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a year of color: yellow

In a matter of days we've lost all but one of the little miss' hats.  I'm fairly certain that while her parents aren't looking, she stuffs them into heating vents, under couches, or behind the books in the bookcases.  The remaining yellow sun hat somehow remained perched atop her head long enough for me to snap this photo, but if I had to translate the babble that went with the look, I'm certain she was telling me that there was not a chance that this hat would make it to the next sunny day. 

a year of color: red orange

A spanish tile rooftop in the upper Midwest.  Certainly not the first architectural oxymoron I've found in my neighborhood.

a year of color: spring green

I've been searching high and low for some spring green in my environment.  It's not that there isn't any to be found, there's just not any that actually sings spring.  The big lake is still covered with ice in places.  This week the mercury crept below zero (Fahrenheit!).  Snow flakes danced in the sky.  Spring green is still deep under the earth waiting, waiting.  I've kept the camera slung over my shoulder all week hoping to capture a sign of the season.  No luck.  So instead I'll share the artificial coloring found on a billboard.  It's spring green all right, but if I imagine that it had a flavor it would be akin to a chewy lemon-lime candy -- not at all satisfying, but instead just enough of a tease to make me realize exactly how badly I want the real thing.

a year of color: lavender

This evening a teasing wind coaxed a fogbank of the lightest of lavenders back and forth across the lake.  At times the shore was completely enveloped in wet bone-chilling fog iced by the still frozen lake.  Minutes later the warm winds from the hillside would push the fog aside and allow the warm sun to tickle the shore.  At sunset the warm airs were winning the tug of war. 

Meanwhile, in the stroller the darkest of lavenders swaddled the little miss who decided to take that dreaded early evening nap.

a year of color: burnt sienna

Window detail from the church outside my office window.   I love watching the shadow and light change on this south-facing building throughout the day.  And the brickwork.  Can you imagine how glorious the built environment would be if such care and attention to detail was the norm in current construction and design practices? 

I'm really enjoying the AYOC flickr group.  Each Sunday a new color is selected from a big box of Crayola's as the color to capture with camera.  People participate by posting their favorite shots with the week's color.  For the past few days I've been tuned in to the burnt sienna in my world as never before.  I love the discoveries that I'm making by paying attention in this simple and new way. 

a year of color: green

Today I found the afternoon sun playing the harmonica.  I imagine perfect harmony.

And yes, I'm late, hopping in to A Year of Color at week 35.  I'm not known for punctuality.