And So Today the Sun Shines

How Much More WInter, Litle Guy?

How Much More Winter, Little Guy?

Happy Ground Hog’s Day, wherever you may be, and whatever your forecast. We all know winter will last as long as winter lasts, no matter what the groundhog does, but it adds a bit of fun in the middle of a long winter. Might as well enjoy winter now, now that the temps are at least tolerable when you need to be outside for awhile.

I don’t mind snow. I don’t like ice storms, though they do offer spectacular photo ops, nor below zero temperatures much, but we shouldn’t see too much more of that, even in Wisconsin.

Soon, soon. . .Spring. I’d be happy to have Spring visit in 6 weeks. (Mid-March! Wow! That would be great!) But the groundhog, whether or not he sees his shadow this far north, he never seems to be too accurate.

I had to cheat a bit – this is a prairie dog, but I figured since I was in prairie land, the substitution would work.

No matter. Hope your ground hog (?) behaves a bit more scientifically than my guy does. 🙂

Barn au Natural

Same Barn, Different Look

Same Barn, Different Look

I started comparing the photo of this barn with the one in my last post, and I think I like the faded tones of the barn in its natural state better than the one I did in sepia. Evokes a different feeling, but I like the reds balancing the composition. Having a hard time deciding, so I guess I will hang out with both of them.

Under the Dome

Interior Dome, Off Center

Capitol Dome, Off Center

Wisconsin’s State Capitol Building underwent an exhaustive restoration, beginning in 1988 and finishing in 2002, at a total cost of nearly 160 million dollars. The main objective of the project was to convert the Capitol into a modern working building for government business while restoring and preserving its original 1917 appearance.

If nothing else, the renovation gives me great photo ops when I get camera fever and want to avoid below zero wind chills taking photos outside.

Waiting…

...and waiting and waiting and waiting

...and waiting and waiting and waiting

Though Madison has five lakes in the city or just south of the city, it is usually called the City of Four Lakes. The four lakes are successive lakes of the Yahara River. In the summer, it’s great fun to launch a boat in Lake Mendota (“Fourth Lake”) and travel through the lakes and connecting waters passages, heading south past Lake Monona (“Third Lake”), Lake Waubesa (“Second Lake”), and into Lake Kegonsa (“First Lake”). The Yahara River eventually flows into the Rock River which eventually flows into the Mississippi. Lake Wingra, the fifth lake, is not a part of the Yahara system, though it is inside the city proper. Wingra, quite small, is mostly used for canoeing or fishing or just lake watching.

Downtown Madison is positioned between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and the area is usually referred to as the Isthmus. As in “I’m going to the Isthmus” or occasionally one might say “I’m going to the Capitol” (which is smack dab in the middle of the isthmus). Only infrequently does one hear “I’m going downtown.” Every school kid in Madison grows up knowing what an isthmus is, and how to get to Madison’s Isthmus. Madison even has a newspaper called The Isthmus.

Of Madison’s 85 square miles, 81% is land and 19% is water. Lots of water fun in Madison.

Though right now, it’s more like lots of ice fun – skating, cross-country skiing on the snow covering the ice, kite sailing, and ice fishing for hardy souls.

Mormodes Orchids

Pretty as a Picture

Pretty as a Picture

These orchids grow throughout Mexico and south to Bolivia and Brazil in tropical forests. Usually they grow on the rotting parts of trees or rotting logs and trunks.

Another photo from the Bolz Conservatory in the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. My favorite place to photograph when I’m in the mood to take photos and still stay warm.