Out My Back Door

My vantage point for our corner of the world isn't always the best.  We really can't see anything to the south, southeast, or southwest.  The view to the west is a short one, since buildings block most of the view.

Just left with a view to the north and northeast isn't all bad, however,  since this time of year the community of Middleton celebrates another town festival and we get a view of their fireworks display around 9 each evening.

It catches my attention with a percussive boom of the launch, or the flash of light out the sliding glass doors that catches my eye.

Last night, I was able to grab the camera and steady it with the balcony railing in an attempt to capture some of the fire lights.

Yellows, reds, greens, orange, and bright daytime whites produce a brilliant design on a black background.  It's art in an instant.

So much of life is like that.  I look out the back door (watch the first step, it's a doozy) to see golfers lining up putts.  Shouts of joy (or not) rise from the fairway when shots land on the green and find their own path to the hole.

Closer to the couch are the plants still giving their best floral display to enjoy through the rest of the summer.

A Hummingbird feeder quietly hangs, until the slight chirping sounds of it's guest arrives and rapidly takes a few drinks before darting off to another lunch stop.

There are dozens of windows - small squares of darkness or light and just a couple of hazy glimpses of life inside other small spaces.

From time to time, there might even be fireworks on a small scale inside some of those squares.

Through the summer, we get the glorious aroma of outdoor cooking as our neighbors take advantage of the gas grill by the pool.

If you've read the blog for very long, you've seen our snow-filled winter vista off of our balcony.  In 2012, the snow piled high in the corners and across shivering outdoor furniture.


Now those chairs are serving the purpose for which they were created - that of an outdoor living area and a comfortable patch in the out of doors.

This is the time when I most enjoy heading out my back door.

During a quiet Sunday morning, just after getting back from church - it's a wonderful period of time to retreat through the glass to a seat at the table with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to catch up on the Packers, Brewers, Bucks, and Badgers plus the rest of the state and world news.

No lawn means no backyard, but it also means no mowing. So I can turn the pages of the paper and look at the lawn peacefully, knowing I don't have to worry about it, I can just enjoy the view out my back door.