Mom says Karma has come up with a photo challenge, something about before and after.
Hmmmm, this is interesting.
Well. I told mom that I wanted to play too, but I couldn’t take any pictures, mostly because I don’t have thumbs. So I assigned her to get some great pictures of me in before and after situations.
Hey!What happened to my water?
I think you will soon agree I have this before and after thingy down pat. And that, for once, mom followed directions!
Wonder what that is over there?
We had a big storm last week, then most of it melted and then we got 5 unexpected inches of snow yesterday!
My behind is getting wet, mom.
By the weekend they say we’ll have sunshine and temperatures in the 40s! Wow, sunshine! All this beautiful snow will be gone again. Mom said we had to hurry today before it started to melt!
Even without lots of snow this pond sure was pretty!
When we were walking out there today big poofs of snow kept falling off the tree branches and dropping on me! I was freaked out until mom told me to stop being a baby.
It’s even prettier with more snow!
I guess I’m still a little girl, I’m only almost 14 months old. I got braver the longer we were out there. But I did giggle just a little when a big poof of snow fell on mom and cold water ran down her neck. Hee hee.
Anyway.
Mom took me to this same park earlier this week when there wasn’t much snow, and then today we went back so she could get more pictures with the beautiful snow!
I had such a good walk earlier in the week!
Boy I had fun on both visits to the park. I loved sniffing along the way, and chewing on as many sticks as possible.
You can hardly see the road now that it snowed!
Mom keeps telling me I can’t chew on every stick in the woods…but I think I want to try!
This stick looks yummy!
So tell me, do you think I got the before and after thing right? Inquiring sheltie minds want to know!
Karma, over at Karma When I Feel Like It, has challenged us to a couple of photo challenges. One of them she titled “Before and After.”
For this challenge I was looking for something that changes…where I could show the before…
Before her adventure.
…and the after….
And after.
I honestly thought she’d be a bigger mess. We walked through snow and mud and leaves and puddles. Maybe she’s a Teflon dog.
She says she wants to share more about her latest walk in the woods, but she’s busy napping. Maybe someday soon she’ll be motivated to finish her post.
A couple weeks ago we got some real snow, the first of any significance this season. It came to us blowing from the northeast, unusual for around here, and it was wet, sticky snow.
The pond across the street.
It stuck to all the tree trunks and branches, outlining everything. From a distance most of the woods around here looked like birch trees.
Heading out to see what there was to see.
I wanted to get out to get some pictures. It was so pretty for so long. But the weather was also miserable for a long time, the roads covered in slippery snow, the wind blowing, the temps in single digits.
The roof of our township offices.
I don’t want to even talk about the wind chill temperatures.
The woods across the marsh, trees painted in snow plaster.
Still, I’d look out the back windows and it was sooooo beautiful.
Up and down hills on the way to the park.
So one afternoon, with the sun peeking out from behind the typical Michigan winter clouds, and temperatures above zero, I ventured out.
Faux plaster.
I went to a park in the next township west of here. I didn’t walk very far, but I enjoyed being out there, and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.
I should have brought my skies.
Those of you that live in warmer climates….this is what you’re missing!
Red, white and blue on a pretty winter day.
Now…stop laughing, and no fair sending me pictures of blue skies and golden beaches!
Hey! Did you know we got a bunch of snow a week ago? I’ve never seen so much snow in my entire life! Well, OK. My entire life has only been 13 months, but still.
OK mom!I’m ready, throw the Frisbee!
I kept bugging mom and dad to take me out to play and they kept saying it was too cold. Too cold? Are they crazy? I’m a sheltie for goodness sake! I love the cold!
I ran so fast mom had a hard time getting all of me in the frame!
But mom and dad said I didn’t understand, with the wind chill it was something like -18 degrees Fahrenheit which, for those of you in Canada is about -27.7! Mom said that is really cold and I wouldn’t want to be out there.
I said yes I would too, and I begged and begged to go outside. Mom and dad said I was quite annoying. I call it persistence.
Mostly I loved to run and jump!Some people think I’m a rabbit!
Finally mom dug around in some drawers and found my sister Katie’s boots. My feet are bigger than Katie’s feet were, but she still managed to get them on my feet. Only because I let her, I might add.
Come on mom, throw it again!
I was not amused by the boots, and she doesn’t have any still images of me wearing them. She took a short video of me, short mostly because I wouldn’t walk much wearing them. I thought they were ridiculous.
I’ve got it, mom!Notice I’m not wearing any stupid boots!
When we went outside I accidently (on purpose) lost 3 of the boots in the snow drifts. Mom had to go back out into the dark and cold to find them. She says she’ll get them on tighter next time.
Sure mom.
Life doesn’t get any better than this!
Anyway, finally it got a little warmer, and today it was warm enough to go play in the back yard!
Mom’s artsy image of beautiful me!
Boy I had fun! Mom threw the frisbee and I chased it down, pounced on it, and brought it back to her.
Hustling back to mom with the prize!
Then, usually, I chewed on her ankle until she threw it again. You have to keep moms on their toes, you know.
Nom, nom, nom.
Then I saw a BIG STICK in the yard and I headed right over there. You all know how much I love sticks, right? Well this one looked just perfect!
Wow!The mother of all sticks. You’re mine, stick!!
But then mom called me, really loud, and I knew she had treats in her pocket, so I turned around real quick and headed back.
Coming mother!(Notice the piece of stick in my mouth!)
I scored big time for coming right back to mom when she called me!
We spent a lot of time out there in the back yard. She kept trying to get me to stay while she walked away.
I’m a happy girl!
I don’t know what that’s all about, I like to be right up next to her all the time. She backs up to get a better shot and I scoot forward the better to get a treat.
I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than run and jump!
I personally think that makes me a very smart dog. Don’t you agree?
Just throw it mom!
Anyway, mom got a few good shots of me playing in the snow. They say it will all melt next week, so it’s good I convinced her to go out with me.
I have the best yard, don’t you think?
Next week I’ll be muddy. I’m sure mom will think I’m just as cute.
Last week we got our first significant snow of the season. We’d been enjoying unseasonably warm weather for most of December and January, while at the back of our minds we worried about our landscaping that needs a blanket of snow to survive until next spring.
Mr and Mrs Cardinal dine together at our windy, snowy, deck railing.
A definite benefit of being retired is that we don’t have to worry about commuting to work in a blizzard. If we don’t want to go out we don’t go out. It’s just one great perk of getting older.
A little chickadee tries to warm up with some suet.
Sometimes we forget there are benefits to aging.
Two female European starlings unsuccessfully try to share what’s left of the suet.
Anyway, I digress.
After days of warning from the pessimistic weather folks the storm hit us very early on Friday. First there was rain, then ice, then snow.
A male downy woodpecker impatiently waits his turn.
Early Friday, while taking the dog out for her morning ritual and stepping carefully down the icy driveway in the dark, we noticed a neighbor mincing his way down the street with his dog.
Mrs Cardinal desperately tries to figure out how to get to the suet.
Of course we went out to road to talk. Penny got to kiss Oliver, (the dog) who is somewhat besotted with her. The neighbor said there were some trees down up the road. I said I hadn’t looked out back yet.
A blue jay uses his tail for balance in the wind.
As the morning filled with light I saw that we, too, had some bending trees, some limbs down, the typical damage we usually sustain in an ice storm. I sighed. Little by little our birch trees are coming to the end of their lives.
A chickadee launches after his meal.
We’ve lived here over 30 years, I guess it’s expected. Nothing lives forever, right?
A disgruntled goldfinch.
Throughout the weekend the snow came down, blowing sideways from the northeast. We made very limited trips outside, only for doggie necessities.
Mrs.Redbelly shows off her pink tummy.
Mostly I sat in my chair with a view of a couple of our birdfeeders, watching the frenzy. And eventually, over the weekend, I got a few shots of the birds frantically eating, puffed up, trying to stay warm.
You can see the purple and green in her feathers.
I had to fill all the feeders, the thistle, the oiler, the peanut, the suet, at least twice a day. I even spread extra oilers on the deck railing, and under our rocking chairs that are turned upside down for the winter.
The colors on the back of the blue jay are beautiful too.
Little birds, and bigger birds too, were everywhere. As the food ran out they waited anxiously in the trees, coming down to wait closer as soon as I’d step out the backdoor. My birds know I’ve got their backs.
Even the dark eyed junco, who usually likes to eat on the ground, was hungry enough to try the twirling suet feeder.
And I know you’ve all seen photos of my birds at the feeders before. So in this post I tried to show you more unusual shots, a little attitude, a bit of wing.
It was a busy, windy, weekend!
I feel very lucky to be able to sit in my chair by the window and watch the entertainment happening just on the other side of the glass.
My mom used to say she wished the radio stations continued to play Christmas music after Christmas day. Back then you had to be in the same room as the radio in order to hear and she didn’t have time to listen before Christmas morning. She had four kids to shop and wrap for and a big holiday dinner to prepare.
She didn’t have time to enjoy the season until it was over.
The Clarkston Community Band, pictures from the audience perspective taken by my husband.
I wish she could have attended the concert our Clarkston Community Band played last Friday evening. Pretty lights and lush music shaped our theme of “Let there be Peace.”
“Bugler’s’Holidayby Leroy Anderson
I don’t think there’s a better way to get in the spirit of the season than to go to a live concert, right in your own community, performed by your friends and neighbors. The musicians might not be professionals (though sometimes they are) and the performance might not be perfect (though sometimes it is) but the spirit is real and the motivation is pure.
Friday night songs like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, “White Christmas” and “I’ll be Home for Christmas” got us all into the right mood. When the audience sang along on a medley of Christmas carols I had to stop playing for a moment and just listen to all those voices joined together.
Pure magic.
Santa waits in the wings
Yep, Friday night we filled that auditorium with love. Toward the end of the show lots of children came up on stage to ring jingle bells as we played “Here Comes Santa Claus” in the hope they could convince Santa to stop in for a visit. These kids were very convincing, and Santa showed up right on cue. Their faces, when they realized he was standing right behind them, were priceless.
More magic.
Excitement builds as they hope for the big guy to arrive.
And then Santa conducted our last piece of music, “Sleigh Ride,” because it’ can’t be a holiday concert without a ride through the snow behind prancing horses, even if it’s all only in our imaginations.
A perfect ending to a perfect evening.
Friday night we all came together for a moment of celebration and peace, even knowing the world is filled with unrest. We all left that night smiling and you can too. This season, check your local high school’s web page. There’s likely a holiday concert or two near you this very week. Please take time from your preparations to support those musicians. They’d love to see a full house and you’ll be glad you went.
I guarantee there will be magic bouncing off those walls.
Thank you all for sharing your Walktobers with us! It’s been an honor to be the keeper of your walks this season. I loved every one of them and I know you will too!
I thought we should start with Robin from Breezes at Dawn since she’s been the host for our wonderful Walktobers for so many years. She and her husband traveled through Pennsylvania and stopped to get a little hiking in. Her pictures are, as always, just stunning.
Then we had Elisa visit from her blog Elisa’s Spot who shared lovely images from one of her walks, both in color and in black and white. She made me stop and think because I’ve never thought about doing black and white images in the fall. But it worked so well on her post, I think it’s something I should try.
And here’s Penny, my young sheltie, from my own Change is Hard with her over zealous Walktober where she shares three walks she went on in one week! She was only 10 months old when she did her Walktober, and she managed to go further than I did at 6 decades plus! She’s going to be a handful, this one, when she grows up!
Next we have Monkey, another sheltie, writing on his mom Debbie’s blog Musings. He did his walk with his mom and took us to the Douglas-Hart Nature Center on a beautiful day. They had quite a lot of fun exploring the trails with Halloween decorations and pretty flowers enhancing the fall foliage there.
And Frank shares a post on his blog, Beach Walk Reflections, about his walk on the beach and into the woods, with stunning photos of both.
Shelly, from Quaint Revival, took us on walk down memory lane as she shared images from her past. Check it out, there’s surely something in there that will make you smile.
Debbie, from Musings of a ND Domer’s Mom, went for a walk without her Monkey and took us to Whiteside Garden in Charleston, Illinois. There she saw many beautiful things, including sculptures and blooming flowers along with wonderful fall color.
Next up is Linda, from Walkin’ Writin’, Wit & Whimsy, who loved the concept of Walktober and decided to share photos from one of her favorite places, Council Point Park, where she introduces us to some of her favorite squirrels!
Then Barbara, from In the Woods, takes us on a walk at the Carolina North Forest trail system, in North Carolina. There she found light even in the deepest woods and she shares it with us all.
Frank, from Beach Walk Reflections, takes us on another walk on the beach. He likes to ponder as he walks, and this time he was pondering the color brown, which he thought was an odd color to be thinking about on a beach walk, but he has some stunning photos to help us all appreciate the color.
Then Penny, being the overly controlling dog that she is, reminded us not to forget, and just to put us all to shame, she did another Walktober!
Jo posts in her blog, Still Restless Jo, about her exploration of Castelnaudary in rural France. She and her husband walked the canal path and saw beautiful boats navigating through the locks there. If you read the post following her Walktober post you’ll see even more about Castelnaudary.
Deb at The Widow Badass and her little Bowser take us on a beautiful walk through their woods. They saw all sorts of color. It’s always fun to have a little four-footed adventurer along for the walk.
Diana, from My Life and Horse Stories, shared her birthday with us. The cake looked great! She and her daughter explored Solvang and visited some of their favorite places there.
Helen, from Helen’s Home World, and her dogs, Liam and Teddy went on a walk with a lot of other shelties. Sheltie meet-ups are so much fun! Having many of the shelties in Halloween costumes made this walk even more special.
Dale, from A Delectable Life is up next. She did a couple walks and combined them into her post. Note that at the beginning there was still a lot of green in the trees, but by the end things had pretty much turned to glorious fall colors!
And here comes Linda From The Task at Hand, with her walk in two different areas of Texas. She shares some amazing images of beautiful late summer/fall plants in bloom! What a nice change from all the cold and dropping leaves up here in Michigan!
And lastly, I got my walk in just under the wire, posting about it at Change is Hard. I went down to Hidden Lake Gardens near the Michigan/Ohio state line. I had a wonderful time exploring the garden and my memories of being there as a young child many years ago.
I hope you enjoyed all these walks! I find it fascinating to see different parts of the world, and how we each approach a project like this. We all live in such wonderful places, it’s fun to share them with each other.
I thank you again for taking the time to walk (or run or skip or boat or bike…) and photograph and write about your times in the special places you visited. And thank you for supporting Walktober! It’s a very special tradition that I hope will continue for many years to come! Thank you also to Robin for sharing the concept with us all in the first place!
Images in this post were taken in my yard the day before our Halloween freeze and snowfall. The yard is brown now, but I have these memories to keep me warm.
I’m playing with our local community band again this season and we’re coming up on our first concert. This is not the first time we’ve played Danzon #2, nor the first time we woodwinds have been told to pretend we’re plucking a stringed instrument.
You know, that gentle, short little ping sound the strings make when they put the bow aside and pluck the strings with a finger tip.
All that quiet plunking at the beginning.
As I practice, trying to make that light sound on my clarinet, the reed and my tongue feeling heavy, I wonder. When was the last time a string player was asked to pretend to be a clarinet?
Aha. Didn’t think so.
Less plunking, more crazy fast stuff on page 2. With key signature stuff too.
Walktober update: So far we have 11 posts collected, with a few more in the works, including mine. Let’s see if we can get them all in by Monday November 6th. Let me know if you need more time than that! 🙂
PS: Enjoy the Danzon Piece, played by an orchestra with strings as it was probably meant to be. At 3:21 you’ll see an example of string plucking. But watch it all, it’s guaranteed to make you smile.
Change Is Hard 