The California Beach Girl's Guide to Life as a Mobility-Challenged Traveler: Winter... Blues?

Winter is here in all her freezing glory! If you find freezing glorious, that is. When I first came to the Midwest 2 years ago there was a foot of snow and it was glorious! It was beautiful to me! White, peaceful, cold... but not too cold. I loved my first winter here. I heard it was a mild winter but since I had never experienced anything like a Midwest Winter I didn't understand.

I understand now.

Oh how naieve I was!

But... Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. Each season has it's own special treats.

Spring ~ I have a Love/Hate relationship with Spring. I hate the storms!

But I LOVE the trees that blossom in Spring

The Red Bud Tree! In glorious purple!

The Pink Magnolia Tree ~ Talk about GLORIOUS! Holy Wow!

And without the Spring we wouldn't have nests ~

Robin Nest in the Bradford Pear Tree...

It was such a special treat to find this goose nest at the golf course.

And then there is Summer...

Summers in the Midwest are very different from Summers in California.

The humidity here is not like the humidity on the beach.

But... the Flowers ~

The humidity is truly like a wet blanket but... this Mexican Blanket Flower is amazing!

And the Sunflowers ~

They grow 12-15 feet tall and 2 feet across.

There are purple balls that are actually flowers ~

And Red Bee Balm ~

Cone Flowers ~

And the BABIES...

Fawns and Goslings ~

And Bunnies... Oh my!

Everyone loves Fall... the Glorious Colors of Fall.

I have to admit I really didn't know what to expect. I've been on the East Coast in the Fall and I've been to North Carolina in the Fall so I was looking forward to seeing how Mother Nature dressed for Fall in the Midwest.

My Barn Bird Feeder with a view of the Lake.

Our favorite golf course this year ~ Sun Valley ~

And... Car Shows :o)

The red is so vibrant it is actually hard to photograph.

But the yellows and oranges!

Which brings me back to Winter...

There are Winter Whites ~

And there are Winter Blues ~

Great Blue Heron :o)

The bright red Cardinals that I adore...

And

Best of All the Winter Warriors ...

The Beloved Bald Eagles

We had the experience of a lifetime last Winter with the hundreds of Bald Eagles on the Mississippi River here and are looking forward to photographing them again this Winter.

Richard is becoming the Eagle Whisperer.