Chicago Morn

A fabulous Sunday morning with stellar blue skies, Lake Michigan sparkling in the sun, flowering trees lining Millenium Park, Chicago is THE best city to be in.  Bob and I enjoyed a 1 1/2 hour bike ride yesterday–no kids, no schedule, no plans.  A rarity.  Boy, it brought back memories of riding my bike to work down Lake Shore Drive and taking Maxx to the lake. 

We certainly were not lonely on the lakefront.  Everyone had shed their parkas and boots and a few most of their clothes to enjoy a summerlike warmth.  People were biking, running, skating, strollering, walking their dogs, playing soccer/volleyball/baseball/frisbee, a brave couple swimming, building sandcastles, photographing, phoning, dining, snoring, sunning, watching, laughing, talking, kiting, biting, boating, singing, sunning, dancing, fishing, smoking, enjoying. Living. Loving. Being.

What a perfect morning. C

 

Rainy Day Sunday

Our weekends during soccer season are full of driving, directions, yelling, hoping, sitting, winning and losing.  But they are busy.  It rained hard almost all day yesterday, thunderstorms last night, and today we woke up again to cold drops pouring by the bucketful from the sky.  So those calls that game one-then game two-then game three were cancelled were greeted with Woo-Hoo!  Unexpected free time, a welcome treat for all.  Yes, the games will be rescheduled, but I will take this small gift today.

Unexpected time for me to head to the gym, run a couple errands on the weekend rather than at night or during lunch hour, spend some time with the girls in the kitchen as they and Tara’s friend spend the afternoon baking cookies and doing homework and giggling and drinking smoothies and just having fun. 

And then  the sun peeks through, the temperature now 70, and we rush outside to feel the sudden rays, the wind so reminiscent of our San Francisco days. 

Ah, to feel a little bit ahead is a great way to end the weekend. C

 

Zac and Robin

Thwack! Thud! Chrrrrrrrrrp. Thunk!

Those are the sounds of Robin, who has been repeatedly barreling in to our window, in a desperate attempt to get inside our home, to build her nest or roost in the kitchen or play the Wii, I am not sure which.

It has been three weeks since this confused bird has been smashing her body daily into glass to get into our home.  And several days of solid rain have left a bevy of wing marks, tiny feathers and bits of straw strewn across the windows, and white excrement covering the deck.  Not a lovely sign of spring.

We tried shooing her away, removing the tiny nest she finally started, and then resorted to our latest hopeful diversion–putting the life-size Zac Efron cardboard figure directly in front of the window, so perhaps she cannot see her reflection.

While any mention Zac draws Devon to you, we hope that his grin will scare this dazed bird away.  I know how creepy it is to enter her room at night to see a 6-foot “man” at the end of her bed, before realizing he isn’t real, after nights of seeing him there.  It is enough to keep me away. C

 

Spring Tease

We who live in the land of all-four-seasons have one day we look forward to all winter–the first day the air hints of spring, the sky egg shell blue, warming winds drying the winter-brown grass.  You can’t appreciate this day in the tropics, the dessert, the southwest.

On that day–today—we pull out our bikes and golf clubs and wash the car and walk the neighborhood and roller blade, anything, anything to soak up that smiling sun.  My kids pull out their capri pants and flip flops–who cares if it’s only in the low 50’s when they leave for school–because we are so tired of the same shirts and jeans and boots and gloves.

Birds abound, swarming the bird feeder and twittering away, the dogs lie on the porch and keep guard, the cat gets up from its lazy spot in the sunny window, stretches, and strolls to another.  (Do they do much more?)

Unless you spend the winter in freezing temperatures, snow days, icy roads, gray skies, you cannot truly enjoy the first day of springlike weather. Surely to be followed by another just-above -freezing day. But we can savor it until the next one, impatiently waiting for the next one to break through. C

 

Spring Cleaning

 Girls spinning on a spring day. 

 White skirts, a sure sign of spring.

   Such innocent fun!

Just a couple reasons kids should be forever in blue jeans.  Imagine the grass stains.  And all kids should have a dog to love.  C

 

 

Tree in Bloom

apples in bloom

not yet open

  Finally, spring has finally arrived in Illinois, cool though it may be.  As I tried to take these photos, a variety of bees did not want me anywhere near the tree.  I let them have their free reign, since the bees are in such huge demand these days.  Do your work– Go forth and pollinate! 

The spring sun beckons and teases about warmer days ahead.  C

 

The Inaugural Spring Ride

My favorite rites-of-spring passages:

1. Enjoying the first cocktail outside on the deck

2. The first 10 mile bike ride watching the children outside, people in their waiting-to-bloom gardens, dads washing their cars

3. My favorite–the first horseback ride outside

It’s been a long winter of riding in the dusty, sometimes dreary indoor arena with closed windows and open doors only letting frigid air in the aisles.  The outdoor arena has gone from a snow covered abyss to filled with giant muddy puddles, a lone sad jump knocked on its side.  Yesterday, however, as I drove up the long drive, the outdoor arena was set up for use.  Woo-hoo! 

I was excited to ride outside, this year more than I had been in a long time.  Last summer I had a horrific fall that resulted in several fractures and sprains in my hand, as well as a very bruised hip.  I didn’t get to ride during the fall, so this was my first time riding outside since the day I smashed into a jump instead of going over it.

I tacked up Dexter, a horse I had not ridden before but always looked very friendly, and we both enjoyed our inaugural spring ride together. There were several jumps in the arena set up with flower boxes, cavalleti poles along two sides of the arena, a mounting block, and a number of horses in the paddocks along side the arena.  

We started slowly, getting to know each other–and letting Dexter absorb his new surroundings.   We walked for 5 minues, then began trotting.  We worked circles, ground poles, serpentines, and just had fun.  We finished with a long, slow canter, picking up speed but not losing control as we finished our workout.

During our cool down, I was so fulfilled to have successfully completed my first outdoor ride–especially on a new horse.  Hopefully tomorrow we can try jumping.

It’s only April, so I know there will be more indoor days to come in the next two months, but I certainly look forward to more rides outside than in. And now I think I will open a crisp bottle of wine to enjoy on my deck…before the next raindrops come. C

 

 

Has spring sprung?

Will spring arrive by May?  I certainly hope so,  despite this funky snow/rain/cold weekend.  Here are  some  photos I shot in December, just to remind us that the weather truly was worse out there. (but

gave opportunities for beautiful pictures).

With the sun peeking through the billowing grey and white clouds, I can see two Mallards (nicknamed Chip and Dip) swimming in the water-filled culvert in the front yard.  We had a muskrat hanging around the backyard all day yesterday, fascinating us as he waddled about the yard, and an elegant heron flew overhead.  The frogs serenade us with their mating songs throughout the days and nights–do they ever sleep?–and the first crocus are searching for warmth, their purple and white heads turned towards the sun. 

Here are a couple pictures I took after writing this post today, of our yard and Freddie–the new nickname for the muskrat:

Yes, spring is coming–just slower than usual.  We who live in the Midwest can certainly appreciate the changing seasons, especially after a snow-filled winter.  C