Day 104: April 14, 2010

Functional Art

Popped up to Ann Arbor today for Scrabble night.  It was still light enough out when we were finished for a quick stroll around the block to take some pictures.  This is a bike rack, believe it or not!  They are all over the downtown Ann Arbor area.  I liked the way the setting sun made the shadow on the sidewalk.

I took some shots of the Fairy Doors and architecture in the area as well, but will save those for another day.  I missed the Fairy Door Walk on Easter Sunday but really want to find them all soon and get better pictures!  Although the website has done a good job of it already: Ann Arbor Fairies.

Day 103: April 13, 2010

In the Pink

These were outside school today - I just can't resist photographing all the colorful flowers after such a long, gray winter!

Day 102: April 12, 2010

Table of Pain and Health

This is the treatment table at my Chiropractor.  Essentially, you stand on it, put your face down onto the clean paper, and hold on while the table is tilted to be parallel with the floor.  The Chiropractor then adjusts your body as needed, ice is frequently applied, and off you go.  The treatment isn't particularly painful - at least not for long, but I'm often achy and tired in the hours following an adjustment.  However, the long-term benefits are truly amazing - it really is worth it! 

I snapped this pic quickly while waiting for the Chiropractor to come into the room.  He knew right away that the pain I've had in my chest that my GP thought was pneumonia (and wasn't) was actually a sprained/dislocated rib caused by coughing for the past 5 weeks.  I just can't shake this virus, consequently I was a couple of weeks late for this appointment - boy did I need it!  I know I'll feel so much better tomorrow!

(I've always been a bit afraid to ask what the other table with the padded cuffs is used for. Heh.)

Day 101: April 11, 2010

Daffodil

The daffodils have finally started to bloom, but so far they are pretty disappointing.  Walking around my neighborhood, these seem to be par for the course, however.  Hopefully more will bloom this week!  Tried it in monochrome as well, as part of Monochrome Weekend.

Day 100: April 10, 2010

Blue Flowers

These Hyacinth are growing in my neighbor's yard across the street.  I love the shades of blues and violets in the blossoms and the way the sun is hitting them.  Woke this morning to a raging migraine so didn't get out to the park as I'd hoped.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel up to it!

Day 99: April 9, 2010

The Result of Rain

Two days ago, this area of the yard had short green shoots. After yesterday's rain...suddenly everything is in bloom!  The setting sun made some of the leaves almost transparent, but this shot didn't quite capture what I wanted. 

Day 98: April 8, 2010

Flood!

This is the creek that runs behind Northview High School which is just down the street from my school.  I had been up at school tutoring and preparing next week's lesson plans (spring break? what spring break?) and stopped to get this picture on the way home today.  Normally the creek is much, much narrower and there are actually banks!  It's hard to see just how fast the water was moving, but it was frighteningly fast!  I knew we got a lot of rain yesterday, but this is an insane amount of water.  On the plus side, the grass is really green!

Day 97: April 7, 2010

April Showers Bring...April Flowers!

I almost missed these little guys yesterday.  I doubt I would have ever seen them hiding amongst the bushes if I hadn't been out in my yard looking for things to photograph.  Good thing I took an extra shot yesterday - it's been raining all day today.  But that's OK - it will make the flowers grow!  I spotted lots of new buds and blossoms through the raindrops today - can't wait to get out there and get some pictures when the rain stops.

Day 96: April 6, 2010

New Leaves

Everything's blooming and growing with the unseasonably warm weather we've had lately.  Our neighborhood is overrun with ground bees - an especially large colony this year.  Yards are dotted with what look like ant hills at first glance - mounds of sand with holes at the top.  Upon closer inspection, one can see hundreds of small bees swarming around the holes! They are EVERYWHERE in my large yard - prohibiting most outdoor activities there.  I inadvertently captured one of them in this shot! It's pretty blurry so I'm guessing it was in motion when I shot - they seem to be constantly moving, never landing.

Day 95: April 5, 2010

Creative Legacy

There's a little cemetery that can only be accessed from within Secor Metropark.  From the dates on the tombstones and monuments, I believe it was the first cemetery in that area - many of the dates are completely worn off the tombstones.  There are also newer memorials in the "modern" style - flat rectangles of marble flush to the ground.  I was much more intrigued by the ingenuity and creativity displayed by many of the early settlers in the area, such as the little log cabin above.  The wife's name is on this side of the roof - the husband's was on the other side.  I can only wonder if their home resembled this memorial.

The one that caught my eye as I drove past and compelled me to drive in for a closer look is the "tree" below.  It's not wood - it appears to be ceramic or stone.  The family name is on this tall (maybe 3 meters?) tree with smaller "logs" scattered around it with the names of the man's wife and (I assume) children. 

I found it touching and quite interesting to see these tombstones from long ago - made me really wonder about the first European settlers in the area - who they were and what their lives must have been like.

Day 94: April 4, 2010

Easter Eggs

My daughter colored the eggs herself this year - I especially like the Charlie Brown egg.  I'm glad that 13 is not too old to get excited about an Easter basket filled with candy and trinkets.

Day 93: April 3, 2010

Yellow Blossoms

We always called these Honeysuckles growing up - I'm not sure they are true Honeysuckles but they grow like weeds around here and are always among the first things to bloom.  They bring a welcome shot of color to a mostly drab landscape this time of year. 

Day 92: April 2, 2010

Monochrome Reflections of a Swamp

I ventured out to Secor Metropark today to see what was blooming.  I had the car windows down as I drove slowly through the park and was drawn to this spot not by the sights of the trees standing ankle-deep in swampy water, but by the choruses of frogs calling to their mates and woodpeckers grabbing a bite to eat.  The air reverberated with their staccato beats.  I stopped the car to attempt to find the source of either sound, but had not luck - and I was NOT about to wade out into the leaf-littered flood plain.

However, I quickly saw the potential in the reflections of the trees in this temporary pond.  I really like how the leaves are visible through the water in the darker reflections of the tree trunks.  This part of Ohio was once known as the Great Black Swamp - and this photo clearly shows why!  The ground was quite spongy around this small area and there were numerous other spots identical to this one throughout the park.

I couldn't decide which color-scheme I liked better - desaturated (top photo) or my attempt at sepia tones (GIMP has no pre-set for sepia).  So you get both!  And I'm also killing two birds with one stone and listing this entry over at Monochrome Weekend AND Weekend Reflections! Go check out both sites - they're both awesome!

Day 91: April 1, 2010

No April Fool's - Spring is Here!

The buds are out - the ground bees are swarming my yard, and we had all the windows in the house open today.  Spring has officially arrived!  I'm choosing to ignore the extended weather forecasts calling for colder temps and snow flurries.