Spring in Minnesota

Last weekend I went home to Minnesota to be with my family right after my grandma passed away. It was so nice being home with family, and Minnesota in the spring is one of my favorite places on earth. My parents’ yard is amazing; I am so incredibly lucky to be able to call this my home, and to have grown up there.

It had been a while since I was home during this time of the year, and it was interesting to see the difference in seasons between Kansas and Minnesota. In Minnesota everything had just started to bloom, and the leaves were just starting to get full on the trees. Spring in Kansas was long gone though; the tulips and lilacs had been done blooming for weeks, and the leaves had already started to become the dark green of summer.

5689web 5691web 5693web 5698web 5700web 5704web 5714web 5716web 5720web 5721web 5732web 5737webAt the funeral for my grandma the pastor mentioned that she had told him that after the incredibly harsh winter Minnesota had this year, she really wanted to live long enough to see the leaves on the trees and hot weather again. So as I sat on the back patio looking at the trees in the backyard, the leaves and the bright green of my surroundings meant even more to me.

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Prairie Hike

I hadn’t been out to the Konza Prairie for ages, and when it warmed up last weekend I jumped at the chance to head out there for a hike with fellow photography graduate student, Myra. I also hadn’t been out there with my new lens, so I was excited to be able to get a new perspective on something I have shot multiple times before. Unfortunately when we got out there it got super windy and a cold front started moving in, but luckily we still had sunshine and decent light for most of the hike.

bridge2704web burn(2722)web burned(2688)web burned(2697)web burned(2700)wbe path(2707)web path(2709)web path(2722)web stairs(2715)webTomorrow evening I am off to Arizona for a week of climbing, camping, hiking, art museum visits, and of course photographing! I am so excited to get a break from Manhattan and share lots of images and stories here when I get back. If you want to keep up with our adventures during the week be sure to follow me on instagram. I will be posting lots there throughout the week, but posts here on the blog will have to wait since I don’t have room to pack my computer. Have a wonderful week you lovely people!