With this afternoon’s bright sunshine & cool breezes, it was a perfect day for the neighborhood azalea bushes to start blooming today!!!

We’re all feeling so cooped-up these days…
so take this quick quiz to see where your next adventure should take you!!!

Another morning & another ride with low-flying ribbons of clouds and some waves crashing in for dramatic effect.

A lovely little find on a park bench this morning. Sunrise shadows on this little reminder to love one another… especially during these trying times!

Just finishing up the latest batch of mugs…
adding handles tonight while self-isolating again in my studio!
It’s kinda weird working in my studio these days. I’m so used to having more people around to play with & to chat with. And these days… there’s NO ONE HERE!!! Kinda scary. Kinda weird!!!

I saw this on Banksy’s Instagram and just had to share! With all of us quarantined these days, what’s a famous “graffiti” street artist supposed to do?… except work at home!!!

His comment on Instagram…“My wife hates it when I work from home.”

Yesterday, my niece Taylor & sister Jen tackled a plain gray wall in their basement… with some painter’s tape and paint… and made this amazing mural on the wall of their new “office & art area.” Who knew that that chalk drawing was just the beginning! I love it… as these desperate times call for creative measures!

About a week or so ago… it’s all blurring together, right... my niece Taylor and her mom Jen (my sister) made a beautiful geometric chalk drawing on their driveway. Oh, how this quarantine time is making us all get a little more creative!

And the big questions was “how long will this last with rain coming tonight?”… and then we found out the next morning.

Answer is… better than expected!!!

As I headed home yesterday, I was pedaling through Northwestern University and found this large patch of hyacinths in full bloom. The colors, the shades of purples & pinks… perfect for Northwestern PURPLE!!! And with this many hyacinths all blooming at the same time, the smell was intoxicating… even making it through my mask!!!

A wide vista of Lake Michigan from the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve overlook. A wonderful view shared with… no one!!! Again, pedaling solo! Love the colors… the blue of the sky, the turquoise hue of the water and the mucky brown water where it’s all being churned up by the waves!

It was another beautiful blue sky Sunday yesterday…
so why not go for another beautiful bike ride?!… safely by myself!!!

Again, I headed north as the Chicago Lakefront is still shut-down!
So pedaled north LITERALLY until the bike path ended!
Which is apparently across from the Great Lake Naval Station!

Kinda makes you think of the Shel Silverstein classic book, huh?!

So when I started out on my bike, it looked beautiful, the sun, the blue skies… but… it was a cold & windy ride… I easy could have used another layer… or five!!!

But look at those colors!!!

A little further north at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve area… with a scenic vista overlooking the lake! Still waiting for the prairie grasses & trees to get green again!

Then I went down to the beach area, passing a vintage army machine gun… proving that Fort Sheridan was an actual FORT back in the days!!!

I’ve ALWAYS said that the best part of biking… is STOPPING!
Cuz’ if you don’t, you miss out on seeing beautiful locations like this deserted beach area!

Back up from the beach… an now in the Fort Sheridan neighborhood that used to be a military encampment.

Headed further north… past Lake Forest… past Lake Bluff…

And up into North Chicago which is apparently where the Bike Path ENDS!!! Right across from the Great Lakes Naval Station! I took the path ending as a sign it was time to turn back and head home… especially as my toes & fingers were FREEZING!!!

Okay, maybe one last scenic stop… I mean, I was already there, right?!