I found this little guy at my Aunt Irene’s pond. The white background highlighted his features beautifully. Reminds me of a southwestern pattern or midcentury modern decor.
I went online and I think it is a hickory tussock caterpillar, which turns into a moth.
I’m loving winter. It’s been a mild one so far, with some very cold days and a few inches of snow, but no extremes. My husband and I were just saying yesterday how we wished the Northeast blizzard were here instead of there.
The winter sunrise is gorgeous. The last few weeks the sun has been coming up around 8 o’clock and we can see it from our street. It’s so beautiful reflecting on the snow and the wet concrete. Golden, pink, orange. Soooo pretty and of course photos aren’t nearly as good as the real thing.
I love watching the snow fall. And the way everything looks before snowplows or footprints ruin its newness.
Snow and wintry skies add mystery and intrigue to buildings.
And the lake is constantly changing.
Ask me again in March, whether I’m sick of the cold yet. I do hate that I can’t run as often (sure, there are folks who do, but I don’t gear up unless it’s warmer than 29 degrees). But I’m trying hard to enjoy what’s in front of me at this moment. Right now. So often I’ve not lived in the moment with heavy regrets later on. So I embrace you, winter. All of your harshness and vulnerability. I see you. And you are beautiful.
What Grosse Pointe lacks in the food department, it makes up for in beauty (and that’s saying a lot, friends). Fall has been an amazing display of color. The landscape changes a little bit each day, and I can’t stop staring.
The pinks are my favorite. Normally they’re paired with yellow hues, so you have this beautiful combination of the brightest yellow close to the trunk, and then a slow fade to pink. The perfect ombre. Nature gest it right every time.
But the oranges are also striking. So bright, so bold. And the plums! The reds! It’s enough to make you fall on your knees and weep.
There’s something foreboding about Fall that makes it seem more intense than Spring. Winter is coming. There are already whispers of another bad year (Farmer’s Almanac and such). Right now, though, the trees are trying hard to tell us to pay attention. Look around. Enjoy. And I, for one, am doing just that.
Tree in Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
The north side of the observation deck.
Yesterday I found a bunch of Sutro Heights pics that I meant to use for a post on (what else) Sutro Heights. Now that I’m no longer in San Francisco, I can’t really write the post I originally intended. Instead, I give you a handful of photos taken on that blustery foggy day for my second installment of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument.
Sutro Heights
San Francisco, California
The mighty Diana (back view. obviously.)
Here’s a very quick overview of Sutro Heights: A very wealthy man named Adolph Sutro (who also became mayor of San Francisco) built an estate overlooking Ocean Beach, which included beautifully manicured grounds, a huge glass conservatory and an observation deck, which was open to the public.
Most of the estate was destroyed by a fire in 1966, but a few statues and some of the structure still stand. It’s an under-visited park, in my opinion. Across the street is the more-popular (and also super beautiful) Sutro Bath ruins (yep, built by Mr. Sutro) and Land’s End trail.
The back of the observation deck.
Another view of the observation deck.
The observation deck circa 1890s. Image courtesy of postcardroundup.com
Pointes of View 