in that blue canoe

After watching folks out and about on the lake today, I figured I had better get out there too . . . in that blue canoe :-)

a blue canoe . . .

. . . and the morning light made this too lovely of a sight to resist: I ran past it . . . then raced home, grabbed my camera, and returned before the photo op had run away :-)

yesterday's poem

Inspired by a contest being run by a local Ice Cream Parlor, I wrote a poem for my stepdad for Father's Day. The subject was "What flavor ice cream would your Dad be, and why?" This is what I ended up with . . .
*Note: circumstances portrayed are entirely fictional ;-)

Ode to a Flavor

"If you were an ice cream, Pop, what flavor'd you be?"
"Why, plain old vanilla, I reckon," said he.

Raising my eyebrows & frowning, I turned,
And looked at my Mama, so serene & so learned.

"Mother-Dear," said I, "what do you say on this one?
You've always been right, judging from who's lost & who's won . . . "

"Surely," she said then, "I know just the one:
Rocky Road, I would think, and this here's the rea-zun:

It suits him quite perfectly, I'm sure you'll agree--
A bit messy, a bit nutty and, I guess, well, rock-y" ;-)

in the [farming] flesh

After I made my daily purchase [swiss chard], I was pleased to glimpse my radish-bearing, farming friend behind the shed. After snapping this shot, I called out to her that I had "gotten" her this time on film. She laughed and replied that so long as she looked happy she didn't mind . . . I replied that she needn't fear as, so far as I am concerned, she always looks perfectly, contentedly cheery.

hettie & herb

The afternoon's encounter with a delightful couple, with tales to tell, prompted this photograph. This photograph, in turn, prompted its own story: as I requested permission to capture them on film, Herb launched into the rousing account of a high-speed chase along the River Thames, back during the 2nd World War . . .

back to the farm

. . . this time camera in hand, prepared to provide a proper visual aid of the day's agricultural selections.

radish-ly radiant

1 bunch swiss chard $1.25
1 bunch lettuce leaf $0.75
1 lb rhubarb $0.75
_______________________
Total $2.25
(plus 1 bunch radishes $0.75)
New total $3.00

So I scrawled on a piece of yellow notebook paper in a little blue shed this afternoon, as we deposited our change in the aluminum tin.
Mom and I discovered a farm. Then we saw the sign for produce. And what we found inside left us open-mouthed with the thrill of a happy discovery: a bountiful harvest of the most beautiful vegetables you could possibly imagine. We were mildly disappointed when we saw that the radish bin was empty, save a few small wilted leaves.
But as we walked out, a stunning picture came towards us: a small sprightly woman in rubber boots, leather gloves, and a farmer's sunhat. In her hands she held 5 bunches of gloriously scarlet and strikingly huge radishes. She was a sight for sore eyes, and I told her so. But as I did not have my camera in hand, I had to rescind my spontaneous request to take her picture. Later today, mom obliged my plea for a substitute holder-of-the-radishes . . . beautiful, no? :-)

the nose knows

Day 2 was spent with another friend, who has a curly-headed little one named Jack. Before I departed this morning, Jack was kind enough to inspect my car for its travel readiness. He pointed knowingly at the hood and told me his expert diagnosis. After wards, his mother enlightened me as to what he was telling me . . . this, he was saying, is the "nose" of my car. But of course it is :-)

becca's blooms

Night 1 of my road-tripping adventure was spent with my friend Becca and her kindly hospitable household. Becca is, quite simply, beautiful. She also happens to be a gifted gardener. Consequently, I spent the evening enamored with her glorious blooms. Her roses smell like my Oma's garden. And her cabbage plants have the most perfectly cabbage-patch-like baby spheres. So I could not resist snapping this shot of Becca and her cabbage patch kids :-)

a family photo

I did a family photo shoot for a friend today and, after the "normal" family photos, I did a few randomly inspired shots . . . not surprisingly to me, these were the photos that I ended up liking the most: here's a sample :-)

and the livin' is easy

I made an unfortunate discovery recently, after a few horrendous photos: my camera lens, it seems, has gone on the fritz. But this has ended up leading to a highly fortunate outcome--I have discovered the joy of manual photography . . . and, consequently, a bit of an obsession with experimentation.
So today I snagged a moment for a photo walk. And the obvious choice of a destination, in my mind at least, was the carousel; my suspicion was that I just might happen upon some perfectly summertime-ly subjects . . . I think I did :-)