"Morning road."

“Morning road.”

March is a particularly capricious month in Wisconsin. One day it will be 30-40 degrees F and then next day will be a blizzard. We recently experienced this fluctuation.  I left the house in the morning for several appointments, and by 4 p.m. when I called for a ride home, the sky was spitting snow. After a harrowing ride home, it was time for some comfort food and a warm blankie. By the end of that night we had at least six inches of new white stuff, giving me another few days to get the winter photos I need for the 2019 calendar. If you didn’t purchase one of my 2018 Seasons of Wisconsin calendars, you missed this image, which graces the month of February (bye, Feb.!) but was actually captured in April, so I thought it only fitting that it should bridge the gap with a March blog post.

I’m shooting to have the 2019 calendars ready by end of October this year, so check back before then and let me know if any images from this blog should be considered for inclusion.

“Walter”

Walter

Shortly after we moved into our home, a friend brought over a bunch of trees for us. She’d dug them out of her own yard and wanted to share. One was a silver maple, and I planted it in the front yard to replace a large pine we’d had to cut down the year before.

I named the tree, Walter, because that was her dad’s name. I wanted to show her how I appreciated the gift, and also be able to talk about the tree with my husband. He not only puts up with this behavior, I think he even likes it. At least he knows which tree I’m talking about! Walter grew quickly and provides a beautiful yellow splash in our yard in the fall against the dark pines. His brother, the oak, still nameless, was brought home from a plant sale. One day they will stand over where the pines from Hidden Pine Homestead used to be.

"I'll race you!"

I'll race you!

One of the perks of rural living is the long stretches of empty road on which to race your sibling. Evening sun provides the warmth and pedaling feet provide the wind.

“Magnificent Power”

Magnificent Power

I've been horse crazy since about age 5, so it was with great pleasure that the girls and I took in the Minnesota Horse Expo. We were thrilled to see so many beautiful horses in one place, and of course, I brought my camera along.

This photo wasn’t perfect, but I think it still incorporates much of the emotion that horses can evoke in us, and the potential of powerful beauty that resides within their hearts.

"Sparkles"

Sparkles

Winter is beautiful, even in February. And on some mornings, the sun, wind and snow combine to create a magical effect. Almost like living within a snow globe.

“What lies beneath”

What lies beneath

The girls and I were exploring a nearby forest and they’d run off to read the plaques on some of the trees planted there. I saw this small pool and was fascinated by the leaves, placed as if on glass and floating above the leaves below.

The intricate shapes of the surface cover and yet reveal the characteristics of those beneath. And the light dancing across the surface of the puddle was mesmerizing as well, until I looked down to see the depths of what was revealed.

"Panning for gold?"

"Panning for gold?"

This little guy had lost his patience with our photo session, and I found it more interesting to observe him as well. He was intent on his explorations, and fully immersed in his work.

The water swirling around him and the colorful rocks (which you can’t see here, as I’ve converted the image to gray scale) embrace him.

"Skipping"

“Skipping”

This photo is not technically perfect, but it embodies an energy of youth that I love.

"Blue green purple morning"

“Blue green purple morning”

Driving down country roads is one of my favorite pass times. Especially during the quiet times, when traffic slows and I can take my time, pulling over if someone in more of a hurry comes through. Driving slowly gives me a chance to glimpse possibilities in the world around me.

As a young child, whenever I got to go on a plane trip, I would love to look down on the Earth below. The farm fields and cities were laid out in an enormous quilt of life. I would think about the people below, going about their lives, and wonder what they were doing and thinking. Seeing these patterns from a different angle is natural to me. I love the textures of our Earth. The fields, manicured and planned; the trees, reaching for the sky and the clouds, wild and free, in the wind above it all.

It’s like a co-creation between man and God. Appearing random, but each part having its purpose, plan and time for action. No wonder some of my favorite colors are blue, green and purple.

"Waiting for sunrise"

Waiting for sunrise

It started as a weekend of camping. It ended in a day of rain and crabby kids. But in between, I got out early to set up my tripod and capture a predawn palette of soft pastels brushing up against a backdrop of soft greens and browns. It was mid-summer, so the grasses were very lush and the dew clung to every surface possible.

I thrashed my way out of our campsite to this field, and was not disappointed. Waiting and watching while the sun wakes up has been a joy beyond what I’d imagined when I envisioned it. The whole world is quiet and seems to be waiting. A few birds are calling their early morning greetings. Then, as the sun makes its appearance over the horizon, everything stirs to life and I can feel the movement around me of the amazing abundance of life on Earth. It’s phenomenal, simple and beautiful. I feel humbled, reverent and very grateful to experience it.