Life: Through the Lens

Oshkosh AirVenture 2009 First, the planes arrive. All shapes and sizes. Some people come for the day, and some stay for the week. Some families rent a house in the area, and some sleep under the wing. The commonality of the event is the feeling of comaradarie pilots and their families have with each other. It's a family, a huge one, but a family none-the-less. Some pilots bring their planes to enter in competition, in diverse categories. This Grumman Widgeon, a fabulously restored 1942 aircraft, is entered in the Seaplane category. The person who owns this aircraft is a friend, and his father owns one as well. Like father like son. Not every one competes; some come for the sport, the adventure, the forums, the presentations, the air show itself. Others network, or purchase supplies for their airplanes. Some come just to look. Us? We love it all. Daryl and I get different things out of the event. I love to photograph, soaking in colors and sites and smells and tastes (ice cream is a

The first part of an adventure is usually exciting, and nerve-wracking. All that preparation and planning and then you "go." It seems like a race to that starting point, and then you head out and are exhausted. But the expectation of the journey is exciting and once finally underway you can begin to unwind and look ahead. Leaving Michigan by boat was very exciting. We took the Badger across Lake Michigan, deciding to opt for less driving in order to arrive at Oshkosh, WI fresh and ready for the Airventure activities. What a great decision. The crossing was smooth, though a bit chilly, and beautiful. There are always characters to watch and conversations to listen to. We particularly enjoyed watching one of the deck hands listen to his IPod and dance to his own drummer through out most of the 4-hour voyage. He'd willingly dance with who ever wanted to join him, as well. This particular trip took four hours, and the company made a great decision to make sure all passengers

Meet our Roaming Gnome. He's busy looking at the map and helping us get ready to begin our adventure across the northern part of the United States. We leave Friday morning, and our house is a total disaster as we decide what we need to take and what we can leave behind. It's a camping journey - tent camping. We have not done this in ages and are a bit nervous about it. But we're prepared: tent, ground cover, sleeping bags, camp stove, cooking tools, food, clothing (well, after the laundry is finished), maps, books, notebooks, camera gear, bug spray, camera gear, sunscreen, camera gear - you get the picture:). This little gnome caught my fancy. I do believe you recognize him from some Travelocity commercials, though I haven't compared them side-by-side. He came with a passport, and a little history of garden gnomes and their journeys. It seemed so appropriate to have one, as a garden gnome begins in the country, in the garden, and then takes a journey away from that saf

I love heart-warming stories, stories of community spirit and hope. This is just such a story. A small town bakery was going out of business. If you know anything about Michigan's economy this is not an unusual story. The downtown areas of some of our little towns are starting to look like ghost towns. Empty store fronts are the norm. One little town near us, Clare, is no exception. There is something else about small towns that needs to be told, and that's community spirit. Clare has spirit. The police department didn't want one more business to close, and grouped together to change that. The entire 9-man police force went together and bought the bakery. Yes, bought it. And renamed it "Cops and Doughnuts." Why "Cops and Doughnuts?" It's a cliche, don't you think? An old pairing: the tired and hungry policeman walking his beat, looking for a place for a cup of coffee at an hour of the day when most businesses are closed. For some reason doughnut

A number of years ago we were cleaning out my in-laws things and came across an old tin full of buttons. My step-daughter was interested in it, so we gladly gave one more thing away. If any of you have cleaned out relatives homes you know what I mean. So much "stuff." Part of you understands that coming out of the depression and WWII era people were more frugal, purchasing fewer luxury items, and reusing whatever they could. Hence, the "button box." The other part of you wishes they'd have gotten rid of some of it years before. Getting ready for the garage sale last week, my step-daughter pulled out that button box and we sorted through it. Of course, there were also "other" items in that tin: straight pins, safety pins, snaps, coins, an old heart-shaped lock, the random key. We decided if we were going to put it out for sale it would have to be cleaned up a bit. Where had some of these buttons been? How old were they? What was their history? A few wer

What are your photography plans this weekend? I'm sitting in my garage, waiting for the next wave of garage-salers, or the next wave of rain showers, and thinking about our upcoming adventure. A week from today we will be at our first destination. Where is it? Find out more next week as I take you traveling across the northern part of the United States.

...drum-roll please...... All of the place cards from yesterday's open house were placed in a camera bag (what else)...and mixed thoroughly. The tension mounts as all participants move farther forward on their chairs, stools, cushions, beds, floor, etc. The music builds.... The first name is drawn ..... Congratulations, Douglas! Well done! But wait...there's more! What's this? A second name? Two winners? It must be that my open house was so exciting I got a bit carried away! Again....moving farther forward, anticipation mounting..... music swelling to a crescendo.... Congratulations, Georgia! And thank you to everyone who joined in the fun. What? You want to know what the give-away is? Well, of course! You may choose from one of these prints: OR , one of these prints: OR, if you prefer note cards, you may have a box of mixed cards. Some of the images will be different from the ones you see here. Please e-mail me with your choice, and an address to send it on to. I'm

It's funny how a project takes on a life of its own. I started out making a list of things I'd like to take pictures of - piles of M&M's, rocks on the beach, license plates hanging on an old garage door. Then I decided it would be interesting to find 100 items about "me," celebrating my 100th post with items about me/my life/etc. This way I could tie my compulsion to blog in to my theme. So, I started THAT list. And when I was done I decided all the things I was collecting, ideas as well as items, were actually blessings. Things about my life that make me who I am and allow me to keep striving to be the best I can be at what I do. Each activity isn't necessarily a blessing, it's my ability to do the things I love to do, and be with the people I love to be with. This became an introspective activity, and that's probably where I am in my life right now. If the shoe fits..., so to speak. So, welcome to my 100th Post ! Without everyone I've met thr

I love to take macro photographs. I also know the best time of day to find critters that will be willing subjects is early in the morning, when they're still wet with dew, and chilly. I know that there is little wind in the early hours, and you can get gorgeous wildflower photos without having to clip your subject to an alien base. The spiderwebs are untouched and laden with dew. I know this...and yet can't seem to get up before 7:00 a.m. And that's just to wrap myself in a robe and have coffee. And many times it's coffee in bed, as I have a very attentive husband. Who wants to get out of bed when the coffee is delivered, and you can prop yourself up and read and think about your day? This week has been interesting because it seems as if nature is cooperating with my laziness. We had a monarch caterpillar take up residence on our front porch, forming a chrysalis in plain view of our front door. There have been unusual moths and other flying creatures which seem willing

Thank you, Georgia , for helping me focus on the hidden gem, the place we love to go and not be found. Not far from home...it IS home. We call it "out back," and once there we are transported to a private place, not visible from houses or road or the casual observer. I couldn't choose just one photo, so I created a collage of this special part of our world. Enjoy.

My step-son is a falconer. He has studied since middle school to be a leader in this ancient sport. There are many rules and regulations, and you need to study, apprentice and become licensed. It's been a delight to watch him develop his passion, and I have learned to adjust some of my preconceived notions about having birds in the house. We have entertained (been entertained by) adult Red-tailed hawks, and baby Cooper's Hawks, and everything in between. We have watched him train a variety of hawks to hunt, and have been on a hunting expedition to see his birds in action. Fascinating. And his wife is a saint:). For years he has talked about breeding hawks, which is very intricate work. This year he achieved his goal. We were able to see his "babies" within hours of their birth, and are watching their growth to adolescence - which does not take long at all. He's so proud, and the birds are fascinating. This young Goshawk is a few weeks old. The term is

Summer is all about color: flowers, grass, trees, blue sky, yellow sun, sparkling blue-green water. But it's also about feeling: freedom, kicked back, relaxed, wind in your hair, sea breeze on your face, sensory overload So today I've prepared an Ode to Summer - Enjoy! {click on photo to enlarge} from: The Summer Day, by Mary Oliver ...I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last and too soon? Tell me, what is it you have taken to do With your one wild and precious life? (And while you're enjoying your summer day, or memories of one, are you thinking of a 100th post entry for next week? Details are in yesterday's post.)

Yes, we are closing in on our 100th post . Truly amazing. Thank you for reading and participating, helping keep the ideas, words and photos flowing. In honor of this momentous occasion, let's have a party. A party where "100" is featured. Do not become concerned if an idea doesn't pop into your head right away. You have one week to come up with something which includes 100 . Think party, celebration and fun. Think creatively. Think challenge. Photography is about expressing yourself, and challenging yourself. Here's a real stretcher! Celebrate with us by posting a photo (or series) which depicts the number 100 in some way. Let me know if you're going to participate and I'll create a way for everyone to link to each other's pages - chuckling, laughing, crying and surprising. You'll be amazed what you see when you start looking. Still at a loss? Here is a non-exhaustive look at the number 100: 100 years ago (something nostalgic- there's wigg

With a little help from my friend (+1=not macro, though taken with my macro lens) Things I Love About Summer (in no particular order, though I see food appears higher on the list than does exercise.) Picnics Fresh fruit Fresh vegetables Celebrations Fireworks Family reunions Quiet, country mornings Showy meadows Gentle rains Thunder storms Family gatherings Children's laughter at dusk The sound of dogs barking Windows open Gently blowing curtains Big puffy clouds Being warm Sandals The smell of fresh cut grass The sound of lawn mowers Sitting on the porch reading Time The colors Flowers GREEN Leaves on the trees Adventures Photo ops Waves on the beach Ice cream Long walks Riding bikes Having church outside at the pavilion Camping Boating Fairs Sunrise and Sunsets The Great Lakes I'm sure this isn't the entire list, but it's a good start. It could also become a "things I'm grateful for" list, as well. We need to take time periodically to reflect on all t

Have a fabulous 4th- be thankful.

Tomorrow is our Independence Day, and in the news last night there was a story about one of the original Declaration of Independence documents being found in an old storage area in Great Britain! They actually think it might be the one originally sent to the King from the colonists, stating their intention to be independent. History is so very interesting, though the United States is very young compared with most of the world. Fireworks are one of the ways we celebrate, and other parts of the world also use this method to sing out. But they are very difficult to capture, aren't they? I have looked back in my archives but don't find any digital images I can quickly draw on from past Independence Day celebrations, though I did find a couple which might cause you to chuckle. Fireworks aren't only for Independence Day celebrations! When the last Harry Potter book was released, I was writing for a regional publication. I was happy to be covering the Harry Potter party at our loc

I love to get mail - real mail. Hand-written letters and lovely packages. Yesterday I received both! A treasured letter from an old and dear friend, and a delightful gift from a new one. It was a wonderful surprise to win Shell' s give-away prize - a sweet purple tote with her Caribbean Dream image, and signature. I also loved the little note she included, which sported a beautiful Italian waterfront scene. Thank you for brightening my rainy day, friend! I used the tote today, actually, as I packed up my sewing supplies to take to a friend's - we're working on quilted bags. She thought the tote beautiful and wondered where I got it. Of course, I happened to have a business card to give her - thank you, Shell, for including an extra:). Tomorrow we'll talk about taking photographs of fireworks displays. Perhaps our upcoming 4th of July celebration will inspire someone to create a fabulous gift with their colorful results! Even those of you who don't celebrate this Am

Permission to come aboard? That's what you ask when boarding any vessel, and that's what we asked boarding this tall ship in Traverse City last week. A 2-hour cruise in the bay on Lake Michigan, I did think about the "tour" of the fatefull crew and passengers who landed on Gilligans Island. Black and white photography seems perfect for sailing ships...reminiscent of days gone by. So, "welcome aboard," and I hope you enjoy the ride.