by jessie voigts
Member since:
December 19, 2005

inside, and out

February 26, 2007 12:09 PM EST
views: 103 | comments: 38


{9 photos, for those gathering on dial-up}

 

 fileId:3096224744039766;size:full;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we've been snowed in today, and it is just beautiful out. the last few weeks have seen an explosion of ice shanties on the lake, and even lots of ice fishermen out, sitting on buckets for hours and hours. lillie's been working on her skating, and of course building snowmen/dogs/pigs when the snow is packable.

fileId:3096224744039774;size:full;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 yesterday we stopped by the meijer gardens, in grand rapids - i've written about this wonderful place many times. the annual butterfly exhibit is about to start, and we saw quite a few gorgeous butterflies...

 fileId:3096224744039767;size:full;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in the conservatory, the air is so warm and moist, you can almost cut it with a knife. it smells wonderful - loamy, and tropical, somehow. when i walk into this enormous glass structure, i just feel like standing and breathing deeply for hours. it feels good, in my lungs and on my skin. i can only imagine how happy the butterflies must be.

 fileId:3096224744039772;size:full;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here are a few shots, and then a few from this morning - after the snow dump last night, we ventured out this morning to make sure the birdfeeder was full.

 fileId:3096224744039769;size:full;

 

fileId:3096224744039770;size:full;

 

 

fileId:3096224744039771;size:full;

 fileId:3096224744039775;size:full;

 

 fileId:3096224744039776;size:full;

 
link to this page
Bookmark this post:
Facebook
Twitter
Delicious
Buzz
More

Comments: 38

Rob Appell Feb 26, 2007, 12:24pm EST
I think I'll pick the butterflies and flowers over that damn snow any day!
Debbie G. Feb 26, 2007, 12:33pm EST
Wonderful photos and contrast! Thanks for submitting your memorable experience.
Miz Lynn aka/BooBoo Feb 26, 2007, 12:47pm EST
A breath of Spring in your photos, thanks for making me smile :))
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Feb 26, 2007, 12:52pm EST
The juxtaposition of vibrant colors and the snowy winter scene is great. Thanks for this Jessie - I am so longing for more color in the world. Beautiful butterfly shots, also. They are gorgeous little creatures.
Carol Voigts Feb 26, 2007, 12:53pm EST
Wish I could get down to the Gardens soon. Lovely, Jess.
Faith H. Feb 26, 2007, 12:54pm EST
This is beautiful, Jessie. Thanks for brightening up the day!
☃ Aunt Shanny Feb 26, 2007, 12:55pm EST
How far are you from G.R.? My fiance is from East Grand Rapids, and we want to move back to the "west side".
♯ ♪ Feb 26, 2007, 12:57pm EST
I'm with the beautiful butterflies as well. Love the first photo!
mona d. Feb 26, 2007, 12:59pm EST
gorgeous, jessie. and it makes me realize that i wouldn't trade any of the four seasons (even though some of the snow banks are ten feet tall!).
Mariana T. Feb 26, 2007, 1:08pm EST
Miz Jessie - lovely colours and images and I can smell that lovely scent in the air...what a contrast to the snow! I love each one of these images! Keep up the good work. It makes us all smile! Salud.
jessie voigts Feb 26, 2007, 1:10pm EST
thanks, everyone! bongo - i agree, that the photos don't do justice to what we actually see! :)

shannon - we're about an hour north of GR. we drive in once a month, maybe, and try to pack all the errands into one day. it makes me tired....

thank you, friends!
Madame Donna C. Feb 26, 2007, 1:14pm EST
Beautiful work, jessie!
Mary McCartt Feb 26, 2007, 1:55pm EST
Oh Jessie, you gave me a bit of spring today! The butterflies are wondrous.
Vicky P. Feb 26, 2007, 2:11pm EST
The shot of the vine with snow looks like a praying mantis, wonderful pics.
Synchronicity W. Feb 26, 2007, 2:16pm EST
these photos are stunning! i love the purple flower one...so vibrant! are you a professional photographer?
Katrina Hall Feb 26, 2007, 2:24pm EST
Thank you for the all too brief outing into the tropics! So astonishingly brilliant and colorful...........how did Lillie like the butterlfies?
Edward Nudelman Feb 26, 2007, 3:07pm EST
Jessie, I'm bowled over by these beautiful photos. Where have you been? I know, I know, and with Gater glitches making it hard to load photos, I pity you... but you know what I'm going to say next: where's my Lillie? Tell her to watch out for my next correspondent article... it's a workshop to write a poem. I think you should write one on dolphins with Lillie!
Tom C. Feb 26, 2007, 3:09pm EST
Very nice Jessie, thank you!
Nancy S. Feb 26, 2007, 4:23pm EST
I love the purple flower. I plan to save that one.
Stephanie A. (On vacation) Feb 26, 2007, 4:23pm EST
Your photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Sonia M. Feb 26, 2007, 6:03pm EST
Jessie, I don't know if it was on purpose or not, but three of the photos you uploaded didn't show up in the article.

Beautiful contrast between the inside and outside! Gorgeous orchid picture and the butterflies are so pretty and so different from the ones we see here!
Pamela H. Feb 26, 2007, 6:15pm EST
Jessie, the colors (both the brilliant and the muted) in your photos are breathtaking, especially the purple.
Kathryn E. Feb 26, 2007, 7:11pm EST
Oh Jessie, how I've missed your page...These are truly beautiful. We had a small, wet snow today after last week's icing.

I love the butterflies any time of year - but never seen them in winter. We have a butterfly museum open in summer about 40 miles away. Awesome and awe inspiring place.
elizabeth e. Feb 26, 2007, 7:27pm EST
We, too, had snow this morning, but not enough to cancel school....it was fantastic snow and my kindergarteners were the first out on the playground to experience "virgin snow". Unlike them, though, I'm waiting for spring...and your pictures gave hope that once again, butterflies will come swarming to my gardens. Guyana!
d g. Feb 26, 2007, 7:36pm EST
Incredible and delightful pictures. What sharp contrast between the fuzzy cold frozen macro and the crisp warm micro of your cosm!
Dan Merritt Feb 27, 2007, 9:43am EST
Nice stuff Jessie. The lake to shore snow shot makes me homesick. Maybe not quite enough to put up with the -20 stuff but folks who have never heard a day like that don't know what they are missing. Beautiful macro work on the butterflies too. Hey have you ever managed to get a really white winter day to look like anything? The sublties way up in the white end of the visual scale seem to be beyond film and certainly beyond my cheap digital. Can a good one handle it?
Verie Sandborg Feb 27, 2007, 6:43pm EST
Your lovely photos from Meijer Gardens are a sight for winter-bleary eyes. Thank you. I haven't been to Grand Rapids since I was taken there when I was three years old for treatment with radium. Now I want to go to see that wonderful place.
Maureen Sullivan Stemberg Feb 27, 2007, 7:25pm EST
jess, beautiful, beautiful!! Thank you, for giving us a glimpse of spring. Of course, your winters pictures are breathe taking...TY> for reminder us spring will be coming & we can look forward to more of jesse magic with her camera. ~mo-zy
Gree J. Feb 27, 2007, 10:09pm EST
Wow, what amazing colors! And just what we need in this muted snowscape. Thank you.
amanda wallin Feb 28, 2007, 8:43am EST
Hard to believe the pic.s are real you're such a splendid photographer. Amazing serenity
xanthe l. Feb 28, 2007, 9:45am EST
wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a gift you have!!!! just Wow!!!! a pure 10. I don't know what else to say... i wish i could do this..... amazing.....
Lovely photos as always. A bit of spring in the midst of winter. Although here in Texas the weather has been nice....maybe storms today!
Carolion Grailbear Feb 28, 2007, 5:42pm EST
Love that ice and snow, the way it holds us, waiting, waiting, waiting - until just the perfect Moment when the melting-of-cold / UPRISING of NEW LIFE happens. The contrast of snow & butterflies/flowers did that for me, O Wise of Heart Jessie.
Joel Carillet Mar 6, 2007, 8:46pm EST
Wonderful as always, Jessie.
Elsie Duggan Mar 6, 2007, 11:18pm EST
Absolutely beautiful photos, just what we need here for a little winter cheer.
Clifford H Colpitts Jr Mar 10, 2007, 11:50am EST
Jessie: Wonderful...I collected a few with a net when I was around ten...the camera would have been much better. I discovered Jainism when I was older. To this day that net bothers me a bit. Thanks for the introduction to your site.
Sandi G. Jul 21, 2007, 1:15pm EDT
Beautiful pictures!
Clare Stella Jan 22, 2009, 4:14pm EST
Such beautiful photographs! Thank you for a peek at two world with two totally different climates.

Join the Conversation
Chime in! Become a Gather member to comment.
Already a member? Sign in
top
 
Gather | Friends | Groups | Share
About Gather | Engagement Marketing | Make New Friends | Gather Points | Advertise on Gather | Gather Press | Privacy | Terms of Service | Community Guidelines
Books | Celebs | Entertainment | Family | Food | Health | Moms | Money | News | Politics | Spirituality | Sports | Travel | Writing
Version 16961, "Pacino"; Copyright © 2009 Gather Inc. All rights reserved.