In Full Bloom

My favorite spring days are those when the magnolia tree in the front yard is in full bloom.  The full beauty only lasts for a couple of days, and the window for a good picture is narrow.  These pictures were taken in mid-March, almost an entire month earlier than last year's full bloom.

The next two are my favorites.

Hello, Spring

While today is technically the first day of Spring, she had other ideas and came a few weeks early - not that I'm complaining!  These pictures were taken of the course of the last ten days or so.  Usually the daffodils and tulips are just now starting to sprout up, but most of them have already bloomed!

Pink Moon

As I walked back to the house last Wednesday after a short run, I saw a bright pink moon rising in the sky.  Even though I know I'm not going to get those great detailed shots until I have a 300 mm lens, that doesn't stop me from trying, especially when the moon is PINK!  I went straight inside, and was back out with the camera before stretching or water.  I knew that if I waited even those few minutes, the sky could be vastly different when I got back out.  You'll see from these few shots how the clouds began to shift across the face of the moon.

I played around with a couple of different exposures to see which would give me the truest pink color.  I decided a like the slower shutter speed better (above).

A Winter's Day

Have I mentioned that I am not a fan of cold winters or snow?  Well, I'm not.  So, I have been loving the mild weather these last two months.  I would be happy if it continues like this until spring!  It also makes it easier to get out and make pictures.  These are from a beautiful December day.

Lake Michigan

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Lake Michigan from our recent trip to Milwaukee. I could definitely stand to live near a body of water!