Minneapolis Observer Quarterly - Snapshot

Saturday, 10 p.m., Portland Avenue and Lake Street

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 10:05:45 -0600

A gray rabbit hops jauntily up the sidewalk toward a busy Lake Street. A half block shy of the intersection, the hare stops, sniffs, and bounds off into the snowy front yard of a nearby house.
—Craig Cox

Saturday, noon, 48th and Chicago

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 09:14:23 -0600

An impeccably groomed man in a tuxedo stands on the corner. “I got scrapbooks, lady,” he calls to a passing bicyclist, smiling to reveal perfect teeth. She wonders about the tuxedo. “I got the James Bond thing going,” he says, and then shows her the features of the scrapbooks he’s selling.
—Sharon Parker

Tuesday, 12:15 p.m., Tru Thai restaurant, 27th Ave. and E. Franklin

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 11:44:28 -0600

A couple at the corner table are constantly interrupted by calls on their cell phones--first one, then the other--until the perfect moment arrives: Both are talking on the phone (to each other?).
—Craig Cox

Wednesday, early afternoon, fenced grounds between the Parade Stadium baseball field and the Parade Ice Garden

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 11:43:26 -0600

Beneath a blue sky, twin red cannons shoot clouds of swirling snow onto curved white dunes.
—Chris Dodge

Thursday, 4:45 p.m., Franklin Avenue bridge

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 09:15:08 -0600

A young bald eagle flies over the traffic idling on the bridge and begins to make graceful circles over the river. A flock of crows follows its path, diving and reassembling, diving and reassembling in an attempt to drive the elegant predator off. The eagle ignores them.
—Craig Cox

Thursday, 4 p.m., Chicago Avenue and 48th Street.

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 09:13:54 -0600

Through the window of Turtle Bakery: Four reasonably scruffy young men sit at a table together, each working on a newspaper crossword.
—Chris Dodge

Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Sip Coffeebar, 13th Ave. NE

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 09:06:53 -0600

A girl of about 5 comes scurrying in and squats in front of the counter, as if to hide from the barista, who calmly pretends not to see her. The girl is dressed all in pink, from her hot pink cowboy boots to gauzy pastel tutu, and sensible, rose-pink turtleneck. She shouts, “Boo!” startling the two studious customers, but not the barista, who calmly peers over the counter and, seeing the girl’s fistful of crumpled dollar bills, asks, “Where’d you get all that money?

Loring Park, Wednesday afternoon.

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:15:05 -0600

A hole in the ice of the lagoon, about two feet across, is a circular frame displaying a school of small orange carp.
—Chris Dodge

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:13:59 -0600

Mello Glaze Bakery, East Minnehaha Parkway and 28th Ave. S.
A man who has been sitting at a table talking to the proprietor gets up to leave, saying, “I’ll go look in the dumpster, then.” To which she replies, “They are in there; there may be stuff thrown on top of them.” Moments later, he emerges from behind the building with a large plastic bag containing dozens of donuts, tosses the bag into the back of a pickup truck, and drives off.
—Sharon Parker

Friday, 12:15 p.m., Fourth Avenue and Third Street

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 10:04:24 -0600

Council Member Robert Lilligren, resplendent in top coat and helmet, his pant leg stuffed into his sock and ponytail flying, sets off on his bicycle to his next meeting.
—Craig Cox

Monday afternoon, Harmon Place, Loring Park

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 13:56:51 -0500

Twenty-two people with name tags walk west along the sidewalk and the last in line stops briefly to take a photograph. Her subject: a young couple heading the opposite direction via motorized wheelchair—a young man with a woman riding on his lap, now stopped and engaged in a long hug and kiss.
—Chris Dodge

Thursday, early afternoon, Parade Stadium site

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 22:26:05 -0500

Flying high against the skyline of downtown Minneapolis: the Quebec flag with its four white fleurs-de-lys on blue, along with the Maple Leaf, the Stars and Stripes, and the flag of Cirque du Soleil.
—Chris Dodge

Wednesday afternoon, Loring Park

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 08:57:47 -0500

A long baguette twirls in the pond’s shallows, propelled by an invisible fish. Four more baguettes placidly float near the center of the pond.
—Chris Dodge

Friday, midnight, East Hennepin and Second St.

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 11:51:05 -0500

Three young women, each wearing white T-shirts with the words, “I Voted for Pedro” emblazoned on the front, walk into a bar. Moments later, they emerge with three more women, each wearing the same shirt.
—Craig Cox

Snapshot

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 11:15:03 -0500

Tuesday afternoon, sidewalk near 22nd and Garfield
Five people walk along slowly, wielding white canes. Four wear black blindfolds

Wednesday afternoon, 24th and Garfield
On the boulevard strip a doorless refrigerator offers its sole contents, a long aluminum-foil-wrapped package from which green sprouts protrude.