Hidden Beauty

Our landscape is rather dull on the whole this month. Until you look up close.

February showers bring...?

From the Archives

Come along for an early-October adventure!

We set out on our bikes from home...

...and peddled over two miles of gravel roads to Direwood.

Mom drove the van out and helped us pick gallons of wild rose hips.

They were gorgeously vibrant with a pleasantly sweet fragrance.

We saw corn being harvested...

...and made our way back home.

Friday Favorites, No. 09

- autumn walk in the woods -

It's pretty nice living near our state's park specializing in maple trees. Stunning at this time of year. So are the more hidden treasures, like these toad stools.

Aurora Borealis

Earlier this week we drove a few yards down our quiet rural road past our windbreak of trees, to watch and photograph the Northern Lights (see Dad's tripod in photo). The atmosphere was full of wildfire smoke and dust, but we still caught faint, colorless glimpses of fingers and waves. Truly awesome!

Glorious Frost

Field Sketch

Though bugs ate me under the shelter of my dress, and my head spun with the loud rush of river rapids, this was a special moment on our doctoring/camping trip.

Noticing beautiful creation with my watercolors.

Walk in the Woods

Another doctoring trip.* Another state park stay. And a beautiful walk in the woods.

 *Though our doctor of seven years retired last year, the young doctor who bought her practice is just what we need. An answer to prayer!

In Which Hannah Celebrates a Birthday

As has become tradition (when weather permits), we celebrated Hannah's birthday at a state park near Maren and Jason's home, making a party more feasible for them to attend in busy greenhouse season. None of us mind spending time in the beautiful outdoors.

After many years of very predictable parties, we now have little ones to make each year unique and lively.

Such as when Joseph's sniffing of a flower bedecked cake ended with a nose dive into frosting. Sobering but delicious.

It looks promising that we will have a water lover this year.

Evangeline's smile is contagious.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Partly Cloudy

Wild Plum

Before I saw them, I smelled the sweet floral scent of our property's wild plum tree blossoms. Rarely do we get plums from these treelets, but they make up for their fruitlessness by putting on a glorious spring show.

deja vu

And Again

Wind and Rain

Today is a grand housecleaning day in creation. Rain is carving away at remaining snowbanks and washing away the grime of winter. Wind is sweeping the trees of loose, dead branches. And as with all good housecleaning, everything looks worse before it gets better.

Baby Sedum

And just like that, spring is here.

Small Wonder

How about another old photo? This one is from March 9. A camera couldn't quite capture the honeycombed texture of this melting snowbank. A small wonder of the world.

I can't choose just one...

...because both photos display the beauty of the Creator.

(Yes, we did just have another snowfall.)

Beautiful Snow

A fresh four inches of snow has come along to remind us how beautiful it is.

Anyone home?

Spring Rain