Yellow Lichen on Cracked Granite, Maine

Yellow Seaweed, Maine

Seaweed Pool, Maine

Back to Maine

This is a bit of the Maine coastline from last summer. I'm finally getting back to the hundreds, maybe thousands of photos that I haven't worked on yet from our trip.

Raindrops

These are raindrops on the edge of an upturned canoe outside my mother-in-law's house in Door County. I ran it through a watercolor filter in Photoshop Elements 3.

Geocaching and Other Diseases

The rain stopped and the sun is now out, so it was time to do some more geocaching. I hadn't gone in a long time, so I put new batteries in my gps, downloaded a handful of caches in an area easily accessible to REI for the ride home, and headed out with my camera. I found four, and would have easily found two more, but there were other folks out there enjoying the nice weather which prevented me from parking next to them and wandering off into the brush without causing, at the very least, too much interest in what I was doing. One nice motorist stopped next to me, rolled down his window and asked if I needed help. I think he meant with my van, but maybe he meant with myself? I told him thanks, but I was just taking a photo of these lovely dead and rotting cattails.

On the way home, I stopped at REI to use up my member dividend and check out what they had for sale. I had already scoured their website, but you never know what's on the actual shelves. I'm glad I went because I found a pair of Keen Venice H2's in my absolute favorite green color, in my size, on the clearance rack for $29.95. With my dividend, I paid $22.30. Oh my gosh. That was like a little bit of fairy tale come true. What a great find.

A Dog's True Life

I was sick with a nasty cold all last week and with the summer-like weather recently realizing it's only March and we're in Wisconsin, I have been inside more than usual, avoiding rain and yuck. I have had to turn to more mundane models if I want to use my camera. I will have to post this one on Lexie's website on Dogster.com.

Oh, I can just hear you - "Get a life!"

What We Didn't Bring Home From Spring Green, WI

We made the responsible decision and did not bring home this adorable miniature schnauzer puppy. Sigh. The timing in our family, current crises, medical complications, finances and non-unifed committment to another life in the house put the kabosh on my emotional yearnings for another someone who would love me unconditionally.

More Images from Spring Green, WI

Scenes From Spring Green, WI

Some images from last weekend's trip to Spring Green.

For a Five-Year Old

A snail is climbing up the window-sill
into your room, after a night of rain.
You call me in to see, and I explain
that it would be unkind to leave it there:
it might crawl to the floor; we must take care
that no one squashes it. You understand,
and carry it outside, with careful hand,
to eat a daffodil.

I see, then, that a kind of faith prevails:
your gentleness is moulded still by words
from me, who have trapped mice and shot wild birds,
from me, who drowned your kittens, who betrayed
your closest relatives, and who purveyed
the harshest kind of truth to many another.
But that is how things are: I am your mother,
and we are kind to snails.

- Fleur Adcock

Oh, how I long for the five-year old sensibilities, the young mind that still accepts what comes out of a mother's mouth and is not yet ruined by noticing the actions that may contradict words. We have one nine years past five who has taken it into her own hands to be extremely cruel to snails, among other things. Mom and Dad's words no longer hold any sway. We just pray.

Wisconsin Kennel Club Dog Show II

A few more. We didn't see any miniature schnauzers, but a few standards and giants. This was such a fun event for me and my camera.

Wisconsin Kennel Club Dog Show

A sampling of dogs from the show this afternoon at State Fair Park.

More Goldfinches

These little guys (and gals) are all over my neighbor's crabapple tree, just outside one of our upstairs windows. They are stuffing themselves on the shriveled fruit.