Bringing a bit of nature’s beauty indoors. White hydrangeas in a stamped & soda-fired vase.

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Some beautiful irises have been blooming in my front yard garden. Sadly, they’re all nearing the end of their blooming cycle. I think I might need to find some “late bloomers” to extend the iris season next year?! Any suggestions???

And my favorite little Siberian irises that are blooming well for the first time after re-locating them to a new place in the garden last Fall.

And yes, some of these flowers are HUGE!!!… almost as large as my hand!!!

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A perfect day to hang out and relax by the Lake. Simple. Easy. Done.

Yesterday we had a wonderful day of pedaling through rural Wisconsin for the Horribly Hilly Hundreds. Starting at Blue Mound State Park and rolling off into “the middle of nowhere.” So much fun to spend the day pushing up the hills, zooming down… but still taking time to enjoy the scenery and spend time with friends!

Great ride, great hills… some tough to pedal up, and tough to walk up for some!
Here’s our friend Joni walking up. But as long as you’re still moving forward it’s all good!

Always ready to stop at the top of a hill and wait for our friends, here’s Chris at the top…
waiting, smiling, and watching other bikers fly down the next hill.

We’ve always said that the “best” part of biking is stopping.
As we’re always ready to stop and take in the local scenery. So much fun to get away from the hustle & bustle of the City. Out into the rural farmlands of Wisconsin. Chatting with locals, admiring nature and meeting some local livestock. It’s amazing to see all of the natural beauty if you just take time to look up from your handlebars!

Stopping… posing… and enjoying time with friends on the Horribly Hilly Hundred.
Thanks to my biking pals Chris and Nancy for making it so much fun!!!

Even better when you get to play at the Finish Line photo-op knowing that the hills are behind you! Sweaty, gross and a bit salt-encrusted. Exhausted but exhilarated… and already looking forward to the next ride!!

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Me liken’ the lichen. You lichen???
Or am I just barking up the wrong tree?

Beautiful colors this morning as the spring flowers are still in bloom. Some have already faded, but others are hanging on with the cooler weather we’ve been having.

Morning sun spotlighting some of nature’s beauty. A bush full of white spring flowers and wonderful “camouflage” bark textures peeling on a sycamore tree.

With all of the talk lately about our “President” wanting to get rid of some of the designated National Monuments, I thought it was a great time to watch the documentary by Ken Burns about America’s National Parks… before they’re gone, damn you Mr. Trump!!! It’s a wonderful documentary. Very insightful showing the development and the importance of the National Parks system. And why we need to make sure it stays in place for generations to come!

I’ve been a HUGE fan of the National Parks system for a long time. I’ve been to several of them, and each one is better than the next!!! Even better when seen from my bike!!! Like the time we rode our bikes up and over “Going To The Sun Highway” in Glacier National Park, all the way down the Rockies and into Yellowstone. I’ve told many people that Yellowstone is one of the most amazing & unbelievable places I’ve EVER been to!!! Crazy cool things around ever corner!!!

Or pedaling through the desert to the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest… or stopping off at the Grand Canyon. It was my first trip through the desert during my cross-country bike ride from Los Angeles to Boston.

Or the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains… lush and green, beautiful mountains, waterfalls and scenic vistas.

So many amazing places that have been given National Park or National Monument status. I sadly must admit that I didn’t know the difference between the two before watching the documentary. But I do know… so I understand more fully what Mr. Trump is trying to take away from the American public. Something special that has been part of the American experience for decades!!!

I loved the documentary and would recommend it to everyone who loves nature, National Parks, or history. They go in chronological order as they show the creation of the system. The struggles , the patrons, the Presidents who fought so hard to keep them. It was amazing to find out more about the influences of those you’ve heard about for years… John Muir, Ansel Adam, the Rockefellers… and the creation of The Audubon Society and The Sierra Club. And the struggles the park system has gone through during The Depression, the World Wars and politic struggles.

It would be a huge disappoint and greater shame if we were to lose any of these National Monuments or National Parks.

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Morning sun on Springtime flowers.
Beautiful crabapple trees during this all-too-short time span.

Morning sun on Springtime flowers.
Beautiful crabapple trees during this all-too-short time span.

A wonderful purple carpet of wild scillia in the woodlands near the Waveland Golf Course. Sure, we didn’t get much of a sunrise this morning, but we got beautiful flowers! Ain’t nature great?!!!