'At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear.'

On an early morning last November we watched the sun come up over one of the many lakes in the Minnesota Boundary Waters area

and the sky turn into this:

See more wonderful, hopeful skies at Skywatch Friday. [quote by Norman Maclean from A River Runs Through It]

word-less Wednesday

Ely: que quam chep**

**in Chippewa [Objibwa] means "land of the berries"
When we visit the Iron Range in northeast Minnesota we stay in Ely where this mural was painted on an old building on a side street. It honors the iron ore miners from the four mines in that area. Taken from the sidewalk across the street, a shadow ironically is cast on the faces of the miners' families. The miner's hat is typically red as is the ore found in this area. Ely, which sits at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Region, has been hard hit by our economic decline; last trip there we found several more empty buildings.
See more red at Mary's meme Ruby Tuesday.

just another day in Paradise

Nothing exceptional here except that I find everything about ducks just a tiny bit comical. I came upon this Mallard walking ahead of me on the trail through the woods and after a discussion it was decided that I could pass and he, being impatient, decided to fly away in front of me.
Note to self: see more critters here.

Ridicule is the burden of genius.

Daffy Duck

gray sky watching

Spring never ceases to amaze me at how gracefully she pulls away from winter. The earth is all decked out in apple blossoms, wild mustard, green leafy trees; yet, there's that heavy April-showers cloud lurking. I took this photo on the last day of April because of just that lovely contrast.

See more beautiful skies from all over our dear planet at Skywatch Friday.

the road not taken

I was walking to Caribou yesterday for coffee when I found this written on my path by some ambitious, thoughtful poetry lover. It made my day 100% more beautiful for the reminder. And take note of 'the yellow wood.'

I have seen the most beautiful bleeding hearts in my travels and now the lilies of the valley are peeking out from spring's tender greens.

See more beauty at Today's Flowers, a virtual flower shop.

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.