It finally happened – spring arrived in Minnesota!
February is a hard month. Like a Siberian prisoner, I accept my frozen circumstances and stop hoping for spring.
Then March comes, the temperature rebounds, and I’m shocked like this doesn’t happen every year.
So the snow completely melted, revealing five months of filth, trash, small dead animals, and dog crap. Yes, dog crap – there’s a subset of dog owners who don’t pick up dog shit when there’s snow on the ground. I don’t get it.
Hugo and Gunter in the spring muck.
Spring also brings a mass migration of homeless people to Lowertown – camps have sprung up along the river and there are a few guys already overnighting in Mears Park.
Now this isn’t a “mean Tweets about homeless people” post — The occasional panhandling is uncomfortable, but the real problem with the homeless population in St. Paul is the stark reminder that our state isn’t providing enough services to these residents. Also, we are far more likely to get harassed by teenagers waiting at a bus stop or in the skyway.
The exception was Saturday – we took the dogs to Union Depot and there is a drunk man shouting near the train station.
I take the dogs to the grassy area in front of the train station, and Mitchell goes to the neighborhood liquor store. The drunk guy follows him into the store, and starts screaming that Mitchell stole money from him.
The guy apparently is a regular at the store, so the employees just rolled their eyes and ignored his complaints.
The skyline of St. Paul, Minnesota. I’ve lived in the Lowertown Historic District about two years.
The homeless population in downtown St. Paul is huge, and there are a variety of sketchy people who we call “tourists,” but St. Paul is nothing compared to the craziness I experienced in Whittier – remember Miss M. and Yesina?
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