A long time ago I promised to show you the shenanigans going on in my backyard. Or should I call it backyardigans?
Waiter! I need a napkin!
These are self explanatory, but if the participants had anything to say I’ll add that as comentary under the offender’s image.
My morning abdominal workout might be offset by my morning snacking.
You will note there is one pictured here that is not like the others. She knows who she is.
I have to ask the help to fill this feeder every single day.
Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done in the house, given all the entertainment just outside my window.
I emptied out that birdfeeder, now my tummy doesn’t feel so good.
Oh wait. I really don’t get much done inside. Please don’t look at the dust covering everything or the dog fur rolling across the floor.
Somebody come help me with these two hooligans!
But I ask you. Which would you rather do?
I’m just going to sit here and watch the crazy in real time.
I thought so.
Me too.Me three.Not me, I’m eating while I can. A mom gets so little time to herself around here!You are so right! Eat while you can I always say!I see you lady with the camera! Could you please leave us more peanuts?She always puts the peanuts at the bottom. Good thing I have short legs.Seriously, I’m going to go crazy in .2 seconds.
Hey Peeps! It’s me, Penny! Guess what, guess what, guess what???! Mom and I went to a Rally trial on Friday and in spite of mom I got my first AKC title!
Where are we going mom? I’m not sure I want to go!
It all started when mom rushed me into the car in the morning. This was unusual and I wasn’t sure it was going to be a good day. I was afraid maybe I was going to the vet. Or the groomer!
But we ended up at my school and I’m always excited there. I’ll tell you a secret. I’m not excited because I get to hang out with other dogs and do fun stuff.
Well OK mom! I love school, let’s get going!
Nope. I’m excited about the cheese. Don’t tell mom, I don’t think she realizes, she still thinks I’m an intellectual dog that’s all invested in learning new things.
Let’s not disappoint her.
This doesn’t feel like school, mom!
Anyway. Mom got us there way too early. We had to wait through a whole lot of people and dogs before we got to go. I mostly sat around and begged other people to share their treats.
She has snacks RIGHT THERE mom!
Mom kept saying NO! Everybody said I was cute and they all wanted to share but mom was a meanie. Except once when we were all done she let me have a tiny salmon liver thing. OMG! Mom’s cheese is nothing compared to salmon liver!
Your snack skills are severely lacking, mother.
Anyway…once it was my turn I was a very good girl and followed mom all around that course. There were lots of circles which are not my favorite but I stuck pretty good, even though mom thought I was lagging behind sometimes.
We had to wait for almost all these people to do their thing first. I’m in Rally Novice B.
And we ended up with a 99 out of 100 and first place! And since that was my third leg (you have to get three qualifying runs to get a title) I got my first title too!
Me and my first place ribbon and my TITLE RIBBON!
Mom and I went in the back and got our pictures taken with my ribbons.
Me and mom. She said she was very proud of me.
But then I found out mom had entered us for a 2nd run. Mom called it insurance in case I didn’t qualify in the first run. But it meant waiting all that time all over again until it was my turn!
I decided I’d take a nap in my crate while we waited.
GEEZE mom, this is not fun.
But then my breeder, Mama S, showed up and I was sooooo excited to see her. She’s one of my favorite people, right up there with daddy and mom and she came to watch me! And then we waited and waited and waited…and I was soooo bored. Mom tried to keep me occupied but all I wanted to do was nap.
While we waited mom studied the map of our next run.
And when it came my turn, finally, I didn’t want to play the game anymore. I decided to protest by not sitting when she asked me to, until she asked four or five times. I also decided I wasn’t going to circle left at all. And I was going to walk reeaaaal slow. So mom had to keep trying to get me to move along.
I found the whole thing totally boring.
If that comes with a snack I’ll take it!
Lucky for us the judge was a nice lady and didn’t disqualify us. I think if we weren’t doing beginning rally we would have been kicked right out of the building! But we got an 89 and qualified and even got a third place ribbon (cause there were only 3 of us in that group) and mom was relieved.
Three ribbons!
We went in the back and got our pictures taken again, even the lady judge posed with me!
The lady judge was very nice.
And then mom drove us home. We were both very, very tired. Mom and I took a nap when we got home and today mom’s going to go back to the school to watch the obedience trials. She says we’re going to try that next month! She says I can stay home and rest up.
I know. It all seems quite a long time ago when I traveled over to the western side of the state to camp and watch for stars.
This seemed too perfect not to stop.
You all know the star thing didn’t work out. And that it rained a lot. And that my last day there I drove up to Northport to meet with friends about a new book.
One of my favorites, I park up the road on a side street and walk back down busy M-22.
But on the drive back to camp I did wander a bit, looking at pretty stuff. Of course.
On a random backroad that I took to turn around for another barn..
Because why be up there at all if you’re not enjoying all the pretty stuff!
It’s not always about the barns.
Many of these barns you’ve seen before, but I’d have to say it was a long time ago.
I hope to get the Milky Way over this barn someday.
And some of you are newcomers so this will be your first glimpse of the beautiful rural landscape that sits along Lake Michigan in the upper part of our lower peninsula.
I parked over by the house in a bike path access parking lot and walked the bike path to get this image.
I feel like I’m jabbering too much. Maybe I should just show you a few of the pretties and let you decide for yourself if they were worth me stopping to grab the image.
This is a famous barn on M 22. Lots of people have shot the Milky Way over it. Maybe someday I will too.
I kind of think you’ll be in agreement with me that it was worth turning around and even driving around a really big block to capture some of these.
Near the bike path parking lot. I liked the vintage car, the vintage house and the famous barn all together.
Sunday evening, the last of the long, hot, 4th of July weekend, a couple friends from our community band and I were lucky enough to attend a Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert held outside at Meadowbrook Hall.
A few minutes before I left home to meet them for a quick dinner before the concert, the skies opened up and rain poured down. It was the first rain all weekend. I was discouraged, but figured at least we’d have a nice meal together and we’d see about the music later.
But even as I walked out to the car it began to clear.
So it was with high hopes and a bit of excitement that we arrived at the venue and found a place to sit in the grass high on the hill overlooking the stage. Of course just as we began to settle in the rain began again.
But once again it blew right through, and with a few gusts of wind the sky began to brighten. Then the music began.
What a wonderful evening! The crowd was happy and appreciative. The weather cooperated. The music was, of course, wonderful. Celebrating John Williams, it was filled with the scores of his many works and as the conductor talked about each piece you could hear the audience anticipate which one would be played next.
We were usually right.
As I listened I thought about Shelley, our community band music director who passed away this past February. She would have loved this concert. What’s not to love? The Detroit Symphony, a group she had season tickets for, a beautiful summer night, families enjoying the music, a beautiful sky overhead, and John Williams.
Perfect.
Toward the end of the program a lesser known score was played, the theme from Far and Away. The movie starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and the music starts off similar to a lot of his movie scores, fast and furious. But the last minute of the 3 minute piece, those last moments, those are sweet.
I smiled because in those moments, with fireflies twinkling and the music soaring into the evening sky, I knew somewhere maybe right overhead and not so far and away, Shelley was smiling too.
And I bet, in fact I’m 100% sure, she enjoyed the concert just as much as we did.
This time last week I was in northern Michigan at one of my favorite places (You may have noticed I have quite a few favorite places in northern Michigan) intent, once again, on getting the perfect Milky Way image.
Esch Beach, near Empire MI
I had a walk-in site at Platt River Campground, reserved weeks ago, and high hopes that at least one of the three nights would be clear.
My perfect camp site.
The site was beautiful. I knew it would be because I’d camped there once before a few years ago. It’s at the end of a trail, about 1/4 mile into the woods. Along the way are three other campsites, but mine was the last one.
This was my first camping trip of the season. It took me forever to get this tent up.
The good thing about a walk-in site is that there are no RVs near you running their air conditioning all night. (Though I wouldn’t have minded having air, it was 98 F inside my tent most of the first night.) The bad thing about a walk-in site is that you have to carry everything in. So I stayed pretty minimal.
Anyway. I had high hopes for Monday night, thinking it should be clear. And it was hot and sunny when I first arrived.
Before I even went to the campsite to set up the tent I drove the Pierce Stocking drive that provides a number of opportunities to stop and explore.
It’s almost mandatory that you take this image while you’re there.
But gradually, by late afternoon, clouds had moved in and that evening there were no stars to be seen. It even rained late Monday night, which brought the temperatures down. I was conflicted, grateful for the temperature relief but disappointed that I wasn’t out under the stars with my camera.
Looking toward Sleeping Bear dunes from Empire Beach on Tuesday.
Tuesday I explored a few beaches looking for possible places to shoot the Milky Way, if the sky ever cleared. But it didn’t clear that day.
Not very promising for star photography.
So I did the next best thing. I hiked a loop through the woods where there was the possibility of lots of birds. You know how I love taking photographs of birds. I had high hopes again of capturing something special.
Because I was covered in bug spray this was a fun hike.
About 2.5 miles, the trail was supposed to be filled with song birds, particularly warblers.
I took a close up picture of the map with my phone, and I’m glad I did. The trail wasn’t always obvious.
I heard lots of birds, none of them identified by my Merlin app as warblers, but I only saw one bird for a slight second, hidden in the trees, and I have no idea what it was.
I don’t suppose any of you know what this brownish bird is, hiding behind leaves and out of focus.
Tuesday night it rained again. I don’t mind a little rain on the tent, but it meant there was no star shooting that night either.
Wednesday was predicted to be overcast as well, so I made plans to drive about an hour north and meet a couple friends in Northport, another of my happy places. It was time to spend a little bit of time in civilization.
Scenic route through Pierce Stocking park.
That was definitely fun and had a lower mosquito to human ratio, but it deserves it’s own post, so stay tuned.
Mom says she has a whole bunch of camping pictures to sort through and she doesn’t have time to post about my day. So I’ll just do it myself. After all, I am the brilliant, beautiful, competent Unstoppable Pretty Penny!
Ahem.
Going on an adventure with my mom.
So as you probably know, since you’re all keeping track of my adventures, my school has been out for weeks. Mom is trying to keep up with my training (and if we’re honest, her own training) by herself and with a lot of help from her friend Diane. But let’s be honest. Mom isn’t always consistant, plus she’s been away having fun and taking pictures of stuff that’s not me.
So she was a little uncertain when today rolled around and it was time to go up to Flint and do a Fun Run or three. That’s when mom and I get to do a Rally course like at a Trial but we aren’t judged. It’s just for practice and mom figured we needed lots of practice.
Hey mom, hurry up, this is my school!
And guess what ? I did three runs, two at the Novice level and one at the Advanced level! Whoo Hoo! Mom asked the ladies running the show if we could try Advanced even though we haven’t trained at that level yet and they said “Sure! Why not?”
Staying chill while we were waiting for stuff to get started.
Did you know Advanced Rally is off leash? YES! OFF LEASH! I got to heel along with my mom without being attached to her! WOW! At first I was kinda excited and started to wander off but mom said “HEEL!” in her school voice when I had taken 1.5 steps away from her and I slapped myself back next to her leg. She smiled and I got a piece of cheese. After that it was all fun, I even got to do a jump! I wasn’t sure what it was at first but then she went on the other side and said “JUMP!” and I did, cause I love to jump over stuff at home! This was fun too. I got more cheese.
I love school cause mom’s a cheese dispenser there.
So anyway…mom is a happy camper and she hopes we are able to get my very first Rally title in a couple weeks. I say of course I can do it, the quetion is, as it always is, can mom?
I deserve this nap with my elephant, I worked hard and did good!
It’s been two, maybe three weeks since I was in Alabama. And you know that I took a few photos while I was there.
Arriving after 2 days of driving.
Maybe you’d want to see a few of my favorites?
Every morning I’d take a picture of the lake. Most of the time it was so quiet.
Of course who really defines the term “few?”
That red soil is a dead giveaway you’re in the South.
As it turns out most of the images I took this time revolved around birds. Why do you think that is? And are the birds much different in Alabama than they are in Michigan?
Maybe a king bird, maybe something else. Was sitting at the top of a young oak tree on an island in the lake.
But we weren’t always birders, we also took a couple boat rides on my brother’s lake. One in the middle of the day where we saw the bird above and one to see the sunset.
Sunset from behind the mimosa tree
And on our boat rides we did, of course, see birds. This was a big bird. This is the Osprey that builds a nest every year in the very tall power towers on my brother’s lake.
Osprey parent taking a sunset break from the demanding babies up in the nest.
There were very noisy babies in residence when I visited. They cried all day for mom or dad to feed them.
What are you looking at, lady?
And there was a bluebird couple remodeling the nest for their next brood, hovering around just over our heads as we sat on the back patio.
I keep telling him it’s a total gut job.
They didn’t seem worried about us at all as long as we didn’t move too quickly.
I think it’s fine the way it is. The kids will just poop all over it anyway.
And a brown thrush singing away and then scuttling along the lake shore looking for something good to eat.
I’m pretending to be a speedy roadrunner bird!
And, back at the cabin’s lake, we climbed the mountain and then the fire tower to view the large expanse of Lake Martin.
A small part of Lake Martin.
Actually, you can, even at that height, only view a small portion of this giant lake.
A fisherman was having a quiet moment when suddenly jet skies zoomed by.
And of course I went out in the kayak a couple times, not going too far, just down to the end of this bit of water, or that bit over there.
I spent a long time in the kayak trying to get these two glowing trees.
We have martin gourds at Lake Martin and this year the birds have taken up residence in at least one of them.
Incoming!
Babies there too.
You’re not my mama!
So all in all it was a good trip. I’m glad I went and I’m hoping to get down there again before this summer is over.
An orchard oriole in my brother’s back yard.
We’ll see.
Home away from home.
Oh…you ask…on my trip back to Michigan did I see anything interesting?
Have you ever seen a great blue heron? (I feel like I should capitalize the heron’s name, anything with “Great” in it’s title seems like it should be capitalized, don’t you think?)
Do you see him out there?
We have lots of them around here, and I’ve taken you out to Kensington to see the heron rookery more than a few times, so of course you’ve all seen a Great Blue.
Here’s a closer image.
But have you ever seen one take a bath? (I think this would make a great children’s book title; Have You Ever Seen One Take a Bath?)
I wonder if he blows bubbles or holds his breath when his head is under water.
I was sitting, a couple of weeks ago, on my brother’s patio looking out over his lake. He has a wonderful view down the lake, but what I was focused on was the tip of his peninsula where a heron appeared to be standing or sitting up to his chest in water while flapping his wings. Or her wings I suppose. But I’m going to assume this was a he.
Coming up for air.
I had my camera in my lap so I started shooting pictures, trying to figure out what he was doing. Was he fishing? Was he caught in fishing line? Was he dancing to some song only he could hear?
There was much flapping.
No, he was taking a bath! Unfortunately many of my images are terribly out of focus, but I’ve found you the best of them so you can enjoy what we wittnessed.
He was a very enthusiastic bather.
He flopped around and preened in the chest deep water for quite a long time, and then he moved over to a sunnier spot and did what all well behaved herons do.
He’s a very proud and regal bird.
He stood, spread his wings and dried himself in the sun.
Because there’s no nicer way to end a warm bath than to dry off in the evening sunshine.
As some of you have figured out I’m away from home. I took an opportunity to spend a few days with family down in Alabama.
I couldn’t resist stopping when the wheat was golden in the morning light.
And though I could have flown and made the trip South faster, I chose to drive, because I love to drive and I enjoy seeing whatever there is to see along the way.
And to find a wheat field AND a barn…well….of course I stopped!
This trip went easier than my last trip in November. The road didn’t seem so long, nor the traffic so busy. Not to say there weren’t the normal amounts of stress getting through Indianapolis and Nashville and especially Birmingham Alabama.
I appreciated the art of a farmer’s tracks through rolling fields of grain.
But Sunday morning as I left my hotel in Bowling Green Kentucky I noticed the wheat fields were ripening and the early light was making them glow.
I’m just a sucker for an old barn.
All day Saturday I hadn’t stopped for a single photo. I even managed to resist the exit I’ve been lured into by photogenic barns the last three times I’ve driven down.
I went around a big country block to get this one.
So I thought it was only fair that I take thirty minutes and find a barn or two in wheat fields.
Eventually, last Sunday, I made it here to one of my happy places.
Change Is Hard 