Through a SoMinn LENS

In the depths of January, the promise of spring blooms in a hyacinth.

2022 in photos

The year 2022 proved in some ways a repeat of 2021. Early on, the COVID-19 pandemic still raged. And, like the year prior, I lost a dear one—my mom—in January. Loss and challenges defined the first half of 2022 for me. It was, undeniably, a difficult period. Yet, as the year unfolded, I found myself tentatively re-engaging, embracing that which has always brought me joy. Art. Nature. Community celebrations. Day trips to small towns. Country drives. Ice cream from local shops.

I delight in the ordinary things—the simple scenes of everyday life, the gathering of people, the creativity and uniqueness of southern Minnesota. Sometimes I think locals don’t value this place they call home enough. There is so much here to appreciate. The rivers that run through. The history. The art and architecture. The volunteers who bring us together at community events.

With my camera, I document. There’s nothing especially remarkable about the subjects I photograph. This column features a sampling of life as it was in 2022 in southern Minnesota. Simple. Uncomplicated. Beautiful. And, oh, so wonderfully ordinary. 

A replica of the 1899 community stage/bandshell graces Central Park in the heart of downtown Owatonna.

Craig Kotasek’s “Jolly Green Giant” print was among his art exhibited at the Arts & Heritage Center in Montgomery. Tin Can Valley Printing is based in LeSueur.

The Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault features student art in an annual exhibit, here a kitty created by second grader Eydelin Leon Ruiz.

Folks gather at Bridge Square in Northfield to celebrate Earth Day. Fishermen angle the Cannon River in Northfield in April. Gus’ Station, built in 1931 in Ellendale and moved to the Village of Yesteryear in Owatonna, is a reminder of once low gas prices.

Fishing below the Lake Zumbro Dam on a May day near Mac’s Park Place, rural Mazeppa. A worker sweeps a walkway between buildings along Division Street in Northfield on an August afternoon.

Ordering ice cream at The Blast in downtown Northfield.

A shopper exits Just Food Co-op in Northfield on a summer afternoon. A crowd gathers at Christ Lutheran Church in Faribault for Holy Smoke Wood Fire Pizza and Live Music on an August evening.

A sweet treat from The S’Cream, a popular Owatonna ice cream spot. Kids blow bubbles at the Holy Smoke pizza night and concert at Christ Lutheran Church, Faribault, on an August evening. A Swallowtail Butterfly atop a zinnia at the Rice County Master Gardeners’ Garden at the Rice County Fairgrounds.

This inspiring message banners a building in downtown Pine Island.

Getting in the Halloween spirit, Francis Pest & Animal Control in Faribault placed skeletons on rooftop ants. Looking at tractors together at the Rice County Steam & Gas Engine Show, rural Dundas.

Erin’s Acres at Honken Farms sells floral bouquets at the Rice County Historical Society Fall Flea Market.