dawnkinster

May 22, 2014
by dawnkinster 15 Comments

Unrelated musings

Do you see the mama?

It’s been a long and stressful week. I think, of my regular readers, only Carol will truly understand. She has successfully retired from my industry and people outside it don’t grasp the level of stress during our busy season. Especially the busy season in conjunction with the end of a month.

This is a really really big nursery.

I’m behind on things I wanted to show you from my visit to my favorite park almost two weeks ago. So how about I just intersperse park photos among the random musings that have been rolling around in my head trying to avoid the stress headache lurking there. Click on any photo to make it bigger and see more details.

Waiting for the shot.

“Reaching out.” I suppose this blog is my way of reaching out to you. But I’d like to think it’s not because I really detest that saying. I don’t know when people started using it, but it’s everywhere now. Do people use it because it’s more hip than saying calling…or emailing? “I’m reaching out to you in the hopes that you will…” When I read that in an email, or hear it on the phone I immediately put my defenses up. Because no one ever reaches out to me unless they want something. Can’t they just say what they’re really doing…they’re emailing me. They’re calling me. They want something. It doesn’t sound any more friendly or less threatening because they were reaching out. Makes. Me. Nuts.

He was curious about me.

And while we’re on the topic of phrases what’s with “drilling down?” What exactly does that mean? That we’re going to get more detailed, maybe explore something further. I think. Why can’t we just say that? It doesn’t make me as nuts as “reaching out” but still who is fooling who? Does anyone really know what we’re “drilling down’ to? And how will we know when we get there? Exactly.

Does anyone know what this bird is?

A running friend, a year younger then me, is retiring in two weeks. She’s doing it for all the right reasons, her job is stressful, too much travel, and her parents who live near are getting older and need more assistance. I’m happy for her. She says she might have to reenter the work force sometime in the future but I sincerely hope she doesn’t have to do that, I hope she gets to enjoy a long happy time with her folks and that they thrive under her attention.

Hungry!

Katie and I are going camping at a real campground far to the north of us in a couple of weeks. It’s been cold here…really cold for this time of year. I’m starting to worry about sleeping in a tent for two nights further north. How many blankets can I pack, how many layers of clothes can I sleep in. And last time I tried to camp when it was this cold Katie wouldn’t settle down. I’ve seen doggie sleeping bags but I’m pretty sure she’s not going to sleep in one. I think I need a backup plan. I should have booked a weekend in August!

Mr. Rose Breasted.

So that has pretty much emptied my mind. I hope you could follow. Or not. Totally up to you. Me? I’m going to try to get through another day in the business at the end of the month.

Taking a walk.

The weekend can’t come soon enough.

See you later!

May 19, 2014
by dawnkinster 9 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge: Work of Art

In Detroit, a work of art for the WordPress photo challenge:

May 17, 2014
by dawnkinster 11 Comments

WordPress photo challenge: Work of Art

This week’s challenge is Work of Art. The post says art can be anything, from the painting you love to the sculpture your five year old made in kindergarten.

I’ve been thinking about this and wonder if it can’t involve more. Dance is art isn’t it?

So when I saw a poster for the Bow Wow Motor City Freestyle Dog show happening this weekend only a few miles from me I thought…..Huh! Dance+Dogs = Art! Right?

I got to the event early this morning and spent a fun hour watching people and their dogs run through their routines in front of judges.

The people seemed nervous. The dogs? Not so much.

There was much applause and smiles.

The venue wasn’t exactly photogenic, and of course the dancers were preforming for the judges more than for me. Still, I think in the end you have to agree that dogs, people, music and dance is one fun way to express a form of art.

See a couple of my favorites from other photographers looking for art here, here, and especially here. Me? I’m still looking for the perfect photo to express art…stay tuned.

May 15, 2014
by dawnkinster 12 Comments

The also rans for photo challenge: On the move photos

Moving on out.

This week’s photo challenge was ‘on the move’ and you all saw my pick from my weekend mini adventure to one of my favorite parks. I like that photo from a composition and color standpoint, but there was a lot of other ‘moving’ going on that Mother’s Day morning at the park. So I’ll show you a few of the photos that didn’t make the cut. Just for fun. Click on any of the photos to see them larger and with more detail.

It’s not that I don’t like these. Some of them make me smile, and some seem sort of artistic. And it’s not that these disappointed me or weren’t what I was looking for. In fact most of them are exactly what I was looking for when I headed out to the park that morning. It’s just that when I saw the one I used I just had that gut ‘this is the one’ feeling. Though these make me smile they weren’t the one. You know?

You never really know when you head out to find a photograph how things will turn out. Sometimes when you have something specific in mind you discover a surprise that works even better. And sometimes you have no idea until you come home and look at everything just exactly what you found. That’s what makes it all so fun…the adventure, the chase for the perfect image, the surprise when something unexpected jumps out at you, and the satisfaction when you capture more than you hoped you’d find.

But I’m rambling.

When I went to the park I expected to see a lot of runners, and walkers and people on bikes and maybe even skates. And I was not disappointed.

Daughter daddy day.

There was all of that and more. Individuals working out, focused on their heart rates and stride lengths, foot turns.

It was a really big hill.

And friends talking nonstop as they walked or ran together.

Catching up on events

People like me meandering around with cameras.

Really big camera.

Or just meandering.

It’s a wonderful park full of people finding their space, breathing deeply, living fully.

Riding together.

It’s one of my most favorite places in the world. Soon I’ll show you some of the nature I found there. But for now, enjoy one more shot of someone on the move.

Because I liked the bottom of her shoes.

Orange.

May 14, 2014
by dawnkinster 25 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

May 12, 2014
by dawnkinster 22 Comments

Photo Challenge: On the Move

This week’s WordPress photo challenge is “on the move.” I immediately thought of the metro system in Washington DC, the long escalators down to the train platforms, the swish of wind just before the train arrives, the lights glowing then speeding away. But I’ve shown you all of that. And I thought about going down to Detroit and showing you the People Mover, Detroit’s version of mass transit, and some day I will.

But for this challenge I went a bit more natural, and headed out to my favorite park – a place I used to run every weekend when I was training for an event, and a place that still holds my heart. It was a beautiful day and I have so much to show you, but for this, a photo challenge, I’m choosing just one.

Moving through green hills.

I sat in cool tall grass high on a hill and watched the runners bikers and walkers as they made their way around the base of the hill through a beautiful meadow. I could have sat there for hours. In fact I did.

You can see some favorite on the move entries from others here, here, and here. These challenges are so much fun for me, especially when I get to go on little photo adventures to find something new. You should try it for yourself. You never know what you’ll find until you go out looking.

And soon, I promise you, I’ll show you what else I found at the park.

It was wonderful.

May 10, 2014
by dawnkinster 22 Comments

Katie’s perfect day

Hi there everybody!

Katie here. Bet you’ve missed hearing from me haven’t you! Sometimes my mama forgets I’m a princess and need to talk to my subjects regularly. She’s sort of ditsy like that you know.

So anyway. I got her up this morning at 6 a.m. I tried to get her up at 5:30 but she told me to go away. So I did for a few minutes. I can be patient if I have to, but not forever, you know? So after we were up she started getting stuff done, like she made humming bird food, and she cooked some chicken (and no I didn’t get any) and she did some laundry and she went to the grocery store and then we went out front where I supervised her while she started spring weeding.

Mama filled this cart up with weeds.

Mama says she really appreciates me getting her up so early because otherwise she’d never have gotten all that done before lunch! I figure if I get her up about 4:00 tomorrow morning she’ll be even more appreciative.

And then you know what she did in order to say thank you to me? Yes indeed, I bet you know already!

This is my park.

She took me to my favorite park! Of course I had to sit around and get my photograph taken in all the yellow flowers. We do this every single year. Except for last year. Last year mama got to the park a little late and all the yellow flowers were puffy things that made me sneeze. She says this year she’s trying to be more organized.

We had such a great time at the park! The weather was beautiful and no one else was out there! We walked all the way around, and I even stood on this stupid bench for her so you could see the little lake in the background. I’m cute aren’t I. I practice being cute all the time when they aren’t looking.

See how pretty it is here?

Then we got home and mama made me stay inside while she and daddy went out and did lots more weeding. I wanted to stay inside anyway to rest my eyes you know, after being out in the park and stuff.

It’s exhausting being perfect.

OH! And I almost forgot! Mama bought a new tent and I helped her put it up this evening! I don’t think we’re sleeping in it tonight, she’s just letting it ‘air out’ whatever that means.

This goes up pretty easy with my help.

I think it’s pretty cool, I ran right in as soon as it was up, even though none of my camping stuff, like my blankets and my pillows, are in there yet.

Did I tell you that mama and I are going to go camping at a State Park up north sometime? She made reservations for us, I just can’t remember when. The calendar sort of confuses me. I think every day should be a Saturday, don’t you?

Welcome to MY tent!

So that’s the story on my perfect day. We have a whole new day tomorrow too! I can’t wait. But I really need to get some sleep. I might not be able to get mama up so early tomorrow if I don’t get to bed soon.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there tomorrow! We hope you have as perfect a day as we had today! Spend it in the sun with people you love.

That’s my plan, yes it is. See you guys later,

Katie-girl.

Made you smile!

May 7, 2014
by dawnkinster 23 Comments

Approaching Mother’s Day

Marsh marigold glow

Earlier this week the grocery store cashier offered me a coupon for wiring flowers to my mother. The offer shocked me, not because I’m adverse to discounts, but because I hadn’t realized Mother’s Day was coming up. And because of course no florist will wire flowers to heaven. I absently refused the coupon offer and walked out to the car with my groceries, thinking about flowers and Mom and the festive day coming up.

Most years of late I’ve been successful at blocking Mother’s Day out, ignoring the advertisements and the rows and rows of cards with pink envelopes. I can be genuinely happy for coworkers excitedly talking of brunches and gifts. Progress.

This year I recognize even more progress as I think without pain of the flowers we used to give my Mom for Mother’s Day. Every year we (or she, I don’t remember) picked out flats of petunias and called them our Mother’s Day gift to her.

And I remember other flowers too, the springs we dug up marsh marigolds from the swamp over in the woods and lugged them home in buckets to be planted along the lake shore at home. I don’t really know if she wanted marsh marigolds, or us covered in mud for that matter, but she always seemed happy to see them.

And then this morning I heard a radio commercial for chocolate covered strawberries that had to be ordered by tonight in order for delivery to Mom before Sunday. It was a long ad, filled with descriptions of juicy strawberries dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with nuts.

The commercial made the strawberries sound good, but it mostly reminded me of my Mom standing in the middle of a strawberry patch, and the way that first warm, ripe strawberry tasted right from the field. All the dark chocolate and nuts in the world will never make that advertised strawberry taste as good as the ones we ate under the hot summer sun with Mom all those years ago.

So as we approach this Mother’s Day I think of Mom, and how happy she was with petunias and marsh marigolds and strawberries warmed in the sun. I bet most mothers are the same. Show up with a handful of dandelions and they’d be happy.

To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day. And to those of you with mothers still on this earth take a moment and thank them. A flat of petunias might be just the thing.

Miss you Mom.