A Boy and My Dog

A boy and my dog.







All is right with the world.

Chasing Frisbees

Meet Dewey.  (I'm sorry Dew, I know I misspelled your name.  I hope you don't mind too much.) Dewey is a Welsh Terrier, lives next door at the lake and is Henna's new best friend.  They take long walks together most evenings and in general keep an eye on the comings and goings around here.



Dewey loves to fetch Frisbees.  You could say it's his passion.



Look at that focus.  Keep your eyes on the prize Dew.



At just the right moment he launches himself skyward snatching the Frisbee as it descends.



And then he dashes around the yard at lightening speed daring someone to chase him.



Eventually he returns eager to continue the game.  If one were patient enough and had enough time this could go on for hours.



In fact, there is really only one successful way to end Dewey's play time.



Some kids just don't know when to quit.

Lights Out

We were advised last fall when we purchased the little red cottage to expect frequent power outages.   Last night we experienced our first.

It began around 3 p.m. when a fast and furious thunder storm blew through the area.  We had made the (in hind sight) poor decision to check out one of the small towns on the Ohio side of the lake and stock up on some groceries.  (Mother Hubbard's cupboard was bare.)  As we entered the local Ace Hardware store there was rumbling in the distance.  By the time we paid for our purchases and returned to the parking lot the rumbling had given way to gusty winds and a very ominous looking sky.  Soon after the sky opened up and the rain began to fall.  I am convinced the flood gates of heaven had been opened.  We pressed on. Eventually the storm ceased, the groceries were procured, and all was right with the world.

We returned home a couple of hours later to find the power was out in the neighborhood.  (Weren't we lucky we had stopped at a local watering hole to partake in "wing" night before heading home.)  The Kid dug out our old propane lantern from our camping days 30 years ago.  What a surprise to find it no longer functioned...properly.  Fortunately we had stocked up on flashlights and batteries last fall.  We were prepared.  We settled in to enjoy the evening.

It was all reminiscent of our stay at Reef Knot cottage in Maine two years ago.  (You can read about it here.)  We were forced to sit quietly and observe as darkness descended on our little bay.  It didn't take long for the fireflies to emerge.  Their tiny lights blinking on and off in random patterns conjured up long forgotten memories from our childhoods.  The Kid located an old battery operated radio and attempted to find a baseball game but was forced to settle for a static filled oldies station.  I entertained myself with solitaire and eventually tried my hand at reading by flashlight.  After several hours, we called it quits and went to bed.  I drifted off to sleep planning my strategy for how I might snag a cup of coffee on the off chance we would awaken to more of the same.  Much to my relief the power kicked back on sometime around 3 a.m.

I share all of this with you because I want you to know that it's darned dark in the country when the lights go out.

At the Ball Park

Once again I have found myself away from my camera and my blog for several days.  I could say I have been busy, but then I would have to tell you what I have been busy doing.  The truth is, I don't know.  You will just have to trust that I have been otherwise occupied.

The weather has turned cold.  At least cold by my standards.  And will someone please tell me how it can be cold and misting rain in one place and sunny and 80 degrees a mere 90 miles south?

The Kid and I went to a Pirate baseball game yesterday afternoon with my big sis and Howie.  We dressed for cold and misty weather.  Upon arrival in Pittsburgh it was painfully obvious that blue jeans and long sleeved shirts were not the order of the day.

The highlight of the afternoon was the adorable elementary school choir that performed sang the National Anthem.  They were wonderful.  They made everybody smile.

I didn't have my camera with me.  I decided I didn't want to tote it around (it's quite heavy) on a cold and misty day.  As it turned out we had great seats and I could have gotten some great photos.

There was an extremely annoying woman and her partner sitting behind us.  (They were definitely Mets fans.  Pirate fans are much more pleasant folk.)

The game went scoreless for 7 innings and then the Mets broke it wide open.  The Pirates lost.

However, a Primanti Brothers sandwich and a cold one made it all better.

And the weather?  It was perfect.

Father Goose and Multi-Tasking

Spring has given way to summer on the lake and no my Mac didn't die.  I guess I'm just not a multi-tasker.  This past week I have been preoccupied with antiquing, painting and other frivolous things.  I'm beginning to believe 800 square feet of old cottage = 800 years of painting.

I did set the paint brush down to participate in a photo shoot with this sweet little family of honkers.  They weren't crazy about close-ups so I had to settle for a more full on view.  Did you know that geese mate for life?  It appears father goose is a hands on dad.  Mother nature got that one right!

Happy Saturday.

Taunting

There are a plethora of squirrels and chipmunks inhabiting the nooks and crannies around the cottage.   They. Drive. Henna.  CRAZY!!  At times it appears they are taunting her.  Edging their way ever closer to the window, working her into a frenzy, then turning tail and scampering off.  I can even see the smirk of delight on their little rodent faces.

One of these mornings I'm going to open the door, let her out and remove those smirks once and for all.

House arrest be damned.

Link to Project 365.

Little Mama

We were strolling around the barn searching for a nice sunny spot to plant a couple of tomatoes when suddenly The Kid stopped short and pointed.  And there she was.  A female Eastern Painted Turtle (I know these things...I Google), was busily laying her eggs in the mud on the little hill behind the barn.  She wasn't particularly happy that we had interrupted her work but she didn't budge from her spot on the hill.  Quietly inching my way closer I saw that she had already deposited several eggs into her little nest.  And you know me, I ran for the camera.  This had to be documented.  When I returned a the few short minutes later she was hard at work covering up her future off-spring.



I later read that turtles choose an open area to lay their eggs.  Mama then proceeds to urinate on the ground to soften the soil, making it easier to dig the nest with her sturdy back legs.



We watched as she worked for almost thirty minutes covering up her babies.  Scraping dirt into the hole and tamping it down.  The procedure continued until she deemed it done.



And then she said good-bye and good luck to her children and high tailed it back down the hill to the lake some 300 feet away, never to return.  I stood guard until she safely crossed our little lane and then The Kid and I marked the nest with a stake so we can find it again when hatching time gets closer.



I read that if the eggs survive until the scent of the urine dissipates the wee ones have half a chance of surviving.  It's been two days now and so far so good.  It doesn't appear that hungry marauders have disturbed the nest in any way.  And now we wait.  My source says it takes roughly sixty days for the eggs to mature and hatch.  You can be sure that on or near August 1st we'll be checking the nest frequently.  And of course I'll report back to you if we get hatchlings.

I've always wanted more grandchildren.

Link to Project 365.

A Little Alaskan Sunshine

Meet J, our little ray of Alaskan sunshine.

J is one the many nieces and nephews on The Kid's side of the family.  (They're a prolific bunch.)  She hails from the great state of Alaska but please don't confuse her with the Palin gang. J has been to Pennsylvania to visit a couple of times but this was the first opportunity we had to meet her.  She is quite the charmer.  I believe this picture is the only serious face the child wore the entire day.



Most of the time she looked like this.



And this.



She overcame any shyness she may have had in a matter of minutes and jumped right into the fray.  After all there were cousins waiting to play.  I heard a rumor that she wanted to swim and couldn't comprehend when her dad told her it wasn't quite summer here yet.  It seemed a lot like summer to her. (Those Alaskans have much thicker blood than I.)

She is bright, fun, sweet and helpful, and don't forget adorable.  Her dad is doing a fine job of raising her (with a little help from her Uncle B.)



Come back soon sweet J.

Or better yet, maybe I should take a boat.  North.  To Alaska.

Link to Project 365.

The Sunset of Its Life

I thought this photo was more than appropriate for this morning's post as I'm afraid my laptop is in the sunset of its life.  Yesterday it began to whirr and humm, a clear indicator that the hard drive is having difficulty of some sort or another.  This morning when I turned it on the screen began to change colors from pink to blue flashing like a colorful strobe.  I gave it a rest and tried again.  I was successful logging on...this time, but I know the end is near.

The problem is I am now addicted to Macs.  All of my photo editing software is Mac and quite frankly I like the way they operate.  I know that PCs have improved dramatically in the past few years, taking a page or two from Apple's successful handbook.  But I'm afraid once a Mac user always a Mac user.  Of course that means the replacement cost will be 3-times that of a pc.  But it's worth it.  Isn't it?  I am right about that. Well aren't I?

Initially I didn't want a Mac.  But The Kid nudged and prodded until I said I would look at them.  It was the cost factor.  For me it's usually about the dollars.  But once I test drove one I was hooked.  And now, well lets just say there's no turning back.

If I disappear for a few days you can figure that my little girl gave up the ghost and went to Mac heaven.  It will take awhile to find an Apple store, which I am positive will not be located in one of the little communities near the cottage, and get up and running again.  And there's the little problem with software.  It's all in Florida.  I'll have to have someone (that would probably be you my good friends the French-Freys) pilfer through my cds to find the ones I need and then ship them north.  It will take time.

But I'll be here as long as my Mac holds out.

Or the Wifi dies.

It could happen.

Link to Project 365.

What I Missed

What a wonderful weekend we had.  Seriously.  Wonderful.

And I have no pictures to show for it.  (Sad face here.)  I have discovered that it is hard for me to be a good hostess and take photographs.

I missed so many great shots.  So many memories.  All because I was slicing tomatoes, cutting up watermellon, searching for fans, or finding empty spots for even more food.

It was an intimate gathering of eleven on Saturday that included BB gun target practice, boat rides, fishing, food and conversation.  Oh and there was that one moment when I almost sent my brother-in-law tumbling into the lake.  How I wish there was a photograph of that little incident.  The weather cooperated giving us overcast skies but no rain...at least until well after midnight.  We considered it a successful dry run for Sunday.

If I have counted correctly we hosted 38 on Sunday.  I admit it, I prayed for good weather.  On my knees and constantly for several days.  I begged and pleaded for a nice day.  And I got it.  AMEN.  We had soggy ground and a few muddy spots but mostly it was sunshine and smiles.  But no photos.

I missed the dock going into the water.  The manly men cousins picking it up and pushing it over the bank and into lake.  I missed the younger set driving the boat.  I missed the sparkle in their eyes when Chris instructed them to "push that button" and the horn let loose with a loud honk.  I missed the smiles and the laughter as old tales were told and embellished.  I missed the tentative first steps of the 7 year old from Alaska meeting her Pennsylvania cousins for the very first time.  I missed the bear hugs given to her father and uncle from their southern cousin who had hadn't seen them in almost 15 years.

But what I missed the most were the ones who weren't able to make it.  Stephen, Bethany, Allie, Gabe, Andy, Linda, Hannah, Sarah, Mark, Renee, Bren, Shalyn, Todd, Shane, Lexi, Jared, Logan, Jody, Steve, Emmy and Allie.   You were all missed.

It is a sad day indeed when the photographer permits her camera to sit on a shelf and fails to capture the moments.  I will try hard to never let that happen again.  But I have them in my head...always.



I didn't even mind when the sky turned dark and began to rumble forcing the remaining revelers indoors to watch the light show and reflect on what a wonderful day it had been.

Link to Project 365.

Let The Rain Come Down

For three days I have been attempting to add a post.  For three days I have failed.  What's up with Blogger?  This is the second time in the past few weeks that there have been issues with the site.  It is becoming a crisis of epic proportions.  Not being able to blog is like a day without sunshine  ( and I have seen a lot of those in the past weeks) or worse yet it is the equivalent to a week-long strike by the New York City trash collector's union.  But this morning, with a little playing around I was finally able to maneuver my way to the the "new post" section.  We shall see if it works.

It has been so long that I forget what I was going to tell you.  Let me see, "The Kid" has finally done a little fishing.  Just a little, but at least he's been able to sacrifice a worm or two and get a pole in the water.  I can tell you that so far there have been no fish fried for dinner.



Henna is a happy girl.  Chris arrived on Thursday.  She was so excited to see him that I thought she was going to have a heart attack.



The rain continues to fall.

We have two family picnics scheduled for the weekend.  The smaller one today.  And tomorrow the big kahuna with 40 of The Kids' immediate family.  Everyone stop right now and pray for sunshine on Sunday.  Sunshine is critical to my mental health on that day.  At this point I would even settle for a day without more water falling from the sky.

Unlike in Florida where the sandy soil soaks up the water quickly and sends it out to sea, or China or wherever it goes, the soil here is saturated.  It's like a giant sponge that can't possible hold one more drop of water.  When you step in the grass the ground is soft.  Your foot sinks a little and water and mud ooze out from the side of your foot or between your toes if you have been stupid and forgotten to wear your shoes.

The geese are back in cove.  Our little flock has returned so I guess all is right in my soggy world.

That's the news from Lake Woebegone.  I have to go now.  The ark isn't finished yet.

Link to Project 365.

Welcoming Summer

The paint brush has been shelved for a few days;  our attention now focused on the upcoming holiday weekend.  We're looking forward to welcoming summer with family over the course of the next few days.

I just hope the weather cooperates...this place is entirely too small to house 40 people no matter how close the family!

A Weed Is

Roses are red,
Violets are blue;
But they don't get around
Like the dandelions do.
                        ~Slim Acres





What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.  
                                                                                             ~Ralph Waldo Emerson




A weed is but an unloved flower.  
                                         ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox



Weeds are nature's graffiti.  
                                   ~Janice Maeditere


Or perhaps the photographer's canvas
                                                                ~ Me 


Link to Project 365.

Saturday Musings

After 8 long days the painting is done....well, almost.  The walls and the ceiling now have 3 fresh coats of paint and the room has been transformed.  What needs finished you ask?  The windows and doors.  I can go back and finish the job without moving furniture and living in chaos.

The sun is shining and the grass needs mowed. It's time to move outdoors for a few days.  I'm getting anxious to plant some flowers.  Everything looks better with flowers.  Right?

Enjoy your Saturday.

Link to Project 365.

Break Time

This afternoon the rain ceased and the clouds parted - for about 30 minutes.  I took advantage of the break in the weather, dropped my paint brush, grabbed my camera and scurried outdoors to try out my new lens.  Brown had delivered the little sweetheart just an hour earlier and I was anxious to take her for a spin.

The new addition to my camera bag is a Nikon 70-200mm, f2.8 lens.  The very one I have been coveting for the past two years.  I had high hopes of having her in time for the Nashville wedding but that little tsunami in Japan a couple of months ago slowed down production in Nikon's factory.

My time in the field this afternoon was short but I got a taste of what this little beauty has to offer.  I'm hoping that with a lot of practice and vision I'll be able to produce some very pleasing images with my new lens.

Link to Project 365.

Bits and Pieces

I had forgotten how quickly dandelions grow.  Before the mower's in the garage they have already begun to sprout.

Chelsea may be a better dancer but my money's on Hines.  How can you not like that guy?

And while we're on the subject, now that James has been eliminated on American Idol I guess I'll root for Scotty.  What say you?

More rain in the forecast today.

More painting on the agenda.

Link to Project 365.

Stormy Weather

Cold winds they're a blowing.

Maybe Florida in the summer isn't so bad after all.

Link to Project 365.

Blue Light Special

Last night at sunset, due to cloudy skies and some sort of meteorological something or other, the late day light was blue.  After the sun sets the light is always blue but this was much earlier than normal and much more blue.  In spite of a state of painter's exhaustion I couldn't resist.  It took a few minutes to locate my camera and tripod in the midst of the rubble of  the cottage (four days of painting and only half way there) and ventured outside.

As the light grew dimmer the shutter speed slowed.  A slow shutter speed will blur anything and everything in motion and isn't always a good thing.  But with water it can make for some beautiful and surreal photography.  In the image above, the shutter was open for 10 seconds.  If this were a fast moving stream the water would have appeared as a soft cloud of cotton candy.  On this night our lake was still, lending the water more of a silky appearance.

Either way, I'm buying.

Link to Project 365.

The Big Bite

I attempted to blog a couple of times the past two days but the Blogger web site was down.  I thought you would like to know in case you were missing me and wondered if I got lost in the western PA countryside.  It could happen you know, these corn fields all look alike.

The bulk of my time thas been spent with paint brush in hand.  You know the old saying I think I bit off more than I can chew?  Well I think I've done just that.  I have been painting one room for three solid days and I'm not even half-way finished with the job.

This little paint job is the first step towards transforming the little cottage into my vision of what it could be.  Buoyed by the fact that the structure remained high and dry after a very long and wet winter/spring and that no four legged critters took up residence in our absence we're moving forward with our plans,  at least in part.  A friend is arriving this morning to measure for new flooring and my painting project should go a long way to lighten and brighten the dark walls of the main room.

The cottage is lined with very old and very beautiful knotty pine paneling.  I love the texture of the paneling but its stain is too dark and dated for me.  My mission is to lighten and brighten which sounds easy but has morphed into a 3 coat, all brush no roller project.  After three days of this unplanned step aerobic marathon my body aches in places not heard from in several years.  But I shall persevere and when the transformation is complete there will be a huge celebration and a big reveal...just like on tv.

Of course that could be in June of 2020 so I don't recommend you hold your breath.

Link to Project 365.

High Water

April showers were a daily occurance last month in western PA.  Our lake was filled to the brim, at times threatening to spill over the top of the aging dam.  As a result the water crept over the bank and spilled into the yard.  The locals say it is as high as they can remember.

You can see in the photo that the lake remains higher than normal.  The debris edging the bank indicates  the high water mark for 2011.  As warm and sunny replaces cold and rainy the lake is slowly receding.  Soon the dock will be rolled into place and the dust blown off of the fishing poles.  Winter and early spring will be but a distant memory.

We are certainly blessed that the cottage remained dry this season.  That high water was just that, water higher than normal and not the serious flooding that is occuring along the Missisippi.

Where in the World?

Where in the world are we?  Can you guess?



If you said Pymatuning you win the big cigar.  We are back at the Little Red Cottage for the summer.  It is a couple of weeks earlier than we had planned to be here but it's all good, except for the high price of gas.  Which is why we're here so early.  It just didn't make sense to drive all the way to Nashville and then back to Florida for a  couple of weeks.  Instead we pointed the car north, set the cruise control, and hoped we arrived to sunshine.

The cottage survived the winter splendidly.  We were pleasantly surprised that there were no unwanted guests taking up residence in our absence.  And the first night...the sunset was spectacular.

It just doesn't get much better than this.

Link to Project 365.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go.



We're pickin up sticks and it aint for kicks



hi ho, hi ho, hi ho ohhhh



It's home from work we go.  It's time to play, it's been a long day.



Hi ho, hi ho.

Amber Falls Wedding

And finally... a couple of wedding pictures courtesy of Patton Squared Photography, well from the second shooter anyway.  For a sneak peak from number one check here.










It has been a busy week of traveling and family time.  Photos will follow...soon.  Promise.

Wedding Photography 101

Several months ago I received a call from B.  A friend of hers had asked if she would serve as her wedding photographer and B was looking for someone to help weigh the pros and cons of such an undertaking.  In the end she said yes and I offered to serve as her "second shooter."  The big day was last Saturday in a winery just south of Nashville.  I will have a few wedding pictures in a future post but for now I thought I'd share just one from the day as well as a few thoughts on wedding photography and being a second shooter.

First let me say that shooting a wedding is HARD WORK.  We arrived at the winery at 2:00 in the afternoon for a 6:30 pm ceremony.  The first 30 minutes were committed to scouting the grounds in search of locations for the shoot.  Fortunately for us the bride and groom had agreed to a "first look" instead of waiting to see each other until the ceremony.  This one decision made our day so much easier. All of the photos were taken with an hour to spare before the start of the service giving everyone (photographers included) a much needed hour to relax before the I do's were said.

We were on our feet and on the go from 2 in the afternoon until the bride and groom drove away around 10:15 that night.  Combined we took over 3,000 photos, blew through 4 camera batteries and numerous flash cards.  This old lady was exhausted.  But it was a great day and I thoroughly enjoyed my role as second in command.  B was the boss.  She set up most of the shots.  My job was to back her up with different angles using different lenses.  I also served as message bearer getting the right group to the right location at the right time.  The pressure belonged to  her (and the bride and groom of course).  The weight of the day sat squarely on her shoulders and that suited me just fine.

All in all it was a good day.  The weather cooperated.  The bride and groom were fun.  The pictures great.  B did an outstanding job with her first wedding.  And I loved the role of second fiddle.  I jokingly refer to us as Patton Squared Photography but this was B's day and something tells me she is off on a great photography adventure.

P.S.  If you are looking for a wedding photographer, I know a good one.

Rain, Fog, Rain

We awoke on Tuesday morning to rain and much cooler temperatures in the Volunteer state.  You know, the kind of day that is perfection for curling up on the couch with a good book or a favorite old movie.  But couch curling wasn't in the cards on this day.  Instead we packed up the car (I need a name for the new vehicle.  Perhaps a contest is in order), and headed east, over the mountains to NC and grandchildren.

There was a promise of warmer weather and sunshine in the Carolinas.  Unfortunately it was rain, fog, and more rain for most of the day.  We finally found that sunshine about 20 miles from our destination after a very long and dreary drive.

Hopefully brighter days are ahead.

I realize this photo is completely unrelated to the topic of today's post.  Work with me people.

Nashville Weekend

This past weekend we have been in Nashville with Chris.  B was the photographer for a wedding on Saturday and I served as her trusty assistant (more on that later) so everyone was in town for some quality family time.  Even Uncle Benny (B's brother) showed up to hang with us for a few days.  Between the wedding and enjoying the family  the weekend flew by all too fast.

Today is a travel day for us, so I'm not sure if I'll have a new post up tomorrow.  There will be one more later in the week from the wedding and then...you can expect the grands to pop up again.  We're heading to NC.

See you soon.

Chillin

Chillen with Uncle Chris on a Sunday morning.



I always thought Tom and Jerry were funnier than this.