First snowfall: Greenfield Park and Havenwoods

Greenfield Park, West Allis

Sunday was one of those magical days. Big, fluffy snowflakes floating out of the sky. Weekend lassitude. A walk in the park. A walk in a forest in a park. A forest thick and silent with new fallen snow. And, mysteriously, after the first few minutes I had it all to myself.

Here is what I saw, along with a couple of haiku for good measure:

solitude

in the snowbound forest

Packer game today

the silent forest

surrounding me        somewhere

the city

Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee

Monday morning I went out early, partly to beat rush hour traffic but mostly because I was afraid that the snow would melt off the trees. And it did, very quickly. Again I had the place to myself. After nearly two hours I finally met a dog walker on my way back to the car.

I love the solitude, but I fear for a society that has no time for nature. Here’s what I have of it to share:

woodland stillness

…a train roars by…

deeper stillness

soft growl of traffic

in the fresh snow

coyote tracks

sunless sky

over the prairie

Cooper’s hawk

first snowfall

already the trail

puddles

To see a selection of Milwaukee’s parks in all seasons go to my Flickr album.

Quarry Lake ramble: Photographs and poetry

--> On the first day of December--before the snow started falling--I went to Quarry Lake Park in Racine. Actually, I went to the Wustum Museum of Art in Racine to pick up work that had been in their exhibit, Wisconsin Photography 2016. I've been to the Wustum many times over the years and since it is located next to Quarry Lake Park I have driven past said park just as often--twice as often if you count to and fro! Nearly every time I've wondered about the park and thought that one day I ought to stop. This time I did. 
I shot a series of photos, all with my iPhone. (I had brought my camera along but left it in the car, erroneously anticipating few opportunities to use it, the day being gloomy and with a light drizzle that continually threatened to turn heavier.) I enjoyed the walk far more than expected. 

Adjacent to a golf course, the 40-acre park boasts a “spring-fed lake” in the former quarry, along with a beach, pavilion/bathhouse, dog park, picnic tables, and a fishing pier. The Racine County Parks website doesn’t mention the Root River, which also runs through the park and which was of more interest to me when I decided to stop to explore. 

A narrow, wall-like ridge of un-quarried stone separates the lake and the river. The authorities had erected a chain link fence to prevent people from walking up the ridge, which is essentially a two-sided cliff. This was primarily to discourage cliff jumping into the lake, an illicit activity that had unfortunate consequences last June. However, the appeal seems insatiable. The fence has been violated, making it easy to step through.

After I finished exploring and photographing the park I found in the experience further inspiration. Although I hadn't written any haiku for over a year I ended up with a series of them. The poems are not meant to be read as captions for the photos. They are a complimentary expression of my encounter with Quarry Lake Park.

heavy overcast

the surface of the water

the color of stone

in three rows

twelve vacant tables

cemented in place

visible

through chain link fence

a well-trodden path

reeling

the fisherman draws a line 

in the scum

separating

quarry lake from river 

two-sided cliff

an icy gust

on the cliff top 

bare footprints

standing on uncut rock

surrounded 

by the crowns of trees

I plod along

snarl of thorny underbrush

roar of ascending airplane 

 

on the opposite bank

through leafless trees

house lights

at the water’s edge

a young couple 

posing for selfies

quarry lake

a million grains of sand 

trucked in for the beach

December afternoon

the darkening sky

drizzles  

 

Santas Rampage from Tosa to Riverfront

 If you haven't heard yet about the annual Santa Rampage please allow me to introduce you to it. On the first weekend in December hundreds of cyclists dress in Santa costumes and ride through the streets of Milwaukee. This year the rampage began in Wauwatosa and traveled down North Avenue until they reached the Milwaukee River and their final destination at Lakefront Brewery -- and a big red party!

I drove ahead and caught the action in Kadish Park where most of them coasted single file down the bluff on the bike path. If you want to know more about the event check out the Wisconsin Bike Fed website, where you'll find a wealth of information. Enjoy the pix!