open windows

So, I had this (I thought) really great idea a few weekends ago, that I would go downtown and take some photos of this beautiful little garden sanctuary, which is adjacent to one of the pretty churches in town.

As pretty as this was, their flowers were no longer in bloom, and the shadows were just so-so... it wasn't nearly as photogenic as it was in my memory. So we walked around the neighborhood for a while, and all around the church grounds. Again, I was disappointed that my photos of the church itself were not what I wanted them to be, and of course the beautiful stained-glass windows are only gorgeous when seen from the inside, with the light shining in through them.

And then, I noticed this...

When the windows are partly open, to let the fresh air in, you can see through, to the stained glass on the other side of the building, in all it's colorful glory. What a nice surprise that was!

So the moral of this story is: Just keep hoping...

farmer's market

So the weather keeps turning cooler... and the Madison outdoor farmer's market will move inside to the Monona Terrace for the winter.

I'll miss all of the different tents and awnings, the throngs of people wandering slowly around the square, gazing at all of the colorful displays... flowers, fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and everything in between. It's quite a feast, literally with all of the foods to choose from, and visually it's a photographer's dream.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos from the market. I loved the string of red peppers catching the sunlight. Also most market-goers will probably think of the familiar red awning of the Oakhouse bakery, and the smell of the warm cheese bread that sells out so fast you have to get up there really early in the morning... and this guy, with his bee-hive hat, selling fresh honey.

Camp Randall

Today we celebrate the University of Wisconsin-Madison's homecoming football game, at Camp Randall football stadium. I recently walked around campus to take this photo of our fierce new badger statue. His claws and teeth are pretty impressive up close! The badger is our school mascot, though the mascot himself is more fun than fierce.

But Camp Randall was originally a Civil War training ground. More than 70,000 state soldiers trained here to defend the union from 1861-1865. This memorial arch, dedicated to our Civil War soldiers was completed in 1912.

On a more personal note, I'm reminded that an old friend, one who died far too young, was a Civil War reenactment buff. And I heard that after he died, his family arranged to have his ashes scattered here at Camp Randall during one of the Civil War ceremonies. So today, I think of him as well.

nothing gold can stay

I just love this time of year. The weather is absolutely perfect for a brief moment in time, and everything is so brightly colored. I know, it's fleeting... Reminding us of the long cold drab winter to come. The shorter days, going to and from work in the waning light. But still, I love it right now. I love the brilliance of the leaves, the sunlight streaming through the yellows and oranges, and sometimes reds. I love watching showers of bright yellow leaves drifting toward the ground. And then the leaf piles, waiting for kids to jump right in. It's the last wisps of summer, and we hang onto it with everything we have. Reminds me of that poem, "nothing gold can stay". (Yes, it's from 'The Outsiders', and yes I can still quote the whole poem.) We have to enjoy these bright colorful days while we have them.

Nothing Gold Can Stay - by Robert Frost
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf's a flower
But only so an hour
Then leaf subsides to leaf
So Eden sank to grief
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay.