Somebody Has To Shoot It

FUNNY FRIDAY

"If love were a dolphin with wings and a unicorn's horn, being ridden by a blind leprechaun dressed like Rasputin, would you believe in second chances for love at first sight?" - Jarod Kintz

Avid Diva

Rum rum I murmur!

In a regal age ran I.

MADAM

My gym.

Live not on evil.

Good Fences - Distant Fencing

Off in the distance-

you shall see a fence
it may be just a shadow 
of a fence 
or a fence

protecting what lies within
while

keeping out what lies beyond-
Off in the distance.

GOOD FENCES

Just a shadow of a fence falls over Smoke, the groundskeeper.

"Every once in a while, people need to be in the presence of things that are really far away." - Ian Frazier

The photo above and the one below, same place different view.  First one winter, second one, early spring.

Even when looking in,

"Everything seems simpler from a distance." Gail Tsukiyama

I leave you with just a reflection of a fence.

Looking Back- TP1

Yes, Carmi has resurfaced and challenged us with a new theme for this week, Childhood memories.

"It's never too late to have a happy childhood."

-  Tom Robbins

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

Looking in.  One of my fondest memories from childhood, is how eager I was to look inside where the light was shining.  Especially during Halloween.  It wasn't just about the candy when I approached every house.

Seeing things with life, even if they were made of stone.

My dolls were third on my list after my dog, and stuffed animals.

Then cars and houses, building sets. A well adjusted childhood right?

Playing tricks for folks to stumble upon.

That's why seeing the photo below was such a gift for me.

So how about you? What are some of your childhood memories?

Bring them out, and let's all play with them here.

Rubbish

RUBBISH TUESDAY

I'm posting straight from my own backyard, as the very word, rubbish has been weighing heavily on my mind.

It concerns one if my beloved Scarecrows. 

The truth about me, is that I will never be that diligent neighbor that drags in every little decorative item in my yard, just because winter is approaching.  

What if winter misses us?  Unlikely I know, but still.



Okay I admit it's a dirty shame how I've allowed our cruel Minnesota winters, to change one of my dear little Scarecrows into pure rubbish.

Yep, this is my rubbish for today.  But, notice how he's still smiling?  More than I can say for lots of living, breathing, walking folks.

  

Shame, shame that's my middle name.  I  hoping this spring once I spruce him up, (a lot) major work to be that's for sure, that he'll forgive me.  Hey, I gave him new clothes in fall and I had more planned for him but winter hit.

Thank goodness he's still protecting and defending as any devoted Scarecrow would do.

In better days!  

The Mag - On Gossamer Wings

"Life is short."

just ask any butterfly.

THE MAG

Photo for Magpie Tales

BUTTERFLY EYE

Delicate little creature
be nourished

you wear your skeleton

on the outside.

Your days alive 

about one month

or less.

Better to be a Monarch

and migrate to Mexico

born late summer

stay alive all winter.

It's Mexico remember?

Perhaps if you'd skip the migrate 

back up north

I wonder how long you'd live then?
Sources of sustenance
places of pleasure
fresh as spring
and inexhaustible
pleasure.


Can love and life be so compared to that of one's own garden?
Or, to the flicker of a butterfly?

Do we bloom by magic?  Only a verdant soul knows for sure.


Skip not the
Writing on the Wall.



and learn to spread your wings 
like a butterfly.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday -

"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men." - Roald Dahl

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY

On the hunt for, relax, in my cup, light, looking down and weather.

RELAX

And eat cake!

IN MY CUP -  Reflection.

LIGHT

Unbelievable day. Blue skies, fluffy clouds and a rare shot of sunlight.

What is that familiar glow above those rooftops?

LOOKING DOWN- From on top of snow bank hoping to catch some Trumpeter Swans!

Well, one Trumpeter Swan is better than none!  Obviously this beautiful swan sought recognition.  I stood on a snowbank above, girlfriend waiting in warm car, stairway down closed due to snow and ice, and this swan slowly swam closer and closer, just for me.

WEATHER

Dreaming about this-

Living this.

Six Word Saturday - Wine vs. Whine, Wine Wins

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food." - W. C. Fields

What Kenny Chesney says about wine-

 "it's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine, it's summertime."  Cries many voices from deep within the snowbanks of their wintertime.

SIX WORD SATURDAY

Today is road trip day with one of my longest known and dearest friends.

We're going to take a drive to

Cannon Falls.

to a place where compelling Celtic music is playing

by the Locklin Road Trio

The above photo not from the Locklin Trio she's a woodland Elf! 

Really, and truly.

and the Bootlegging Party is about to begin!

The Bootlegger's Bottling Bash here.

We'll be bringing back some local brews and delicately delicious wines, for our stock!

Oh yeah!

Did I mention we may catch some of Cannon Falls own Trumpeter Swans?  Maybe so!

Good Fences The Falls

Frozen Falls of Minneopa State Park in Mankato, Minnesota.

GOOD FENCES

I mentioned in my post yesterday that we visited the park to take a picture next to the Checkpoint Minnesota sign.  There are 12 checkpoints located in various locations in Minnesota and they offer prizes of course, but mostly I crave the hunt (some are difficult to locate) no hints given and you're on your own to locate the sign.  It also keeps "cabin fever" at bay!

The word Minneopa comes from the Dakota language and is interpreted to mean "water falling twice" referring to the beautiful waterfalls of the Minneopa Creek.

Minneopa State Park virtual tour worth a look.  After viewing the virtual tour it seems the new rod iron fence was recently installed.

Here is a closer look at the original fence (built 1905) that surrounds the waterfall area.

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." - John Steinbeck

I think it's wonderful to see they kept the original fence when they installed the larger,  sturdier fence. 

There is a small walkway between the two fences but it's forbidden to use.

I'm still laughing at this sign.  It reads, Warning, Please stay on the sidewalk. This area was recently seeded and should not be walked on at this time.  Thank you! Park Staff.  Perhaps a bit of staff humor?  Where have I heard that before?!

Poor little seedlings!  Brrr!

More shots of the two fences.

"Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space has ceased." - John Steinbeck

Finding!

Once we venture out of our soft comfort zones, and seek all that's beyond our doors, we uncover the unknown.

Yes, that's me, caught searching for a frozen waterfall (for another Checkpoint Minnesota) as well as fences for my next Good Fences post. 

I promised myself that winter would not drain my energy this year.  So far, I feel a sort of magical spell working here.  Possibly why it's been an utterly strange winter.

Oh what fun it is to be outside without 4 million layers of winter-wear!

Yep, there's a driveway right there! Mine.

On the road again!

Beep, beep,beep!

Winter only thinks it has succeeded in penetrating deeply into our world, leaving most of us in a psychological conundrum.  But not me!

There are reasons that winter arrives as it does around here.  For me anyway.  Considering how my light is spent ere half my days in darkness, waking in dark, early to sleep-mode as darkness arrives at dinner time.  The logical answer is- 

Rest up and prepare for the long days of mowing, weeding, gardening, planting, watering, digging, more pulling of weeds and mowing, and chasing busy little critters digging mole-holes within my freshly mowed ground.  Then there's all the summertime fun to fill our days and nights.

I'm still laughing about the photo below that Facebook eagerly reminded me this morning that I posted it one year ago today!  Ha! Ha! Old Man Winter, it's going to be in the high 30's here today!  Of course in Oregon (as a friend mentioned) it'll be in the 50's!  WooHoo!

Not to forget Martin Luther King Day, we had our own special march.  We walked to the park, to play and swing before a special Scavenger Hunt for the munchkins, followed by their winter-track-run and a long way adventure back home.  Can't see the same sights twice in one day you know.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday Share

SHARING IS WHERE 

ONE STARTS FROM-
(my running theme for this scavenger hunt)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

May the search for, Starts with J, kindness, three, To Do, and shoes begins now!

I'm just back from "a short weekend trip" to the lake, which also included my participation in the Camp Elk River Girl Scouts with my daughter's "Daisy troop, (her daughter) other Daisy and Brownies" at a Girl Scout getaway!




Starts with J

Jester.

My friend, David Cook, aka The Flower-Bomber shares his creative-joyful-cheerful ART
with the world!

Here he's spreading his

KINDNESS on the beach in sunny Florida right this moment!
(He's off in the background shooting photos like this as onlookers pass by his "flowers in the sand!")

This summer we went to the Grand opening of our new Whitetail Regional Park in Dakota County, where David shared his Flower-Power and loads of his other vine creations for the grand opening!


THREE -  PHOTOS of Embodied.


Also, as a side note for next weekend-  and if you get a chance to see a project series on "A Collection Embodied" do it. I plan to catch this one.
So many fun and exciting things to keep us entertained during the long cold winter, right?!

One

Two

Three

TO DO

Can you believe this is the schoolwork of Lyra, a five year old in Kindergarten, and yes, they are learning (and mastering) the art of Cursive!  

Shoes