It was an afternoon of perfect temperatures and cotton candy clouds. Tom spent the morning working hard on life while I had been cast under the spell of a garden party. We married the two and went for a ride just a miles off the Cutoff to Maple Lake, where the clouds tipped down and kissed the water
while dragonflies darted mysteriously past children fishing along the glacial etched rocks
and rested upon the soft coat of cattails.
Where have you walked lately?
(Click on the cattails to find the dragonfly)
Lifeonthecutoff's Blog 
Penny, how beautiful and poetic this post is. A magical breakaway day. I love your language of ‘we married the two’ and ‘the clouds . . . kissed the water’. It all sounds rather romantic.
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Thank you so much, Juliet. I was thinking of your breakaway day as I wrote this, captivated by the clouds, and the lovely walk.
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What beautiful photos and what a lovely walk you had. I love your phrase “cotton candy clouds”. I remember part of a song called “Master Designer” with the phrase “Cotton candy clouds all fluffy and white, who put you there in a sky of deep blue?………” It is also very nice to see a lake so full of water. Ours have muddy scars where the water should be lapping at the bank. Maple Lake is beautiful. Lately, my walks have taken me down the hill ,past the pond, through the woods, around the field and back again. It is a great way to start the morning.
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Thank you, Janet, and it was lovely. I don’t know that song, “Master Designer”, and will try to find it. I love those words. I do wish I could blow some of the rain we did have down your way. I know how much you need it. Maple Lake is very nice; only row boats, no swimming, but fishing, which is mostly catch and release. It was fun to see youngsters out for the day, fishing with parents. I thought of you and Jim and Fishin’Pals.
That’s a wonderful way to start your day, and I’m sure you have some four legged company along the way. I’ll be thinking of your walk tomorrow morning.
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Penny, this post just says, “Ahhhhh.” I love the pictures. Michael and I did a couple of hikes around Asheville last week, one to a waterfall and the other to a view. Nothing makes me happier than walking in the woods.
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Your walks sound like happy adventures, Andra, with the views you must have seen and I’m imagining a waterfall created for one of your stories.
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I love the cattails! Here I am about to tell you once again how often you bring to mind my favorite aunt! She loved cattails and had a reservoir on her property where they grew thick. This past weekend when we were in the mountains we went on a walk and came upon a marshy area full of cattails and I reminded Jay of Carlye’s property and how much we used to enjoy visiting! I can see you had a wonderful day and I’m happy you shared it, Penny. Debra
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I am sure I would have loved knowing your aunt, Debra. How special she was to come to mind for you so often and I enjoy hearing about her. She, and you, would love Illinois this time of year for cattails are abundant, especially along the low-lying areas near expressways, lakes and ponds. Your walk sounds so pleasant, Debra. It is interesting, isn’t it, that we live in such different climates with differing vegetation, yet there are still some wonders, like cattails, that we share across this vast land? Life is grand.
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Lovely words and lovely photos Penny. It’s very hot here at the moment, but yesterday we took my brother and his family to a lake in the Black Mountains where we thought it might be a little cooler. It was, and while the boys ( 9 and 17) swam in the lake, Mark and I walked around it. It only took us 45 minutes, but it was a delightfully cool, shaded nature extravaganza. Beautifully diffused light and mysteriously shaped tree roots, and even dragon flies like yours. So glad you enjoyed your walk, we certainly enjoyed ours. J.
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Thank you, Janice. We are starting to heat up again, but this past week has been heavenly. Your walk around the lake sounds like a tiny slice of paradise and your descriptions of light and roots and dragon flies paints a word picture for me that is as restful as it is reflective. I’ve so enjoyed hearing about it.
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Looks like a gorgeous walk, Penny. Us: we’ve been all over, as you know. This afternoon it it the turn of a murder mystery treasure trail through Marlow.
I hope we can apprehend the culprit.
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Kate, you are an ambassador of goodwill and good walks for your fair island that I never tire of. I’m still smiling over your brief encounter with Henry VIII and always, always enjoy a walk in your forest.
Hmmm. Mystery treasure trail. Do tell more.
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Dear Penny, it’s been so hot here with many days in the triple digits that I haven’t done any walking. (Western Missouri, where I live is labeled on the weather maps “Exceptional Drought,” meaning the worse area of the drought.)
But I joined Weight Watchers yesterday evening and so I must gird myself for exercise. Which means, given that I do love to walk and have bought a new pair of walking shoes, that I’m going to be “stepping out” as Fred Astaire would say with myself today as we move into cooler (high 80s, low 90s weather this weekend). Peace.
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Most of Illinois is still in the “Exceptional Drought” category as well, Dee. We have been fortunate to have had some cooler temperatures, sleeping with the windows open, and able to walk around and breath a bit. More heat is now on its way. These triple digit temperatures and heat have surely played a part in your asthma, haven’t they?
Good for you! I’m sure you will have some pleasant walks, especially when it does finally cool a bit. We are in the height of mosquito season here, so walking about, or doing anything outside, means that I need to load up on insect repellent; all those chemicals vs West Nile? Onward . . .
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Such lovely photos and reflective words, Penny. I enjoyed your walk. 🙂 I’ve been working in the garden rather than walking recently, though mowing a quarter of an acre does involve some walking….
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Hi, Perpetua. I was just responding to Dee’s comment and yours popped up. Thank you. I find working in the garden a walk of a different kind, as we bend and kneel and pull and carry. I always find peace and contentment in the garden, don’t you? Well, excepting when the mosquitoes swarm. Now, mowing a quarter of acre is exercise, indeed.
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For some reason we have no mosquitoes here this year (perhaps the hard winter and poor spring?) but I can still sympathise, as I react so badly to their bites.
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So lovely and peaceful and my kind of place! We walked (a lot) on the beach last week.
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Beautiful and my kind of place to walk…so calm and peaceful. We walked (a lot) on the beach this past week. Another place of serenity.
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I’m glad to see you are back, Sallie. This was a peaceful walk and we hope to go back again soon. Serenity – I hope you post some pictures.
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