The lone fox walked across Eighty Acres and left his footprints in the snow. I don't know from where he came or where he went, but he left his mark upon the land. Likewise my own steps speak to my journey across Eighty Acres. At times I ran. At times I danced. At times I fell. Soon the snow will melt, new grass will grow and my footprints and paths will slowly disappear. There will be no remorse or sadness as my footprints fade away. In the days ahead others will walk the la

Today the crabapple tree's bold summer reds, subdued winter whites, and the early morning sunshine all magically came together on Eighty Acres. And the Earth Mother spoke to the land and said it is time to rest and go to sleep under a white quilt of snow. But do not fear. I promise I will awaken you when it is time for spring. #travelwisconsin #EightyAcresPhotography #DunnCounty #Naturephotography #TravelWI #Discoverwisconsin #Wisconsin #MenomonieWisconsin #EarthMother #Midwe

The clothes line that so often holds bedsheets, flannel shirts, denim jeans, cotton blouses, and strategically hidden undergarments, now has clothes pins holding colorful fall leaves. For two days the crucified-like leaves hang from the clothes line as the breeze gently sways them to the beat of their last dance. As the hours pass, the rich colors slowly drain from their veins and the leaves turn to a nutty brown hue. Finally released, the leaves fall to the ground and become

I dream I am lost in a sea of gossamer. A shrouded world without direction, and I pray for a lighthouse to steer my direction home. Far away a dog barks. A crow's wings slice the fog just above my head. Somewhere a church bell rings. I am trapped and stumble in this smokey vapor. Footsteps are near and panic grabs my soul. Wake up! Wake up! I don't want to dream anymore. #travelwisconsin #EightyAcresPhotography #Naturephotography #photography #DunnCounty #MenomonieWisconsin #

Today I will sit quietly in the sunflower garden. Mindful of my deep breathing, I will bring sunshine into my lungs and soon my heart will be calm. It will be a magical day and I will wear a bright yellow scarf and softly sway as the wind moves the the flowers above my head. Under the yellow canopy I will listen to the sunflower's songs and stories and I will be at peace as I whisper a thank you prayer to the Earth Mother. Today will be a special day. #Mindfukness #travelwisc

Over the past week I have spent a considerable amount of time attempting to identify the swallowtail pictured above. To me the world of swallowtails is quite confusing. There are hundreds of swallowtail species and when I attempt to navigate the subtle differences in their appearances I become confused. So I decided I would just be mindful of the butterfly's beauty and enjoy the moment as it rested upon a coneflower in my garden. But, if I had to take a guess, I would say i

It's not uncommon for a group of bucks to run as a pack during the spring and summer months. During the rut season it is a different story, but tonight it's a boys night out. And I suppose their moms would say," behave yourself, look both ways when you cross the street, and you better be home before the sun comes up." #Eightyacresphotography #DeerinVelvet #Menomonie #Discoverwisconsin #travelwisconsin #Whitetaildeer #MenomonieWisconsin #Naturephotography #Wisconsin #TravelW

I often lose track of time as I walk the trails of Eighty Acres. Each day's trek is a new adventure as I listen and learn the stories from the Earth Mother and her land. As I exited the dark woods last evening, I see the house lights have been turned on for me. Like the north star, the lights are a beacon pointing me home. I quicken my pace knowing she will welcome me with a smile and as always ask, "see anything?" I must hurry home. Someone there loves me. #Mindfukness #

Over the past several years, the birds of Eighty Acres have gifted me their feathers. I kept many of them in a paper bag not really sure why I was even saving them. While cleaning my garage this week I discovered the bag of feathers and decided to create a feather bouquet. Pictured above is the colorful feather bouquet that now sits on my kitchen table. There are two big benefits of a feather bouquet. The first is simply the beautiful colors. The second is no watering req

Finding beauty in the ordinary requires us to be constantly aware and mindful of our surroundings. Such is the challenge with the Painted Lady, the most common butterfly in the world. They are frequent visitors to Eighty Acres and are often found on cone flowers and thistles. But even though they are common, my hope is that each day I will see the painted lady through the eyes of a child. In wonder of its graceful flight. Delighted in its many colors. Mindful that the ordinar

Near the heart of Eighty Acres you will find a bench. It was not a complicated building project. Simply an old picnic table board nailed into two sturdy oak logs. It is placed under the out stretched arms of my spirit tree and here you will find me sitting and listening to the land speak to me. I visit the bench often where I read the poems of Mary Oliver, drink my coffee, pray in my own personal way and practice being mindful of the Earth Mother's gifts. Few are invited to

Happy father's day to all the dads! This male red-breasted grosbeak has a distinctive and beautiful song. A metallic-like click, its melodious notes float down from the tree tops on Eighty Acres. In an attempt to mimic the grosbeak and maybe join in a duet, I pursed my lips and with gusto, whistled an ungodly rendition. The grosbeak went completely silent. No more duets! Next time I think I'll just stick to softly humming. #Menomonie #travelwisconsin #Discoverwisconsin #Ro

Mention the word dandelions to someone and you will generally receive a visceral reaction. Each year homeowners spend huge amounts of time and money in an attempt to irradiate them from the face of the earth. It's a constant battle with the outcome already determined. The dandelions will win. The dandelion puff ball pictured above carries between 50-100 individual seeds and with their parachute like design, allows the wind to carry them up to five miles away. Just imagine th

Alberta Canada, our northern neighbor, is a beautiful place with majestic mountains, prairies, and many lakes. But now it is an inferno. Fires in Alberta continue to burn out of control. Nearly a million acres are now charred, with the largest fire in the Chuckegg Creek region. The toxic smoke billows, reaches to the skies, drifts to the east, and creates spectacular sunsets over Eighty Acres. I'm sending all the good people in Alberta my prayers and hoping for better days

I always thought this bird belonged to the sparrow family. Wrong! It is a female Red-breasted Grosbeak Each year they arrive on Eighty Acres after their long migration from South America. The male grosbeaks capture most of our attention due to their distinctive black and white wings, plus their unique red and pink patches on their breasts. Today let's celebrate the beauty of the female's brown and dark colored stripes, her pink beak and distinctive white stripe over each eye

Once upon a time there lived a very handsome green toad on Eighty Acres. But he was a lonely toad, and had often heard the story of a beautiful princess who kissed the toad and a miracle happened. Then one day a beautiful princess came walking down the trail on Eighty Acres. Their eyes met....they softly kissed...and the princess suddenly turned into beautiful green toad. Ah yes. They fell in love and were married by the toad's cousin, Kermit the Frog. And so, I am told by

The spring flowers are in full bloom, shouting for attention, painting Eighty Acres in a wide array dazzling colors. "Look at me." It's their time to shine. To drive away a colorless land. It's their glory days. #Menomonie #travelwisconsin #Discoverwisconsin #DahliaFlowers #EightyAcresPhotography #Naturephotography #wisconsin #Midwest #DunnCounty #TravelWI #SeasonsonEightyAcres

The Scarlet Tanager winters primarily in Columbia and Bolivia South America and is scheduled to arrive back to Eighty Acres in the next few days. Their arrival will be hard to miss. The male will dress in his usual fire red coat trimmed with jet black wings. The female will select a softer olive and yellow outfit. They will feed on insects and will build their nest, high in the forest canopy using grasses, twigs and leaves. Three to four greenish, brown spotted eggs will

A full moon in April is often referred to as a "pink moon," I was up early to capture this photo of the setting moon, but came away wondering why it is called a pink moon? My research revealed that moon names are often attributed to Native American observations of the seasons. April is the time pink ground phlox bloom, thus it became the name of the April moon. Depending on location, the April moon is also know as the sprouting grass moon, fish moon or budding moon. A won

Traveling from southern U.S. and Mexico, the eastern bluebirds returned to Eighty Acres on April 1st. They are on a mission. Mating. Building their nests. Laying 4-6 eggs. Feeding the young with the baby bluebirds first flight in 21 days. And then....they do it all again a second time each summer. The male bluebird pictured above is taking a well deserved break in the bird bath. Do it quickly. There is much to do! #Menomonie #travelwisconsin #dunncounty #Bluebirds #Di