Mid-week photos! Haha, fooled you!

I am feeling it today!  A new batch of pix for you, mostly close up shots of flowers.  I have been experimenting with my bigger camera again, so this was the best subject matter I have at hand.  And I found some pretty glorious things.

Look at this odd fellow!  Wasp on an allium

Unfurling flower stalk- Hosta

Dew on foliage

Wild roses growing in a ditch

Intertwined 

Quiet night

Yellow and white Siberian iris

Yellow and white Siberian

Blousy blooms- white peony

Dark purple Siberian iris

Late afternoon at the Walasek farm

Dramatic morning light

These next couple of pix were color experiments

I NEED to get somewhere else soon with my camera!  Anyone?  I'm available for a road trip for about 2 more months!!  I'll buy lunch!  :)

Until next time- be a joy giver!  No joy stealing allowed!!

Little Cabin in the Woods and a Ride in the "Yoda"

West side

The Mad Accountant is still working on his project, and now he is hanging from the ceiling!  Haha, he is doing the boards on the ceiling in between the logs, I am sure there is some special name for this, but I am not in the know!

Ceiling boards

He and the Barber built a wooden scaffolding system so he doesn't have to work on ladders.  After seeing the set up, I guess I feel marginally better about him fooling around up on the ceiling.  He survived other near falls while putting the stupid cabin up, I would say this is the safest he has been!

scaffolding

I walked back to the little cabin in the woods for the first time since summer really hit and the bugs came out.  I remember now why winter is a wonderful time to be in the forest- no vermin!  This is the lovely scene I partook of while sloshing through the mud when I couldn't find a dry patch.

Don't let it's calm look fool you!

It looks so peaceful, so inviting, what a lovely night......

except for the fact that I had to spray myself down with Off, put up a hood to keep the flies off and with every stride my hand hit a bug on the way forward and the way back!  I think the frantic arm waving and double time walking cut my trip back there in half! Lots of calorie burn on that little jaunt.

When I arrived, there he was-- up on the ceiling.

The room is kind of odd looking now, practically the whole thing is full of the squares of the scaffolding.  You really have to be careful not to knock your head on anything.  An interesting space to be in!

Putting up boards

Facing north, near fireplace thing

So, I was getting the grand tour, the lecture on the process and found out that.......oh look, this is cool.  Hmm, I wonder what a closeup of this will look like.  click.

Well, look at this bunch of curves

Oh, yes, honey, mmm hmmm, awesome, that sure looks great.  You made a lot of progress.  Are you done yet, cuz I am NOT braving those bugs on the way back.  Not to mention the mudhole that you "fixed".

However folks- that means it is time for a ride in ........ bum bum bummmmmmmmmmmm.

The Yoda

The YODA!
Which now has no brakes.  Oh boy.  Let the shrieking begin.
Fortunately, after a teeth shaking ride, we arrived safe and sound at home, where fortunately there is only level ground and he seems to know right where to shut off the key and let it glide into its parking space.  It is a good thing we can't take that piece of you-know-what  out of the yard.  But it saves wear and tear on the good truck, I guess.

Until next time, find some joy in an adventure- even if it is a little bumpy

The Art Teacher Reads: June Book club book- The Red Garden

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman is the latest book featured by our "evening" book club-- that now meets in the afternoon.  Long story, and doesn't REALLY matter!

Our group was mostly thrilled to be reading the magical fiction genre group of short stories that are so interestingly related.  The stories are linked by the history of one town, Blackwell, Mass., and revolves  around 4 families that originally populated the town.  There are a few famous people that wander through the story-line, along with a little magic.  It was a great summer book, and I recommend it to anyone who can suspend their grip on "reality" and go with the flow.

The book explores the various families as they interact and intermingle, connected by the town, the Eel River, the bears and other non-human characters that repeat through the chapters. We had a great discussion about how we know our local history through the lens of our own small point in time, not being aware of the possible close connections we have to our ancestors and past citizens that are from more than  a generation ago. Makes me think about the meaning of tradition- which is honored by those trying to pass it along and devalued by those who don't understand.

I recommend this book and indeed any by Alice Hoffman if you are not hampered by the need for reality!

Until next time, be a joy giver!!

What book have you read lately?

Sunday Photos- late again!

I am losing my rhythm here!  I forgot to post my Sunday photos again!

What actually happened, is, I am discovering a slightly different way to take photos- well, mostly edit them I guess, but at any rate, I have been goofing around with my camera.  And consequently, I did a lot with not much to show for it.  But I am thrilled to say I love the results so far, and will keep you up to date.  Most of these pix are from the "usual" way!  

It was a gorgeous week for pictures! Rain, shine or whatever....

Lemon lilies

hosta flower bud

Favorite tree- misty day

Flowing fern foliage

Amazing clouds

Ooooo, strawberries!  

Flambeau River, Hines Park

Pink iris

Random round bales

 These last 3 are taken in the new format- you can't see the difference, probably, but wow it was fantastic working with these images.  I'm hooked.

Summer stone house

Missing

Summer sunset

Until next time, be a joy giver!!

Pink surprise!

I wasn't actually planning to make a blog-post today, the sun is out- kind of, the day is cool, the morning is young..... all that good stuff. So I want to do some garden stuff, work on my sculpture, go for a walk.... NOT sit at the computer for an hour!

So here I am at the computer, wanting to share a lovely surprise that I had this morning while going outside to feed the four-legged one.

The angels sang and the sunbeam burst through to shine on the

****** ................llllllaaaaaaaa.........angel chorus........... *******

pink, ruffly, stupidly expensive iris that I have been waiting for 4 summer to have bloom!  I knew it was imminent, but I was a little concerned a deer might get it, even though they don't TEND to eat iris.  But you know if I am excited to see a flower, one of  those 4 legged vermin will be over to taste and then spit it out.  I can't spray it with Deer Off, since it damages the petals, so there it was, a sitting duck at the mercy of the deer.

The first summer I planted it, I knew it would not bloom- must take root and grow!  Second summer, the, ahem, rodents ate the only bud on it- or should I say spit it out, because they don't like iris, they only like to wreck my day.  The 3rd summer, no blooms.  I say that it was traumatized, but it might have had something to do with the (since over) drought.  So, here it is in all it's ruffly glory.

And since it is one of those things that may or may not grow back next year-- Lord knows I have enough of those-- I decided to take multiple shots of it and make it into art! Bring out the fancy schmancy camera please!  It may make my photo calendar next year!!

View #2

Unusual focal points

curves and folds

As long as I had it out, I took a few more flower pix- you'll notice a recurring pink theme!  Love my pink flow-ahs!

salmon pink poppy

Not quite open

Drift of pink

Old, grand peony bush- notice the empty stem!!!  Rodents!!!

Pink lupine

And here is the gratuitous Lola shot- she was getting a little jealous of all the attention the horse has had lately.

Look for the joyous surprise in your day!  If you're lucky, your day will be rosey (pink)! :)

Kisses before fly-spray

What a beautiful morning I woke up to today!

I am finding this to be a summer for savoring and change.  I am savoring my precious summer days, no matter if it is raining or shining - reading, blogging, photography, eating well and right and exercise.  I am shocked to find myself getting up EARLIER than during the school year, so I can get out to walk in the morning.  The morning is the very best time of the day for me, it is quiet and cool.  There isn't much traffic on the roads so I can walk with out hopping off and on asphalt so much.  My walking time is so precious, I want to begin my day with it- so I don't run out of time or good weather before I can get it in.  I do not feel bad about putting myself first during the summer!

I have downloaded an app for keeping track of my mileage and pace called Runkeeper.  I want you to know I am not a runner!  I think that just might take the joy out of my morning time, but you never know!  I won't take that out of the list of possibilities.  Runkeeper is an interesting thing, as it will tell you every 5 minutes how far you have gone, and the pace that you are keeping.  The competitive person in my wants to always best my last split- it makes the time go really fast, especially when you are listening to some rocking tunes!  And I really know how far I've gone, instead of making best guesses.  The Mad-Accountant has some issues with the GPS!!  LOL. He maintains that it is off as there are 4 40's between our road and blah, blah, blah- so that is a mile and the GPS says it's not.  I'm not sure who will win that argument, but I'm not getting involved.

Having lost a nice amount of weight has changed a lot of the way I feel about myself and consequently, I feel even more prone to joy than I did before.  Some of my friends will think that is highly unlikely, but it is true.  So, I am going to embrace this change in my thinking and continue to savor my days.  And I look forward to more change, no matter what it turns out to be.

So, what has this to do with fly-spray?

Savoring his oats

This is the biggest love of my life, outside of my very important human network!  I adore this guy with all of my heart and all of my soul.  He is 31 years old this year and I have owned him for the majority of his life- almost 20 years.  Jacpot is a great horse- he was an awesome riding horse and now he is almost like a big old puppy dog.  He is steady all the time, you can do anything you want with him, hang out in his paddock, fiddle around with him and groom him and he doesn't get stupid!

I need another bite

When I rub his neck, he shlucks my hand, or arm or hair- whatever is in reach.  I feed him his yummers every morning and then I get to give him kisses, hugs and breathe in his wonderful horse smell- like warm hay.  I'm so sorry if you are allergic or afraid of horses, because you may never get to do that.  After a little mutual adoration, I spray him down with fly spray.  And I begin my day.

Old soul

My old boy is prone to fits of occasional stupidity, though, and it usually involves his stomach.  One day this past winter, he must have put his head where it didn't belong and poked one of his eyes.  I didn't know it had happened, but noticed that his eye was a little watery. And it sort of stayed that way for a few days, which was weird.  He is a very healthy horse.  And then to my horror I realized he was blind in one eye.  But he is fine, it doesn't affect him too much, I make sure I talk to him more when I am coming from his blind side, and I warn him before I touch.  Now I am noticing his hearing is maybe a little less than before-- he is 31 after all.  It is coming some day, but I think he will easily make it through another winter yet.
 I think he needs another neck rub.

What will I ever do with out him?

So, friends, make sure you embrace your loves, and get those kisses before fly-spray!

Be a joy giver!