MattPenning's photostream  

This circle of birdhouses was something new to see for me.

In Southwind Park, in Springfield, Illinois, there's many different installations to interest visitors. An accessible tree house is one, bocce ball and horse shoe pits are another. This circle of colorfully painted birdhouses around a large and equally colorfully painted representation of Abraham Lincoln's top hat is a surprise.

I wonder what type of birds they are built to attract? Not Purple Martins, that much I know. We had Purple Martin condo-style birdhouses in the fruit tree orchard we maintained where I was grew up. There, the idea was to attract the mosquito eating birds, to cut down on the bites.I'll inquire with the Park District to see if there's an answer to my question.

Here, it was another fine foreground subject for that spectacular sky. We've had some doozies lately.

Lucky me.

It's a whole lot of flat land around here.

A few bluffs and the occasional hill can be found, where the Sangamon river or some other of nature's toolbox pushed the earth up to the sky.

That's one reason why I find rocks so wonderful.

As a lad, we used to explore the limestone hill that was across the creek on our place. We'd play pirates, cave explorers, and rock hunters, as we would dig into the side of the hill into the rock. We'd play king of the hill, explore for arrow-heads or other artifacts, and have a ton of fun.

So, rocks are something I enjoy.

This pile of limestone (at least I think it's limestone) is part of a series of piles that are part of the wetland restoration area in Southwind Park. It was the first thing I went to when I got out of my car that day.

The sky was a great counterpoint to the rock edges and faces. Nice blue and soft, feathery clouds.

Anyone want to go digging for hidden gems?

Out for a walk on one of our local trails, I was passed by many runners and a few folks on bikes.

It was a beautiful day for being outside. The sky was clear of clouds, showing it's full blue mantle. The temperature had risen to a comfortable 40F and the winds, while gusty and brisk, were moderated by the trees on the trail.

I took off in the mid afternoon. It was my first time on this trail even though it's been there for decades. I ease into new things.

After this runner passed me, I thought, what a perfect opportunity for a picture. A couple quick shutter presses later and here you are.

I was lucky.

I caught her in mid-stride. Both feet in the air, a nicely defined shadow underneath. That the trail was curving just ahead is a nice bonus.

No swimming, and no walking on the ice of this pond either.

It was a frosty morning for a walk in Lincoln Park in Springfield, Illinois. All surfaces that hadn't yet been touched by the sun's warmth were sparkling with frost. As I walked around the perimeter of the park, I had to move from the roadway path to the grass on occasion. The black-ice effect was making my footing unsure on those frost-laden spots. No problem on the grass, I made it around in a vertical fashion, with no sudden prone splats.

The small pond or lagoon here, had a very rough surface. From fallen leaves, or stones and sticks thrown, by local children trying to crack the icy crust no doubt, the ice was dimpled and spotted. The sun caught all the small rough spots and had them glistening in reflected light.

Here, I framed the scene to include part of the no swimming sign. I wanted to get the sparkle of the sun, the long shadows of early morning light and that rough ice surface.

Gives me the chills just looking at it.

Once more the sun sets, giving us hope for another sunrise.

I stayed through the sunset, into what I thought was the last of the light show, but on by those long rays of light that peak from beneath the horizon and light up the sky after sunset. I left, and later looked once more at the horizon only to see an even more spectacular show of deep reds in the wispy clouds hanging like banners above the sky.

I hope to increase my sunset count, hoping for another chance for a sunset spectacle.

There's always hope for tomorrow.