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happify

@happify.bsky.social
1.6K followers 260 following 1.1K posts

To walk in an American city is to bear the collective sins of an entire culture, to be seen, simultaneously, as both pariah and saint. // pedestrian in the wind

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happify @happify.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Rough location here. And coordinates: 44.9854216, -93.2660971
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Rough location here. And coordinates: 44.9854216, -93.2660971
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Face photo. Sorry for the lack of alt text, running late for kayaking! They are on the walk path between west river parkway and Hennepin Ave, on the downriver side of the federal reserve.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Here’s their face, in case you recognize them!
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Whose kitty is wandering downtown?
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Looks like Grand Marais’s AQI peaked today at 2259, though their graph stops at 1000. I’m a ball of worry for…everyone, and especially those who’re most at risk and with the least protection.
A screenshot of a graph of AQI readings for PM2.5 in Grand Marais, under the heading “hazardous” showing the wildfire smoke move in yesterday. The y axis tops out at 1000, but a text box states the max AQI was 2559 somewhere in there.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
What an exciting water feature to celebrate sidewalks! Might be my favorite in the city in years! (Likely a lateral line something something, said my flame on viewing it yesterday.)
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Dead migratory bird-friend that I didn’t have supplies/time to gather for researchers. Will try later, but anyone nearby could gather it for science and love, on 1st between 4th & 5th, downriver side.
A beautiful small blue bird lies dead on broken sidewalk. Its head is a darker teal, its wings tipped with white, and its lower body grey/brown.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I might be a lump, but at least I’m a lump whose lumpiness cannot yet be automated (lmk when machines crochet), and whose lumpy colorways sometimes match the transit I’m on.
A hand holds a multicolored basket in progress of being mad e against backdrop of spools of brightly colored thread and an empty blue transit seat.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Here it is earlier in January when we cleared it of water (3rd and worst of three very flooded portions of the bike path). The water was 4” deep for about 10’, then tapering off for another 10-15’. My flame’s boots weren’t waterproof so I shoved ALLLL OF THAT WATER over a snowbank with a shovel.
A huge giant 20+’ puddle completely covers a walk/bike path at night. Icebergs float in it. A highway runs under it. The same well/bike path, still very wet, but cleared of the puddle for safe passage by foot or wheelchair or bike
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Did some bike path clearing today. Took a while, but not nearly as bad as it was when we got it early-mid January (I hacked at it a bit yesterday, but fruitlessly with just the chopper). Tools used: ice chopper + wide blade shovel to push the water over the snow dams.
A flooded and icy section of bike path with packed snow/ice on either side, just in front of a train crossing The same section of flooded bike/walk path, but cleared of ice and with some minimal water puddles left on the right edge.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Also still corners like this one that need the choppiest of ice choppers, which was so difficult solo! That ice pack is so dense even the warm up will take ages to dispel it.
Looking from the sidewalk to an intersection where a path just barely wide enough for a wheelchair has been cleared through three inches of hard packed ice. Ice chunks/debris remain visible on the right side.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Today, I scrambled up to the top of the biggest of our three piles of ice chunks to take a photo of my friends when we finished. Reminded me of scrambling to the top of a much cleaner (and even bigger) corner pile at @wedge.live’s behest some years back.
A photo taken from ten feet up looking out at an intersection from one corner. Two people stand in front of a totally clear curb ramp with their backs to the camera. One has a red and black flannel shirt that says “end ice” on the back.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Today we cleared the NW corner of 28th and Lyndale (plus bus stop), which required that plus pick axe and took three people two hours (a lot of stuff can be done much more easily/quickly!).
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
I’ve been wandering solo with an ice chopper, but have recently met up with friends with more tools. The crowbar + hammer was key to clearing the SE corner of 22nd and Lyndale a few days ago.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Bopping in to say that clearing ice from corners and bus stops is excellent community care and also good for getting out some kind of energy and connecting with strangers.
A person stands at an icy streetcorner facing away from the camera holding a giant ice chunk above their head in a victory pose. The back of their shirt reads “end ice”
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Our frozen Mpls lakes. The original, true, lover-of-all-people ice. The ice that holds us up, allows us to walk on water, welcomes everyone. (Pictured: Bde Maka Ska in December, where I talked to so many out for the miracle, including immigrant neighbors.)
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
It’s extremely good to be out in the city with community commiserating about ice. Also a chance to help neighbors and passersby.
A totally bumpy packed down 6-8’ swath of nasty ice leads to a crosswalk and the clear and dry streetThe curb ramp has a path wide enough die a wheelchair cleared of disgusting ice lumps and chunks
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
It’s astounding! On Monday, I could feel the cracking as directional zips beneath me from my weight and as others skated nearby. Lots of rainbow baby cracks!
A monochromatic image of cross-crossing white cracks in black iceA single rainbow double helix ice crack goes into the distance just below the surface of the dark iceA distorted selfie looking down into the mirror of the ice, at the juncture of many thin cracks.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
@metrotransitmn.bsky.social seems like neither side of sign at 5th/nicollet away-from-river is working. (Other side says it’s out of service.)
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
And here is the best plowed sidewalk on 2nd. It wasn’t actually walkable for the full length (I suspect foul play from the city), but they shoved the ice chunks back into the driver lanes, which is what I was periodically attempting to do.
A wide sidewalk path has been cleared by a plow, with the snow plowed off to the right, into the parking lane. The drive lanes are totally clear and bone dry.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Here is what the very impressive property adjacent managed, but that’s not possible with just a shovel unless you’re at least as swoll as me and with a half day free time. Still not passable for non-mountain-goat due to ice wall collapse.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Here are walking vs driving conditions in Minneapolis. THIS IS A CITY CHOICE. This is not snow as it fell, but how the city chose to what to plow and where to leave the ice chunks.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
The city plows parking lanes by moving heavy compacted ice chunks to block sidewalks already cleared by responsible property owners/managers.
Cleared parking and driving lanes on the left, shoveled sidewalk made impassable to pedestrians who are not part mountain goatCleared parking and driving lanes on the left, shoveled sidewalk made impassable to pedestrians who are not part mountain goatA very well cleared sidewalk is blocked by a seemingly random plow intrusion of heavy compacted snow/ice while parking and drive lanes to the right are fully unimpeded
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Minneapolis prioritizes cars over people. The street is totally clear, and the parking lanes, but at the expense of the sidewalks, which were decently cleared and are now impassable using a wheelchair.
A sidewalk blocked by an avalanche of dirty snow plowed from the parking lane. The street is clear.A sidewalk half blocked by an avalanche of dirty snow plowed from the parking lane. The street is clear.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
This rag rug had some catastrophic failures in the weft last time it was in the washing machine. I think it was too loosely woven, so the warp threads shifted to be next to each other. Fixing it with blanket stitches.
A brightly colored rag rug with rag strips in the center no long bound by warp threads
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
@metrotransitmn.bsky.social, this crossing to the Green Line is dealing with a serious bit of a drainage problem.
Rain falls on  an already flooded curb ramp leading to a crosswalk to an LRT stop. There is a store in the background across the street.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
Mpls friends! Be on the lookout for these bikes. They were stolen last night. My friend relies on them for year-round bike commuting and between election results and this, I've never heard them sounding so disheartened. Please lmk if you see them and I'll pass it along!
There are two bikes shown photographed against a white wall. Between the photographs is text reading: Two of my bikes were stolen last night 11/7 in MPLS! Brilliant L Train and RadMission1. Both heavily modified, unique and very special to me.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/09/2024
Rest of my photos. I recommend doing your own walks down Marq/2nd/3rd and noting how many places are open for you to go into whatever day/time of day you go. Pay special attention to evenings, weekends. Think about what you'd need to feel comfortable waiting for a bus here.
A view of 2nd looking towards 5th. There's a lot of concrete, maybe one person across the street at an existing bus stop, detour signs haphazardly placed in the furniture zone, and no other signs of life.A view down second where there are no people. There is a bus at the next intersection going away from the camera.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/09/2024
We stopped here on 2nd for a bit peering into the lit grates. Not a single person walked near or past us here for over five minutes (probably closer to 10) just after 5:30pm.
Looking down the sidewalk on 2nd where a sidewalk grate in the furniture zone is open and gated off for work to be done. There are no people anywhere in the image.Looking the other direction on 2nd, towards the intersection with 4th. There are a few cars on 4th and if you zoom in, you can see the back of a person across 2nd on 4th.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/09/2024
Some photos from Marq/2nd/3rd from yesterday, 5-6pm. Meeting from 4-6pm TODAY (9/24) at the downtown library on the city moving transit off Nicollet and to these streets.
An image of an intersection at 8th and 3rd during early evening, sky still bright. There are no people visible anywhere. There are some cars almost a full block away.Looking towards Hennepin County plaza mid block on 3rd. There are no people visible.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 27/01/2024
How are you all contacting trader joe's about their anti-union/union-busting political activism grossness? Their website "contact us" section makes it pretty clear they'd prefer not to hear what their customers think. A
A screenshot of part of a webpage with contact info for specific stores and products and vendor and press inquiries. Nothing for general feedback, tellingly.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
But I'm learning and learning and learning about the ice, how it forms different shapes and why, when and how those disappear, the pulse of life below and in and on and above the ice. I curse every PPM of CO2 that threatens the existence all that breathes and moves here, muskrat, ice, human, bird.
A few larger bubbles are in the mid ground scene of fractured ice, lit from the side.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
I love the conversations I have on the lakes too, the others who're drawn to the beauty in the lake, who cede whatever of art and beauty they have attempted in the face of this awesome expertise. And I love returning from those moments to my silent commune with the ice.A
A fan of ice on a black/green background of ice bubbles of various sizes looks like the veins of leaves or perhaps safety glass shattered in place.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
How about this lake ice, then, friends? I never did figure out exactly where the blue is coming from in the image--my best guess is the water filling the crack, but I haven't seen it this vivid before.
On a black background, there's an organic shape of movement, like the tail of a fish or shark or a tornado touching down. Through the center, there's a streak of blue, but the rest looks clear except how it distorts light.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
I wish I could attach the sounds of the lake and its ice as the alt text, that’s the truest representation.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
Absolutely overwhelmed by the endless beauty of lake ice. Just wordless, literally don't even know how to describe it for alt text, what do I do
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 21/01/2024
We’ve probably got today/tomorrow left with this winter’s glorious lake ice world before precipitation + more unseasonable warmth closes the curtain. Get out there if you can!!!
A dendritic shape in lake ice, with tiny bubbles surrounding it and bigger bubbles in the branching shapesScrawls of tiny bubbles suspended in ice, tracing the past path of some sort of creature(s)A deep crack in black lake ice with a fairly randomly distributed variety of bubbles above itFeathery finned cracks floating out from a big crack of lake ice
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 21/01/2024
Life and movement frozen in ice
A lake weed is frozen in ice, amongst bubbles and a large crack
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 21/01/2024
Love love love!
Bubbles and folds/fissures in ice
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 21/01/2024
My loooooove
Deep cracks in clear ice
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 16/01/2024
The ice is baaack 😍 🖤🖤🖤
A radial/dendritic black shape in speckled ice is split by a striped crack, with a few large hoar frost flakes atop it
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 19/12/2023
The roller towel of my uncle’s I just mended. Need some old dowels (retired broom handles?) for the second step of this project, but happy with how it’s going. Got to later my mends with previous much less visible ones!
A white cloth with a seam through the middle is held away from a pegboard with measuring implements hanging on it. The cloth has various horizontal striped rectangles of fabric hand stitched to it. Vertical stitches show from the fabrics on the reverse.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 15/12/2023
This is my previously chronically underwatered plant, who knew the leaves wanted to be upright and not droopy!
Two healthy plants sit on a wood bookcase in front of a piece of ice art, with a shimmering butterfly preserved in glass in front of them.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 30/11/2023
Trying carving and printing the avocado pits from the dye I just made. Not my best idea, not the worst. Doubt they’ll stay flat enough to print with as they desiccate again.
A dark green mushroom with white dots on its top is stamped on a piece of white paper with other experimental stamped blotches of green.A dark green mushroom is stamped on a piece of white paper with other experimental stamped blotches of green.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 21/11/2023
When I end up in charge of a family gathering centerpiece
An antique dark grey metal scale sits against a black backdrop. On the scale is a cross section slice of a tree with bark still on, with a shallow black flat bowl atop that. In the bowl is an antler and a small skull, with small turkey feathers in one eye socket and a few small bones in the other. Wrapped eating the antler and draping from the bowl is a garland of hazelnuts. A second hazelnut garland encircles the base of the scale, punctuated by a small cross section of a larger bone with a splintered old bone sticking through it. Tucked into to indicator of the scale is a large paint chip with its interior concentric patterns of erosion and peeling on display with shades of rust and deep teal.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 20/11/2023
Still talking photos of notable covers, just not back in a habit of sharing them yet!
A St Paul 1974 cover in sunlight, with feet for scaleA St Paul cover with holes punched through the grid where the year numbers would have beenJust an atypical steam tunnel lid
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 11/11/2023
Overdyed this cornflower blue wool shirt (it was too warm a blue) with onion skins and I’m really happy with how it’s turned out so far!
A “tie-dyed” long sleeve brown knit shirt with blue seams hangs on a metal hanger in a white shower
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 09/09/2023
How was this book on ice in the free bin at Old School?!?! OMG, I’m only a few pages into reading it aloud to my flame and it’s so so exciting!
Photo of a book titled principles of structural glaciology. By PA Shumskii. Translated from the Russian by David Kraus. The light blue cover shows an all teal globe with black longitude and latitude lines.
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happify @happify.bsky.social · 24/08/2023
This was our first hazelnut foraging haul. Turns out finding and plucking hazelnuts activates a part of my brain not dissimilar from the agate-hunting one.
A large bag full of bright yellow-green hazelnut clusters sits on grass with a straw hat with feathers, two stacked bushel baskets, and clusters of sage surrounding it.
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