Holmes Lake - Lincoln

Hello Friends,
Tonight I visited a friend in Lincoln, the city that first inspired me to become a hometown tourist.  Actually, it was leaving Lincoln that provided the inspiration.  I lived there for three years.  In the weeks before I moved back to Omaha, I got to thinking about all of the restaurants, shops, and museums I meant to visit but never had.  (I've still never been to a Huskers game, and I could have gotten tickets as a grad student.  Sad, huh?)  That's when I realized that I should have been a tourist in the city where I lived.  And I decided to do better when I moved back to my hometown. 

I may have missed a lot in Lincoln, but one spot I visited often was Holmes Lake (70th and Normal Blvd).  My dogs and I stopped there before we headed home tonight.  We braved the storm clouds and the gusting winds, and we were rewarded with a beautiful walk.

Some of the clouds looked a little menacing, but they only splashed us with a few drops.  The wind was powerful, though.  It forced me to turn my baseball hat around backwards to keep it from flying off - a funny sight, I'm sure.  Even the ducks at the far end of the lake were sticking close together.  "Safety in numbers" as my mom always said.  I guess duck mothers give the same lecture.

The lake is encompassed by a gravel trail.  It has a rural feel even though it's tucked into southeast Lincoln.  Images like this always getting me thinking about shadows and light - and how the interplay between them makes the world so beautiful. 

There is a dock and a couple of landings where boaters can get onto the lake.  Fishermen (and women) have easy access to the water on a number of rocky outcroppings.  

Holmes also has baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, picnic shelters, and a playground for the kids.

Notice the trash can there by the tree.  Not a beautiful sight, but the presence of trash receptacles spaced out around the lake is a definite plus for those of us who travel with dogs.  (Not that I don't enjoy carrying a nice bag of dog poop for a mile or two...)  

I thought about sitting here to watch the sunset, but I'd left my jacket in the car, and the wind was getting cold.  Still, you can't beat a view like this.

By the time we came full circle - about a 45 minute walk, including pauses for the dogs to take care of business and for me to take pictures - the storm clouds had all moved out.