150 - INTENSE

Yes, the picture is not focused on this one Mr. No shoulders. It definitely helps to reduce the intense williness I get when watching one of these slither across the surface. This guy...well...he didn't quite make it across the road although I'm not sure he wasn't out basking in the long overdue warm spring sunshine.

149 - ALPHA

Sam is one of the many alpha males in my Lexi's life. Yet, although she isn't an alpha, she knows how to put them in their place if they confront her in the wrong way one too many times. Mostly...they are best friends and we miss having Sam right across the road to visit.

148 - EXTRACT

Home made compost extracted from kitchen vegetable leftovers and yard waste/trimmings. Almost done but not quite. Just a couple more weeks of this warm weather should give it the right amount of cooking and flavor. My rose bushes love it as do most of my garden floral varieties. I can't wait to feed.

147 - NEVER

My luck seems to have changed over the past few weeks as far as being able to get close up and personal with my subjects. Last year, this little lady would never have let me get this close to her. I'm guessing she was more hungry for the green grass after this long winter (oh yeah....its 36 degrees here in the morning today so maybe winter hasn't left).

The trick, you have to move forward slowly. I got to her level...on the ground and snapped a shot. I crept a little bit closer and took another. A little bit closer and snapped again. A bit more. Another pic. Closer. Snap. Closer.

There she goes into her abandoned house yard next door.

146 - NOTHING

There are those days when ...well...I've got nothing. No pictures. No creative thoughts. No warmth. No sunshine. Zip. Nothing. No energy. No incentive. I guess this is what they call 'writers block' or 'photography block'.

It is these days, that my bff shines for me. Poses...in a non-knowingly way. (Maybe I should say she snoozes.) On the couch, of course. No way to let a queen sleep on the floor. So....I quietly grab my camera (she does not smile for me when she sees it) and.....snap. Nothing turns in to something.

145 - DRINK

Sometimes you just have to enjoy a drink more refreshing than a bottle of water mixed with cranberry juice.

And, that's all I have to say 'bout that.

144 - IGNORING

They, too, turned their back towards me...ignoring the fact that I was coming upon them, determined to remain in the midst of the sunshine and warmth of the gravel lying on the pathway. I was no more than about 10 feet away from them when I took this picture. Amazed. That they let me get so close as these weren't your normal beach seagulls that are used to people (you know, the ones that are waiting for your left over french fries).

143 - RIVAL

Along the great shores of Lake Superior are sand dunes. Huge sand dunes that used to be used for sliding logs down in the days of logging. I am sure many of these have been repositioned, rebuilt, reshaped with the winds of the lake frequenting the shoreline.

As I hiked along these areas looking for photo ops, I was in awe of how the pine trees were trying to encroach on to the sandy dunes, yet allowing the sand to spill over into the forest grounds. Amidst these dunes, just on the edge of the forest, a rival between vegetation and sand continues on. I found these flowers trying so desperately to be the winner of this fight. Showing their strength and determination.

With sand all around, I took my over shirt off to lay my camera equipment on, laid low to the ground and snapped this shot with my macro lense, amazed at the assumed to be brown/tan sand pebbles which turned out have a wonderful pallete of diversified colors.

Living together in harmony. Nature. What an amazing role model.

142 - GRACE

She was wandering down the gravel road as I slowly passed through. She realized I was coming closer and moved with grace across the road, out of the way of the big black round rubber things coming her direction. I crept slowly closer in hopes I wouldn't scare her totally away and also because I knew that more than likely somewhere on the edge of this gravel pathway, there was probably a barren nest with eggs, camoflauged as rocks.

She scurried gracefully a little bit more, trying to get behind the very short, dried up blades of vegetation that were on the sidelines...hoping that she also would be camoflauged from site. I was blessed enough to have been able to quietly roll down my window and snap some good shots of her using my car door as a support.

I drove off slowly, praying that the nest was out of harms way, and she scurried with grace back to her nesting position, watching the black round rubber things roll away.

141 - PACE

As I headed north for my 'get away' photography weekend, this dam caught my eyes...as I sped by. I thought about turning around but didn't, thinking I would stop on my way back. Luckily there was a car parked on the side of the road on my return trip and I remembered to stop as it was positioned in a manner that I would have looked at the river on the right side and not noticed this on the left side.

I don't know what captured my attention more, the beautiful rusty colors of the dam itself or the fast pace of the water flowing through it. I got down below the bridge to snap shots and realized that it didn't really seem the water was flowing at as fast a pace as I had thought but the downward flow created this awesome flurry of water gyrations that it seemed it was extremely fast. It was mesmerizing and magical. I sat for quite some time watching it and listening to it as it seemed to drown out all other sounds around. Even the passing by cars.

140 - BROTHER

Oh Brother. Wow. And holy crap. Did that fog ever roll in fast. I hope this person is coming in from kayaking and not going out. Somewhere amidst that foggy background is Lake Superior.

138 - LYING

I watched this guy through my camera lense for a while, snapping a shot now and then, as he munched out on what looked like a corn cob. When all of a sudden, pop, up came another head and I realized all the while, this wasn't just one but two muskrats. One lying on top of the other. Trying to keep warm maybe on this cold, blustery spring?? day.

137 - MANDATE

There are times in our lives when life itself mandates a 'get away'. For a peace of mind. To regroup. Recollect. Think. Ponder. Plan. Relax and enjoy. Or just plain forget. Everything. Responsibilities more so than anything.

I am bad about taking these mandates. I feel guilty about not dealing with the day to day responsibilities that are thrown at me from every direction. So I continue on. And on. And on. And one day, the life vat that fills from giving and giving and giving overflows. It spills over. It floods. At this point, the vat begins to crack and a quick repair is needed. A mandated 'get away'. For personal reasons. For regrouping. Recollecting. Pondering. Relaxing and enjoying. For finding a new path, a new road, that will lead to beautiful curves, twists and turns and straightaways.

This is that road for me right now. A road filled with new life of spring. Budding out trees. Carpets of trillium, trout lilies and violets. A road filled with new challenges and revived breathes.

136 - BILLION

I am guessing that along the many miles of this Lake Superior Beach there are probably billions and billions of these multi colored, multi sized rocks and pebbles.

I'd love to have the opportunity to walk every inch while counting and guesstimating and studying and admiring each and every one of them. (Well atleast during the less cold months of the year.)

135 - BACKSPACE

The backspace key. Here on the keyboard. Don't we all, at some point in time, wonder what our life would be like if we could delete, backspace, and do somethings differently? I do. Once in a while. More so from a professional perspective. I guess maybe I could now but...not sure many people would accept that newness out of this oldness.

If I could though, this is what I would do. Study nature more (or would I then not appreciate it as much as I do now?). I love birdwatching. I love photography. I could still do that - photographing nature/birds, and try to make a living on it. With my continued passion and dream of travelling and writing and photographing.

Really...can't I just backspace...jump in the car and go?

PS...it's my birthday today and I ignored all my responsibilities so I could go to my favorite marsh area and find this (which I had a glimpse of over the weekend), mom Sandhill and her two little ones.

134 - TWENTY

He watched me very closely as I stood, behind my looking glass, no more than twenty feet away from his feeding station. He would turn quickly and grab some seed and return his eye back in my direction to see if I had moved. I'd hold my breathe. I hoped with every stare he gave me, that the wind blowing my hair wouldn't scare him off. I did all I could to keep from shivering too loudly because of my excitement as well as the cool non-spring like wind that blowed just a bit too much for my photographic preference.

'What is that click I hear?', I could hear him wondering as I snapped as quickly as I dared in hopes of not scaring him away. He continued on until the Orioles returned to scold him, advising him it just wasn't his turn anymore...regardless, again that he wasn't even interested in the grape jelly.

133 - ORDER

I remember the first time I heard there was a pecking order at the feeder amongst birds. Attract a bunch of different species and you will see who the bosses are. And this pecking order is different depending on what the food seems to be...so it seems.

Very loudly the Orioles let all the others visiting the feeder (even if they were going for the seeds and not the grape jelly and oranges) know that they were Queen and King for the moment. No one dare come into their space.

I wonder to myself....what the order would be if there was one for us humans. But I don't wonder too long. Knowing that of course, I'm pretty sure...I would be queen...if even for just a moment.

132 - STARK

I've gone to my archives for this one. As I watch the robins that have returned this year to my yard. I have a garden shelf next to my back door with a wood, decorative bird house sitting on it. There is just enough room between it and my garage wall where the Robins last year decided was a good spot for a nest. Did I say...right by my backdoor? Stories from others about being dive bombed by birds when going near nests worried me. Did I say...the back door is our main entrance and exit. Not only for us but also for my canine friend. Did I say that?

Every day we were careful. Every time the garage door opened she flew away. Every day we watched as a new egg was layed. Every day we were excited when another hatched. Pink. Stark naked. Naked as a jay bird. Or robin bird. Will they really grow into those eyes? Will they survive their first fall as they try to fly out of the nest onto the concrete floor below them?

I thought of many ways I could line the ground to make it softer.

We went to Mother's Day celebration.
We came home.
Gone. All of them. Not 4 days old and. Gone. No sign whatso ever as to what happened. Nest still intact. Babies. Gone. Tears. Deep sigh.

Maybe next year. No. Robins are smart.

131 - TRAIL

I hike a lot. It takes me away from reality which is good many days after the long work weeks. This time of the year, I even try to find someplace to scurry off to right after I get home, dog in tow, wagging her tail knowingly as I change from high heels to hiking shoes, listening for the jingle of the tags on her collar.

Some places, I go back to many times because they have magic in them that keeps drawing me towards them. Others...well sometimes we need a change.

Just about every where I go, this is one of the most favorite things I love to photograph...given the right viewpoint. The trail. Sometimes as I walk forward, a curve or distant view catches my interest. Sometimes when I turn around the trail has a complete different perspective. Sometimes I stoop to the ground to capture a snap of something else and 'voila'....a view from my canine perspective can be even more interesting than mine.

Trails. Always interesting. Always wondering where the next one, the next corner, the next curve or uphill or downhill valley will lead. Trails. Wonderful things.

130 - CRITICIZED

I am criticized on my photography on almost a daily basis....by myself. Of course, we are our own worst critic. I do happen upon a picture here and there...more often than not, atleast one per day from a photo excursion...that I am really impressed with. (Pat myself on the back, something which I have a difficult time doing.)

So I joined a photography club where we share pictures at each meeting and critique them, yet, I still have not been brave enough to actually bring in any of my pics. I was with another group though of photographers that I don't know much at all. A group that only meets a few times a year and some were from all over the state and/or Midwest and I suppose I won't see them much if at all again. I shared some of my pics. I received lots of 'atta girls'. They criticized in a good way. Okay, I guess that is more critiquing than criticizing.

It has given me a new 'light' to follow. A new bounce to my step, if only for a few days. I think I'll share some of the same set of pics with my regular group to see if there is a common agreement that maybe, just maybe, there is some hope to maintaining that bounce to my step for a bit longer.

129 - DULL

One of the first decent evenings where it actually feels that spring might actually show up this year...this spring...before summer hits (if it arrives). Wandering around the gardens wondering what all is peeking it's head out...anxious to know if there are any bare spots that will require me to go to the garden center (you know, the one where I will buy way more than I really have room for). Face to the ground. Pulling weeds. Talking to my canine friend. Listening to hear the birds that have arrived back after winter.

It's getting dark now. We should go in. I stand. I turn to take one last look...and stop..to gasp...at one of the first pretty sunsets in a while. Air fresh and clear and brisk and not DULL in any way.

Sigh. We should go in.

128 - ATTITUDE

This is my garden angel. Purchased many years ago when my residence was in the deep south. I purchased her for her 'attitude'. The smile on her face. The mystery to the smile. The mischieviousness. She continues to look over my gardens, putting a smile on my face each and every day as she informs me that....life is too short to worry about much of anything.

127 - BESIDE

Beside my home...is this home. An abandoned house. Slowly falling apart. The owner no longer resides there...but for some reason won't depart with the place. Waiting until the very last moment, just prior to being taken away, and then the taxes are paid up....resulting in yet another 3 years of....this...the house beside mine. Abandoned. Falling apart. One shingle, one support beam...at a time. So often I wonder....will it take someone getting hurt before ...the issue is resolved.

126 - ALAS

Alas, it is time for the neighborly Derby Party. All eyes on the race....

125 - BIAS

On one of my trips during my youth, in the back of a station wagon with my five siblings and parents, I remember a lot of conversation from one person in particular where a certain ethnic minority was put down for reasons that I couldn't understand. That trip is engrained in my 'past thoughts' quite often affecting the way I think about things...in a complete different perspective as it was that day from that person.

I don't like prejudices...but then does any one ever really like them...whether they have them or not. I like to believe that I don't have prejudices...biases for or against any ethnic group. Sometimes it is hard...just as I am sure it is hard for them also. After all...how should one feel after things like 911. The world, society can really make lack of bias almost impossible. Yet...I try really hard to remind myself that each and every ethnicity has their plus and minuses...including the ethnicity that I am a part of.

Yet...there are a few biases I enjoy sharing...such as my bias for the Golden Retriever...versus the Black Labs. My passion for the floral gardens in my life is much more biased towards the summer perennial garden versus the spring annuals. And among the summer floral versatility...I have a large bias for the more daisy like flowers. They don't have to have the word 'daisy' in their name...they only need to represent that same multi petaled look with the bright (or dark) face that seems to say...love me and I'll make smile.

It is this bias that attracts me, pulls me in to them with some mystical magnet. There could be an entire field of all kinds of flowers and I am sure...I will find and enjoy that one mystical grouping of daisies that are found smiling amongst all the rest.

124 - LOCATE

One of the deep secrets of gardening is all about where you locate your plants. That location is not always the same in one state versus another..and sometimes not even from one yard to another. This mainly being due to the fact that people all garden differently. Yards, even though they might be only one house apart, may have different soil. Fertility of the soil, drainage, water requirements can vary so dramatically.

When I lived in Houston, I loved lavendar. Still do. In Houston, it didn't matter where I planted it, how I cared for it, out of all the varieties that were available, the very last couple of years I lived there, I finally found one I could grow. I found the right spot to locate it. Here it comes back for me so readily every year in every spot I have it planted. Go figure.

Now...in the MidWest...a plant I so loved in my native, carefree gardens - the Butterfly Gaura - is my 'midwest lavendar'. Three years in a row now I have purchased and planted them trying to find just the right spot for it. Finally, I believe that I have found the right location. Mind you, I planted three different ones last year. I had a lot of thoughts as to where to locate them. I put them in three different spots. I have one that has returned this year. Just one. But....one is better than none. I feel..I have accomplished a fantastic task.

123 - ATTAIN

I have to say I am blessed with some great friends at this stage in my life. As some of you know, I was raised as an air force brat (although I believe I was far from being a brat) so I moved every couple of years and thus, best friends or any friends what so ever were hard to come by, hard to keep. Thus...I am blessed now to have the ones I have.

My neighbor, who has been a wonderful friend in the few years we have lived next to each other, has definitely been a blessing in disguise...for many reasons. Selfishly, I have to say, one of the things I enjoy the most is her shared love and passion for gardening. Many a day, I envy her gardens...so like the ones I had for many years in Houston but for some reason, I haven't been able to attain them here as I would like. And that...bothers me...particularly when I am at a garden center looking for a gift or spring vegetables.

I have created a couple versatile garden areas, vegetable and floral, that provide me with some much needed creative digging in the dirt. I have a hodge podge of plants that I enjoy each year as they surprise me and come back after the long, hard winters. One of these plants, I attained from my friendly neighbor. This bleeding heart...which I actually thought I had lost when we first transplanted it over here two years ago. But this year, it is already sharing it's many hearts with me.

A plant...filled with hearts...given as a gift from the heart...which truly...warms the heart. (smiling)

122 - BYE

As we say bye to winter in the Midwest....I have a lot of mixed feelings. Oh, yes, I am glad to see the short, dark days and the below freezing temperatures disappear, yet I remember my new found love of actually getting out and taking photos while the snow is falling. I discovered the actual true meaning of the magic of snow as I viewed it behind 'my looking glass'.

Yet, I know what follows. The little surprises of spring. Tulips, daffodils, apple blossoms. In my yard, one of the first things to follow the tulips as we say bye to winter are the columbines. A flower that during my years in Texas didn't seem to show its face until a bit later in spring, early summer and almost always had to grow in shade.

This one pops up naturally in my yard, although I am sure it was planted there at some time by a previous resident. Now it has naturalized and reseeds abundantly blessing me with its double blossom in peachy, pink shades.

121 - RISE

I rise at the wee early hours of the day during the week...when I have to go do that thing that helps me afford the roof over my head and...my expensive habit and passion....photography. During the part of the year when the days are longer, it is okay to get up that early and I half way look forward to that long drive in to the office...because I get to enjoy these..

The fresh, brisk clear aired mornings with wisps of clouds in the sky and beautiful sunrises..that I have to snap a picture of....at 65.....

120 - GOOD

The weekend weather was GOOD, outside of some very gusty winds. Even Saturday turned out to be a wonderful day to get outside and begin reorganizing things in the garage, pulling things back out into the yard, listening and watching birds migrating through.
There are a couple local, smaller, unique plant nurseries I love to frequent that carry less familiar plants; plants that are more perennial and native to the area. In addition, they have some neat 'yard art - something that I believe shouldn't be over done in the yard but just enough to add some character and interest to the entire flow of things.
What with the onset of spring being a bit late this year and having started out a bit cooler than usual, it is difficult to find much of any kind of perennial color right now. As I've still been in a bit of personal confusion with the status of possibly selling my house, another fall has gone by without me increasing the amount of spring bulbs that are planted throughout my current 'limited' flower garden. Today...walking through the yard, I regret that ...for yet another spring.
On my visit this afternoon to one of the nurseries, I found this green milk can. Perfect. Color for a spring garden much in need of some interest. In addition, I located some of my smaller flower pots that I also purchased a few years ago to add some interest in the yard. These also are of a variety of colors.
Voila...a slightly drab garden area brightened with some spring colors. It's good. It's all good.
In the back of my mind, mental note has been made that there are two more colorful milk cans still remaining...atleast when I left there...that I am pretty sure has my name written on them...in addition to a really neat, large sized, wooden chair.