Art is all around us. Keep your eyes open.
Stay present. Enjoy nature. Get outside.
Choose happiness. Appreciate the beauty.

Whether it’s a morning sunrise… or a wonderful little painted rock I found today while riding. Sometimes the smallest of details can bring the biggest smiles!!! This one did… and now it’s part of my collection to remind me daily.

ART IS EVERYWHERE.

It was a crazy mix of clouds & smoke this morning!!! With the smoke from the Canadian wildfires making it’s way to Chicago, we had poor air quality & even poorer visibility. Not much of a sunrise as it was struggling behind the clouds & smoke. There was such a smoky “fog” engulfing the lakefront…. practically obliterating the view of the downtown skyline. CRAZY!!!

Spent a wonderful afternoon floating around on the water. Kayaking around the Skokie Lagoons enjoying the blue skies, white waterlilies & assorted waterfowl. Always fun to see a Great Blue Heron… and quite possibly my first Black-Crowned Night-Heron?… yes, I had to look it up. A beautiful day of paddling… a nice change from pedaling!

Just a morning milkweed moment…

After a full day of Summer Camp, I was seduced by blue skies… and just had to make a quick escape onto my bike along the lakefront. Beautiful shades of blue as I pedaled along the lake. And now… a quick shower & then back to my studio for the night!!

Looks like someone was out having a little breakfast nosh along the bike trail this morning by Montrose. Imagine my surprise when I turned the corner on my bike and saw her standing right there… not too alarmed, but maybe just a little annoyed that I interrupted her breakfast?!

Since I was headed out to the ‘burbs for dinner with my Dad & Bonnie… I decided to head out early for a pre-dinner hike through the woods. The blue skies had turned to gray, but the flowers were still beautiful… and the egrets didn’t seem to mind!

Yes… my Dad has a girlfriend named Bonnie – for five years now.
And she’s ADORABLE!!! They’re the cutest together!

Not all milkweed plants thrive.

Milkweed along the lake. The monarch butterflies’ favorite… this time with a beautiful view!!!

Incredible weather this afternoon. So glad I had a chance to break away from the studio to get out & play for awhile. A great escape! I highly recommend playing hooky to everyone!!!