The Pasque Flower

The Pasque Flower
Genus: Anemone
Species: patens

The Pasque flower is plentiful in the wild. It can be seen any where from northwest U.S. to northern Alaska, and is the state flower of South Dakota. In Red Wing, MN we mainly notice these plants growing in the bare and sometimes rocky ground of the bluffs surrounding this area. The flower is found close to the ground among the old grasses of last year. It’s lavender petals and leaves are covered in fine silky hairs, which help to insulate it in the sometimes cold temperatures of Spring in the north. The flower is a welcome sight that triggers the notion of warmer days ahead.

 

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Everywhere a Moo MooOOOoooo

After spending a day exploring and photographing The House on the Rock, our time off was coming to an end.  We packed up the car and headed on our way back home but of course, we took notice of the surrounding views.  Not only is the landscape beautiful in this area, the counties of Vernon and Monroe Wisconsin, also have some interesting barns, including many round barns. I encourage you to get lost in the countryside no matter where you reside; each state has its own unique features and architecture!

Old MacDonald had a farm, E, I, E, I, Ooooooo

The House on the Rock

Within The House on the Rock, you will find the largest carousel in history, among other wonders.  The carousel is 80 ft. in width, 35 ft. in height, and weighs over 36 tons.  The animals premiered on the carousel are some of the most unique collected from all over the world.  There is not one horse on this carousel…  Instead the horses watch from afar as the walls are lined with a hundred eyes.  They look on while the carousel rotates and plays its tune.

The experience gained was amusing, remarkable, and exhausting and a all at the same time.  I remember touring The House on the Rock as a child; it certainly was a different feel as an adult.  With every turn, there was more… Stuff.

“The House on the Rock began in 1945 when a man named Alex Jordan had a towering goal: to build a retreat as awe-inspiring as the view from the rock upon which the House would eventually be built.

What took shape on and around Deer Shelter Rock is a truly remarkable achievement. The House was only the beginning. In the years that followed, Alex expanded his vision beyond the House and collected and built on a massive scale. In the end he had created the world-renowned attraction known as The House on the Rock.” – The house on the Rock.com

House on the Rock
Address: 5754 Hwy 23, Spring Green, WI

Hours: Call to verify- 608-935-3639
Late April – August
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday-Wednesday –Closed

The Horse Knows the Way

The beautiful rolling hills and bluffs that overlook the Wisconsin River Valley are breath-taking.  Dan and I started and ended a weekend photographing Southeastern MN and Southwestern WI and experiencing the artist community in and around Spring Green, WI. This land is part of the Driftless area, which was left untouched by the glaciers of the Ice Age millions of years ago.

Driving the backroads and taking in the country air will forever be a favorite of mine.  With every turn of the road, you may find an old barn, an abandoned farmstead, the Amish towns, interesting livestock, wildlife galore, or River valleys with breath-taking views…  Wonders for a photographer’s eye.

Some of the main attractions of this area today include Taliesin, which after 1937, was the estate of architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, and House on the Rock.  We did not make it to Taliesin but we did visit House of the Rock.  As a child, I remember walking these halls and seeing the many collections that reside here.  As an adult, I was astonished and amazed that one man had this eccentric vision to create what we see today… The world’s most bizarre and immense collection of stuff.