Picture of the Day for May 31, 2015

Today is Trinity Sunday in the Western Christian liturgical calendar which celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In various books, including the American Gardening published in 1896,  the trillium is often mentioned in connection with Trinity Sunday and the wildflower is also called trinity flower. Nearly all parts of the plant comes in threes. It has 3 broad leaves on each stalk, 3 small green sepals and 3 large white sepals surrounding a group of yellow stamens plus it also has three-sectioned seedpods.

But this year my great white trillium blossoms has already turned pink or dropped their flower petals so only the nodding trilliums were displaying their white flowers yet.

Great White Trillium or Trinity Flower

Great White Trillium or Trinity Flower

Picture of the Day for May 30, 2015

Upstream from the tallest waterfall in Wisconsin, a smaller or little 30 foot waterfall can be found. But the waters of the Black River puts on a show at the scenic Little Manitou Falls before flowing into the Interfalls Lake and falling 165 feet downstream.

Little Manitou Falls

Little Manitou Falls

View a short video of the falls as you listen to the roar of the falling waters.

 

Picture of the Day for May 29, 2015

In short distance, even sometimes just a few feet, the type of wildflowers can change greatly. Just a few miles from my home, a limestone cliff can be found a rural road and at the base of the cliff, a splash of blue caught my eye. Spreading Jacob’s Ladder, a native wildflower of moist shady woodlands, with blue to purple flowers, is also sometimes called Stairway to Heaven, which is fitting since I found it at the base of a cliff and the flower need a lot of stairs or a ladder to get to the top.

Spreading Jacob’s Ladder

Spreading Jacob's Ladder

Picture of the Day for May 28, 2015

While out on a day trip today, one stop was the Wisconsin Point, a peninsula off the shore of Superior, Wisconsin. The point is the world’s largest freshwater bay mouth sand bar. The Wisconsin Point Lighthouse was built in 1913 and is located on the end of the peninsula.

But today the lighthouse wasn’t very visible nor could you see Lake Superior because of the fog rolling in on a chilly afternoon when the temperature was 45 with a colder wind chill. And while I was hoping for a nice sunny day to walk out to the lighthouse, the need for lighthouses and fog horns wouldn’t have existed if the weather was always calm and sunny.

Lighthouse Lost in the Fog

Lighthouse Lost in the Fog

 

A short video of the lighthouse lost in the fog as the waves roll in on a windy day.

 

Picture of the Day for May 27, 2015

As one batch of kittens start exploring outside as they race through the grass and learn how to climb fences, another batch of kittens where born in the barn. So soon the older group will just become ‘cats’ and the attention will be on the new ‘kittens’ since the babies are always so cute (even if they are marked ugly)!

Board Walking Lesson

Board Walking Lesson

Picture of the Day for May 25, 2015

Recently Wisconsin State Road 128 was named and dedicated as the 128th Infantry Memorial Highway to honor the service of the members of the 128th Infantry Brigade (formed during the American Civil War) who served in World War I, World War II and in Iraq. The highway passes through the heart of the area where units of the 128th Infantry are located. Part of the dedication was a 22 mile march made by area veterans to bring awareness to the number of American veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and who subsequently commit suicide, which average 22 each day.

So on this Memorial Day, among the cookouts and activities, I hope every one stops and remembers the real reason behind this holiday and the sacrifices of life, from war and because of war, from the men and women serving and protecting our country.

Remembering the Fallen Veterans

Remembering the Fallen Veterans

Picture of the Day for May 24, 2015

Today is Pentecost, from the ancient Christian expression pentekoste hemera, which means “fiftieth day” which was borrowed from the Jewish holiday Shavuot.  For Christians, Pentecost is a holiday on which commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early followers of Jesus and the start of the church. The Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament state, “And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. All of a sudden, a sound came from heaven, like a strong wind, filling the house where the people had gathered. Something like tongues of fire rested on their heads.”

These scary clouds look like fire descending from the sky and coming down to earth so maybe what it looked like on first Christian Pentecost.

Fiery Clouds

Fiery Clouds

Picture of the Day for May 22, 2015

The chipmunks have begun digging my flowers out (when the flowers aren’t in the garage to protect from freezing) and they don’t go very far when I go outside so they can resume they digging once I leave.  And while chipmunks can climb trees, they construct extensive tunnel systems for their underground nests. To hide the construction of its burrow, the eastern chipmunk carries dirt to a different location in its cheek pouches and with the number of tunnel entrances on my lawn, they would have had to carry a lot dirt so I don’t know why they have to dig in my flower pots too.

A Waiting Chipmunk

A Waiting Chipmunk