Celebrate with St Paul Winter Carnival

It's the weekend, and even though I'll be working today and probably cleaning and working with stone tomorrow, it's still a time for most of my friends to have free from work. So if you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to work this weekend, here are some possibilities for your recreational activities :-)

For my friends in the East Coast with lots of snow (as well as
Colorado, Utah, California and other places with great snow),
why not go snowboarding or skiing for the weekend. Cowabunga! 

Here in Minnesota, it's just as likely that people would be
snowshoeing or cross-country skiing

The St Paul Winter Carnival kicked off a few days ago and
goes through February 7th. It's a festival that has gone on
annually since 1886. 

The St Paul Winter Carnival tells the story of the age-old battle between King Boreas and the Vulcans. It's a fun, fast read, but too much to post here, so I'm providing a link to the legend. The whole town gets involved and it's one of the longest-running annual festivals in the US. When you live in a land of ice and snow, you learn to celebrate it. My favorite characters are the Vulcans and Klondike Kate.

The Klondike Kate competition is fierce. Once a Klondike Kate,
always a Klondike Kate. They are a sisterhood of singers and
entertainers who are very involved in the community through
their election year and for years thereafter. Winning is an automatic
five-year commitment to help in charitable events and causes. 

Each year they issue a series of buttons celebrating the
winter carnival. Here is King Boreas depicted on
one of the 2014 buttons. Some years are great, some not
as visually interesting, but they've been issued since
the mid 1900's, so a tradition. 

When the Vulcans succeed in driving out King Boreas, winter is on its way out. Even though the Carnival ends in early February, we all look ahead and know that there will be an end to the snow and ice - eventually - and that spring and summer will return. That's when our sister-city across the river will hold their celebration - Aquatennial - a celebration of Summer. The Twin Cities - we balance each other out.

Have a fun weekend, I'll be back on Monday.