It's the last day of January and it's been a very interesting month.  I was trying to make sure that got outside for many days this month.  Here are 5 of my favorite photos from my various outdoor pursuits this month...

Starting the month out was a hike at Buboltz Nature Center.  Love the cabin on this start of January...  Even though it's 2021, the cabin has a timeless look.  It could have January 1 1950!

PAD Jan 1 Buboltz Hike

My next photo is right out of my family room window on a snowy day.  We haven't had a lot of cardinals this year, but this one was posed perfectly.  And I just enjoy watching the snow fall this winter.  And we've had a few snowfalls.  Enough to have a nice covering of snow on the ground and allow kids to do some heavy sledding on the hills around town.

PAD Jan 3 The Cardinal in our Backyard

And then there are walks along waterways.  This shot was along a frozen channel.  Loved the footprints in the channel.  And the snow that clung to the branches.  Interesting random patterns.

PAD Jan 1 Buboltz Hike--Frozen Channel

On another drive and walk, I went to Oshkosh WI and enjoyed the views along Lake Winnebago.  It was a beautiful drive, followed by a refreshing walk along the shores of Lake Winnebago.

I love the contrast of the grasses against Lake Winnebago shore.

And, lastly for the month.  A foggy morning resulted in a wonderful look to this winter view.  Just walking in my neighborhood, camera in hand, and just capturing what I could find.

PAD Jan 6 Another Frosty Walk in the Neighborhood

I appreciate going out on a Wisconsin winter day and walk and photograph what captures my eye.

This year I decided not to post my photos.

Next year will be different

I decided to go back over some of my photos that I tool during March 2020 as the spread of the pandemic was becoming more prevalent and Wisconsin started to lock down areas.

At first, I continued my walks outside.  It was March and there was still snow on the ground.  I could walk freely and not see very many people at all.  Schools were just starting to close in my hometown, but no State-wide orders, yet. I have at least two cameras in my family room that has lots of windows and a nice view of the outdoors.

 One March day, this little critter walked in our backyard.  This fox was walking fairly quickly so I had to grab my camera and take a few shots before he scampered down the hill into the ravine behind our home.

One of the places that we enjoyed hiking in March was High Cliff State Park.  It was still open during March and for the cold days, there weren't many people hiking.  The trails were still pretty muddy so we hiked around the closed campgrounds sticking to the asphalt roads that were clear of snow and ice.  Here I was able to catch a couple of the walkers way ahead of us on the campground road.

Beautiful hiking days at High Cliff with blue skies.  Cold winds, however, blowing off of the lake that still had some ice in spots.

During one of my walks, I saw an example of some sidewalk art.  This happened after the schools were closed and the days were a bit warmer.

Often, I would just stay indoors and photograph interesting things that were around me.

And, sometimes, I felt just like my cat.  Looking outside through our windows and seeing the cold, rainy weather.

One of the natural areas nearby has a broad walk over the marshy portion.  This is where we saw this deer on a cold day.  There was still snow on the ground and it looks like this poor deer was hunkering down to keep warm.

The prairie area at Heckrodt Nature Center has a wonderful grove of birch trees.  Often, we would take several walk throughs in this area.  On this day most of the hiking trail was free of snow.  Especially near the birch grove.

Near the nature preserve is a small park on the lake that has a small beach area.  When we walked there we weren't sure if it would be opened.  The gate was unlocked and my husband enjoyed eating some fruit while overlooking Lake Winnebago.  We were the only people there on this cold day.

Just a few ice chunks amidst the sand, pebbles, and rocks on the beach.

Closer to home, I enjoyed the various homes that decorate their lawn ornaments during the year.  This particular metal sculpture has a colorful hat and scarf that just made me smile as I walked pass.

I am glad that I am taking photos everyday whether it's associated with the pandemic or just capturing the beauty of the world around me.  I hope you enjoyed this little retrospective as I looked at my life during March from an end of April perspective.