Snow fun vs. no fun
SNOW FUN VS. NO FUN: Minnesotans talk about the weather. It might be because it is a neutral, safe topic of conversation or it might be because we are, in some ways, weather dependent. Take winter for example. We are known for our cold weather; we are the Bold North. Minnesotans and tourists revel in both downhill and cross-country skiing, outdoor hockey, broomball, ice skating, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. We marvel at snow and ice sculptures, ice palaces and castles, and enjoy the parades and festivities of the St. Paul Winter Carnival. We brag about cold temperatures and over-the-top snowfalls. But not this year.
No, this year, the temps have been unseasonably warm, and precipitation just about absent. We needed to power up the snow-making machines for the slopes, send out crews to rescue those who thought they could ice fish safely, and watch park and home ice rings turn into mush. A short-lived cold snap had ice lovers euphoric only to have their hopes dashed when warm, grey, foggy air enveloped the state.
On Saturday, M and I ventured out to see the Sparky-the-Seal-inspired snow sculpture at Brightwood Hills Golf Course before the next big warm-up. The Bartz Brothers along with family and friends have been making snow sculptures since 2012. We have seen almost all of them, and they are fantastic!
Their past sculptures have included a: puffer fish, walrus, shark, turtle, octopus, fish, lobster, snail, and whale. To view these sculptures, visit: https://www.bartzsculptures.com/oursculptures. The brothers explained, “Starting in the fifth year, we decided to expand into partnering with charities and accepting donations that meshed with our values and the art form: clean water.” This year, donations will go to provide clean water in Uganda through the organization World Vision.
“Sparky took approximately 1,300+ hours to complete from the planning and creating custom tools to the site setup. The sculpture is solid snow and is 21-feet high and 48-feet long; the tail is 16-feet tall” (from signage at the site). If you would like to watch time-lapse videos of some of their sculptures, visit their YouTube channel: Bartz Outdoors.
Thank you, Bartz brothers and helpers, for continuing to amaze and entertain us with your creativity, hard work, and devotion to making the world a better place.
