Got a super early start to the top of the Dune Ridge Trail to greet dawn’s first light. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Watching a bright orange sunrise slowly pop over the horizon made for a great start to a wonderful day.
Indiana Dunes National Park‘s Dune Ridge Trail is about a mile long looped trail with a narrow climb to the top of the sand dune. It can also be combined with other trails that weave through the forests if you’d rather have a longer hike.
A fuzzy bee paused from buzzing from flower to flower to feed on the sweetness of pollen in a sunflower in Peg’s Garden at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve.
Getting a closer look at a flower blossom and seeing its tiny parts and pollen popping out from within is one of the joys of micro and/or macro photography.
This pink hibiscus was blooming this morning at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana
Here we have the battle of two sunrises over different vistas, the tousled vs immaculate landscapes. First is a foggy sunrise over the naturally ruffled prairie along the trails at Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve.
The second image was taken at dawn at a golf course in Palm Springs, California. Having been in Palm Springs only in the winter, I have not experienced the extreme heat of summer in the desert. The landscapes on the golf course were impeccably manicured and beautiful.
Which do you prefer? Would you rather spend an early morning out on a lovely, immaculate golf course or on a more tousled trail at a nature preserve setting? There’s no right or wrong answer. Just wondering about personal preferences.
On days when I am overwhelmed with the busyness and troubles of life, the one sure thing that helps me find peace is to ponder on the promises of God. Sitting by the pond at Hamstra Gardens while looking out toward a boat appropriately named “Ponder” seems like an ideal spot for contemplation, don’t you think?
“These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
I have no idea what this little bug is but I thought titling the post “The Masked Fly” might catch some attention and someone might be able to help me identify it. Do you know?
This insect was no longer than 1/2 inch. It was hanging on to the top of a stalk of tall grass at Moraine Nature Preserve. It seemed completely unaware of me as I clicked away.
Clear blue skies and bright morning sun produced rows of topsy-turvy spheres as dewdrops showed off tiny reflections of a world turned upside down.
Mornings have been cooler than normal which meant no hungry mosquitoes and that is always a plus. A three mile hike through the prairie and forests at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve only left me with soaked shoes and socks from the morning dew. So glad I remembered to put an extra pair of sneakers and socks in my car before I left home. Sometimes, I do think ahead about things like that and then the next day . . . I don’t. Oops!