Cedars and Waxwings

Cedar trees are my favorite type of trees.  You always find them surviving in the most amazing and harsh places.  The harsh climates often warp their shapes and causes them to curve in the most extreme manners.  You can also find them growing absolutely straight.  A single tree can survive when large portions of it have been damaged and they are some of the oldest trees on earth.  Also, they bring my favorite bird - Cedar Waxwings.  I love the waxwing's quiet, high pitched "weeee" call and they look like they were designed in the 20s.

Twin Cities Pride Parade - part 4

Who hasn't always wanted to walk around on these things?

Twin Cities Pride Parade - part 3

Nice day for a walk.

Twin Cities Pride Parade - part 2

Pure Pride.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" expired last night at midnight.  It was definitely the right thing for the army to do.  I am happy for all gay Americans. It brings us one very momentous step closer to equal rights for everyone.

I don't know if this guy is gay, but he sure has guts!  He walked the length of the whole Pride Parade in his knickers grinding with anyone who came up and posed for pictures with anyone who was too chicken.

Twin Cities Pride Parade 2011 - part 1

Lots of people were riding on the tops of vehicles.

A really fun day taking pictures of people who are proud of who they are and the people who support them.

BWCA forest fire

BWCA - before fire

I heard on the news today that the burn area of the fire in the BWCA is now about 80000 acres.  It got really out of control really fast from the high winds that were up there.  I also found out that the fire started on the second to last day that we were there, just a mile or two from where we were camping. The news moved me to post another picture of the area before it was on fire.  This is the Kawishiwi River, which connects to Lake One.  I hope that the showers that are possible tonight lend a little help to putting the fire out.

a little red ball

Every year or two I take a trip to NYC.  I never tire of this city!  So much to do and see and photograph.  We usually just wander around the city until something catches our interest and we never get bored.  I would have never know known there was bike rugby if I hadn't happened upon this friendly game.   If I remember right, this is Sara Roosevelt Park and I really enjoyed walking along the whole length of it.

Thinking about the end of summer.

twisted arms

The lawns have all turned brown and the thermometer is at 90 degrees, but tomorrow it is going to be 70 and the day after that... 58.  Fall is here and I am thinking about all the things that I wanted to do over the summer.  There is never enough camping getting done; the deck needs staining; and a new path needs to be put in in the back yard...  If I itemize it though, I've done quite a bit.  This photo was taken in Ponce, PR on an early summer trip with a good friend of mine. The weather was much like it is today.  The park has a lovely gazebo, behind the tree in the photo, that has a marble inlaid floor for dancing on.  Walking around this area, you can just imagine an evening dance or a Sunday gathering.

Lake One

BWCA - near Lake One

Just yesterday I heard about the forest fires on Lake One and Lake Two in the BWCA.  We were there just a few short weeks ago with some friends.  That's Pete and Christa about to enter Lake One.  The areas in the Boundary Waters that have burn don't compare to the ones that haven't been touched in a while.  Now, I know that that is just a normal part of a forests cycle, but I hope the burning wasn't too extensive.  Especially since the firefighters have to canoe in and portage - just like everyone else.

it started...

"Cabin Trip"

Back in 2004, my husband (boyfriend at the time) bought me my first digital camera from a wonderful windfall.  I had been taking pictures for many years, but not that many because film can be expensive for someone with no money.  Obviously, I started taking a whole lot more pictures and got nice encouragement from my friends and family.

Two years later, we took a trip to my husband's family cabin about four hours away with some good friends from another city.  The cabin is a vertical log cabin, located in north central Wisconsin, with no insulation besides the chinking between the logs.  In the area between the kitchen and the dining area, you can lift up the rug and look through to the ground below.  This was in February and it was -20 degrees F during the day and we had arrived around 3pm. The sun was just starting to set.  The cabin is heated with a wood stove and a wood burning cook stove if needed when it gets cold.  We made dinner and waited with just about all of our winter clothing on for it to get a little warmer. The light in the cabin at sunset, and the cabin itself, is just about my favorite thing in the world. We tried for hours, but couldn't get the mercury to go above 40 degrees.  We eventually bailed for the smaller, and easier to heat, bunk house.  I took this picture just before we packed everything up.  I wasn't taking pictures.  I was just sitting at the dining room table, but when I saw the fading sunlight on Eric's arm, I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped this picture.

This picture was a turning point in my photography.  I entered it into a few shows and won a little prize money from it.  I started taking even more photos and entering those into shows.  But, lately, I have been in a slump.  So, this is going to be your standard I'll-start-a-blog-and-post-a-picture-every-day-to-get-my-mojo-back blog.  I don't know if it will work.  I don't know if it works for other people.  But, it sounded fun to a amateur photographer sitting around the house by herself one Saturday.