Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Spring Rides

How are you, friends? Well, I hope.

Not much has changed here since my last post. I'm still out of work, still working on the book, still waiting and hoping for better things for our troubled country and this suffering world.

When human injustice and folly sicken and weary the soul, the beauty of God's creation can be a soothing balm. Here is a little medicine for the spirit: a spring's worth of cycling photos.

~ ~ ~


("Am I soothing?" asks Tallulah. "Why yes, yes you are!" I reply.)


Skunk cabbage in April, beautifully green after the long brown and white of winter:


The first Marsh Marigolds, frostbitten but still lovely:


You can't see it in this photo, but there were Scilla blossoming on the right-hand bank of the stream below. (I'd have climbed down for photos but it was private property.)


Mmmm...


...violets!


Serviceberry blossom:


Even the humble garlic mustard is a welcome sight after the blossomless months of winter:


Hello!


More Marsh Marigold, shining in the sun:


May rides often include a culinary bonus (these were chopped, sauteed, and added to our eggs the next morning):


Greek-valerian or Jacob's Ladder, one of my very favourite wildflowers:


Sunny clouds of winter cress:


Sweet-scented wild plum blossom:


At the end of an evening ride, I spy three friendly cattle in a field:



"Enough with the photos already!"


I love lean-tos on barns:


Wild apple blossom:


The ground beneath the tree was carpeted with petals:


Gorgeous flowering crab:


A favourite jumble of outbuildings:


Admiring the lovely draft horses:


Large-flowered Trillium growing on a shady bank:


More gleanings from the roadside:


Dame's Rocket, a sure sign that June is near:


Golden Alexanders make their brief appearance along a marsh's edge:


I think this delicate flower is Balsam Groundsel:


Bambi having a snack in the middle of the road:


Wild Phlox, which is often confused with Dame's Rocket:


Tiny Blue-Eyed Grass near the end of its blossom cycle:


Hoary Puccoon (gotta love that name!):


More Dame's Rocket against a perfect spring sky:


This view took my fancy, though I can't say just why:


Wild Oleaster, I think:


A lovely bit of stone fence with bright-red farm buildings in the background:


~ ~ ~

May you find beauty and joy in the midst of whatever life holds for you right now.

Virtual hugs to all!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

22 comments:

  1. Thank you for the beautiful pictures. It's great that you found green asperagus on the roadside. These are a real treat.

    Life is (still) good for me. The economical damage is going to hit later, but nobody really cares ... ???? So why should I destroy peoples' dreams?

    I don't start a conversation about C anymore because it turns into arguments I can't stand. As long as there is hope that the humans will turn to the better, life is worthwhile.

    Two more weeks to go until summer break and I am not tired. We are supposed to get summer weather on Monday, which means sunshine, blue sky and warm to hot temperatures finally. :-) Can't wait!


    All the best!

    Regula

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    1. Thank you, Regula, and I apologize for this late reply.
      It will be interesting (to say the least) to watch the long term effects of this pandemic. I hope they won't be too devastating. And yes, I do hope people can do better.
      I hope you enjoy your summer break, and that the world is a safer place when it's time for school to begin again. Happy Summer!

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  2. Your photo's as always are beautiful and lighten the spirits. I am ok taking each day as it comes and doing lots of embroidery and crochet, I too am loving the outdoors and discovering new paces to walk right on my doorstep, I have found an enchanting wooded area just around the corner to where I live, this lockdown has given me the opportunity to explore my new neighbourhood. I wish I had your knowledge of wild flora, I often see something beautiful and wonder what it is so I take a photo and find out so it's a learning experience too. How lovely to find wild asparagus what a bonus, I'm wanting to find some elderflower trees but so far haven't had much success. Lets hope that things will change for the better very soon and the second part of 2020 will give us some hope for the future. Hugs to you. xx

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    1. Thank you, Linda! I'm so glad to hear that you have gotten a chance to explore your neighbourhood. I hope you can find some elderflower - ours is just starting to bloom here (I think - it looks a lot like certain dogwood blossoms and I tend to mix them up).

      Yes, here's to a better and healthier future for all.

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  3. You know so many flowers!!! i love to see them and recognize them. Then you immediately tell me their names! I've seen so many this year this Spring into Summer. Here's hoping you find a job soon. Sue thats difficult! Those cows are just beautiful. Pastoral settings are very calming to me these days. welcome Wisconsin Summer, I'm seeing by electric bike these days too

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    1. Thanks kathy, and happy Summer to you! I hope we can get together again one of these days. Enjoy your rides! :)

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  4. The special beauty of Wisconsin, my first love.

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    1. Thank you, Vashti! I'm glad to have given you some pleasant glimpses of your home state. Sending hugs from Wisconsin, and hoping you are keeping healthy and cool in sticky Florida. :)

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  5. So good to see the beauty around you, Sue, and I enjoy Tallulah’s participation in your rides as well. Thank you for posting!!! ((Hugs))




    So

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    1. Thank you, Gracie, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Happy Summer to you!

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  6. I feel like I just rode with you through your wonderful countryside.. I enjoyed each and every photo and the names of each. My favorite is of the calf and her momma and the barns. Have a lovely summer my friend. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Thank you, Teresa! Wishing you a lovely Summer as well. Enjoy that beautiful flourishing garden of yours!

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  7. Have lovely to hear from you, you haven't taken us on a ride for a while. Love the cow and calf. CN x

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    1. Thanks, Clicky! The cows were so funny and friendly. I saw them again on another ride a couple of weeks later. :)

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  8. You certainly have an eye for beauty. Such lovely photos. I love wildflowers, but they are so fleeting!
    I didn't know you worked at a bead store. Which one? Is it going to reopen soon? Meant to Bead in Sun Prairie is open, and I felt very safe shopping there.

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    1. Thank you, Deborah! You're right about the wildflowers. I keep a sharp lookout for my favourites because some of them come and go in the span of a week. :)

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  9. It is so good to see you posting again, I have missed you.

    Things are fine for me, nothing has really changed, other than I get regular grocery deliveries now - rather than the ad hoc ones I used to get - and they include wine!

    I was unaware of your change in employment and hope that things sort themselves out as soon as possible.

    Thank you for all of your pictures of Nature, I do so enjoy them.

    My very best wishes to you and yours - here's hoping for safer times! xx

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    1. Thank you so much TA! I was thinking about you just the other day. Good to know that you are weathering the Covid storm and getting your groceries delivered. We go out once a week for ours - those are my only outings except for a couple of times I had to take my dad to the doctor.
      I start back to work later this week, with very limited hours. Honestly I feel a bit nervous. I'm an introvert and this whole stay-home thing has mostly been fine for me - the biggest frustrations have centered around not being able to help my dad (that, and the apparent unconcern of so many people who seem to think wearing a mask is a sign of weakness rather than a gesture of caring for others). I am really looking forward to riding my bike to work though - the river trail is covered with flowers right now. :)
      Best wishes to you too, and yes, here's to safer times for all!

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  10. I am particularity angry today for some reason so these photos have indeed soothed my soul Stay safe.

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    1. I'm so sorry to hear you've been feeling angry, Mere. There's a lot of maddening stuff going on these days. Sending you the biggest virtual hug I can.

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  11. What an amazing route and so much to see. How I envy you..in the nicest of ways of course. I loved to cycle,to school,to work,to University,for pleasure and then again to work here in Alicante and then a bus pushed me oof my bike (heavily bruised that´s all!)and Sr P (hubby) went nuts and didn't want me to cycle here in Alicante anymore. That was about 15 years ago. I still miss it tch!! I walk now.
    How do you get those wonderful snapshots? Do you stop constantly or do you wear a bike camera on your helmet? It has been awhile...10 months away from blogging to be exact ...far too long...sigh!! Life does get in the way sometimes. I am at present contacting all my blogfriends on my blog list to invite everyone to enter my Fresh Start giveaway on my blog. I thought that it would "lift our spirits a bit" in these troubled times. keep well Amanda :-)

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  12. Thank you for your email Sue and I replied to it yesterday. I think I should warn you if you don't see my reply check your spam/junk folder please. This has been happening lately for other bloggers I am in contact with. Take care now :-) Amanda

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