The Apples in My Orchard

Let me be your tour guide! The Word Press Weekly Photo Challenge for this week is Tour Guide. We are challenged to show photos of where we live and give a little insight on why we love it so much! I think my photos speak for themselves!

In this first shot, you have a  panoramic view of the New Amsterdam Grasslands. It is a conserved piece of property within the town limits and is the nesting habitat for countless birds, some of which are threatened or endangered. I love it because our town, in West Central Wisconsin, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last twenty years. It is one of the fastest growing areas of our state! I am so pleased to be part of a community that conserves its natural resources and wide open spaces!

The second photograph shows one of my many perennial beds in my yard. This one  is kidney-shaped and very large. We put it in one of the first years we lived here. It is very colorful and has an iron bench that sits facing our house. I get a lot of satisfaction from weeding this garden, as it is easy to maintain and has some of my favorite plants like liatris, Russian Sage, Jacob’s Ladder, and Karl Forster Grass. The choke cherry shrub provides food for the birds.

One of the things I love the most about where I live is the beautiful sunrises as seen here, and the equally beautiful sunsets.  Both are gorgeous! But, I found that gazing at a multi-colored sky, early in the morning is a great way to start the day!

This is our barn and  maple tree  a couple of years ago, in the fall. Sadly, the cornfield is no longer there, as it has been recently replaced by a new housing track.

We are lucky enough to have a home fruit orchard, pictured here. Although maintaining the fruit trees is a lot of work, it is fun to harvest the fruit and share our bounty with others. We have apples, sour cherries, pears, and plums in our orchard. There are about 35 trees in all. Last fall we had a cider making party with friends which is going to become an annual tradition.

As well as beautiful sunrises, we often have rainbows over the coulees. I love the vibrancy of colors shown in this scene that I captured this past year. It looks over our backyard towards the neighbors and bluffs.

As you can tell, one of things I most appreciate about where I live is the natural beauty.

Thanks for letting me be your Tour Guide of West Central Wisconsin, U.S.A..

It is a great place to live and well worth a visit!

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Tour Guide