Wet Retriever

Isn't this just a perfect summer day shot? It's ideal with all the local weather-people telling us that the groundhog was dead wrong and there will be another 5-8 inches of snow tomorrow night. I can almost feel the warmth on my skin as I watch this sopping golden guard his tennis ball at the edge of the water line. He doesn't even know he's casting a wiggly mirror reflection in the wet sand. He's too busy playing NOT-fetch with the person casting the other shadow. Thanks for the summer afternoon thoughts and feelings!

Maple Syrup Time

As the roller coaster temperatures of late winter and early spring begin their annual ride, maple syrup production kicks into high gear. The maple shed will be toasty warm from the cooking fires inside as the clear sticky sap gets piped into the building through tiny blue hoses hooked up to the trees. From sun-up to dusk families stay in motion, keeping the fires stoked, their eyes on the thermometers, and the system in gear, moving the liquid through a dozen steps and stages until the syrup is bottled and the candy is set to cool. It's a hard labor season, short but intense, and from what I'm told, it's the most rewarding season of all.

Morning has Broken

Red sky in the morning, huh? Well, what do the sailors think of this sunrise? So beautiful, such a delightful way to start the day. A bit of a shock, maybe, but I'm totally OK with being surprised this way. Have a lovely day! :-)

Shadow Fun

I love how shadows paint their own pictures and how very different they might be from their source image. This one, of course, although it is following the red rider as close as a shadow, is obviously someone else's shadow. Still I enjoy the illusion and get a kick out of it every time I see it.

Holding on

Holding on, a gentle touch. This tiny chubby fist grasps the huge hand of someone he trusts. Holding on, a kindness. Support, love, encouragement are offered.
Holding on.
So much is said
without a thought.

The moment passed - nobody noticed
but I recorded - Holding on.

Full Moon

We just had another full moon, only this time the people were either housebound or out pushing snow blowers around. There was an eclipse, too, the day before the moon's fullness but not many people hung out outside long enough to observe it. I'd like to put in a request for those sorts of events to happen in the summertime. The cats would like to confirm that, but then they're just about weary of all this white stuff. It was gone, almost completely gone just 2 days ago, but now...

Looking Forward

Today's drive through the country lanes of Western Massachusetts took us past fields and fields of not-white. It was amazing to see so much brown and dull green. There was still white left, stacked up high at the edges of parking lots and in the shady areas, though the rain reduced much of that, too. Spring is really on its way. What else can happen after all the white disappears. Soon there will be colors everywhere jumping out of tree branches and the dull brown ground. Yes, I am looking forward to it!

Hide n sleep

We've got a sign up on the bulletin board saying, "Where does a cat sleep? - Anywhere!" My own girls have proved that out often enough, along with the sign reading "Anything that's not pinned down is a cat toy." I wonder why we have these signs that repeat the obvious?

Anyhow, here's miss Sophie almost well hidden by the cover over the barbeque. She certainly felt safe enough; even me shooting her didn't wake her up!

Swarming

The groundfog is so beautiful everywhere the snow is melting, but I have no pictures of that. Driving back from Hartford this afternoon when I crossed over the Connecticut River, I was astounded by the sight of thousands of birds, mostly Snow Geese filling the air. They were everywhere! Close, far, left, right, under, over... flooding the sky with their antics. Were they confused by the 50 degree weather and heading north again? There were several batches trying to get into their V formations. Maybe they were just out having a warm day holiday despite the excessive moisture. I'm just glad they put on their show when I was there to see it. Everybody else is glad that I recovered from the shock and pulled my car back into my own lane on the freeway!

Reflection

The water mirror, such an interesting thing. One picture above, another below on the shining surface. Curling ribbon orange above, blue on the bottom wherein leaves shine in the morning light that do not appear anywhere else. There it sat the whole winter long adding moisture to the air and changing reflections hour by hour according to the light and time of day.

Old Snow

At the end of the season, when the snow is all dirty and covered with stuff, amazing images appear in the old stuff. I think of this now while nature's dropping 3 more inches of white sparkling powder on top of the dirty snow, even knowing that it will be all gone after it rains all day tomorrow. So I think back to this Snow Madonna from last season, and smile.

Today's too cold and windy. I wouldn't really want to be in this spot. The gulls are happy here though, and the birds seemed just as thrilled with these wild winds around here today. They didn't seem to notice the cold. I sure did! It was great to swim in the warm pool this morning and then bask in the warmth of the sauna. It's nice to have hot options on a cold day.

Winter Feed

The squirrels are getting pretty bold. They take the clothes line across to our second floor balcony and although we keep the peanuts in an old coffee can, they have chewed their way through the plastic lid and made a hole big enough to get the peanuts out. Well, some things are important I guess and we aren't always out there to throw peanuts over the balcony to the yard when and where they want it. Guess we'll have to give them points for dedication and resourcefulness!

Printable Snow

It snowed all day again today yet the sidewalks and roads are still clear. Wow, that's my kind of snow. Still, it's cold and the girls hesitate to go outside and do cat-things. Inside, they do cat-things just fine. Princess is snuggled into her nest on papa's bed and Joy's tucked in between the heater and the heating pad. They both know how to luxuriate!

Winter fades

Looks like the cat changed it's mind, even if the people couldn't. Today we had the kind of snow that falls all day long and never lands. It's almost soothing, like those little snow globes, but a little too cold and wet to be quite the same. Still it was nice that there wasn't enough to leave prints in, let alone dig the shovel in. Going, going....

Swimming on a rainy day

Nobody came to the pool today, I had it almost all to myself. It was pouring in the morning, but not when I went in, so I was surprised to see so few. It's tricky though when it's 30something and raining, this I know. Anyhow, the snow is disappearing and muddy brown lawns are in view, that's good news. There's a 60 percent chance of 2 whole inches of slushy snow tomorrow, so I guess the groundhog was right. There will be some more snow, but winter's over now.

Football

Yes, I watched the Giants beat the Patriots last night along with millions of other people. I'm still awed at the thought that 70,000 people were in the stadium, which is amazing enough with it's convertible top! I loved the sight of all the flash bulbs going off, like fireworks in the stands and chuckle over my own first experiments with long distance flash photography, and all the black film that came back from the developer.
Meanwhile, back at football... isn't it a wonder that this game-in-the-park game could possibly turn into such a zillion dollar industry? Well, don't tell these guys, they seem to be having FUN!

Groundhog Day

It was bright, windy, wild & sunny in Boston this morning at 8 so if the groundhog is an early riser, the Bostonian's will be having 6 more weeks of winter. (Not a bad thing if it provides more moisture, since their lakes are pretty low out there - frozen, but low.) However, as I drove west the sun disappeared and it seems that on this side of the state, winter is essentially over. It doesn't even look like the sun could possibly break through at sunset. Well, it's most unlikely that the groundhog is up and checking things out anyhow, even though it did get all the way up to 40!

Valentine Month

It's here, it's finally here! The Princess thought it would always be January, though I promised her it would not. Still, she looks out the window at all the white and askes me again to let her out the "right door" - the one that leads to summer. Sigh!