Matthew Vinge
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mvinge.bsky.social
Matthew Vinge
@mvinge.bsky.social
Turning your kids into rock stars, chasing the northern lights and exploring Minnesota. I dig music, guitars, ukulele, Prince, and stargazing.
📸🎸🔭🌹DSA
St. Paul/Minneapolis/North Shore
Pinned
Where my Minnesota, Twin Cities, North Shore/Woods people at??

I wanna follow you!

15yrs building community on Twitter, but...here we are.

I'm a music teacher, classical 🎸, MN explorer, aurora chaser, and nightscape 📸.

These are pics I've taken around MN in the last 30 days.

Let's be friends??
Do this training and you'll get text alerts for any ICE activity nearby.

We need as many as possible.

If you've been feeling helpless, this is actually something that will make a difference.

FCKICE

monarcamn.org/training
November 21, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Same tree.

Taken one year apart.

Lit only by moonlight.

Cornacopia Beach, Lake Superior, Wisconsin
November 21, 2025 at 3:52 AM
One of my freshman music student bands, an all girl group, asked for song suggestions in my contemporary ensemble class today. I coached them through "Slide" by the Goo Goo Dolls. They already sound so good. It is beautiful song. One of the greatest. I will prob cry at our concert in few weeks, lol.
November 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Fire in the sky behind the old fire tower 🔥

I knew I'd eventually get this fire tower with aurora but I wasn't expecting it to happen only a few weeks after I found it 😎

This is from Wednesday. I had so many pics from Tues-Wed but this is the last of 'em.

Solana State Forest, Minnesota
November 16, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Minnesota, if hoping for aurora again tonight...sit tight

Last night was too easy. Once in decade sort of easy. Usually have to try, fail & travel far, many times over, to see that

Still good chance but data is not screamin like 24 hrs ago

Welcome to aurora chasing. Hard & frustrating 95% of time
November 12, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Wow. Can't say much else. The overhead corona was unbelievable. The most intense reds and greens. ❤️💚😍💃 She'll be dancing until sunrise.

I visited Franconia Sculpture Park over summer and it has been on my aurora photo bucket list ever since. That's where I went last night.

Schafer, Minnesota.
November 12, 2025 at 10:22 AM
One of the most powerful auroras of the decade showing over the intense light pollution, St. Paul, Minnesota! 1:00am Smith Avenue High Bridge overlook.

Tonight was a special one. I have so many more pictures to share and sort through! Incredible night.
November 12, 2025 at 9:28 AM
🚨🚨🚨

📢

If you ever listen to me about the northern lights, make it tonight & tomorrow.

Do you want to see real magic? tonight might be beginning of an incredible 36hrs.

This is the real deal.

Find clear sky hour north & strap in.

Now.

Biggest since last October.

You will regret missing this.
a puppet with flames coming out of his head
ALT: a puppet with flames coming out of his head
media.tenor.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I could not make it to Split Rock Lighthouse lighting tonight for the Edmund Fitzgerald anniversary.

It's a work/school night 🙁 but I was there last year.

Found some pics/video I never posted.

Pretty sure I hold the closest view anyone has dared to get on shore ⚓️🚢🕯🫡
November 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Spent weekend in Apostle Islands, Wisconsin. This is my fav pic.

Eagle worked Bayfield as fishing tug until '40s. Sold to fishery in Cornacopia 15m south in '70s until beached shortly after.

Still can't explain "Mpls, MN" on stern but the Cornacopia Hist. Soc. is helping me find info. Stay tuned.
November 10, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Big guy. The variety in MN are yellowish unlike their iconic red cousin 🍄 Easily missed when blended w fallen leaves. Find them among birch/pine trees in late summer-November. Cool lookin' but they'll F your dog (or you) right up 🤢🤪🤮 Watch for them on walks.
November 1, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Legal observer training session this Thursday in Dinkytown (University of Minnesota) 9am-11am.

You must register to attend and to get the details but this is a trustworthy org. You can feel comfortable giving info.

tinyurl.com/MonarchMN-Tr...
October 28, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Cruising backroads of Hwy 61. I noticed this 760ft peak above me. Quickly located nearest trailhead to try to get up there. 2hrs of climbing 2.5 miles of switchbacks...

Wait for the sunset.

It was worth it but a little scary going down in dark, lol.

Sawmill Dome, Cty Rd 6, Finland, Minnesota
October 27, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Minneapolis/St. Paul friends,

Halloween on Friday 🎃🍬🍫

Great opportunity to arm neighborhoods with whistles. Whistles + candy.

Simple, dirt cheap, highly effective device to alert others to incoming danger.

Youknowwhatimsayin?

We should all have one on us.

Still time to order.
October 26, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Sunset on Raspberry Island, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Vibrant Mexican folk art displayed "Alebrijes: Keepers of the Island"

I prob won't get up early to do it so I'll give ya a tip:

Sunday morning sunrise will provide beautiful backdrop behind sculptures over river bluffs. Could make some killer pics!
October 26, 2025 at 1:06 AM
I'm about to sub for an after school guitar program full of 7-10 year old elementary kids.

This usually goes one of two ways...

Controlled chaos or absolute chaos.

But... for $100/hour we will survive.

Pray for me 🙏🎸
October 24, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Crystal clear skies last night.

I sat in a cemetery for an hour, hoping to catch some straggler (2 days past peak) Orionids streaking behind this old tombstone.

No impressive meteors on camera 😢 but I got a cool shot of Orion & a very bright Jupiter through the middle.
October 24, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon ☄️ last night from north central Minnesota. (Circled in first pic)

This is pretty good for phone camera but I'll try for a pic w 🔭 this week.

It did look spectacular in my new massive 15×70 binoculars. Like a fuzzy green ball.

I also found this abandoned 100yr old fire tower
October 20, 2025 at 8:39 PM
"They got the guns but we got the numbers. Gonna win. We're talking over."

-Jim Morrison

No Kings.
October 18, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Still 6 stops from downtown Minneapolis and the train is already at capacity. Announcements being made telling people more trains are coming. The platforms are full but no one can get on. No Kings.
October 18, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Aurora is going to rip any min according to the data. I'm stuck on the train for another 30min 🥲 and still an hour away from a suitable spot. If you're up north tonight, I'd go outside and check it out. Probably going to continue to build up over next hours. Look north.
October 18, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Never skip the show when a Beatle comes to town.

Paul McCartney playing Blackbird tonight in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
October 18, 2025 at 4:40 AM
I got a lot of books. This is one of my rare treasures.

"The Beatles in Minnesota" documenting the only Beatles concert ever in MN on 8/21/1965. These are the only high quality pics from the show.

Can't wait to see Paul McCartney tonight in Minneapolis! See you there.
October 17, 2025 at 8:03 PM
I love the new powerbox art around the downtown St Paul Minnesota parks. These are my favorites. Find them around Mears Park, Kellogg Mall and adjacent streets.
October 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Sunset fighting storm clouds over Minnesota & Mississippi Rivers confluence. Tonight from St. Peter Cemetery bluff in historic Mendota.

One of oldest (post-European arrival) burials in MN here, 1840, but it was a traditional Dakota burial place long before settlers arrived.
October 13, 2025 at 12:38 AM