Body, Earth and Imagination

Carey's show begins today - title above.  Everything is wonderfully done and the weather is sunny and mid-70's.  She has already sold two works, an excellent indicator of this weekend.

 

Outside the grove of trees is wrapped in orange - participants can create items and hang them here during the show.  The items are incredibly meaningful and heartfelt.

A couple of cuties!

Here's a couple of cuties from North Carolina - Slim, the cat, is the queen around here!  Last night she went up a tree about 20 feet - jumped like a squirrel to a close tree, up and down and then came down and ran like a banshee across the lawn!  We think she was showing off for us!

Visiting

Diana and I are in North Carolina for a few days, visiting our friends and assisting in Carey's final art show here.  Windy weather on the way in Wednesday, but it now looks like sunny and mid-70's for the rest of the time. 
I had a chance to walk in the meadow today, and was visited by a red-shouldered hawk.  A beautiful bird, hunting across the meadow.  Carolina blue skies behind him.

April showers

Bring April flowers!  Why not?  Here's another beauty that had the sun highlighting it just right!

Talk about in your face colors - this one says "Notice Me" very loudly!

Easter

Easter is today.  With many meanings across the world (and no meaning for some), what does it mean for you?
Continuing my search for beauty, here's an Easter altar - from a tulip!

Belle of the Ball

Today I spent at the VA campus in Salt Lake City, taking portraits of veterans and providing them with prints (on the spot) as a thank you to them for what they have done.  It was an incredible day, filled with learning experiences about the vets as well as my growing but nowhere near finished portrait taking skills.  Everyone there was a star - and had a story; from a gentleman that came to have his obit photo taken (terminal cancer) to others that were celebrating a sobriety anniversary.  I know there were many that I did not get to hear.
But the person at the center of it was this beautiful lady that coordinates, manages, mothers, and directs the Volunteer Services at the VA center - Belle Karabatsos!  She knows and cares for each one of the folks that came today and it showed!  Without her, today would not have happened.  And we have another photo shoot on 6/10 - where we get to apply our lessons learned from today and meet another group of veterans and hear their stories.

Here's Belle:

Creating with Words

We know that words are powerful - as an expression of thoughts and often the step before a physical reality is created.  But you can build with words also - as Lisa proved when she created this heart for Sean on his 50th birthday!  Lisa asked family and friends to send her one word (of course, some folks had to send more than one) and she took those words and with just a smidgeon of learning about photoshop, created this wonderful and lasting birthday gift!  On the back she put a list of the words and who they were from. Very unique and meaningful! (Feel free to plagiarize her idea!!).

3 Tulips

A friend gave Diana these tulips to help brighten her day!  I've been watching them and thought the light was about right.  The background is my fishing shirt - with folds, etc., and then darkened.  The three tulip flowers seem peaceful to me today.

Mid-day sun

Murph and I ventured out in the mid-day sun Saturday, out to the springs at the Skull Valley exit on I-80 West. He got to run and run and run, and I had a good walk, watched and listened to a group of American Avocets, and took a couple of photos.
Here's a mid-day photo that was enhanced by the fast-moving clouds and the shadows floating on the hillside. 

And, of course, Murphy was out ahead of me looking for whatever!

Later that evening the moon came up and was part of the smooth and fluffy clouds, before it got really bright. Kind of mysterious.

Graduation

Graduation comes to all of us, sometimes many times, and can be formal or informal.  Most often it is informal and many times very low-key so we hardly realize it!  When a great formal occasion comes around, I love to take advantage of it and celebrate all the graduations within it.

Jane graduates on May 6, 2011 - so we collaborated and came up with this for her announcement.  It really does reflect her - rather than the traditional announcements!  We'll have fun that day.

Antelope Morning..

Murph and I dropped Diana off at the airport about 6am, then boogeyed up to Antelope Island to see what it looked like in the early morning light!  Wow - what a treat!
The colors are subtle but delightful - lighting both the landscape and the birds/wildlife.  We saw two Barn owls, Burrowing Owls, Great Blue Heron, Avocets, mating Mallards and Long-billed Curlews, a coyote and several buffalo and antelope along with the ubiquitous Meadowlark and Chukars.  A pair of American Kestrels made their appearance also, showing little fear. And jackrabbits, of course.

Here's a few of the morning light shots that I liked:

From the start of the Causeway looking south and west down the island.

Avocets with some gulls - their reflections really make the photo.

These guys were really hungry - and they are sure beautiful in their breeding plumage.

Looking North with a gaggle of seagulls down below.

Anybody this big gets the right-of-way!

Looking North again but from a different place.

Looking North again - this time from the east side of the island - note the thin strip of land that we drive across.

Great God Dog!

My goddaughter, Jane, called - she has a new puppy about 6 weeks old.  His name is Boone, and he is part Australian sheep dog and part Border Collie!  She wanted some photos of him so this afternoon we got together and had fun!
Boone is - as most puppies are - incredibly cute! He's full of piss and vinegar and has very sharp teeth that he uses without discrimination! Unafraid and ready to rock and roll! I think Jane has her hands full! Probably better than a live-in boyfriend - she can put Boone in a kennel when he acts up!!
For more photos, check out Jane Downes on facebook.

Beauty in the glass

It's snowing here in Salt Lake, for the second day in a row and not sure how many days total.  Over 625 inches in the mountains, and it looks like more snow tonight and tomorrow.  It's not sticking on the ground at our place, but the front yard is so wet that I won't walk on it - sinking in!!
In the midst of this bleakness, there are .........Tulips!  My sister Sandra sent us tulips and they are very beautiful and heartwarming and a reminder of what is yet to come in our yard!

Thanks Sandy!!

Jealousy will get you on the blog!

Murphy is jealous of Fuzzy and ANY attention Fuzzy gets, Murph wants double-time for!  So when I posted a photo of Fuzzy, Murph had to be next!  Here he is, sleek and splendid, with his goofy chicken toy that makes a wild and crazy squawk!  He loves to play with it and roll around, toss it in the air and catch it, and play keep-away!  These are only $5.99 at IFA and worth 10 times that in entertainment value!

Fuzzy is watching

Fuzzy has been absent from this page for a while, but not from our lives.  He is growing and is still a wondrous pet/friend/companion and incredibly funny at times.  Murphy is Fuzzy's best friend, but Fuzzy is not Murphy's best friend!  They do well together tho' and this 10+ pound fuzzball has no fear of the 90 pound dog!  Here he stares at us through the dining room window sending his thoughts through the glass - whatever they are!

Antelope Island with Sandy

Sandy and I went to Antelope Island today (Murphy too, of course) and she got to experience the beauty and the animals.  Here's a few shots from today.
The coyote wandered around in camera range for a good 20 minutes.  The antelope looked like he was going to run right up to Sandy!

Long-billed Curlew

Antelope in a hurry

Sandy and her friend

Young buck!