Shanty Town

What an awesome day! The temperature finally rose into the 30s for the second time this month. It felt absolutely energizing to shed a few layers of clothing and move around outside without pain. After a predictably yummy breakfast at our fave breakfast place, The Seward Cafe, we drove to the most Minnesotan art event I could ever imagine: The Art Shanty Projects. The sun was shining and the event was in full swing on Medicine Lake.

The Art Shanty Projects are all basically versions of ice houses. For those not familiar, ice houses are little shacks that people set up on frozen lakes, then they drill holes in the ice, drop fishing lines down the hole and hope they catch a fish before they freeze. For a less biased explanation, click here. The ice is thick enough that it is safe for shanties, people and even cars to be on it. Here is a picture of the scene.

Each house has a theme and is open for perusal and/or participation. There was a rough map showing the placement and theme of each shanty.

There were even art cars there. Does anyone else wonder how the owner clears the snow, ice and salt off of this baby?

We enjoyed a show in a very intimate theater.

I knitted on the communal project in the knitting shanty. Of course there was a knitting shanty!

Paul and I enjoyed a game of cribbage in the dICEHOUSE. Clever name, eh?

We spent a few minutes in the sauna shanty. It felt a bit disconcerting to be so warm while knowing that your survival depends on the ice below you remaining frozen.

These were just a few of the many awesome shanties. If you are local, you still have some time to catch this event. The shanties are open weekends through February 14th. And, there is even a shanty in which you can make a valentine. What a fun date that could be. Check it out!

Today was awesome for a few more reasons, but I'll save them for another post.