Words for a Wednesday

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. 

It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; 

it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.

--Margaret Thatcher

The statues of Taliesin

Nature at Taliesin

I took these pictures just outside the home of Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin. It was a beautiful day and everything was blooming and beautiful. These were taken with my macro lens - the flowers are tiny bleeding hearts.

incidentally, they are not very friendly either....

The houses are close together in my neighborhood, which was attractive to me when I purchased my home a few years ago. Tiny yards are great as I firmly believe that life is too short to spend all summer mowing and doing yard work. However, this past Sunday morning my neighbors put on a show for me that makes me to want to slit my eyelids and kill off the remaining brain cells that are retaining that memory and image. Yep, it was that bad. This couple, who by the way are NOT young and NOT cute (even with clothes on) decided to take advantage of an open window shade at my house. They put on a little performance right in front of their window which happens to be directly across from my living room. Do I think they know this? Well...maybe they are completely blind. This unfortunate (and ugly) scene was brought to my attention by my sister who was visiting from Chicago and starting her morning in my living room with the news on the TV. Suddenly she is making little gasping noises and asking me about the people next door. First she sees an elbow, then a wrist and next thing you know a full, naked back. I casually stroll to the front door to take a sideways glance and sure enough...they are putting on a little choreographed act, which appears to be for our benefit. It must have been quite a challenge for them to stand, squarely in front of their window, to put on this show.

At my house, all you have to do is pull up the blinds and voila' free porn! That is if you can stomach an out-of shape, middle-aged couple with bad skin. Minutes after I pulled the blind in disgust my doorbell rang and I almost jumped right out of my jammies. It was a different neighbor coming to say hi to my sister. She wanted a peek but it seems as soon as we closed the blind the show was over.

Storms and Sunsets

so wash your hands....

When public health officials start talking about 'standard operating procedures' it makes me a little nervous. Swine flu is in the beginning stages having killed 100 people in Mexico and with outbreaks already discovered in the U.S. and Canada. While they have yet to create a vaccine to deal with this new strain, there is website offering advice to those concerned. Contact with anyone that has been in Mexico tops the list, along with staying home if you feel ill and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough.

I've had the good ole American kind of flu. It was the sickest I have ever been. Deep fatigue and severe body aches are the symptoms I most remember - that along with being home for over 8 days and sleeping around the clock. It was awful. You forgot what feeling good feels like.

While I don't like to worry, I will heed the advice of those health officials.

Five hands

Mother's Day is coming up...

http://www.mrsongmillinery.com/

I would really like, just once in my life, to have the occassion to wear a hat like this (other than Halloween). Apparently Mother's Day is the big day for Mr. Song, the creator of the Aretha hat. I'm thinking I would look fetching in a small brimmed, crystal lined hat with a flapper bow. We could then do brunch...

A walk through Walker Sculpture Garden

Are we the Art?

Strange looking creatures in the glass...

The Walking Man and Me.

John wonders if this is a giant molecule of some kind??

Still better....

Lily is exploring the old Carlson Kiln near Barn Bluff

I've gone to 'manual' on my Nikon d80 and the pictures
are continuing to improve. These are fall leaves found
in the spring on Barn Bluff.

Bay Point Park - Mississippi river

I used photoshop to enhance this picture and add a spotlight effect.  Still learning photoshop too. 

Windmill in Wisconsin somewhere...

I'm still working on learning how to use my Nikon d80 - I'm going to go back and shoot this one again now that I've learned a little more about lighting and exposure.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure where it is.  

Can we be done with old man winter now?

An old barge on the Mississippi River at Colvill

I've spent the past few months walking through snow and ice at

Colvill....can't wait to see these picnic tables spread out and
covered with ketchup, birthday cake and crying babies

Companionship on the river

A sure sign of Spring!

The Carlson kiln at the base of Barn's Bluff - great history.

The river is alive again after a long sleep...

Know When Enough is Enough

Great trouble comes
From not knowing what is enough.
Great conflict arises from wanting too much.
When we know when enough is enough,
There will always be enough.
-Lao Tzu

Do I have a great excess of possessions? Too many bad behaviors? Unrealistic ideas? Yes. What could I do without? That's where the situation gets dicey.

Junk or art?

A sea of garbage (plastic) most definately excessive and unnecessary junk.

Up on the bluff...

I decided to see what it was like up on the bluff today
- probably the earliest I've ever been up there in the spring. It was a beautiful day.

Yes, the Kiln is still there with some new graphics.

The city - looks like we need some Spring color.

The Kiwanis sign had paw prints all over it - no respect. :)

The steps were completely covered in mud and gunk. Nasty. It needs to rain hard.

It was a little scary with all the ice and snow.

You can see another empty marina.

Will be nice to see some green up here. Spring is on the way.

I did my part to stimulate the economy yesterday.  The Blair stimulus consisted of a car tune-up at the Nissan dealership $42.36, a new skirt, blouse, sweater from Bloomingdales $212 (needed for a wedding reception next weekend and a great value because of the versatility – yes, I can rationalize clothes shopping) and entry into Bogart’s for an evening of dancing -  $6.  I guess the entry fee was to help pay the salary of the Tom Petty Tribute band.  I’d kinda like my money back from Bogart's.  It was…ummm... depressing. An Oscar Wilde quote came to mind, "Either the wallpaper goes or I do." 

 I also started my little planting project for the community garage sale.  We'll see if these little babies show themselves in time for their May 1st debute.  

My morning started at Baypoint Park - it's still icy and frozen in parts, but where the sun shines it was almost balmy. There were a few signs of life with the hearty wildlife - birds and fishing boats - but it will be nice to see that marina filled with life again.  Soon...