Well, well, well… “Hello there, Mother Nature.” Or since we have such an intimate relationship perhaps I will just call you “Muthah”. I do believe we need to have a chat. Muthah. I have a few …..issues shall we say ……with your handling of the weather of late, actually of the last year or so.

Shall we recap?

Lots and lots of rain all last Spring. Then come July you cut off the supply. You remember that? I do. The evergreens dying this year as a result do.

And this winter. What was that all about? Snow and cold starting in November, 20 degrees below normal. New Years Eve. 60 freaking degrees! And then back to below normal temps along with snow-ice-sleet, snow-ice-sleet, snow-ice-sleet, snow… I believe you get the picture, Muthah. It became a bit of a chore to even work up a tolerance of the weather.

And now the little stunt you pulled this week. Was that really necessary? Was it? Would you like me to go over that with you? Well, like it or not I am. But before we get to this week we need to take a look at the week before. Let’s get in the Way-Back Machine.

Monday, March 21^st. 78 degrees and balmy. Over 20 degrees above normal.

Tuesday, March 22^nd.  74 degrees.

Wednesday, March 23^rd. 75 degrees.

What a beautiful world in those three days. Yes, too warm, much too warm. But you knew that. And you gave it to us anyway. Let’s take a look at some of the floral delights occurring those three days.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

I know I repeat myself. On multiple levels. Repeating a story. Repeating a recipe. Repeating a mistake. But. There is also this. A repeating sense of wonder. A repeating excitement. A repeating joy. Spring for me is all those last three. So, though I may repeat a spring story (or a blog) it is with a new sense of wonder, a new excitement, a new joy.

When the weather breaks this time of year and nature frees the plants to begin their cycles again, it is as if I have never experienced all this spring rebirth before. Never saw a crocus bloom before. Never smelled a witch hazel before. Never felt the velvety buds of a magnolia before. It is all completely and totally new.

The warm temperatures this week allowed me to go out and rediscover or re-experience many of the early spring plant awakenings. Or perhaps I should call it late winter. Early March straddles that winter/spring fence with a vengeance. I cannot say we are in the throes of one or the other. As a child I recall there being a DAY. On that day we went from winter to spring. There was no going back and forth between the two. It may be the distorted memory of childhood. But it may not.

So what did I find yesterday afternoon on my spring-plants-bursting-out-all-over walk-about? Crocus are usually one of the first to appear. Like every other year they did not disappoint me. Around Sutphin Fountain I planted a little species crocus, Crocus siberi ssp sublimis “Tricolor.” First I found them just emerged from the soil through the fallen leaves of the Dawn Redwoods. See that slightly thicker white spear in the middle? That is a flower bud.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

Recently Google Maps posted an update to their imagery in the Indianapolis area. We have been looking forward to this update to see how 100 acres would look from the sky.

Seeing the progress of the park from these photos makes it appear that these images were taken a couple weeks before the park officially opened.

Since we are using Google Maps to create a mobile experience in the park, our application received an automatic update as well. If you browse to the IMA website on your mobile phone or use this link to go directly to the map: 100 Acres Map; You will see the updated imagery along with further information about each work and the nature around it.

Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Technology

In the hubbub leading up the opening of 100 Acres, no one had a chance to blog about a special event which took place in the Park on June 9. Now that we have all had a second to catch our breath, I want to share the IMA’s involvement in the Plant a Wish project and the (100 Acres) location of Indiana’s Wish Tree.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Local

If you have been reading the blog of our 100 Acres islanders you probably already know about this: our friendly neighborhood island residents are giving boat tours of Andrea Zittel’s Indianapolis Island from 10:30am – 1 pm everyday.

So yesterday I decided to hop on down to the park and take a boat ride myself.   If you have an opportunity, I highly recommend checking it out.  The island is pretty neat.  Just make sure the flag is up and you bring something to trade.

Here is the generator they built for electricity on the island.  I was told it takes about 2 and a half hours of pedaling to generate about an hours worth of electricity.

Jessica was enjoying some much appreciated sun tan lotion as acquired in a trade.

Jessica making trades with the family that rode the boat in with me:

This weekend’s weather forecast is looking pretty fine. If you visit the islanders, what do you plan to bring along to trade?

Filed under: Art, Current Events