This is one of a number of brilliantly red flowers growing from a hibiscus plant at a home along Country Estate Court Southeast.
A colorful array of flowers and plants decorate a lawn along Third Street Southwest.
Walkers and bicyclists see the light as they use this bridge to get from Bear Cave Park to Sunset Prairie Park.
The trees near the walking path at Florence Park hold small berries that dripped with water after last week's summer storms.
Walkers and bicyclists heading down from Bear Cave Park break into the light as they approach Florence Park.
Amanda Hall, 6, left, and Ryley Salem, 3, both of Stewartville, sit along Fourth Street Southeast near All-American Co-op, where a cornstalk is growing from a crevice on the curb. The children were visiting a local home just east of the cornstalk on Sunday, July 15. Whoever harvests the corn won't have far to go to take the finished product to market.
Benjamin Grabau, a 10-year old from Stewartville, caught a three-pound, 18.5-inch long small-mouth bass using a night crawler as bait while fishing in the Root River at Florence Park on July 12.
Whitewater rafting in Colorado!
A beautiful coral rose for the summer.
This summer garden has plenty of daisies, coreopsis, peonies, hostas & more.
This photo says it all!
This picture was taken in the Bear Cave Park Prairie area in late June.
This photo was taken in the backyard of Del Jahn's yard. The doe just loves to munch on the many plants in her yard.
This picture was taken in the Bear Cave Park Prairie area in late June.
This curious grasshopper did some spelunking on a window.
The 44th Annual Vilas County Muskie Marathon continues through Nov. 30 in Eagle River, Wis. Pictured above is Tristan Lehman of Stewartville holding his 36 inch muskie caught in late May. The catch puts Tristan in second place in the Junior Released Division, open to ages 15 and under.
This picture was taken on Sunday, Aug. 19 in Rushford, MN
This picture was taken on Sunday, Aug. 19 in Rushford after a heavy rainfall over the weekend flooded the area.
Many cars were submerged in Rushford, MN after the area received over 11" of rain.
The only way to get thru the streets in Rushford after the flood on Aug. 19, 2007.
A picture of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, taken the weekend of Sept. 7. (5 weeks after the devastation)
Photo taken weekend of Sept. 7
Photo taken weekend of Sept. 7
First time turkey hunter, Katie Finley of rural Stewartville bagged this 22.8 lb., 8" bearded turkey on Thursday, April 24. The bird was shot west of Stewartville in Finley's "secret hunting spot". Pictured with Katie is her Dad Chet.
This trio of local fishermen caught a 50-inch, 45-pound musky on a recent Minnesota fishing trip. The person on the left is Kent Bell (running the boat), the person in the middle is John Ulwelling (running the pole/catching the fish), and the person on the right is Rodney Bell (running the net).
-- With the water tower near Southern Hills serving as a backdrop, the sun sets on Stewartville on Thursday, Jan. 8.
-- Bright light encircled the moon on a Stewartville winter's night on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Fall at Bear Cave Park
WINTER'S SPECIAL BEAUTY -- For those who look closely, winter has a unique beauty all its own. Here, a cow and calf stand in cold silence in a field northeast of Stewartville.
WINTER'S SPECIAL BEAUTY -- For those who look closely, winter has a unique beauty all its own. Here, frost gathers on the branches of a tree near Stewartville City Hall.
"Heart Drop" a picture taken after the rain on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Early-season snowmen seen in Stewartville!!!!
Bitter cold tempratures crippled the area last week as documented the the First Farmers&Merchants State Bank sign last Thursday morning.
Fareway Managers Robert and Dianne, portrayed on pumpkins by employee Shanna.
WINTER'S SPECIAL BEAUTY -- For those who look closely, winter has a unique beauty all its own. From bottom to top, frost clings to a viburnum bush near the offices of the Stewartville STAR.
Herd of deer taken at Lake Louise State Park on March 3 by Nicole Vrieze.
Bruce Butturff of Stewartville caught this 41 1/2 inch northern pike on Sept. 8 in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The fish was estimated to weigh about 20 lbs. and was released unharmed.
Luke Lonien (far left) wades in shallow water which has overflown from the Root River banks onto the bike trail underneath the HWY 63 bridge in Stewartville on August 19. Lonien's buddies, from left Tim McGouirk, Garret Nosbisch and Erik Nosbisch look on.
WORKING THE FIELDS -- Although their crops endured a July dry spell and an August drenching, Stewartville area farmers expect respectable yields from their corn and soybeans this year. Farmers continued working in their fields last week. Alan Henke harvested a golden field of soybeans in late September. Henke said his soybean crop dried quickly, allowing him to take to the fields earlier than normal. photo by Margaret Lex
WORKING THE FIELDS -- Although their crops endured a July dry spell and an August drenching, Stewartville area farmers expect respectable yields from their corn and soybeans this year. Farmers continued working in their fields last week. Chuck Wendt, who operates a 320-acre farm about seven miles west of Stewartville, worked to cut hay last week. Wendt raises hay, corn and oats for his dairy and beef cattle. "We've had good hay this year," he said.
GRASS-SKIRTED SNOWMAN -- Tina Gordon and her daughter Penelopea worked together for about two hours to build a grass-skirted snowman in the front yard of their Stewartville home last week. "Penelopea came up with the idea for the skirt," Tina said.
Natalie Jaeger, 8, left, and her sister Amanda, 11, built two snowmen at the home of Darrel and Julie Jaeger last week. The girls used a number of unique items, including turkey feathers for a hat, golf balls for eyes, a red bow and cedar wood for noses and buttons. Grandpa Darrel Jaeger, who helped with the construction, is not pictured.
Wendy Reck, a Stewartville mail carrier, walked in a winter wonderland last Thursday, Feb. 7, when many of the city's trees were covered by thick coatings of frost.
SNOW CAR -- Cathy Stone and her son Ethan, 4, worked together for about two hours to build a replica of "Lightning McQueen" from the "Cars" movie in their front yard at 602 Third Avenue Southeast last week.
Bonner Elementary School students enjoyed jumping on their sleds and heading down the hill near the school during recess last week. Here, Abegail Van De Walker, a first-grader, smiles brightly as she prepares to take a solo ride down the hill.
Bonner Elementary School students enjoyed jumping on their sleds and heading down the hill near the school during recess last week. Here, Blake Ellerbusch, seated, as his friend Nathan Johnson gives him a push.
Bonner Elementary School students enjoyed jumping on their sleds and heading down the hill near the school during recess last week. Here, first-graders Marisa Goff and Dylan Flink ride smoothly atop the snow. The snow was deep and sticky, preventing the students from picking up too much speed, but the kids had fun anyway.
Snow and ice formed on the tiny, finger-like limbs of a tree near Stewartville City Hall after a storm dumped about nine inches of snow on Stewartville and the area on Tuesday, March 5.
Harleigh Fridlund, 9, of Rochester, struggles to maintain her balance as she crosses the Stewartville pool on a set of imitation logs last Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 27. Hundreds of swimmers of all ages crowded into the pool to find relief from late summer temperatures that rose into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Harleigh said that she enjoys the Stewartville pool, which she visits once every week or two. "I like the diving board and the water slides," she said.
Brent Sass poses with and accepts warm greetings from two of his dogs, Silver and Scroggie, before speaking to a large audience at the Stewartville Civic Center last October.
PIGEON LESSON -- Glyndon West, a Rochester builder-remodeler, releases his pigeons for a flight back to his Rochester home. "It will take them about 15 to 20 minutes to fly back to my house," he said.
PIGEON LESSON -- Glyndon West, a Rochester builder-remodeler, displays a pigeon for Emily Chopp, 15, and Benjamin Chopp, 11, both of Stewartville.
Snow and ice that melted into water provided a mirror that reflected the large trees along the sides of a street in Southern Hills earlier this month.
A rainbow arched across the sky above Stewartville Middle School on Monday, March 31. The dark spots are raindrops on the camera lens.
At its regular meeting last week, the City Council agreed to remove the large tree on the City Hall lawn at right. City officials said that the tree is showing signs of age and will be replaced by a younger tree to be transplanted from a city park. Councilperson Wendy Timm was the lone dissenting voter.
SPRING REFLECTIONS -- A goose swims on a tranquil pond northeast of the Maplebrook Townhomes on a sunny Saturday morning, April 11. The water provided a calm surface that reflected the nearby houses.
Anita Fjelstad, who owned The Flower Barn in Stewartville for about 13 years, displays the pink lady's-slippers in her backyard garden along Third Street Northwest. "I love the beauty of nature," she said.
Buck Amos carries a frame covered with honey and beeswax.
Buck and his daughter, Gina, clean the beeswax off a frame before placing the frame inside the extractor.
Campers Jace Hanson of Fosston, Minn., left, and Brynn Duncan of Moorhead, Minn., zero in on the target during archery practice at the National Wheelchair Sports Camp at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch last Wednesday, June 15. Ron Malik, archery instructor from Tremont, Ill., is at far left.
Anita Fjelstad of Stewartville stands among the flowers in her backyard garden along Third Street Northwest. "I retired to gardening," she said. "That's what I love to do." Although rewarding, gardening isn't easy, she said. "It's a lot of work," she said. "I'm out here two or three hours a day, at least." Her garden includes daylilies, phlox, Shasta daisies and brown-eyed Susans.
The sun appears to be just a small starburst as it sets just above a path that runs past the snow and the trees at Stewartville's Florence Park last Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 18.
The sun sets below the trees on a cold late afternoon near the ice rink at Stewartville's Florence Park on Wednesday, Jan. 3. Temperatures dipped below zero every day or night from Christmas Day through early January in southeastern Minnesota.
Stewartville's streets and sidewalks were glazed over with a sheet of ice last week. An ice storm forced Stewartville and area schools to close early on Monday, Feb. 20 and remain closed all day on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Above, ice coats the branches and berries on a tree along First Avenue East.
The Wagners enjoyed Denali National Park and Preserve, which encompasses 6 million acres of Alaska's interior wilderness. Its centerpiece is 20,310-ft.-high Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley), North America's tallest peak. With terrain of tundra, spruce forest and glaciers, the park is home to wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep.
Bruce and Karen Wagner pose at Yosemite National Park, located in California's Sierra Nevada mountains and famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees. The park, first protected in 1864, covers nearly 1,200 square miles and offers deep valleys, a vast wilderness and much more.
Kendall Ryan, 5, a kindergartner at Bonner Elementary School, poses near her family's fall decoration along Countryview Court Southeast. "The whole family did the scarecrow and I did the pumpkins with the stickers on it," she said. She said she enjoys Halloween, especially going trick-or-treating.
Joe and Jill Haggerty, who live along Hwy. 30 near Stewartville, pose near their 1950 International pickup truck, decorated with mums, ivy and more, in September.
Linda Busby, who lives at the 500 block of Fifth Avenue Southeast, poses near her hibiscus plants along the side of her Stewartville home. "There are a lot of different varieties of hibiscus," she said. "The white ones, I had a hard time finding them. They're perennials, so they come back up by themselves." She loves taking care of her flowers. "It's relaxing," she said. "It's nice to see what you can do. Sometimes it's a challenge, sometimes it's easy-peasy. These (hibiscus) are so easy. You just put them in the ground."
Clockwise from upper left, Ken English pours sap into a 250-gallon tank, Brad Amos carries two buckets through the woods, and Craig Reichel watches as maple syrup flows from a wood-heated evaporator, set at 219 degrees to boil down the sap. The inset photo shows the finished product. Amos estimated that he, Reichel, English and their helpers will make 30 to 40 gallons of syrup this season.
Clockwise from upper left, Ken English pours sap into a 250-gallon tank, Brad Amos carries two buckets through the woods, and Craig Reichel watches as maple syrup flows from a wood-heated evaporator, set at 219 degrees to boil down the sap. The inset photo shows the finished product. Amos estimated that he, Reichel, English and their helpers will make 30 to 40 gallons of syrup this season.
Clockwise from upper left, Ken English pours sap into a 250-gallon tank, Brad Amos carries two buckets through the woods, and Craig Reichel watches as maple syrup flows from a wood-heated evaporator, set at 219 degrees to boil down the sap. The inset photo shows the finished product. Amos estimated that he, Reichel, English and their helpers will make 30 to 40 gallons of syrup this season.
As the sun shined brightly on the pond near Central Intermediate School on Monday morning, June 8, a gaggle of geese swam slowly and softly.
Millie Petersen of Stewartville grew a prickly pear, winter-hardy cactus at her former address, and when she moved to her new home along Third Avenue Northwest about four years ago, she took part of the plant with her for transplantation. A little more than a week ago, one flower bloomed on the plant. "Then all of a sudden they all came," Petersen said. "It's beautiful when it's all in full bloom." Julie Hayes, Petersen's daughter, said the cactus lies flat on the ground in the fall. "In the spring it's still flat, and the snow covers it," she said. "And when weeds grow in there, it's no fun getting them out." People who pass by Petersen's house are intrigued by the cactus. "A girl from Texas drove by and saw it," Petersen said. "She said, 'How does that grow here?'"
Residents who walk across the bridge that connects Sunset Prairie Park to Bear Cave Park will encounter a pleasant silence interrupted only by the songs of birds. If they take the time to look, they'll see tall trees reflected in the water below, as if growing up to the sky, and down into the water.
Peg Paulson stands with her garden near the intersection of Third Avenue Northeast and Fourth Street Northeast. She said she enjoys spending time with her flowers and plants , which include black-eyed Susans, Russian sage, coneflowers and hostas. She says she tends to her garden about 15 hours a week. "I enjoy putzing and digging, and making things look nice," she said. ""It's relaxing. It's good therapy. I get a lot of nice compliments."
Especially on hot and humid days, it's good to get away from the noise of the city streets and escape to Bear Cave Park, where the trees, flowers and silence provide a welcome respite. Those who carry a camera may be fortunate enough to take a closeup picture of a bee settling upon a flower, brilliantly yellow in the glimmering sunlight.
Bess David, who lives along Fifth Avenue Southeast, stands near the Summit ash tree in her back yard, where a pileated woodpecker drilled so many holes in the trunk that the tree eventually lost almost all its bark. "I looked out and thought, 'What happened to my tree?' " David said. David took the inset photo of the large woodpecker at left.
Under a deep blue sky at the northern edge of Stewartville, a tree covered with hoarfrost stands near a barn on Sunday, Jan. 3. Hoarfrost is defined online as a deposit of ice crystals on objects exposed to the air, such as the tree above, grass or leaves. It is formed when temperatures dip below freezing and water vapor condenses into ice.
Enjoying mild temperatures in the upper 30s, a couple walk together on a path near the Florence Park Pond on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 12. However, forecasters predicted colder temperatures with a chance for about four to six inches of snow later in the week.
Brooke Carr poses with the 9-foot snowman she and friend Alexander Blake made last week. Carr and Blake used snow from the nearly eight inches of white powder that fell on Stewartville and the area on Monday, March 15. They worked for about two hours to build the snowman, which stood along the east side of Main Street for two days. On Wednesday, March 17, someone removed about half of its body.
Larry and Joyce Shatek, posing with their Scottish terrier, Bonnie, stand among the many flowers and plants at their front lawn along Third Avenue Southeast. The Shateks spend a total of three to four hours a day weeding and watering their flower and plant garden in their front yard and in their vegetable and produce garden in their back yard. "We're both retired," Joyce said. "This is our hobby. We're both from the farm, so we like gardens."
