Picture perfect weekend

These days are just flying by! Here it is Monday again and it's been almost a week since I posted last.

Today I have some photos to show you that you may find interesting. On Saturday my daughter and I needed to go to Milwaukee, and the art museum (which is located right on Lake Michigan) looked especially photogenic. This 2001 addition to the museum was designed by Santiago Calatrava, the world-renowned Spanish architect, engineer and sculptor. The wings open and close to control the light and temperature inside the huge pavilion underneath. The wingspan spreads 217 feet at its widest point, wider than a Boeing 747-400 airplane, and weights 90 tons. I believe this was his first U.S. project.

This view is from the downtown area looking east to the museum and the lakefront.

Looking west toward downtown

A foot-bridge passes over the street below, connecting the downtown sidewalk to the museum.

I believe the addition was designed to mimic the sails of the sailboats and tall-ships that frequent this part of the lakefront.

It was such a nice day, I decided to stop by some parks in our community to look for signs of Spring. The rabbits ate all my crocuses to the ground, so I went in search of colors other than gray and brown.

This time of year I look for the golden shimmer of the weeping willows. You can see them in the center of this top photo. I really liked the way the sky, water, bridge, willow and red bush looked together in this shot. I never really noticed this view before.

There are a few old cream city brick buildings in town. Here's one of them seen across the pond, as well as a picturesque gazebo on the left.

In a different part of town, here's a stream with a small footbridge. I liked the way they looked together with the rocks and tree.

I found some more willows with their golden shimmer in the distance.

My mother always looked for the first shimmer of the weeping willows when I was a child. I remember how she would almost sigh with relief when she began seeing that little bit of gold amidst all the gray and brown. Spring was near. It really does look spectacular on a sunny day - the clear blue sky and the isolated spots of gold - after the long winter. I pointed this out to my children, too, every Spring, when they were younger. Maybe they'll have fond memories of that someday when they are older, too. I hope so!