Soul Centered Photography: May 2022

Sunday, May 22, 2022

From Winter to Summer

As I am writing this blog (May 22nd) it is a very chilly morning (close to freezing) here in northern Wisconsin. Looking out of the window though it looks like early summer. Not too long ago we still had some ice on the lakes and all trees were bare.

Earlier I wrote a blog about the Never Ending Winter (https://soulcenteredphotography.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-never-ending-winter-2022.html)

In the second week of May we had unusually warm temperatures, up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30 C) and Nature just exploded. The woodland wildflowers or spring ephemerals popped up so fast and were done blooming within a blink of an eye. The Trilliums are still in bloom right now but due to the dense tree canopy they won't last long.

I feel like we all got "cheated" out of spring and went straight to summer. But I won't complain as the fresh greens are a welcome sight and the humming birds and Orioles are back and regular guests at my feeders. I enjoy my walks with my dog Shanti and listen to the song birds and frogs. Shanti found a new passion - going for swims wherever he can, regardless how cold the water temperature is!

The following photos span the time frame from end of April until May 20.

Click on the photos for a larger view.

Enjoy, Susanne

Chippewa River near Bruce, 4.24.'22

Still some ice at Audie Lake, 4.27.'22

Beautiful patterns on a thin layer of ice

A floating bog on Audie Lake, 4.27.'22

Morgan Falls, 5.2.'22

Lake Superior ice near Ashland, 5.2.'22

At Houghton Falls, snow along the creek, 5.2.'22

Pink Hepaticas, 5.3.'22

Hepaticas, 5.3.'22

White Hepaticas, 5.3.'22

Sunny day at Audie lake, 5.3.'22

Blue Hepaticas, 5.4.'22

At the Ice Age trail Center near New Auburn, 5.4.'22

Blue Hepaticas, 5.4.'22

Bloodroot, 5.7.'22

new spring leaves, 5.11.'22

Daffodil, 5.11.'22

Spring scene at the Chippewa River, 5.12.'22

Spring morning, 5.14.'22

Trillium close-up, 5.14.'22

Young Maple leaves, 5.14.'22

Beautiful spring day at the Chippewa river, 5.14.'22

Fishing boat at the Chippewa river, 5.14.'22

Magical Creek in the Blue Hills, 5.20.'22

Dutchmen's Breeches (Dicentra), 5.12.'22

Shanti at a Lake

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Morgan Falls and Houghton Falls, May 2022

Right now is a good time to go for a walk in the spring forest and visit a waterfall.

On May 2nd I did exactly that and enjoyed Morgan Falls, one of my favorite waterfalls in northern Wisconsin. There was a good flow of water and still some snow and ice in shady spots. Last year I was there in April and wrote this blog:

https://soulcenteredphotography.blogspot.com/2021/04/morgan-falls-april-2021.html

Next stop was Houghton Falls Nature preserve just outside of Washburn, Wisconsin. Another favorite location especially in spring to see the waterfalls. Later in summer there is often times no water at all.

Information I found on the Web:

A stream meanders through hemlock, cedar, spruce, tamarack, birch, and maple, cascading over the exposed sandstone before descending over 60 feet into a rippled sandy cove at Lake Superior. Upstream (and also on the property) is Echo Dells, a series of watercarved rock cliffs and caves interspersed with small waterfalls and a forested footpath.

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=638

We still saw pieces of ice floating on Lake Superior making the most beautiful sounds moving across the water surface. I can't find words to describe the sound, maybe something like a wind chime in the distance.

It looks like it is warming up fast in northern Wisconsin and our spring could be short. Enjoy this special time while you can.

Susanne

Click on the photos for a larger view.

A video on YouTube I made about Morgan Falls: https://youtu.be/yV4Fomboawc