MPR News pictures of the year, July through September

1

Eagle Bend, MN, USA — Beekeeper Peter Hansen finds an unusual seat in a bee yard with colleagues near Eagle Bend, Minn., on Monday, July 11, 2011. Honey bees in Minnesota and across the nation are producing less honey compared to 10 years ago. (MPR Photo/Ann Arbor Miller) link to this photo

2

St. Paul — Minneapolis DFL Rep. Jeff Hayden waits for members of the House of Representatives to return from one of many breaks during the special session at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on July 20, 2011. (MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel) link to this photo

3

Blaine, MN, USA — Chloe Person, 12, and the rest of her Brookings, S.D. teammates take a water break during that the Schwan's USA Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament in Blaine, Minn. Wednesday, July 20, 2011. The tournament shortened Wednesday's games and added mandatory water breaks to help players battle the heat. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

4

Minneapolis, MN, USA — Hassan Jama, the director of the Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center in Minneapolis, shares a laugh with a woman on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, at a mosque event thanking volunteers for helping organize a recent convention. Jama says the center is trying to do more to make sure its youth stay on the right path. (MPR Photo/Laura Yuen) link to this photo

5

St. Paul, MN, USA — Gary McDaniel documents the interior of the Bell UH-1 "Huey" in St. Paul, Minn. April 27, 2011. The restoration crew is creating a manual to be used for reassembly as the Huey travels to various exhibits around the country. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

6

Minneapolis, MN, USA — A young attendee of the 35W Bridge Remembrance Garden dedication and opening ceremony feels the waters fall over an inscribed granite wall in Minneapolis, Minn. Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. The wall is inscribed with the names of survivors of the bridge collapse and the words, "Our lives are not only defined by what happens, but by how we act in the face of it, not only by what life brings us, but by what we bring to life. Selfless actions and compassion create enduring community out of tragic events." (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

7

Minneapolis, Minn. — Pickles the Clown makes balloon art for children at the National Night Out gathering at 38th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 2, 2011. (MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel) link to this photo

8

Minneapolis, MN, USA — Cathie VanDanacker finds a quiet space backstage before performing in "Taiko Blast!" at Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis, Minn. Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

9

Minneapolis, MN, USA — David Wilson with the "Ole & Lena & the Great Big Walleye" production applies makeup outside the Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis, Minn. Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

10

St. Louis County, MN, USA — The sun sets as two paddlers make their way across Lac La Croix in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

11

Brook Park, MN, USA — Tristan Altman, 9, and his brother Dustin Altman, 10, listed the different animals on their family's property on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 in Brook Park, Minn. The family has had to cut back in many ways in order to make ends meet. (MPR Photo/Caroline Yang) link to this photo

12

Minneapolis — American Legion members document President Barack Obama at The American Legion 93rd national convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

13

Falcon Heights, MN, USA — Competitors in the 4-H cattle show nap alongside their cows at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minn., on August 26, 2011. (MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel) link to this photo

14

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — Steve Malzacher of Rock Hill Fire Corporation scans the forest for hot spots after stamping one out Thursday afternoon north of Island River in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness while fighting the Pagami Creek Fire. Malzacher is from Duluth, Minn. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

15

Kelly Larsen, 49, of Bagley, Minn., led a group into the forest to harvest mushrooms as part of a Wild Food Summit on the White Earth Reservation on Friday, Sept. 23, 2011. The Fall Mushroom Foray was sponsored by the White Earth Tribal and Community College Extension Service, which runs wild food summits regularly. The summits are aimed at teaching people to identify, harvest, and prepare wild foods. They are organized by Steve Dahlberg, director of the extension program, who says returning to traditional foods can help create self-reliance. (MPR Photo/Caroline Yang) link to this photo