Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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It’s all fun and games

This morning I was headed out the back door when I saw, directly in front of me, a deer staring back. We both had that kind of ‘deer in headlights’ look. I quickly sidestepped out of sight and walked quietly over to the living room to get my camera. And then it hit me. It was a fawn I saw. By the time I slowly and quietly slid back to the door the fawn had moved.

Nom, nom, nom. This hydrangea is very tasty!

I felt disappointed that I had missed the beautiful, full faced, shot. But I was also very happy.

Very happy because in early summer we had seen only one mama deer with one baby. And a few days after seeing mama with her newborn, I came across a fawn stretched out in the road as if asleep, but clearly not. I have only seen mama once since, with no baby in tow. I silently told her how sorry I was.

All summer I haven’t seen the mama deer. I assumed she had left the area to grieve alone. But this morning, here was a large fawn, so maybe our little one hadn’t been killed? And where was mama during this visit?

What is that kid getting into now?

Oh, yes, there she is. Watchful as always.

And then the baby took off across the yard so fast I couldn’t see where he or she went. I switched windows to watch the yard. And then this happened.

I’m just so happy!

I can’t stop my happy feet from running!

I feel happy, dancing without a roof!

I’ll kick up my heels and release the joy!

Hey, quit fooling around!

I’m just a kid, mom, don’t you remember how fun it was to be young?

It’s my favorite time of the year. OK, it’s my only time of the year so far in my young life…

I just can’t stop leaping for joy!

I’m a race car!

Such joyful running, in big loops around the backyard. Racing from behind shrubs, circling the white pine, at full speed. Over and over and over this little one danced with glee through the yard.

I’m a kangaroo!

I shot 300+ pictures. Some of them almost in focus.

I’m exhausted!

He or she kept on running. I kept on taking pictures. Until finally he (I’ve decided it’s a he) stopped behind a blue spruce and snuck a peek over near where mama stood. I think he was tuckered out. He went over to mom who had come out from behind the bush to reign in her kid.

I hope you got THAT out of your system!

But what is this?

It takes 2 mamas to corral me!

A 2nd mama? Is my little guy being mothered by two moms? Or is this daddy and mama and baby?

But wait….what’s this?

You, little one, are a bad influence on my kid!

Another baby! Two mamas and two babies!

The little group hung around in the shadows for a bit of time before moving off.

It’s all fun and games until somebody breaks a leg. Let me check to make sure you’re alright.

But not without one last look at the house.

Just so you know. I see you, lady.

By mama and baby. Just so I knew they knew they were being watched.

I’m watching you too, lady. (Hope you liked the show!)

Glad to have you in the neighborhood, family. You made me smile.


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Success….well…some anyway

Hey everybody, it’s Penny here! I’m interrupting mom’s travel and photography posts to tell you about me! Cause I know you’ve been missing me. Speaking of missing, mom was missing for almost an entire week! No one got my permission for her to go gallivanting but I guess my vote doesn’t count. Anyway, she was gone from last Saturday to this past Friday afternoon.

Where have you been, mom?

And on Saturday and Sunday morning she had registered me for an obedience trial! So when she got home Friday mom and I got right into the ‘working’ mode. I know what the word work means. It means treats! Special, extra good treats! So we went to the trial Saturday morning. Mom said she had zero expectations, given we had N-Q’d last time and she had been gone the week before this trial.

When is it my turn?

But guess what? I did great! I did all 5 exercises pretty perfectly. I sat when I was supposed to sit, I paid attention to mom and I stayed when I was supposed to stay. I ended up with 198 points out of 200, and first place! I guess, though, I have to admit that I was the only one in my class, so as long as I finished everything I was destined to get first place! Mom said she was very proud of me.

I got first place AND best sheltie (It was a sheltie hosted trial).

Then on Sunday we went back to the trial to do it again. Mom was a little worried because I generally don’t like to do stuff more than once, but she thought maybe given it was a day apart it would be ok. And again, I was doing great. Sitting when I was supposed to sit. Paying attention to my mom and heeling like a good girl. I let the guy judge pat me on the head during the sit for exam without protest.

Me and my mom after my first day at the trial.

Then came the stay where I’m supposed to sit in the middle and watch mom walk around the perimeter of the ring and then back to me. And guess what? I got bored so I laid down. Mom almost made it around the room before I gave up, but I think she needs to learn to walk faster.

Oops. That disqualified us right there. We still finished everything, and my recall was beautiful. The judge and mom were very sad. I, however, just wanted to get out of the ring so I could get my jackpot. I know what my priorities are!

I promise not to give up next time, OK mom?

Anyway. I’m now 1 for 3 in my Beginner Novice Obedience trials. Mom says we’ll keep trying. I only need two more legs to get my title! LOL No rush mom, I’ll get there! On my schedule, not yours.

Talk later, your Beginner Novice Wantabe, Penny.


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Star power

I’ve been out of town for most of the last week. I, of course, took lots of images. But the main reason for the trip was to experience dark skies in South Dakota.

I’m lucky enough to have a friend from high school who lives on a farm away from city lights. For years we’ve talked about me going out there to see the stars.

My sister contemplating life on the prairie.

So last week it finally came together and my sister and I drove out there. We were so lucky that the skies were clear for all three nights that we were there. We spent a few hours each of two nights staring up at the sky with warm breezes keeping the bugs at bay.

I have 3 sets of night images to process, the barn, a tractor and the gate. But I need to learn how to stitch skies and foregrounds together in Photoshop. The learning of that will likely take me awhile.

Me letting her push the shutter.

For now I’ll share these single take images of my sister and me. When I learn how to process the rest of them I’ll share those as well.

We had a great time and want to thank our hosts so much for sharing their lives and their skies with us!

(PS: WordPress makes everything darker. I’ve used the lighter of my images but if it’s still dark, try looking at these in a darkened room on a bigger than your phone screen.)


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Got a little damp

I wasn’t going to post today. I’ve got lots of stuff I need to do and posting wasn’t high on my to-do list. But moving the images from my camera to storage was. And I promised myself I wasn’t going to look at them. Because I don’t have time, you know.

But I did. It was raining one morning this week and I was shooting birds (not literally) through the window. This one made me laugh out loud. You never know what you’ve got until you look at them on a bigger screen.

So I’m sharing it with you. I hope you smile too.


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Kids today

Youngster: Dad! Hey Dad! I’m hungry!

Youngster: Huh. Dad’s not listening.

Youngster: DAD! I’m HUNGRY!

Youngster: Well what the heck. Dad?

Dad: Darn! Now there are TWO of them bugging me!

Dad: Geeze. Where’s these kids’ mother? I need reinforcement here.

Dad: These kids need to find their own supper. They’re plenty old enough. Dad out.

Youngster: Dad? Where’d you go, dad?

Youngster: Hey dad! I’m still HUNGRY!

Youngster: Guess I’ll get my own darn jelly. Can’t depend on anybody these days.


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Happy Birthday, USA!

Husband and I spent the evening yesterday with members of his family on a pretty lake, celebrating family and the 4th of July, our nation’s birthday.

We enjoyed lots of good food while we waited for the sky to get dark and the fireworks to start. Unfortunately a pretty heavy thunderstorm blew through about the time we were going to start eating. We ran for the house.

That wasn’t the kind of dark sky we had hoped for. But lucky for us after the rain the sky cleared and the fireworks started on time.

We sat in lawn chairs on the shore and enjoyed the show. It reminded me so much of my childhood when my family would take our little 35 horsepower ski boat out on the water and watch the fireworks.

Lots of similar memories were made last night.

And though I did worry about my dog back at home, closed into a bedroom with the TV on loud, I couldn’t begrudge all the people out last night on a warm summer night watching the lights explode overhead. Later in the week when folks in the neighborhood are still setting them off I’ll be more grumpy.

I hope you all have the kind of 4th that best fits your family. And I hope this great American experiment lasts for centuries more.


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Adding gold

I was painting a card this morning, intent on sending it out today to Eva, a woman who rescues very old dogs, often shelties, from kill shelters in California. Since she works with old, very sick dogs, she was a wealth of information when our Katie-girl was struggling with gall bladder issues and then kidney disease. So I try to support her efforts to give old dogs their best lives during their last days or years.

I saw this card online somewhere, maybe FB, maybe in an ad, I don’t remember. But I liked it enough to save it and this morning I recreated it. The background in each box is metallic paint, a light purple and a light brown. You can’t see the sheen in this image, but it’s pretty. I painted that in after the flowers were done with regular watercolor.

Actually I was surprised at how much measuring and plotting it actually took before I could begin to paint. The painting part is the fun part. Figuring out the math isn’t really my thing. I wonder if I could have done it just by splashing some metallic squares around and painting the flowers on top.

In the end I didn’t do that and I like it just fine the way it is. But boy my fingers were itching to put those gold lines around the outside edges of the metallic, flowery squares. It sure is hard to wait for all the paint to dry. It’s one of the hardest things about watercolor, waiting for layers to dry.

I wonder what is it about the gold liner pen that is just so satisfying? I should use it more often. It’s a lovely, shiny way to start my day. Now to get it into the mail!