Really?

When I got up this morning (at 5:30 a.m. on my day off) and saw all the heavy wet snow weighing down the pine branches and sticking to the leafless trees, I thought it may make for a photo worthy morning. But, as I sat in the old lazy boy sipping my tea and watching "Sweet 16" on MTV, I realized the sun was in no mood to help sparkle the snow, so we both lazied our Saturday morning. While doing what I do and googling to help wake up my mind, the fog decided to lend a hand and change up my photography expectations. I geared up in double fleece, opted for jeans rather than pajama pants and, with fingerless gloves on and camera in hand, ventured an early moring walk (definitely not usually a choice I make).

Just me, the trees, the breeze and the birds, I experienced a full sensory morning. Thunump, thunump as the snow slid off the branches and joined the layer on the ground. Cherurp, caw, cherurp, caw, caw as the birds all awakened to a hazy morning with all there green taken back. Spleoop, spleoop---spleoop, spleoop as my boots hit warm pavement under melting slushy snow. Hu-ho, hu-ho, hu-ho as I huffed on my trek back to the house, and realized I am quite out of shape thanks to an extra long winter.

Finger tips frozen and a caterpillar shocked by a fall from a snowy tree branch, I share with you my end-of April U.P. morning. If I was a fist shaker, I'd be shaking it at the weather man who forecasted 60 degrees and sunny tomorrow.

Shadow Hopping

Today, as Bits and I are in the kitchen eating our strawberry granola bars and dancing to the music in our heads, I realized there was no other child in this world better suited for me.

We took another family walk in our soon to be spring U.P. and Bits shadow hopped my silhouette and giggled every time he misstepped.

Mike has, for sure, lost any hope of increasing his heart rate and attaining an actual quality walking pace when I'm along for the stroll, because my "shiny object syndrome" always gets in the way. Something wonderful that I see today may not look the same tomorrow, so the need to capture the moment always compels me to stop even with the frustrated vocalizations of my husband. Honestly, do you not see the beauty in the peeling paint of a green light pole against the receding snow in the background?

I can't help myself...I like what I like and my eyes scan constantly for new inspirational shots. People should feel lucky that I'm not taking pictures of all the dog poo left by our cold friends during their winter walks (honestly, I'd have enough pics. to make a substantial coffee table book).

Wooly Worms and Want-a-bees

Looky, looky, I'm out of hibernation like the wooly worms.

Here are pics from my first true family walk since returning to the world of employment. To say I've been busy would be correct. To say I work too much, also correct. To say I really miss photographing and blogging would be the truest statement yet.

Woolly worms are out and cattail seeds are striving to separate themselves from their tethers.

Please enjoy these first images of the 2010/2011 U.P. winter that I've captured, although rather late in the game and hopefully I'll have spring pics next week or so.

Here's my inspirational motto for the week: "Keep crawling woolly worm!"