This statue stands amid late summer blooms in a garden in Powderhorn neighborhood in Minneapolis. I decided to feature this statue even though photos of it appeared previously in Powderhorn365.com (on 8/30/09 by Mel Boone and on 1/4/10 by Stephanie Wilbur Ash). There is something compelling about the lushness and soft look of the flowers juxtaposed with the stone statue holding a clay pot while in front of the brick building in shadow.

These two bikes are chained to a tree in Powderhorn Park. It is a living thing, not a metal pole. This can damage the bark of the tree and make it vulnerable to disease and death. Consider this: Years ago, a friend parked his bike by locking it to a young tree on our boulevard. When he returned, the bike was still there, but the top of the tree had been sawed off. The thieves must have left in a hurry and couldn't grab the bike. However, there was no hope for the tree. Be kind to trees, please.

Andrew (left) said he is facing the loss of his home due to recently having lost the job he has worked for 20 years and owing many thousands of dollars to the city in fines levied by the inspection division. He worries about where he will go, not wanting to take his three children to a shelter.

Andrew (izquierda) dice que se enfrenta a la pérdida de su casa a causa de haber perdido recientemente el trabajo que ha trabajado por 20 años y que le debe muchos miles de dólares a la ciudad de multas impuestas por la división de inspección. Él se preocupa por donde irá porque no quiere traer a sus tres hijos a un refugio.

When lunchtime hit during any weekday this summer I found myself eating a meal outside our back door and watching our pet, Herbert, munch to his heart's content. Today our neighbors in our building, Kerry and Leah, offered us brats and potato salad!

This Powderhorn residence is located at 32nd Street and Cedar Avenue South.

"The site is an arsenic-contaminated residential neighborhood with environmental justice concerns in South Minneapolis, MN. Wind scattered arsenic from a pesticide formulation plant in the neighborhood throughout a three-quarter mile radius. This scattering occurred due to outdoor operations at the plant. Approximately 500 homes have arsenic in levels requiring cleanup of yards. EPA has found concentrations within the soils to be as high as 2,880 parts per million. This area has been residential since at least the early 1900s and is expected to remain residential into the future."
Read more at epa.gov/superfund/eparecovery/south_minneapolis.html.

Many people of Powderhorn are wonderful gardeners. Here is an example of a neighbor replacing grass with echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), a native plant of Minnesota, in the boulevard.

Jeanne has been gardening in the Walker Community garden space since 1991. Among other plants, she is growing onions, basil, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, squash, pole beans, St. John's wort, Brussels sprouts, and bee balm.

She is also a professional house painter who is very detail oriented.