Sappy
Fragments of chalk and glass in an oil painting
I’ll be talking about art on Saturday at Zinema 2 in an event sponsored by the Duluth Art Institute, for the showing of American Splendor. Here is other writing of mine on art; if you like it, I hope to be this elegant Saturday.
A Woman Bathing in a Stream by Rembrandt
When I was 22, I took the bus to New York and visited the Rembrandt/Not-Rembrandt exhibit.
I learned that conservators struggle with Rembrandt’s work, because he added ground chalk and bits of glass to the paint to add texture and to speed drying. These practices make the paintings hard to preserve hundreds of years later.
… fragments of chalk and glass in an oil painting, causing the paint to crack over time.
Those fragments have become integral to identifying a Rembrandt — a painting without them starts from the presumption of forgery. The bits of glass have become a sign of authenticity.
It is impossible to admire a Rembrandt without admiring the cracks and breaks caused by the ground and broken things.
… so it is with falling in love.
Amanda and Rick and the new bike
Yesterday I saw this rain-soaked note clinging to the propane cage outside the Walgreen’s on Superior and 12th…
I thought it was odd enough to post on a well-known social media platform as a curiosity. Then Scott Lunt (aka Starfire) saw it and posted this version of the note he saw on 4th Street… (more…)
This thread’s for you, Mr. Black Lab
After skiing the Lester, I was pretty cold and a little wet, but decided to go down and check the ice structures at Brighton Beach anyway. The few people there sat in their cars but I walked out and gave them something to look at — a guy walking around looking at the lake. Then I witnessed an improperly dressed dude walking his Labrador turn back abruptly to the safety of his car. Black Lab you ask? Hell no! The cold didn’t bother him one god damned second. He was living in the moment. Happy as can be.
This thread buds for you, Mr. Black Lab.
Park Point Beach Party
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfr4AJi7vG8
Happy Xmas (War is Over)
On this chilly morn, the blue light of the moon reveals the carnage left on the battlefield of the War on Xmas. Last year’s Apple product, the old tube television, and mounds of torn wrapping paper clutter the otherwise barren landscape. Though the media pundit generals have refused to sign the Declaration of Armistice, the conflict is over. The body count was surprisingly low- a Christmas miracle, one might even say. According to official reports, there was only a single casualty. Ironically, it was a Salvation Army bell-ringer who was assaulted by a “true believer” who was so insulted by the charity worker’s exhortation of “Happy Holidays,” that they had no other choice but to punch them in the face. We can only pray that the Peace holds — and that cooler heads will prevail. In closing, let us wish a Happy Birthday to Albino Jesus.
Hartley Arch
So what is going to be the established tradition for the Hartley arch? Is it a place to stop and smooch, or take a hit from your flask? I say both.
Snow Day
What Four Mile Portage did with the snow day.
Thankful in Duluth — 2013 Edition
It’s an annual tradition at PDD to take a moment and reflect on what we are thankful for. How unique, right?
For starters, we’re thankful for the new old Nordic ski trails at Spirit Mountain, Sax-Zim Bog, wicked North Shore icicles, artisan bread at the Red Mug, lift-accessed mountain biking at Spirit Mountain, animated music videos, Boreal owl irruptions, Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe and a lot of other things I’m thankful I don’t have time to link to because it’s time to make the Thanksgiving glogg.
(more…)
UMD Makeouts
Yes, there is a Twitter page dedicated to posting photos of University of Minnesota Duluth students making out. It’s called UMD Makeouts, sporting the hashtag @UMD_makeouts.
Predictably, most of the photos are poorly shot. Some of them highlight cute little lovebirds, but more of them fall into the raunchy, drunken or questionably consensual categories.
Activity on UMD Makeouts seems to have dramatically slowed since mid June, either because of summer break or because good taste sometimes prevails over trends.
Cindy Vu wrote a commentary in March about this subject for the Statesman. PDD apologizes for not latching onto this saucy tidbit until five months after it was hot.
To the OG PDDers
On this 10th anniversary of the first PDD post, I would like to thank the original members of Perfect Duluth Day who were there at the start, helping to transform this site from a mere idea to what it’s become today: (more…)
Springs Eternal.
I was running the trail in Lower Chester this morning when I glimpsed something odd out of the corner of my eye . Looking down, I beheld this bewildering loose sprig laying right in the middle of the trail. Quite real, and I can’t even begin to explain it. But at this moment, in the latter half of April, as winter is pumping yet another shell into the chamber, I offer it that it might elicit the same emotion it stirred in me: hope.
Sounds of Summer
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at the source.]
“Cabin Doors”
Video by Brian Dehler
Shot in Ely
Does anyone else miss…
the good old days when you could run the gauntlet on PDD?
Snow Sculpture
A snow sculpture at the corner of 21st Avenue East and Fourth Street depicts an angel with her arms around weeping children. (more…)
Thankful in Duluth — 2012 Edition
Not that we aren’t generally grateful at Perfect Duluth Day, but, well … there is a category of posts called “Bitching” and not one called “Jubilant Praise” (although maybe “Recommendations” covers that). Anyway, at least once a year we do throw things open for folks to comment about what they are thankful for in this world (or Duluth specifically).
To start things off, on behalf of the PDD staff, I’d like to thank the nearly 2,000 people who have blogging accounts on PDD and keep the online Duluthist banter going day after day — not to mention the thousands more who lurk on the site, read it regularly, but keep their thoughts to themselves.
We should all be thankful for zero losses of human life during the Historic Summer Solstice Flood Disaster of 2012, although quite a few homes and possessions were wrecked and a few critters met their unpleasant demise. And we should all be thankful the Leap Day 2012 Snowmageddon happened or it pretty much would have been a snowless winter.
But it’s good to be thankful for the little things, too, so I’m going to focus on Goo Goo Cluster pie.
(Here’s what folks on PDD were thankful for in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003.)
Warm face on cold, national chain again
Every once in a while, I get special service at a shop that I would otherwise expect to be a cold, emotionless, national chain. I like to tip the hat here to those folks.
50 years of being “nice-icle”
Merv Griffin recorded this precious little ditty in 1962. Happy Christmas City of the North Parade everyone!
Give to the Max for the Lake Superior Zoo
The season for giving is upon us, and today, GiveMN’s Give to the Max day, our hearts are filled to the brim with love for our supporters. Needless to say, this year has taken a toll on not only the physical form of our zoo, but the staff as well. And yet, through the clouds, rain, and mud, an irrefutable ray of sunshine has beamed down upon us. Whether through a child’s lemonade stand, a random donation, or simply an encouraging comment given to our staff, these gestures have truly kept us going through some of the darkest times in our lives. (more…)
Anyone growing grass indoors?
So first off, yes, this is an odd request. Secondly, no, I’m not looking for someone growing “grass,” I’m looking for someone who is growing grass (like the kind you’d find on your lawn) indoors. (more…)
Hoop
I don’t want to argue, but Caroll Spinney was a shoo-in for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.
Boy with Red Balloon in Downtown Duluth
Here’s a short video (plus a few snapshots) that I took last spring following one of the Saturday Morning Film showings outside of Zinema 2 in Old Downtown Duluth. Hopefully they continue the series again this coming winter and spring. It was cheap, family friendly, and pretty dang engaging for the parents, grandparents and hipsters in the crowd, too. You don’t often get that combination from the megacineplex fare.
Do I get some kind of prize if I am the first person to use the “sappy stuff” tag? Bragging rights and/or swag would be acceptable.
Wildwoods Updates: Of Sandpipers, Squirrels, and More
The pectoral sandpiper released in this series of photographs was found injured up the north shore, was transported to Wildwoods where triage examination led to a referral to the exotic vets at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in St. Paul. The sandpiper was driven to St. Paul (on a car already headed that way), and cared for at WRC. When it was back to normal, it was loaded back onto a car headed back to Duluth (its other occupants filled with State Fair goodness), transported to Wildwoods, and eventually returned to Erik, who took these amazing pictures of his release.