Get that sock Katie!
Mishmash Monday
Tag Archives: fun stuff
Katie says – I went camping with my Mama
This is my big tent.
Katie here! Mama says she got a new blog! And it took her forever to let me on. Yes it did. A whole week! So anyway…I haven’t been to my school in like THREE WEEKS! Mama has been having adventures of her own and I got left behind at a kennel! NOT FAIR Mama! So I told her, yes I did, I told her she better shape up or I was going to go find a better Mama. One who took my on adventures! And did fun things with me! And played with me all the time! That is not too much to expect, me being a princess and all. No it is not.
And do you know what my Mama did? She put up the BIG TENT! We got to go camping!!!
Nothing but sky and trees.
She didn’t put the rain flap on because she said it would be like sleeping under the stars and it was! It was wonderful! Ok, there weren’t any stars because it was cloudy…but there wasn’t any rain either, so Mama and I slept really good! I slept upside down most of the night on my pile of pillows. Hey! Let me show you around my tent!
Come one in! It’s a little messy right now because Mama hasn’t made the bed yet. You know how Mama is.
Come on in, there’s room for all of us!
Of course my spot would be right here, on the blown up bed with my own personal window. And the good pillow of course.
My favorite spot.
Oh! Mama says I have to get OFF the bed. Geesh. OK, it’s true this tent has a little window just for me. And that Mama put lots of pillows for me next to it. I guess it’s just as good.
Yep this window is pretty sweet.
See? It just perfect for me!
Those tent people sure know how to please a dog!
I didn’t want to go back in the house this morning. I’d rather stay outside and play, take a nap in my tent, then play some more. Oh wait. Did you say that my breakfast was inside? Coming Mama!
Did you say SUPPER?!
Mama says we can camp out again tonight! I can not WAIT! But I gotta get a nap in first. Adventures are so exhausting.
Searching for the ends of the earth
The ends of the earth at Point Pelee in Canada.
Karma continues to challenge us with photo hunts. She gave us extra time to find our own personal ‘ends of the earth’ and it’s a good thing she did because here I am coming in at the last second with my choices. (Make sure you click on the photos to get a better view.)
The inspiration for this hunt came from our trip to Point Pelee in Canada earlier this summer. Point Pelee is a piece of land jutting out into Lake Ontario. From the sky it looks like a sharp edged triangle but when you’re there it feels like a very small version of Cape Horn, South America, with waves come toward it from two directions.
While we were in Canada we also visited a more famous location – Niagara Falls – where I had another ‘ends of the earth’ experience as we stood just at the edge of the falls, looking down at the Maid of the Mist tourist boat.
The ends of the earth at Niagara Falls.
Traveling to another Great Lake two years ago we explored Lake Huron, and at one point walked through tall marsh grass, our feet getting more and more wet as we got closer to the lake.
Looking for the ends of the earth.
It was easier going at Tawas Point State Park where the ends of the earth was more evident.
The very ends of the earth at Tawas.
But since Karma’s challenge I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for some ends of the earth photo opportunities closer to home. It wasn’t easy without being near a large body of water.
You can see the ends of the earth just past that last stand of trees.
Or maybe the ends of the earth are even closer to home. Maybe right down at the end of our road?
Can you get to the ends of the earth from here?
But in the end I felt like I needed to find the ends of the earth in Northern Michigan, on my favorite lake, Lake Michigan. We gazed out over the lake from a platform built above the dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.
Extending the ends of the earth just a bit further.
And we traveled up to the very tip of Michigan’s little finger, the Leelanau Peninsula, to see the very ends of the earth, where someone had perfectly expressed my feelings about this part of the country.
I heart Lake Michigan.
I could go on and on talking about very special places where a person can experience beautiful ends of the earth. But it’s getting late and Karma’s deadline looms. Thank you once again Karma, for keeping me observant. And for giving me another excuse to travel, always on the lookout for something special to capture.
Can’t wait for next time!
Wordless Wednesday
Did you say TREATS?!
October Photo Hunt
Karma threw a real challenge our way for her October Photo Hunt. She’s looking for photographic images of idioms. You know idioms, those funny little sayings that we use without thinking. She wants us to find three. Carol already has already posted; Scott and others have too.
It’s getting late, the deadline is October 31st. So here you go. Don’t forget you can click on the photos to make them larger…the better to see the amazing detail! LOL!
I’m not going to label them, at least not right away.
That’s so you can have more fun trying to figure out which idiom they might be.
And in case they’re not that obvious to you, which would be my fault not yours, here are the answers!
1. Let sleeping dogs lie.
2. Birds of a feather flock together.
3. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Karma is giving out extra credit – if we post something something for Halloween…
…so here’s my neighbor’s house at dusk. He’ll take these lights down on November 1st and start putting up his Christmas lights. We get to enjoy holiday lights without any of the work!
Wordless Wednesday
Ann Arbor Symphony and Anton Nel
Husband and I were treated to the Ann Arbor Symphony again tonight. It was their Beethoven Festival and as always it was wonderful. They opened with “Fidelio Overture,” the fourth overture written by Beethoven for his only opera. The second number was Beethoven’s Symphony No 1. You can read a review of the concert here.
Both were wonderful – the Ann Arbor Symphony plays everything wonderfully – but the part of the evening I was looking forward to most was hearing Anton Nel play the piano. Born in South Africa, winner of many awards , Mr. Nel is on the faculty of the University of Texas, Austin and teaches piano master classes around the world. Last night he played the Piano Concerto No. 5, the “Emperor” composed by Beethoven in 1809.
From the first moment I was swept away, in awe of the agility of his fingers. The movement soars and sweeps with notes coming fast and furious, then becoming sweet and light only to be overtaken by that energizing excess of notes again. I secretly thought that somehow Mr. Nel must have more than ten fingers, for how could a mere mortal ten produce the sheer number of notes that were floating in the air high above our heads?
If I held my breath in delight during the first movement, I sighed with everyone else through the beautiful second movement. We were lulled into a tentative, almost dream-like and soulful world as the fingers quieted, stroking out soft beautiful tones, painting soft pastel moments, soft around the edges and supported gently by the symphony surrounding him.
Then, with no break to warn us, we were jarred awake by the third movement which danced it’s way into our hearts, faster and faster; it was a joyful dance and none of us were allowed to be wallflowers. The music swept us up and carried us to the end, high on a wave of sound and images. For a moment, just at the end it slowed and we were almost lulled back to our dream world, and then it all came to a wondrous fantastic joyous finish.
There was a collective gasp at the end and then thunderous applause erupted. On our feet we all wanted more. Mr. Nell graciously consented playing two encores; “Bagatelle” and ending with “Fur Elise.” The applause was overwhelming and I hope it let him and the symphony know how much we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the magic they created.
If you live in Ann Arbor you must know what a gem you have in the Ann Arbor Symphony. And not just in the amazing soloists they bring to your city. There is an abundance of talent in the individuals that play regularly in your symphony. The next concert is November 12th. If you can, schedule it into your life.
Experience the magic.
Back yard color
I thought I had missed fall during the week we were out of town. We left when there were still lots of green leaves, and came back to many bare branches.
This past week I went to work early in the morning and returned after dark, either because of work or band events. Thursday I finally came home before dark and realized that we still have lots of pretty colors in the yard.
Katie and I went out to play Frisbee this afternoon. I, of course, took the camera.
She had a blast running around,
…chasing the frisbee……
and ignoring her Mama.
Though sometimes she’d sit in front of a pretty tree or shrub.
If I asked nicely.
So I did.
Turned out OK
It’s a new season for the local community band. We performed our Halloween concert tonight; on an evening when the wind was howling and the rain pouring we had perhaps 200 or more people show up. Seemed like a good crowd to me.
I’ve been dreading this concert. Previous years we’ve shared the stage with a couple of middle school bands, but this year we didn’t have any six graders to help us fill the house with parents, and we had to learn a whole lot more music since it was only us. We’ve had 6 weeks to rehearse…and I missed last week while I was gallivanting out in California. Plus I guess it’s just human nature to put off practicing until the concert is right on top of us.
Last night’s rehearsal was the worst I have ever endured. We sounded terrible. With a capital T. It was so discouraging! After a full day of work and a two hour rehearsal I came home and practiced for another hour. Still, though I knew I was as ready as I could be, I didn’t sleep as I worried about how horrible tonight’s concert was going to be.
I even told my husband not to come.
I worried all day at work. I worried as I drove through the blinding rain and as I changed into the band outfit in the car. (I figured it was pouring rain, who was going to be standing out there watching me change?) I worried as I warmed up. I worried as we were announced. To be honest I worried until the first piece was done and we at least all ended at the same time. In a community band ending at the same time is reason for celebration.
Turns out it was OK. We had people in the audience dressed in costume, kids there dressed as wizards, and butterflies, ghosts and princesses. Most of the music sounded relatively fine. We got a standing ovation that went on and on…and we didn’t have an encore prepared! The conductor told the audience we’d have an encore prepared if they’d give us a standing ovation again at our holiday concert in December. They laughed. So did we.
And my husband? He showed up even though I told him not to come. And he said it sounded OK.
From him that’s high praise indeed.
Change Is Hard 