvation Army - in their new location next to KMart. Great place for office furniture.

Deeper River

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:47:41 -0500

A quarry truck loaded with sand and silt plows through belly-deep water in the Zumbro River.

A Trackhoe tries to asssist its companion which has gotten stuck in the muck of the Zumbro River dredging project.

This week my morning river walk became a construction zone, as trackhoes (backhoes on tracks) and quarry trucks worked to dredge the Zumbro River in downtown Rochester.

According to Barb Huberty (Rochester Public Works stormwater expert) they will remove 10,000 cubic feet of sand and silt from this portion of the river. This stretch of the river was purposely designed by the Army Corps of Engineers to be a depositional area for silt because there is good access for big equipment.

Up,Up and Away

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:17:15 -0500

It was our wedding aniversary on Sunday (our 23rd!), but since I am still in a walking cast and rather limited in mobility, I didn't expect us to celebrate with anything more ambitous than perhaps dinner at a great restaurant.

Was I ever surprised when Rog emailed me that we were on for a 6 a.m. Saturday hot air balloon flight! I have always dreamed of doing that, but have to admit I was a bit scared--I get nervous even flying in airplanes.

Wheelchair Adventures

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 13:00:44 -0500

Last May, I fell from a ladder, breaking both bones in both my ankle and wrist. Happily, I am now more than halfway to walking again, but in the meanwhile, I have become pretty accomplished with my rented wheelchair. It is a low-tech wheelchair, no automatic controls. I cannot use my uninjured left hand for power, or I would just go in circles. Instead, I am powered by a kick-step with my left foot.

Our house is a 1920 2-story, and it was not designed with accessibility in mind. We removed some interior doors so I can carefully slide through the doorways (trying not to scratch the woodwork!) into all the main floor rooms. We took out all the rugs and on the hardwood floors, wheeling is as smooth as a freshly-zambonied ice rink.

Out on a Limb (two limbs,actually)

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:33:51 -0500

Just in case anybody has wondered why I haven't blogged lately, I have been recovering from a recent misadventure.

Three weeks ago, I was hanging a sculpture from a tree for a show of recycled art at Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota . Ordinarily, I scamper up and down ladders without a thought, and I guess I should have been paying better attention. Somehow I fell sort of sideways. It was only from the third rung, but I landed awkwardly and broke both bones in my right ankle and both bones in my right wrist.

Since then I have had an assortment of very pricey hardware installed in my wrist and ankle and I am learning to do everything without my dominant limbs. Little accomplishments--learning how to use get up and down stairs, how to let the dog in and out,how to wash my hair, how to write with my left hand--make me very happy. Being trapped all day inside my house during the all-too-brief summmer makes me very frustrated!

Housing Construction Boom is for the Birds

Wed, 24 May 2006 22:20:00 -0500

This morning, dozens of cliff swallows were swooping down to a muddy sandbar of the Zumbro beneath the Civic Center Drive bridge. They were fluttering their wings and making curious maneuvers on the muddy flat --collecting mud to build their nests on the underside of the bridge.

If you have walked under any Rochester bridge you have probably seen the cliff swallow nests, looking sort of like colonies of little mud igloos suspended from the bridge structures. Each nest is built from as many as 1000 pellets of mud, gathered one at a time by the birds. The inside of the nests are lined with feathers and grasses to make a comfy room with a view for the young.