“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” — Shel Silverstein
Category: nature
Monday Adventure
A much-needed vacation day took me on a road trip to the middle of the state. I had some extra time on my hands this morning, so I stopped by Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Brought to you by the color yellow. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. A cool breeze coupled with the warm…
Ten Rules for Changing the World
“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” — Mahatma Gandhi Passing along an article I really enjoyed at dailygood.org called Gandhi’s 10 Rules for Changing the World, by Henrik Edberg. Here’s a link to the full article, but I’m including…
Traveling Mercies
Saw these images and the following post on Facebook yesterday from the National Weather Service. Eventually, this made me really giddy: “Keen observers of our radar data probably noticed some fairly high returns moving south over southern Illinois and central Missouri. High differential reflectivity values as well as low correlation coefficient values indicate these are…
Just Because
Started this morning with a long, slow stroll through the Botanical Gardens…for no other reason than I could. A lot of fun things are blooming right now…but the waterlilies are the showstoppers. Stuh-ning. The Chihuly glass brings such a wonderful sense of whimsy to it all. Not sure what this little guy is, but the…
Wow. Just Wow.
This morning I got a cryptic text from my beloved and blissfully retired former boss. She gave me specific directions to something she wanted me to see, but wouldn’t tell me what I was looking for — only that I would know it when I saw it and it was amazing. The location was just beyond…
Shinrin Yoku
Strolling through the woods has always been a bit of an escape for me. Wandering around slowly, taking photos, listening closely, breathing deeply…it’s my happy place. Turns out, there’s a reason. As I read this morning, it would seem that I’ve been unknowingly utilizing a Japanese practice called Shinrin Yoku, translated “forest bathing” or luxuriating…
We’re not in Kansas anymore…or Colorado
We reluctantly packed up at the crack of dawn this morning and headed home, putting Colorado and the Rockies in our rear view mirrors. But not before a fun send off from a few rather large visitors. One elk stood right outside our back door, while two others mulled around in the neighboring yard. They…
The Adventure Continues
Back to Rocky Mountain National Park this morning. First stop: Sprague Lake. This has to be one of my favorite spots of the day. Below is a fly fishing lesson. Can you imagine learning a new skill with THIS as your backdrop? Check out this brazen little chipmunk. We were within just a foot or…
Enjoying the Views
After a loooong drive through the monotonous landscape of Kansas, which my youngest son likened to running on a treadmill, we finally reached the gorgeousness of Colorado. Per usual, we’ve had a very loose agenda. A few non-negotiables are on the itinerary, but we mostly just go with the flow. As a family with two males, one…
Om…
We have a family of chipmunks in our backyard that continues to provide a lot of amusement. This morning when I sat down to breakfast, I caught a glimpse of Buddha out the corner of my eye. I turned to look and…there he was. Little chipmunk just chilled out on top of Buddha Man’s head.
Happy Place
Had a chance to visit the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, yesterday. I love this place. I’ve been here several times, but never in the spring. Every visit has been different; every visit has had something new to offer. The only season I’m missing is winter. And I’ll bet that’s beautiful, too.
Unexpected
I know I’ve been blogging floral photos constantly lately — and I confess that I headed to the park this afternoon to take more. But then I became a little sidetracked. Check this guy out! He wasn’t crazy about me, but he indulged me for a few minutes. But then he decided he’d had enough…
Glimpses
This has been one of the most beautiful springs I can remember. Many flowers seem to be peaking this weekend. Sigh. Smile.
Gotta go now.
Okay. So how am I gonna get out of this one? Maybe I’ll hide. Nope. She’s still there. Maybe I can just hold really still until I become invisible. Nope. She’s still there. That’s it. I’m outta here. (While I didn’t actually hear this specific dialogue when this particular chipmunk encounter went down, that is…
Wednesday Walk
Went for a long walk with Tanner this evening after work for no other reason than we could. It’s spring, it’s beautiful…why not. So I grabbed my camera just in case. Oh, the variety of colors, shapes, sizes and scents. Lest it appear that my only focus is flowers nowadays, may I present this. As we walked,…
New Friends and Flowers
Saturday hike with Tanner on a perfect spring day. I’ll take it. We met new friends. This is Sadie and Sophie Bassett. We found random fields of flowers… …some Bleeding Heart… …and the show-stopper: loads of lilacs just starting to bloom. We’ll have to go back when the bushes are at their peak. But today…
So many shades…
…of pink. No wonder the bees are mesmerized.
Hike in the 100 Acre Wood
“Hey Mom, let’s take a hike.” Sunshine…Saturday…time spent with my son in the great outdoors… Gee, twist my arm. It’s amazing how much scenery can be packed into a relatively short trek. Along the way, I’m pretty sure we found Piglet’s house in the 100 Acre Wood. If this thing had a door… Don’t…
Why DO birds sing in the morning? (video)
This little fella greets my fellow office mates like this almost every morning. It’s the happiest, most uplifting thing. I just love him. When I saw this fun article (click here) explaining why birds sing in the morning, I immediately thought of him. Happy First Day of Spring!!
Walk in the Woods
For two days in a row, I’ve taken quick laps around a small local conservation area in attempt to find a very specific tree and recreate one of my favorite photos. Muddy and cold, these weren’t exactly the prettiest walks through the woods I’ve had. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Unlike…
Morning with the Birds
Made my annual trip to Alton, Illinois, to do a little bird watching this morning. I wish a had a longer lens because the eagles were on the hunt this morning and it was tough to get zoomed in enough. If you look closely, you can see that this pretty fella nailed his treasure. An…
Christmas on Ice
When we left our house on Christmas Eve morning, it was cold…and dry. But by the time we’d driven about thirty or forty minutes, the entire world was sparkling. It was stunning. Every twig, berry and blade of grass was coated in ice. Here are a few glimpses from the past three days, that, I might…
Sometimes…
….God smiles in color. And this year, God seems to be smiling a lot. In fact, I’d call it a full-on belly laugh. The trees in our neighborhood don’t even look real this year. It’s absolutely spectacular. A number of four-legged friends were out and about enjoying the colors and cool temperatures. Including this big…
Looking Like Fall
I cannot figure it out, but there are costumed scarecrows all along my route to work. There are so many themes…baseball players, cheerleaders, super heroes, Buzz Lightyear, pirates, you name it. But this Wizard of Oz set is my favorite. …and on the other side of the street is the Wicked Witch and some ruby-red…
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