remembering Vincent

Yet another stunning sunrise this week in baby blanket colors of pink and blue.

I                                                                          I was thinking of Vincent's Blossoming Almond Tree painting when I chose this tree along Como Lake to shoot. 

                                                                                                                                                                     

More skies to enjoy can be found @ Skywatch Friday.

what a difference an hour makes up north

At 6:30 this morning I took this photo from my usual spot at Caribou Coffee as the sun was pouring in from the east. A lovely sight, warm and full of promise of a sunny day. What a contrast to the photo below taken in my front yard close to an hour later where big fluffy snowflakes are falling.

I had intended to wax poetic as I posted the first photo for Skywatch Friday all about how there is a definite sweetness in March, a little preview of spring and all that. Will save that for next time and link this contradiction to Skywatch Friday here.

♥

Off my deck one morning I captured these tree tops standing in the cold. A small stone to keep in my pocket was their apparent happy greeting of the sun and persevering, waiting it out. I'm reminded of this same truth whenever I see  four legs, paws or feathers visiting our yard during the day.

Bean the cat seems perturbed as she watches me pack up the last of the Christmas decorations. No more sneaking around, chewing on the tree or sitting in the empty boxes. Life can be like that. Since she won't allow anyone to pick her up or hold her, there'll be no explaining the facts to this serious little feline.

note to self: look up from the computer once in awhile!

              One is apt to overestimate beauty when it is rare. Mark Twain

I was working on the computer early one morning this week when I was blinded by this gorgeous sunrise You catch a glimpse of the lake near us in the first picture, both taken from the frosty deck.

It occurred to me that even if I don't see beauty as it is happening, it is still happened.

Elementary, my dear.                     

Stop by Skywatch Friday for more breathtaking sky views.

frick and frack

Our local skies continue to be angry or serene, usually all in one day. This photo captured the rain coming from the west toward Minneapolis one afternoon last week. Below is a blissful view of the sky as the sun was coming up this morning. But don't be fooled, its been raining ever since. I'm just saying. . .

Visit more skies from all compass points here.

He will not see me stopping here. . .

Saturday last we 'received' over 6 inches of snow in one day which ushered in this whole winter in Minnesota thing in style. I took this photo Wednesday morning when the crunchy snow was sun-washed. Due to freezing day temps since Saturday, the lakes are starting to freeze too. Soon the less stalwart water fowl will leave us for several months.

There is a fragile beauty in the sky and on the morning snow now. More beautiful skies to be seen @ Skywatch Friday.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Robert Frost

sweet repose

On our Mississippi River tour I posted about earlier this week, we spent the night in rural Wisconsin. The next morning we got on the road just as the sun was coming up. I thought I'd heard cows lowing the evening before. . .I took this shot of the sunrise and if you look closely you can see the bovine beauties still in the shadowy dawn light.

Heading north the valley was socked in with low fog while the sun burned bright against the high ground.
Nothing compares to the smell of crops in the field covered with dew or the farm animals when you're on a motorcycle. And the sky really put on a show for us.

See more beautiful skies at Skywatch Friday.

“Praise the ripe field not the green corn.”
Irish Proverb

SkyWatch Friday all in one day

My sky views at sunrise, midday and sunset--same big Midwestern sky, different days in September.

Visit SkyWatch Friday for more unique sky views from all over the world.

red sky at morning

Early morning sky over Lake Michigan at the beginning of September--late summer or early, early fall?

Click here for more skies

All you umpires, back to the bleachers.

Referees, hit the showers.[falling leaves circled]

It’s my game.

I pitch, I hit, I catch. I run the bases.

At sunset, I’ve won or lost.

At sunrise, I’m out again, giving it the old try.~~ Ray Bradbury

Again with the reflections on the lake, I know. . .but. . .pink clouds and two contrails?! Besides, it was 29 degrees this a.m. when I said to hell with the gym and walked around Island Lake for a look see. I knew it would have changed in a week's time and I was right. Less foliage, less leaves, half clothed trees, frost, three Loons and a partridge in a pear tree a gôr'jəs sunrise. Baby blanket colors across the sky. A perfect morning but really, really cold and I hadn't planned accordingly. But, being resourceful, I made a bathroom stop at a grocery store nearby and bought a pair of stretchy gloves. I guess those merit badges I earned in Girl Scouts paid off after all.

A Tundra cartoon complete with spilled tea that I meant to post yesterday. I'm hoping it will still be funny today:

p.s. Neo-Nazis! Didn't your mothers teach you its not nice to plot to kill a presidential candidate? Get a job! That's all I have to say!