Something Creative » nature

Arrowhead Park Visit

Nil17 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:42:21 +0000

I took these photos on Father’s Day. We had taken a little jaunt to Arrowhead Park, which is near our house, for a walk. The waterfowl area is well-kept & fairly clean considering all the birds. The paths are perfect for strollers and easily navigated. We walked around the quarry & up to a beautifully shaded picnic area which includes modern restroom facilities. There is a barn from the 1880s that is being restored near the picnic area. It will be interesting to see what the barn will be used for once the restoration is complete.

Father’s Day Firsts

Nil17 — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:11:46 +0000

Some photos from Father’s Day (Abe’s first). We started the day with breakfast almost in bed. The guys came down just as I finished fixing the plates. After breakfast Abe did a little mowing (I’m sidelined from mowing again as our rider died). While Abe mowed, Magnus & I made a card. Magnus liked the feeling of the ink pads on his hands & feet…I was not as excited about trying to get the ink off. I had thought that it would wash off easily… I was wrong. However it is all gone now so all is good. After we showered we headed off to Arrowhead Park. We drive by the park every day but haven’t stopped so it was a good time to go. The main feature is a water fowl feeding area. I will share more photos of that in a later post. We had a nice walk and Magnus caught a little nap. We came home and had a quick lunch, watched movies and just relaxed. I made ribeyes on the grill for supper along with some steamed sweet corn. All in all it was a nice, relaxing day. Happy Father’s Day to Abe…you are so great with Magnus & he sure loves his Dad.

Backyard Mysteries

Nil17 — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:02:56 +0000

Last week when it was nice here (we had a couple days of 90 degree weather) I wandered around my backyard to check out what green thing are growing. I was pleased to discover that amidst the dandelion sea & thistle traps that I have some lovely plants fighting for attention. I have some tulips that grew up on the sunny south slope outside the basement door. Those I picked & brought inside to enjoy.

The three different tulips made a fun bouquet in my TV room. The yellow one bloomed first & was simply massive. The white one bloomed on Mother’s Day and Abe & Magnus picked it for me. The white had the most delicate hint of pink running through the petals. The photo does not do it justice. The deep maroon tulip flowered last & had a dark lavender spot at the bottom of each petal.

One of the surprises I found in the backyard is a plethora of violets. They are patchy at best but with a few days of warm weather I think I will have a lot more.Violets are some of my favorite flowers because they remind me of my childhood. Our farm back then had lots of violets growing all over the lawn by our swing. We used to pick violets and give them to my mom along with dandelions.

I also discovered lilies of the valley along the north side of my house. There is something so sweet & innocent about lilies of the valley…the graduated bells drooping lightly over, the light yet heady scent intoxicates. It is early days yet for these flowers. With some consistent warm, even hot, days they should flourish.

My lilac bushes are starting to fill with blossoms & soon I will have all the windows thrown wide open to catch their perfume. Lilacs simply make me happy. The bright lavender flowers clustered so tightly together, scenting every breath of spring air…plus they carry the spirit of my Grandpa & Grandma Jewett. Grandpa used to go out to their grove & cut a bouquet of lilacs every time we visited their farm. He would carefully wrap the stems in a damp paper towel to keep them fresh on our ride home. I only have purple lilacs…Grandma & Grandpa had purple, pink & white. I’m pretty sure that the white lilacs I’ve spied across the road in the neighbors ditch will be getting plucked in secret…

Falls Park

Nil17 — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:39:42 +0000

We spent a little while in Falls Park in Sioux Falls over the weekend. Here are some of the photos that I took. It was cool but so nice to be outside enjoying the last of the nice weather before winter arrives.

Sunrise–A Pictorial

Nil17 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:08:58 +0000

I am a notorious night owl/insomniac. This tends to be a bit of a huge problem with an infant around. Lately it hasn’t been too bad but this past weekend I had a night where I absolutely could not sleep. I read all night & Abe woke up early so we decided to take a load of stuff over to the new house. As we were leaving the sun was just beginning to rise so I snapped a few photos. I was so fantastic to be out in the fresh morning air enjoying the fact that we will so be living in the country.

Country Summer

Nil17 — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:41:19 +0000

There have been very few posts on here lately & they have pretty much been serious & a bit depressing. I won’t apologize for that because I’m hella depressed. However I have not forgotten to notice the beauty around me. Though I haven’t been outside much this summer I have managed to take pictures while traveling to & from the doctor’s office. Out here my scenery is comprised of extensive corn & soybean fields covered in a bright blue bowl filled with puffy clouds. Summer here is hot & humid during the day; the nights are hot, humid & stormy. Many nights I have woken to fierce lightning & thunder rocking my house. When the rain starts drumming on the house & lawn I roll over, snuggle deeper into the covers and slide into slumber again. Anyway, here are some of the pictures I’ve captured this summer….

A Burst of Spring

Nil17 — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:26:01 +0000

A year ago I waxed (somewhat) poetic about the joys of spring. I was often found sitting on my front patio (sometimes wrapped in a large blanket) enjoying the sounds, scents & sun of that time. I reveled at my country dwelling & all the charms present. Flowers blooming, trees flowering & heavy with the scent of promised fall apples. The nearby water offered up the choral performances of frogs calling for mates. It was a heady time full of desire & I was stepping out into an unknown realm. I was more than ready to embrace it & my exuberance was obvious. This year is a world apart from that time. I’m feeling much more jaded with life (not that I’ve ever been much of a wide-eyed girl) and find it hard to look at anything like I did then. My summer took a turn when I ended up in hospital for a week at the beginning of August. That set me back physically as expected but the mental aspect I was something for which I was NOT prepared. With my plans & dreams of the spring wilting under the heat of late summer & my body betraying me I was lost. For the first time I was enveloped in a fog of depression. I wasn’t ready to deal with it nor even to admit it (not even in my own head) for a long time. I pulled into myself, avoiding as much contact/interaction with people as I could, and felt the promising blossoms of spring turn with the oncoming fall weather. Work was more than a difficult situation, life at home was increasingly frustrating as we tried to find a solution to Abe’s jobless status & I felt like hibernating. We made a big decision to start looking for jobs & housing outside of our current area. This led to several trips back to my hometown area as jobs were more available and housing was much less expensive. Soon we had agreed that a move to another state (near where I grew up) was in order & preparations began. Now we are moved in if not settled in & things are going okay. With the oncoming warm weather I find that glimmer of light encouraging me that I will find the end of this feeling (whatever it may be…I’m hard pressed to define it). Life is about to go around another sharp curve this summer when I finally become a mother. July 6th is fast approaching & I am totally unprepared for the event. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that there really isn’t a way I can be prepared…and we all know how I like to be prepared, organized & ready for any eventuality. Right now I’m sitting on my new patio in our tiny little backyard feeling the wind from the prairie whoosh through town & enjoying the sun, blossoming trees & occasional birdsong….a burst of spring to remind me that nothing remains unchanged.

And into the West a Sunset

Nil17 — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:01:03 +0000

These are just random pictures I’ve taken of the area around our new home. One thing I can say about living on the prairie is that when there is a sunset (or sunrise) I don’t have to worry about finding a clear shot. It’s easy to avoid an ill-placed tree in the wide open plains. I miss the giant conifers that guarded our house up north. When the weather was raging somehow I always felt safe & sheltered by those massive green giants. Out here I feel exposed & isolated…something with which I used to feel comfortable. After living in the dense forests of northern Minnesota I’ve lost that feeling of comfort & belonging that I acquired as a child. Anyway here are a few photos I took while riding home one day (I think it was Easter Sunday).

Feeling Summer in the Winter

Nil17 — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:38:45 +0000

This past weekend we were lucky enough to welcome visitors to our new house here in South Dakota. It was fantastic to see Pete, Anne and the boys. There was lots of laughter & some adventure. One of the things we did was visit the Sertoma Butterfly House. It’s a very cool place to check out & it is also a fabulous place to feel a little bit of summer in the middle of winter. The viewing house is kept at 86° with 80% humidity. It is filled with amazing tropical butterflies that flit around & occasionally catch a ride on the visitors. Check out the pictures I managed to snag with my phone’s camera. I definitely want to go back sometime with my good digital camera & see what I can capture.

Snowmageddon 2009 or A Typical Minnesota Winter

Nil17 — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:58:44 +0000

This was the scene at my parents’ house on Christmas Eve. I was deathly ill over the holidays but I did take a few minutes to bundle up & go out to capture some of the snowfall. It has been a very snowy winter this season…it reminds me of my childhood when we’d have days off of school because there was so much snow & the wind would blow so wildly. The last few years have definitely been atypical with the lack of snow/cold. Not that I complained…let’s be honest nobody REALLY likes -40 temps. I do love the look of snow falling, swirling & drifting across the prairie. It’s so peaceful when the snow closes off the world, blanketing the modern world & scrubbing everything clean with the icy winds. Of course now I have to deal with shoveling the driveway, warming the cars, paying the heating bill and all that other grown-up stuff. I do love the feeling of cuddling up on the sofa with Hubby & the dogs; a movie on the telly & a hot chocolate. It is a safe haven & I’m hoping the new house will settle well so we can spend the rest of winter cozy & warm.