Even though my Nikon Df has become my primary digital camera, I leave my Canon PowerShot S95 out with a fully charged battery. It’s still a terrific tiny, light, and capable camera.
While the flowering trees were still in bloom early this spring, I took it on a walk around my neighborhood. There’s a two-mile loop I like to follow. When I’m not stopping all the time to make photographs, I walk it in about 30 minutes. I can often squeeze that in between meetings while I’m working. But when I bring a camera, my timing varies.
I complain a lot about this suburban neighborhood I live in — its homogeneity, the cheapness of the homes’ construction, the silly restrictions of the HOA. I even published a book about it, a photo essay showing many of this neighborhood’s not-awesome aspects. But it’s undeniable that some aspects of this neighborhood can be beautiful, especially in the spring and autumn.

The people who designed this neighborhood made sure that plenty of flowering trees were planted along the main avenue. The blooms last only a couple weeks, but they’re spectacular.


Some of those trees are Bradford pears, which is unfortunate. They’re plenty beautiful, but the blooms smell like rotting shrimp. Also, they are an invasive species.

You’ll find Canadian geese in all the retention ponds. Nasty little buggers. Don’t go near them as you’re likely to be attacked. Also, they poop everywhere. It’s too bad that it’s illegal in Indiana to kill them.

Not unexpectedly, you’ll find tulips and daffodils in peoples’ yards.


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