A Few Summer Highlights

This has been an action packed summer with so many highlights, one of which just happened for the second day in a row. I was riding my bicycle this morning when I spotted 2 wild parakeets. I was stunned. Yesterday I thought maybe one escaped from someone's home. Today, that theory didn't hold up. There was a couple sitting on their porch and I inquired if they belonged to them. Turns out there are wild parakeets nesting in Hyde Park...and I guess some have migrated to Evanston! It was so thrilling. Here is an article from the Chicago Wilderness Magazine.



My all time very favorite thing to do is go for an early morning swim in Lake Michigan. The season is short which makes the activity all that more precious. Last weekend I went for a sunrise swim. While I was out in the water the temperatures of the air and water were such that steam started to rise all around me. I was stunned with how beautiful the old wood pilings were with the sea gulls sitting on top surrounded by a veil of mist. It was magical. The image is seared in my memory.

I love to sit in my backyard watching all the life affirming activity. Between the birds, butterflies, bees, cicadas, dragonflies, bunnies and chipmunks, it is a very busy place!




I loved celebrating my mother's 90th birthday with my entire family, including my 3 month old grandchild. What was really amazing was when my nephew tilted a fan upwards and placed several balloons in the "wind tunnel." Watching the balloons dancing while suspended in the air was enormously entertaining. I highly recommend it.



I loved watching my granddaughter run around the back yard in her pick tutu and butterfly wings...



And I loved being in Mexico on top of the pyramid of Teotihuacan at noon, watching the swarms of butterflies....so much that I will be working on an installation piece for Frontera Grill this fall...more to come on that!