Damn you COVID-19! Or maybe, thank you?

Back in May of 2000, we were about two months into COVID-19 lockdown. We had done many of the fun family activities we saw sprouting up online and we were starting to get cabin fever. BAD.

We had to get out of the house! One of our favorite things to do as a family is going on walks or hikes in the woods. Thankfully, the Wisconsin weather was improving which meant that we could start going on some family hikes. We're very lucky to live near the University of Wisconsin Arboretum woods so we grabbed our face masks and headed out. Of course, I grabbed my camera, because I just never know what interesting things I'll find walking through the woods. These Dame's Rockets were among the beautiful Spring wild flowers we saw on our walk.

It wasn't the first time we've walked on those trails through the arboretum, and it won't be the last, but it will be one of the more memorable walks we've had given the COVID-19 circumstances. I remember hoping at the time that we'd be able to resume our 'normal' lives again soon. Now I look back and laugh at how ridiculous that seems over a year later when we're finally just coming out of the whole debacle. 2020 was a crazy year full of challenges, but when I see images like this and think back to some of the good times and forced new experiences we had, I know for sure that there were plenty of bright spots as well.