Dreaming about

I am....
Dreaming of my vacation place.

It is among trees,

far from any roads,

far from any lights,

and far from the internet

and cell service.

Imagine a spot with so much beauty.
A place where Fireflies dance the 
night away.

A place with
glorious sunrises.

Steps away from this dream vacation spot are 

morning views that would make one 

sigh.

The night sky is more amazing than any television show
and it feels like the stars are performing just for you.

My goal for this summer was to do some travelling and camping at various State Parks.

I wanted to go to places I've never visited, the waterfalls of northern WI. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. State Parks in Iowa that have interesting rock formations.

I wanted to take the dogs camping with me in a tent and see how we got along. 

But then this economical thing happened. With a fairly strict budget, with the thought of the cost of gas cutting into my budget for a long drive is becoming less and less appealing.

I'm going to still try and do some day trips to some other areas. But the thought of driving far distances with the pups and I to camp? Hmmm.

I want peace. I want quiet. I want no one else to listen to while in my camping spot. I want clear views of the night skies and the morning sunrises.

I want the dogs to feel free to run out of the tent with me in the morning and pee where ever they wish. 

Maybe I'll have a spot to cook a simple supper or have a little campfire.

And after all of those points I wish to have. 

BAM

I realized I have it right here without leaving home.

Well, for at least now. I will learn how to camp with my dogs and figure out what I need for that time I DO take a long trip and explore other places.

Hannah is standing in the area where I will be putting down some stall mats so that the vacation spot will have a 'floor' for a table and a couple of old chairs.

A fire ring of native rocks will grace the site along with a spot for a tent.

Facing the other way I can see an open meadow just footsteps away. A place I can watch the night sky and see the stars and the Milky Way.

Soon, the fireflies will begin to appear here and there across the meadow and in the forest. Night life will be amazing. 

So for now,

why dream about the perfect place to camp, when it is on my own land.

Exploring may have to wait. But I am patient.

Spring days and the groove

Finally. Getting back into the groove of things.

I walked the dogs just after dawn and then took a walk without them into the land east of us.

First I looked for flowering trees and searched to see if I could hear the Cat Bird yet. The wrens were singing along with Cardinals, Blue Jays, Brown Thrasher, and Morning Doves. [I heard others but couldn't ID them]

The shot below is of one of the wild apple trees before the sun lit it up.

When the sun touched other trees in the Meadow, I was stunned. The morning light adds so much warmth to the colors. 

Midday washes colors out, but evening also ads color.

Here is the lowly and unloved Box Elder Tree with its seeds ready to spread in the wind.

My all time favorite tree has nasty thorns, but I think is beautiful, is the Hawthorn Tree.

There is a small patch of them just outside of the Meadow.

Thankfully, the loggers didn't find them worthy of their chainsaws.

They will blossom any time now. 

In the fall their leaves turn brilliant and their flowers turn to red berries.

I had some friends in my pocket, so I couldn't resist.

My Pink Titan 13 had to smell the wild apple blossoms. 

Wall-E and Eve came along. Under the tree they found a quiet moment for love.  💖

These turned out much nicer than my efforts the other day. I can say that I am pleased with them.

The white and purple violets are for Sandra from This and That!

My yard is full of them. I am mowing around them!

Yellow Wood Violets!

Enjoy your spring day. Hopefully it is a good one. With the longer days, I feel like I am getting more things done.

Sunrises

Sunsets

Mini Road Trip

Well. Saturday morning I wanted to get out and go to the ponds where I'd seen the Swans. I brought my long lens along and a different one in case things didn't quite work out.

They didn't.

The Kickapoo River Valley had decided to fill with fog.

I could see this from our ridgetop when I got to it. The valley and low areas were filling in with fog. I decided to go and explore anyway.

The drive along the highway in the valley was slow because of the fog. Well, the fog and the deer. 

Taking that drive near dawn on a Saturday morning meant that I wouldn't see a lot of traffic. I could take my time and stop if the mood overcame me.

I pulled over in the low lands. I've always wanted to stop and 'shoot' as it looks like something out of a movie. It reminds me of the Swamp of Sorrows in the Never Ending Story movie.

I couldn't decide if this should be in color or black and white. I am actually leaning towards the color version which shows the bright yellow grasses as they are fading. But the black and white version is the mood I get from passing this wetland on foggy mornings.

I hoped that I could get above the fog at Warner Creek and look down from the small bluff that overlooked it. Maybe if I waited a half hour or so I could have.

For fun I tried out my ND built in filter to take a 1 second exposure of the creek. I set the camera on the bridge railing and held it still. In the fog and rising sun, the colors in the weeds and brush along the creek shone with colors of fall.

Charlie was happy to get out of the car and take a little walk with me. 

My inner clock of 10 years said it was time to turn around and get going. I got in the car and we started back down the road. Fog had cleared in parts of the area, but when I went over Jug Creek Bridge, I saw something amazing with fog and light.

I was going to pull over but thought better of it with a truck that had come racing up my tail. So at the next road, I signaled and pulled off to go back. I'm glad I did.

Jug Creek was the winner of the amazing views of the day.

This shot was looking east on top of the bridge and down at the creek.

I walked across the bridge and took this shot. The shadow of the bridge darkens the bottom of the photo.

In the distance are the hills and bluffs that I have climbed to watch the sun come up.

I looked down at the creek and took this next shot. There used to be an equine trail that crossed the creek so that no equine had to come up on the bridge and deal with motor traffic. I'll never forget the time we rode with a group and a gent's horse decided that the creek was a great place to cool off.

The horse laid down in the creek and the fella jumped off. His boots still had water in them when we got back to camp. There are fond memories way down...there....

By this time the traffic was picking up and I decided to find another spot to turn around. I went down Jug Creek road and was presented with some more glorious fog opportunities.

I drove up to the next intersection and turned around. The fog was lifting.

Oddly enough, the fog remained pretty thick on the drive back home along the river. 

But I didn't stop or take any more detours as it felt odd to be away from home. Plus I had chores to get done, a cabinet to finish, and paperwork to fill out.

Bumper Crop...and what else....

 

Since there was a bumper crop this year once again, I am opening up my pumpkins to anyone on the ridge or friends of mine who would like some free pumpkins to decorate their porches or yards with.

Why not? I enjoy growing them and I really enjoy the fun when the kids come out and pick some pumpkins up.

I have a row of my own on my porch and some decorating parts of the yard.

I'm still trying to find my way through each day. The times I really miss him are the times we'd sit together and watch some Britbox on TV. Hmmm, or when we'd chat over coffee, or when he'd ask for popcorn, or ...well, he is always on my mind.

Most of my mornings involve some coffee and then a nice walk along the ridge with Charlie. So many September mornings start with fog. It is visually beautiful.

I think I'm doing pretty okay. With the yard, fences, pastures, all under control for now, I have time to take some hikes.

Sunday seemed like a perfect day for that.