Skywatch Friday: Dining at Seven Seas

Every Friday night during the summer, there is a traditional midwestern fish fry dinner at a local restaurant called "Seven Seas." Located on Nagawicka Lake in Waukesha County, the dining patio has a lovely view of the sunset over the lake. They also have a large pier where boaters can dock their crafts while they eat, so casual attire like board shorts, deck shoes, and sundresses are all acceptable.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

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If you arrived here via the "SkyWatch" link - thank you!  Feel free to peruse all my other photo posts by visiting the Pewaukee Daily Photo's home page. 

Pink Lady

The "Pink Lady" lily's latin name is Amaryllis Belladonna. It's also called the"naked lady" lily because - as you can see in the photo - it has no leaves to cover its long, thin stem.  Technically, it does have leaves, but they show up in early spring like a clump of long blades of grass, and then die back after 4 to 6 weeks.  Then after another 4 to 6 weeks, the graceful lily stalk appears out of seemingly nowhere with this lovely topper of pale pink blooms.

Google Earth

I happened to glance over to the next lane at a stoplight on Bluemound Road in Brookfield and saw the "Google Earth" street map car idling next to me. Quite an interesting red camera/satellite contraption on the top.   That's something you don't see everyday!

Better and Better

The sunsets around here lately just keep getting better and better! I love the reflection on the blanket of clouds above.

Skywatch Friday: Cotton Candy?

A recent sunset reflecting off the billowing clouds made me think of pink cotton candy. Or, perhaps you see something else in these clouds?

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

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If you arrived here via the "SkyWatch" link - thank you!  Feel free to peruse all my other photo posts by visiting the Pewaukee Daily Photo's home page. 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit Berries

Autumn is on its way around here, sooner than we'd like to admit.  However, one of the pretty pops of color in the fall woods are the Jack-in-the-Pulpit berries. The stalks are anywhere from 8" to 12" tall and the cluster of berries is usually the size of a golf ball (above). However, the specimen below was about about the size of tennis ball! You can see what the springtime flowers look like here. You'd never guess by looking at them that they turn into these odd little pods.

Couple at Sunset

In the distance you can see an older couple on a wooden pier taking in the sunset view over the Pewaukee River.

Giddy Up!

This huge mushroom was straddling the base of an old maple tree growing in our tree line. It's hard to tell if it's a single organism split in half, or if it's two separate mushrooms grown together, but it was nearly 2 feet across! Dryad was a wood nymph in ancient Greek mythology, and so this fungus is called a "Dryad's Saddle" because they often have the appearance of a large saddle. They are also related to the "Pheasant's Back" mushroom, which I've posted here as well. Below is a photo of the creamy white spongy bottom of the Dryad, which almost has the look of a slice of bread.

Tomatoes!

There are quite a variety of tomatoes at the Madison farmer's market.  My favorite are the dark pink "Brandywine" heirlooms.  Great on a BLT!

SkyWatch Friday: An Evening at the Beach

Even as the sun sets, young families take advantage of the lovely weather on the beach at Pewaukee Lake as long as they can. Winter comes too soon around these parts!

Check out all the SkyWatch Friday entries here.

The Dark Knights Rise

An army of Batmen are waiting for you at Costco!  (Love the outstretched arm of the one near the back right. )

One Way Cafe

A nice place to stop for a cup of coffee or tea while shopping in the Village of Wauwatosa.  And yes, it is on a one-way street. ;-)

Not quite the Olympics!

A few members of a local yoga class were demonstrating some balance exercises at the recent "Taste of Lake Country" festival down by Pewaukee Lake.  Caution, indeed!

The Saving of a Landmark

This informative plaque outlines the story of how Granddad's Bluff in La Crosse was originally utilized as a quarry location in the mid-1800's and then saved from complete destruction by a group of area founders and businessmen in the early 1900's. Thank goodness for community activism!

Granddad's Sunset

Another dramatic sunset view from atop of Granddad's Bluff in La Crosse, Wisconsin. You can see across the Mississippi River to eastern Minnesota in the distance.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

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If you arrived here via the "SkyWatch" link - thank you!  Feel free to peruse all my other photo posts by visiting the Pewaukee Daily Photo's home page. 

Yellow Bike

This cool yellow "motor-trike" was spotted recently in front of a nearby walk-in clinic.  Hope everything turned out ok. :-)

(That back seat sure looks comfy!  Sit back and enjoy the ride.)

Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

I was greeted by 3 large black ravens perched above my car in our parking lot at work the other day, and they were making quite a racket! Their endless chatter did sound at times like specific words.  To fit in with today's image, below are a few verses from an abridged version of Edgar Allan Poe's  poem of love and loss, "The Raven."

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —

Only this, and nothing more."

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!" —

Merely this, and nothing more.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door —

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door —

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.

Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore —

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

(The complete version can be read here.)

Beach Weeds

Even though these are weeds popping up along the shore of Pewaukee Lake, I think they add a nice bit of interest to the view of the horizon. The small island in the distance is where they set off the 4th of July fireworks.

Supervision!

This sign is posted in my doctor's office.  There is a Starbuck's next door and I believe they keep a supply of puppies in the back. ;-)

Hibiscus

The oppressive heat has been good for at least a few things around here - one of them being our coral hibiscus.  (As long as I remember to water it once - sometimes twice - per day.)

Pewaukee's Finest

Our boys (and girls!) in blue kept an eye on things during Pewaukee's recent "Taste of Lake Country" festival held down by the beach. In case of a lakefront incident or accident, they also had one of these cute "beach-buggies" on hand.

Here are a few of them chatting with one of the police commissioners attending the event. (Hi, Bill!) 

Another Mississippi River Sunset

Taken looking northwest over the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from Riverside Park.  The clouds look like they are boiling up a storm.

Check all Skywatch Friday photo entries here.

The Back Steps

The backyard steps of this big, green house face the parking lot of the assisted living home where my mother used to live. The big pot of red geraniums reminds me of her, since she was an expert at over-wintering them every year at our old house.

She would have been 96 years old this month. Happy Birthday, Mom.

Theme Day: Numbers

1 Corinthians 13: My nephew had this verse tattooed on his body earlier this spring.  Pretty bold, but a nice sentiment!

See other entries in City Daily Photo's "Theme Day" for August here.