April 30, 2010
Day 120 - Bike ride
We've been having a beautiful spring. It's the last day of April and I took my first bike ride of the season today. I rode over to Lake Arlington. It was a bit windy, but a great day to be outside enjoying the spring weather.
April 29, 2010
Day 119 - Lilacs
The smell of lilacs is in the air! It is one of my favorite smells of spring. We have a couple of small lilac bushes in our yard that I hope will have large blooms like these some day. In the meantime, I enjoy the lilacs as I walk around the neighborhood.
April 28, 2010
Day 118 - Swimming
It was a beautiful day for a long walk with the dog today. We headed over to one of Lucy's favorite spots, a small restored wetlands area by our house. It looked like it was a nice day for a swim, too!
April 27, 2010
Day 117 - Splash!
Today I got to sub for the teacher of one of my favorite special education classes. A recreation field trip was planned, so it wasn't a typical school day! We took the kids swimming. This photo shows one of the boys coming down the slide in the pool. Everyone had a wonderful time!
April 26, 2010
Day 116 - Purple flowers
I stopped at the nursery today to pick up a birthday gift for a friend. Of course, while I was there, I had to pick up something for myself too! I wasn't familiar with the variety (Senetti Magnata Bicolor), but the color caught my eye!
April 25, 2010
Day 115 - Fallen petals
The spring blossoms on the trees are starting to be really pretty this weekend. Unfortunately, the wind picked up today and blew many of the pretty petals off the trees. These petals were lining the sidewalk during my walk with the dog late this afternoon. Hopefully the wind will die down and we'll be able to enjoy the pretty spring blooms that remain on the trees this week.
April 24, 2010
Day 114 - Squirrel feeder
I bought this squirrel feeder at a craft show and gave it to my husband for his birthday. He really enjoys feeding and watching the birds, squirrels, and other wildlife in our backyard. The squirrels have recently figured out how to get to the corn in this feeder and have been quite comical to watch!
April 23, 2010
Day 113 - Broken eggs
Well, as we feared, the duck eggs weren't in a very safe spot. The mother duck wasn't doing a very good job of sitting on her nest and this is what we discovered this morning. We have seen her wandering in our yard. I wonder if she realizes her loss.
April 22, 2010
Day 112 - Make a wish
The dandelions are in full bloom and many have already gone to seed. Do kids still pick them and make a wish before blowing the seeds off the stem? I remember doing this as a child. I'm sure my dad didn't appreciate that I was disbursing weed seeds!
April 21, 2010
Day 111 - Female duck
Today we noticed this female duck in the the garden outside our front door. She is sitting on a few eggs in a makeshift nest that she dug in the mulch. This is not a very safe place for a nest and we worry that this mother duck will have trouble guarding her eggs in such an open spot.
April 20, 2010
Day 110 - Mission remission!
Today I'm wearing orange and green in honor of Chase and William. They are the twin sons of a friend. Chase was diagnosed with leukemia last year. He went through months of chemo that sent him into remission. But recently, the leukemia cells returned and the next step in his treatment is a bone marrow transplant. Luckily, his brother William is a perfect match.Today is transplant day! Many, many friends around the country are praying for the boys today. God bless you William and Chase!
April 19, 2010
Day 109 - Willis Tower
Can you see Willis Tower in this photo? This intersection on Rand Road is near our home. We live about 30 miles northwest of Chicago. On a clear day, we can see Willis Tower straight down Rand Road. What was Willis Tower originally known as? It is no longer the tallest building in the world, but it is a great Chicago landmark!
April 18, 2010
Day 108 - Seeds
It was a gorgeous spring day today! We took the dog on a nice long walk in a forest preserve near our home. These are some plants sticking out of the marsh that were left from last year. I love how they look against the cloudless blue sky!
April 17, 2010
Day 107 - Sunset
It is so hard to catch a pretty sunset in the suburbs of Chicagoland, but I got lucky and caught this one on my way home from a walk with the dog. My camera actually has a 'sunset' setting that I tried out. I need to remember to try that setting when I'm on a coast with gorgeous sunsets!
April 16, 2010
Day 106 - Male duck
It has been awhile since we've seen ducks in our back yard. I took this photo out our kitchen window as this papa duck ambled past our patio. He seemed to be studying me just as much as I was studying him!
April 15, 2010
Day 105 - Internet safety
Here is another project on display at a school where I sub frequently. It is now required that Internet safety by taught to all students. It looks like this 5th grade girl had a fun time using Comic Life to illustrate some of the rules she learned about being safe on the Internet.
April 14, 2010
Day 104 - Retirees
I attended a luncheon today with about 30 retired colleagues. We meet for lunch once a month to celebrate our retirement! Today was a special day for one of our retirees. The lovely lady in the red blouse is Mary Stitt. She is celebrating her 85th birthday today! Happy birthday Mary!
April 13, 2010
Day 103 - Tying shoes
I went on a field trip today with one of the special education classes where I sub frequently. It was a recreation field trip and the kids had a fun time tumbling on the mats and apparatus. Before heading back to school, the kids had to put their shoes back on, which is also an opportunity for learning.
April 12, 2010
Day 102 - Big Lucy and little Lucy
I haven't posted a photo of Lucy for awhile, so I chose her as my subject today. Here she is with a 'friend'! Actually, the small beagle sculpture was given to me by my mom many years before we ever thought of getting a beagle. It must have been an omen!
April 11, 2010
Day 101 - Spring blooms
Here's another sign of spring from our yard. We have Myrtle planted in several gardens. It makes a wonderful ground cover and the leaves stay bright green all summer. I do wish the pretty purple flowers would bloom more than once a season, but they do look pretty as we welcome spring.
April 10, 2010
Day 100 - Butterflies
I attended a bridal shower for my cousin's daughter today. It was held in the fellowship hall of my aunt's church. At the end of the shower, my aunt took me into the sanctuary to see the butterflies. They look amazing! The ladies of the church made them from the colored pages from magazines and they are suspended from the ceiling by clear fishing line. What a wonderful way to welcome spring!
April 9, 2010
Day 99 - Willow tree
What a gorgeous day today! This willow tree with its early spring leaves against the very blue sky really caught my eye as I was out walking the dog today.
April 8, 2010
Day 98 - Creek
This little creek runs along the western border of our very suburban subdivision. I love seeing this little bit of natural habitat in our neighborhood. The creek often dries out completely during the hot summer months, but it is running well today.
April 7, 2010
Day 97 - Spring poem
As I have mentioned before, I love looking at student projects that hang in the halls at the schools where I sub. This afternoon I subbed as the LMC teacher in one of our K-5 buildings. I taught a poetry lesson to 2nd graders that was a lot of fun. They told me they had written acrostic poems about spring last week, so on my way out I took a look at their awesome projects.
April 6, 2010
Day 96 - Wet!
Wow, the rain really came down last night! This is the tree and grass in the parkway in front of our house. The ground can't absorb all the rain water. I'm sure this same spot will be dry as a bone later this summer.
April 5, 2010
Day 95 - Magnolia
The sunshine and warm weather have brought out the magnolia blooms. This bush is still small, but it has many more blooms this year than last year. Magnolias are such a pretty flower. I wish the blooms would last for more than one short week each spring.
April 4, 2010
Day 94 - Drummer
We had an unusual Easter today because all our family members had plans with the other sides of their families. We decided to go to the Jazz Vespers service at the church we belonged to many years ago. The 3 musicians tonight were very talented and clearly enjoyed what they do.
April 3, 2010
Day 93 - Spring flowers
While I was out of town, my daffodils grew like crazy! I'm glad I came home in time to catch their blooms. Today I cut a bunch to take into the house to enjoy.
April 2, 2010
Day 92 - Deb's dinner
After coming home very early this morning (4:30 a.m.), I met friends for an early dinner to celebrate Deb's birthday. What a fun way to top off a great week of vacation!
April 1, 2010
Day 91 - My girls
Here are my girls! We spent an afternoon in Old Town Scottsdale and had dinner down there. This photo was taken on the free Trolley that runs in downtown Scottsdale. It was a great way to see some sights.
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