Sweetest Day

I had a feeling it was going to be a great day when I started on my morning walk . . . well, after I turned around and got my cell phone that I'd left on the charger.  I'd decided to take my camera with me to get pics of the "new" elementary school that took the place of two schools I'd gone to.  I was looking all around me as I made the trek, and found a few interesting things to photograph!

We're just getting to the end of April, and here come the pine cones!  That just messes with my sensibilities somehow.

This reminded me of a miniature wreath . . . Christmas in APRIL????

A couple of Irises almost ready to bloom!  This is so strange to have the plants so far along already.

I thought this was a funny angle . . . perspective IS important.

This is the new school.  It combined two elementary schools that were back to back.  I went to 2nd and 3rd grade in one, then 4th-6th in the other.  With the fencing, and the cupola, I think it looks more like a prison than an elementary school!

I love construction equipment, and this particular piece had some interesting shapes to it!

I think there is something drastically wrong with the next three pictures.  It's getting close to the end of April, when most kids are more than ready to be playing outside, yet the playground at the school is off limits.  The old playground has been torn down, but the kids can't use this lovely equipment!  I can only assume it's a liability issue since no protective/cushioning cover has been put down around and under the equipment.  I think somebody messed up their planning BIG TIME.

I liked this tree stump . . . it has the weathered and aged, interesting character look to it.

 

This house is where I attended first grade.  Back in the day, there were so many elementary school age kids that we didn't have enough schools to house them all.  So, the builder of all of the homes in the community offered the school system the use of homes for kids to attend first grade for a rental rate of $1/year each.  The houses were modified slightly to be able to accommodate approximately 25-30 students.  Many of us walked home for lunch because the only other option was to bring our own - no cafeteria here!  It was a great experience since kindergarten was not required at that time.

I got a nice 2 mile walk, some interesting pictures, plus a trip down memory lane (remembered where several friends lived when we were in school as I walked by them, and then some of the fun stuff we did).  Then I got home to find the animals ready to entertain me!  The squirrel cracked me up with the way he was perched there on the end of a branch; he kept looking for something, but I never figured out what it was.

I don't know why, but I haven't noticed many robins the last few springs.  This isn't the first one I've seen this spring, but it's the first one I was able to get a shot of.  I did finally see a blue jay in the redbud tree, but I didn't have my camera with me.  :-(

Then, just as I was thinking about getting up and going inside, a minor miracle occurred.  A red bellied woodpecker flew onto the redbud tree, closely followed by a beautiful cardinal!  It's not clear as I'd like, but I managed to get a picture with BOTH of them in it.

The icing on the cake?  When visiting Mom today, it was a pretty darn good visit.  She was joking around and laughing.  It's so wonderful to have those kinds of visits.  More icing on the cake?  I spent the evening with friends, talking and laughing and having a great time.  It's definitely been my sweetest day so far this week (and maybe this month).