Frozen Waterfall at Hyde's Mill

It takes an unusually cold Winter to freeze the waterfall at Hyde's Mill. When the temperature moderated to just -3 degrees temperature (wind chill a mere  -7 degrees), I ventured out to record the rare occasion.

Parfrey's Glen in Fall

Parfrey's Glen is a Wisconsin State Natural Area near Devil's Lake State Park. A short walk into the glen rewards the visitor with countless peaceful settings. It is a terrific way to spend some quiet moments in all seasons.

Sunflowers in Full Bloom

The sunflowers in Pope Farms Park in Middleton are in full bloom, attracting crowds of people every night enjoying the sight at sunset.

Up close and personal.

Almost ready to call it a night.

Night settles in at the sunflower field.

Summer Day on Madison's East Side

Last Saturday, August was treating us to such a beautiful day, that I decided to roam around one of Madison's most popular gathering spots -- Tenney Park on the city's east side.  The first photo is of the often photographed pedestrian stone bridge crossing the park's lagoon.  The afternoon sun makes it glow.

The other photo is of a white fuzzy plant that has survived the summer breezes, perhaps protected by the surrounding shrubbery.  All around it folks were busy fishing, boating, swimming and enjoying their picnic lunches.

Another sunset photo of Bear Lake near Manawa, WI. This time a sliver of the moon is visible as the sun dips below the horizon.

We had some nice sunsets during our family vacation on Bear Lake. This is one of them.

Independence Day Fireworks

This is a day late for Independence Day, but here is a photo I composed from last year's local fireworks display.

Mill Stones on Display

Every time I travel to this part of the state, I try to make a side trip to view and photograph Hyde's Mill.  Here is my recent photo of the mill stones on display on the mill's property.

A Blast of Orange

A blast of orange from a lily at Allen Centennial Gardens on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Olbrich Gardens

A recent trip to Olbrich Gardens in Madison produced this image of a purple flower in full bloom.

One more attempt to get up close and personal with blooming flowers using my new macro lens resulted in this photo.  I will have another in a day or two.

I've been practicing lately with a new Macro lens.  Trying to capture interesting angles of flowers growing outside.  The constant rain and windy conditions have posed many challenges, but I've managed to get out a few times.  Here is my first attempt with the remnants of an early morning rain on our flower bed.  I will post other photos in a few days.

One of Middleton, Wisconsin's outstanding features is its Pheasant Branch Conservancy, which features miles of walking trails along the creek of the same name. This is one of the bridges crossing the creek along the trail.

The interior of the State Capitol building in Madison, WI, is loaded with exquisite artwork and incredibly detailed features. One of the most photographed features is the interior of the building's dome. Often one has to wait in line to take up a position in the middle of the floor to get the proper perspective. It usually is worth the wait, however.

A mid-Fall tour along the banks of Token Creek in Wisconsin's Dane County revealed a massive uprooted tree.

A heartfelt salute to all veterans on Veterans Day 2012.  A very special place honoring our heroes is located at the spectacular Highground Memorial Park in Central Wisconsin near Neillsville.  Pictured is the tribute to Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans, called "Fragments".

It has been a dry year, but we still witnessed some very nice Fall color.  This scene is from Observatory Drive on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus looking over Lake Mendota and onto Picnic Point on a gorgeous late September Saturday morning.

It has been a while since I posted a photo, but today was a beautiful day to celebrate a farmer's 93rd birthday and I couldn't resist making more photos of his round barn at harvest time.  In his honor, I post this photo taken earlier today.

Tonight, lots of eyeballs will be on Nik Wallenda as he tries to walk a tightrope over these waterfalls from Canada to the U.S.  They say conditions are right for the first-ever attempt.  I doubt if he would be able to attempt the feat if he tried it on this evening in early May.  The mist was so heavy from Horseshoe Falls that the naked eye could barely see the falls behind it.  The setting sun, though, brilliantly lit up the overheads clouds.

Capitol Dome Reflections

The Saturday Farmers's Market on Madison Wisconsin's Capitol Square was very crowded, possibly due to UW-Madison graduations and the 80-degree weather. Despite the crowded conditions, however, there still was time for reflection.

On a recent bucket list trip to Cooperstown, NY and the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, my son and I stopped at Niagara Falls in Ontario.  This photo shows the setting sun illuminating Bridal Falls as well as some of the buildings on the U.S. side of the border.

Between the Lines

The outdoor swimming pool at the Unviersity of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center  in Urbana-Champaign awaits the warmer weather to welcome student water workouts, cross training and swimming events.

Capitol Tulips in Full Bloom

Every year colorful tulips surround the Capitol building in Madison, WI. When they are finished blooming, the bulbs are made available to the public.

Crabapple Drive

The rising sun highlights the Bishop O'Connor Center (formerly Holy Name Seminary) in Madison, Wisconsin. The drive is bordered by the rows of crabapple blossoms which are flowering about a month early this year.

Early Spring Daffodil

With temperatures in the 70's and the sun shining, the second day of April was another beautiful day to check out the blooming daffodils in Madison's University of Wisconsin Arboretum.  The magnolias still provide pink and white color, even though many of those blossoms litter the ground beneath the trees.  Many of the other trees and bushes are keeping their colors muted for the time being.

Capitol Spring Morning

Yesterday was the first day of Spring in Madison.  As lunch time neared and the temperature eased toward 80 degrees, the activity on the Capitol Square increased.  If the flowers were in full bloom, it would have had the appearance of a mid-Summer day.

Let's Go Fishing

As unseasonal March temperatures continue, everybody is looking for any excuse to get outdoors.  The day after St.Patrick's day saw lots of folks gathering at Vilas Park in Madison, WI.  Observable activities included fishing, soccer, frisbee tossing, sunbathing, kayaking.  The smell of burning charcoal as well and the excited voices of children filled the air.  A great day to be outside for any reason.

Old Leedle Mill Bridge

The steel through-truss bridge was built on Leedle Mill Road in 1916 to cross Badfish Creek in Wisconsin's northern Rock County. The rusting 120-foot long structure was closed in 1990, but wasn't replaced until the summer of 2011. When I heard they were going to tear it down, I knew I would have to get a photo of it first. I got there in March last year. Just a couple of months later it was gone.The new concrete bridge saves residents about three miles when driving to nearby Stoughton, but just doesn't have the same character.

Early Spring?

On Sunday, March 11, 2012, our temperatures were unseasonably in the high 60's.  Even in the midst of a mild Winter, this was an unusual day, with the forecast of even higher temperatures to come in the next few days.  At Tenney Park in Madison, WI, I found lots of folks just walking around enjoying being outdoors.  Meanwhile the last of the ice on Lake Mendota was crumbling as it was being forced against the shoreline.  This was how the scene looked to me as I peered through my viewfinder.