Madison Wisconsin has it's party Dress On

 

Madison has its "party dress on".  So the saying goes in May and June.  All the trees are blooming and although the daffodils are almost gone, the tulip and peony are gearing up.  Lilac are wafting elegant perfume and birds are busy nesting. Happy bird songs float in the window.  

In the lovely 9 acre forest adjacent to Oakwood...the wild flowers are a sight to behold, a baby owlet is sitting on a branch, the baby goslings have jumped to their mom and a pair of sand hills cranes are nesting!

And frogs are crocking up a storm each evening.   

It's a wonderful diversion from what we read each morning in the NYTimes.   

This was painted in daughter Julie's garden on Mother's Day afternoon.

Our thoughts and plans drift toward grandson Mike's high school graduation this Friday evening and my upcoming flight to Dallas for granddaughter Abby's wedding May 30th.  Grandson Dylan was hooded with his masters last weekend.  And this coming weekend we'll celebrate grandson Ben's 27th birthday.  When you have 12 grandchildren there is something every week!!!  

And two more weddings this fall!

Also our thoughts begin to drift toward summer plans.  The kids will open the cabin on Memorial Day weekend.  And will begin using it in June.  We won't go up until July 1. But our thoughts drift that way now and then wondering if the loons are back.  

I am finished with my Physical Therapy for the new knee and am trying to collect lots of "steps" on my daily counter on my iPhone.  One day last week I got to over 4,000 steps!  

On the other hand our hearts ache for all the many many people suffering through endless wars, starvation, and uncertainty.  And we worry for our own country going through a morality crisis on top of so much uncertainty and anguish as well.  

I wish for you all a good spring and early summer. 

Keep in touch.

Ginny

On the Cusp of Spring in Wisconsin

 

A walk on the cusp of spring brings a slight sense of euphoria…The birds were so ecstatic that you couldn’t help but catch their happiness.  Late afternoon…my first visit out to the woods since my knee replacement 7 weeks ago.  That made me a little dizzy with happiness too.  The unusual 70+ temps had melted half the pond where a lone duck was swimming (surely with VERY cold feet!). But all the snow was gone.  My Merlin Bird ID app began recording bird songs while I sketched…doesn’t everyone have that?  If not, you must download it!  Nine bird songs popped up in the first 15 minutes!  But it was the Red winged Blackbirds that took over the show. 
 I looked for green but it’s too early for green yet EXCEPT for the lovely moss on the old boulders gathered at the north end of the pond.  I was drawn to that green and the long shadows in the late afternoon sun.  These old boulders look like they had gathered for a meeting to whisper ancient stories. I listened hard but the birds drowned them out.  For the now mats of thick leaves warm and protect the lovely spring flowers to come in a month or two  as the wild rains and bitter winds continue to howl their last under a blood moon.