A Day in Photos - 5/19/14

The weather today was beautiful, the kind of day that you can wear jeans and T-shirts and neither be too hot nor too cold.  It was the kind of day that screamed "Come, enjoy me!"  So we headed to the North Chagrin Reservation, a beautifully wooded nature preserve dense with wildlife and vegetation.  Winding walking trails of asphalt awaited us, beaten paths of dirt and stone beckoned.

Watching Buttermilk Creek tumble forward.

We made new friends with some local wildlife.

A, B - Platycryptus undatus, "tan jumping spider"; C, D - Ellychnia corrusca, 

"diurnal firefly"; E - Unidentified caterpillar.

We ran around in the grass.

     Evelyn believes the humble dandelion to be nothing less than flower royalty.  

     I refuse to tell her otherwise.

We explored the ruins of a castle that never was.

Contrary to popular belief, Squire's Castle is not haunted.  It was never completed,

and the Squire family never lived here.

We discovered the true artistry of nature's masterful hand.

An elemental and imperfect Celtic knot.

Then we came home and enjoyed the true artistry of my own hand.

A simple caprese salad - Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella with organic olive oil, cracked black pepper and Kosher salt.

We had an amazing day, and I am thankful for the simple beauty that surrounds me and the opportunity to share it with my children.