Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and when I think of Ireland, I think of green, rocky hills.
Green Rocks
Like many holidays, the actual holiday event has changed over the years and St. Patrick’s Day has little to do with the Catholic Saint and is more about partying and green beer. And it is snowing so the leprechauns would freeze and need to dress a little warmer like a bear.
I had been posting churches on Sunday and they have been winter scenes and I wondered if winter is hanging on because it thought I liked winter church scenes so I am posting a summer church scene instead as I am ready for spring.
In the unincorporated village of Calamine in southwestern Wisconsin, St. Michael’s Catholic Church sits beautifully on a hillside and was built in 1916.
St. Michael’s Catholic Church
Donkeys never seem to look real happy and this one should be happy when it is summer time as there would be more reasons in the winter to look unhappy especially after another cold day.
Happy Donkey
Although the sun was out and make the snow bright, it didn’t feel too warm outside, so I rather see some sunflowers brightening the fields with busy bees buzzing around. But that dang groundhog said winter would be a long one!
Sunny Sunflowers
There was a beautiful sunset tonight but I was too chicken to go back out in the -30ºF wind chill after being outside in it earlier in the day. In the summer I don’t have to walk too far to take a sunset picture but in the winter, it is a long walk in deep snow to get past the trees in order to take a picture. So since I didn’t brave the cold for tonight’s sunset, here is one from a warmer day.
No Winter Sunset
After watching the snow flying by creating white outs, I rather have a bug fly by and see a field waving purple instead.
Wild Asters
Even though it was above freezing today, it would be rather chilly to walk on the river sand, even if it wasn’t frozen over.
Siskiwit Falls
After listening to the wind howl and watching the snow blow yesterday, I much rather hear a babbling brook and watch water falling on a warm summer afternoon.
Babbling Brook
Falling water, a babbling brook, and the gentle breeze on a warm summer day is more appealing than falling temperatures, frigid wind chills and blowing snow this winter day. Nature sounds of the glen erases all the modern world sounds and remote waterfall is a nice place to spend the afternoon.
Glorious Glen
The sun is out bright this morning, but all it reveals is a very white, cold landscape and all one can do is dream of a warm, green summer day colored with yellow even if goldenrod is considered a weed, it is still nice to see instead of white.
Goldenrod is in the aster family and is often blamed for hay fever but since the pollen of goldenrod is too heavy to be blown far, the ragweed that blooms at the same time is the main culprit. Goldenrod is a good sources of nectar for bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies and Native Americans used the seeds of some species for food and leaves are edible from young plants and some herbal teas are sometimes made with goldenrod.
While the golden plant might provide food, like the amber honey, just seeing the golden color is food for the soul on a cold winter day.
Golden Delight
