Some grey and rainy weather in the morning.  I let the dogs run and sniff and swim a couple of times just to wait for things to clear.  Grassy fields and Lake Hanska.  Lots of green grass everywhere which is sure different from all that Wyoming stickery stuff.  The dogs are much happier about that.  It really does feel like more than a month that we’ve been out here.  Five weeks at a time of this insane lifestyle is enough for me and the dogs.

Where did the time go today?  I thought I’d get a lot more Minnesota done.  But, first, there was the weather for a slow start.  And then, there was all kinds of traffic in and around Minneapolis.  Even though I didn’t have many stops there, they were widely spaced apart.  And there you go — a low volume day.  Tomorrow, should be more productive in the less city-fied areas and the forecast is for a big orange circle all day:  SUN!

I started shooting today in Spirit Lake.  Gotta love this monster — a florist and garden center:

 

 

Still Spirit Lake.  See those annoying grey skies….  Fareway is a regional supermarket chain based in Iowa.  I haven’t seen any old style signs like this one before.  It might have been updated from this design:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathervescent/3406778171/
I think there are still a couple of those left out there.

 

I think there are still a few stores left with these rooftop signs — including the sensational mid-century building in Marshalltown:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/4867349849/

 

 

On to Minnesota.  In New Ulm, I came across these now very rare Eliot Noyes’ round Mobil gas pumps.  Though they’re not in use as the place is now Terry’s Auto Service.

I assume this station had the mushroom canopies (also designed by Noyes) originally like this:
http://u1.ipernity.com/11/52/03/5375203.3e40314f.560.jpg

There are still four pumps in use in Denton, NC — towards the bottom of this page:
http://www.agilitynut.com/gas/ncice2.html
Those are the only ones I know of still in use (or at least they were in 2010).  But this place in New Ulm wins for quantity — six pumps.  Although they are bit rusty & banged up:

 

 

Ahhhhh.  Finally, the sun — and what a difference it makes.  Even this brown sign (can’t be the original color — or name) looks great!  From Minneapolis:

 

 

Another from Minneapolis.  The former Boulevard Theatre.  At least the marquee was saved.  Sorta.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8152

 

 

A couple from St. Paul.  A nice flatiron building (triangular lot) with lots of neon.  It looks like it should be lit at night but I don’t see any photos at Flickr:

 

 

A Google search tells me that this is the Czech and Slovak Sokol Hall.  But I still don’t get where the “P” comes from:

 

 

Back at it tomorrow here in Minnesota.  A giant fish just down the block here in New Prague to shoot just as soon as the sun is right.  I’m hoping to move on to Wisconsin by Tuesday afternoon.