searching for spring

It's a gorgeous, sunny, warm day today, one of the best days we've had yet this spring. 

Just a perfect day to be out and about. 

I did some work in the yard, clearing away leaves, uncovering my tulips in the flower bed, and checking to see if the rhubarb or peonies are poking up yet. 

Happy to find, everything is starting to sprout up already! 

The neighbor's flamingos seem to have made it through the long cold winter. 

I think they're enjoying the sunshine. 

Hydrangeas from last season, just waiting to be clipped down and start anew. 

And when you lose a giant old tree in the yard, 

sometimes you can give the stump a new purpose. 

out for a walk

Recently my good friend Natalie has been challenging me to not only get outside for my daily walk, but to take my camera with me, and report back with what I see. A good challenge actually, and I'm happy to do it. It's making me look for beauty, for things of interest, for details, instead of just seeing the sand, salt and grit that's everywhere right now. 

Evergreens - so thankful to see anything green right now, plus pine cones! Bonus :) 

A neighbor's retaining wall, built with logs.

Loved the classic VW, the paint job, the pallets, but especially the bumper sticker 

that reads: "Some assembly required." 

The thick bark on a tree. Not seeing a lot of buds or leaves yet, but trees are always interesting. 

And this paw print... Maybe a neighborhood Yeti? 

the shine of winter

Spring is almost here. Winter is melting quickly away. People are coming out of hibernation, and enjoying the sunshine and warmer days. It all feels new and fresh. 

But this last bit of winter has also been really beautiful. 

The sunlight sparkling on a light flurry of snow. 

Birds rebuilding their nests, and readying for new eggs. 

 Icicles sparkling in the daylight, as they melt and drip from the roof. 

 And catching the glisten of winter lights, still hanging from the eaves. As much as I am ready for the beauty of spring, I can still appreciate the last images of winter. 

fields of gold

Voit Field - Madison

One of those places that I drive by all of the time. A farm, right in the middle of town. 

They used to have cows here, who would sometimes get out of their fences, and wander out into the street. And there would be a carnival set up in this field every summer, where we would all congregate on warm summer nights, ride the rides, meet up with our friends, and try to win all the cool prizes. 

They still plant corn here each year, even though it's no longer an active farm. And the house now stands empty.

I drive by this at all different times of day and night, and always enjoy the light here.

Since they harvested the corn late this year, the field is now often full of geese, resting and eating on their way south for the winter.

Our little taste of the country, right here in town.

feeding the ducks

Tenney Park in Madison, with my grandma and grandpa... my little brother and I, with a bag full of bread crumbs... feeding the ducks. 

Such a simple thing, going to the park, tossing out the bread crumbs, and squealing with delight when the ducks would come gathering around us. 

My grandparents took us to the park all of the time. We would watch the boats pass through the locks from one lake to the other. We'd wave to the boaters and smile when they'd wave back. 

We'd walk all around the park, and up and over all of the bridges. 

And grandpa would pick up stones, and show us how to skip them on the water.

a new beginning

So, I've been neglectful of many things this past year, including this blog. Not that I ever stopped taking photos, but in sharing them, and putting thoughts to images.
I've been fortunate this year to be witness to a pair of nesting red-tailed hawks, as they carried twigs and built their new home; watching them nearly every day as they soar, hunt, and feed, and continued to create their nest.
And just recently, I was treated to the calls of their juvenille young hawk(s) as they call to mom and dad to bring them food. "Scree!" "Scree!" Here is one young hawk, feeding on a small squirrel. So close, and so completely unafraid of me or my camera.

I'm so lucky they call my neighborhood 'home'.

history lesson

Several months ago, my cousin (second-cousin, half-cousin, something like that) lost her grandma. I didn't know this woman, but she was the wife of my mom's half-brother. Yes, it's kind of confusing, but grandpa had been married before he met my grandma. Anyway, we learned that her family was having an estate sale at the house, because they didn't have a need for some of her furniture and so on. I wondered if there would be anything in the house that might remind me of my own grandpa, or of my mom's brother. And so we went.

I do love old objects that feel like they've seen a lot of history. I have an old round wall-mirror from my great grandma's house, it hangs above my dresser. And I recently baked some pies for the holidays, and I always like the feel of my grandma's rolling pin when I'm making a pie crust. The wood is so smooth and well-worn. It's one of my very favorite things.

Anyway, at the estate sale, we found quite a collection of antique lamps. Several beautiful desk and floor lamps in Tiffany-style, which I could only wish I had a place for, and then this little beaded antique lamp that I fell in love with.

Strangely enough, just before finding this, a photographer friend of mine had posted some beautiful detailed photos of a similar lamp, and some lighting effects she had used. I knew I had to have this lamp.

And after playing with my camera, and the sunlight coming in through a window one afternoon, thinking of my relatives who had looked at this the same way, I know that I'm happy to have kept this little piece of history in the family.

(as always, click photos to enlarge them)