This is a photo I took last summer of the Washburn Water Tower. The tower was built in the Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis in 1932. The tower is ringed by 16-foot-tall ominous and sword-wielding soldiers standing sentry under huge concrete eagles. The tall statues are "guardians of health" and are supposed to guard the water from pollutants which were blamed for the occasional outbreaks of typhoid fever at the time. There's more info about the tower and its curious history here and another great photo here.

I live about six blocks South of the tower. It's very difficult to see from my house, even in the winter time when all of the leaves are gone from the trees. The geography of the land and the homes that surround the tower in Tangletown hide it from everyday view. I've often heard my fellow Minneapolitans exclaim, "where is that?" when we are descending into Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. The path of descent often takes you close enough to this tower to see the downwardly cast faces of the statues. It's a fantastic welcome.

I think it properly introduces people to our eccentricity and our humorously sullen outlook on life and weather. Cold, stony, and odd. This tower explains in perfect detail how we could elect someone like Jesse Ventura. When I get visitors, this is always one of the first places I take them.

In other news, I'm off to Utah today. I'll be on business there for the remainder of the week but I'm hoping to get some picture time in on the weekend. See you all soon! Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!