Teal Pond Boardwalk

Teal Pond Boardwalk, originally uploaded by moe.syczlak.

Someplace else I need to go...

"This is quite possibly the best place to relax in Madison. The shelter at the end of the board walk has a bluebird nest in it." - moe.syczlak on 22 Jul '06, 3.04am EDT.

So it's not just me...

I enjoyed this story (8 minutes) on NPR's "All Things Considered," the first in a summer series on front porches. I love the description of the front porch as a transitional space between the public and private spheres. It is definitely this aspect which appeals to me: the ability to be "at home" while still interacting with my surroundings, whether by watching the birds and squirrels and children, or chatting with passing neighbors.

When the founder of the Professional Porch Sitters Union is asked if they have a motto, he responds no, but "we do have a suggestion... 'sit down a spell, that'll wait'."

we had a little rain today...

weather, originally uploaded by riddiculus.

It's been a stormy couple of weeks. And it's hot and humid too -- no fair! (Thank goodness the porch is air conditioned...)

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

A Fairytale Spring, originally uploaded by WisDoc.

Seen on my morning walk

Some sights on my walk to Lazy Jane's for breakfast and coffee...

Watching the sky at the union

Watching the sky at the union, originally uploaded by dcmarch.

Another shot of the Union.

UW Memorial Union

Union Seats, originally uploaded by SunFlowery.

The terrace of the UW Union, and its distinctive, iconic chairs. The union is the center of cultural events on campus. Looking forward to getting there for some of the outdoor music events!

Mother Fool's

Mother Fools, originally uploaded by HOARY HEAD.

My favorite coffee shop features new grafitti... personally, I miss the last iteration and look forward to the next, but the coffee is still outstanding, as are the vegan soups and baked goods (truly!).

Animal Magnetism

Animal Magnetism, originally uploaded by clarissa~.

Cows on Parade - Madison, WI
Title: Animal Magnetism
Artist: Jenny M. Steinman Heyden

Sunset over Lake Mendota

121_21853r, originally uploaded by Philgarlic.

State Street and Capitol

2006-06-14-10.JPG, originally uploaded by kellyhafermann.

graffiti on Walgreens, State Street, Madison, WI

graffiti on walgreens, state street,

originally uploaded by kellyhafermann.

Concerts on the Square (and elsewhere)

On Wednesday Susan and I went to the Cafe Montmartre to see Tim Easton play. Living in the DC area for so long, it had taken us a while to get used to being able to go to a concert near show time and still find places to park, and to sit for the show. But on Thursday we left much later than we would normally, and much to our surprise, there was no parking to be had... the scoop, it seems, is that the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's annual summer Concerts on the Square are a VERY popular event, drawing about 20,000 each of its 6 weeks; here's a hysterical article in the Capital Times about the competition for lawn space!

In any case, we ended up parking a whole 4-5 blocks away from the club (and the capitol), and still got our favorite table at the cafe. And stragglers still filled the cafe fairly well very close to show time. I love this town!


If you have any interest in roots music (rock. blues, folk,...), I encourage you to you go to Tim Easton's site, where you can hear his new album, "Ammunition," with short interview clips introducing each song. "I Wish You Well" is my favorite so far, but check out "New Blackout" for a taste of his more blues-y material. This acoustic outing is a change of pace for him, so consider having a listen to his earlier work as well (you can find clips of those on Amazon.com.)

Rhythm & Booms

So, it seems that Madison has the largest fireworks display in the Midwest. Apparently the event attracts 300,000 people (the population of Madison in 250,000). They shoot of 15,000 shells over 35 minutes at Warner Park, home home of the Madison Mallards. Who knew?

Susan and I passed on the event this year, just too much going on, but maybe if we had visitors in town for a cool-ish July holiday in Madison next year, we might consider it!

100_0866
Originally uploaded by Steven Stehling.

Ahhhh
Originally uploaded by Paparazzi Liz.