TRIGGER 2::: The view of.......... our little lake from the living room window at the cottage is beautiful! It's the reason we bought the place... it's the reason we put in bigger windows. I see a bit of lawn... complete with a small variety of wildflowers (some may call them weeds) that persist. We mow it anyway. The lawn is green even though we use neither fertilizer or weed killer on it. It's close enough to the lake to be mostly green most of the time and we don't want to put stuff into the lake to either encourage aquatic weed growth or kill the fish and other organisms living there.

The dock is a little narrow and in parts a little crooked, but it's our dock. I visualize a wider one with a big deck out at the end where we can put our deck chairs, but for now well... it's a nice place to tie up our little boats. I see the flagpole which i set up dockside a few years ago. I haven't flown the flag this year because i choose not to until the 'pork' issue is resolved.

Where the brown storage shed sits at waters edge and the corner of our property, I visualize a small gazebo.... nothing fancy but a place where we can sit by the water in the shade and enjoy each other's company. This for me will complete the outdoor living area of our perfect little spot in the 'north country.'

PhotoTime Theme number Twelve - Favorite

PhotoTime theme of the week is..... Favorite



My new Favorite photo subject is sunsets
I recently learned some of the settings to use for taking a really nice sunset photo with a digital camera. Sunsets are sometimes difficult to obtain... they are frequently elusive..... and ever changing. I have many favorite places to view sunsets... and some unlikely places. This shot was taken on the beginning of a pier at the channel entrance in Manistee, Michigan... one of the many special places to visit on the west side of this magnificent state. It's also a romantic place! If you look closely (or click the pic for a larger view) you will see a fisherperson at the end of the pier. There are actually two young people out there fishing and they seemed really pleased to see us leave after our photo session... where we had apparently invaded their personal space. 'It could'a been worse, kids... i was tempted to photograph you!'

Photo Friday

PhotoFriday is back after a week off... it seemed longer. Theme is Broken



Broken Homes
Acres of old mobile homes... don't know if this was a trailer park that closed up or if they were actually moved here. This 'display' is on U.S. 10 - the mostly two-lane highway that takes you from the east side of mid-Michigan across to the west side.

PhotoTime...number 11

PhotoTime..... theme this week is... Odd




'Borrowed' this one from 'the husband'
While i was photographing the Tall Ships in this location... framing them with grasses and trees... the man of the house was up close and personal at the water's front. (He had to crawl through a mostly dried out marsh and reeds to get there.) When he saw what i was doing he took this shot. I think it's odd. If you want to see what this beautiful ship really looks like, click on the photo and it will take you to the gallery he created featuring the Tall Ships as they arrived in Bay City, Michigan. Oh, yeah! here's mine.

These ships arrived the day of the big blackout and although we were extremely fortunate, Bay City's bridges were closed for a while. Some of the ships made it to their destination at the docks in town... and some didn't that day.

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursday..... the theme is Hoarding.....



no, no, no... not the candles and stuff... the kitchen and dining room are in the background! That's all important necessary stuff. Hoarding is represented by 'the husband's desk' ... he's never discarded anything ever!!! .....but he does make a great cup of coffee!

Lulu's Lines
TRIGGER 1::: This morning as I woke up I thought................... What a gloriously beautiful morning! The sun is shining and I can smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen. I am so fortunate. Ever since I started drinking coffee there's been somebody fixing the coffee for me... first was my dad. When we married, my husband took over the job... and during their teen years, sometimes one or another of my daughters would fix me a cup... usually it was my oldest. Now again, it is my husband who greets me with a 'good morning' and the smell of fresh coffee.

I'm sure it's love that triggers the action... but could it also be mingled with a bit of fear? Is it perhaps that they truly realize the addiction I have for that wonderful aromatic stuff? Have they perhaps had a vision of the ogre within me.. the one that could rise and growl it's way into the morning without a cup of brew? I wonder.

There was a time when I drank my first cup in front of the mirror preparing my 'image' for the outside world. Arriving at my desk promptly, I was ready for the second cup! The office coffee pot was the usual place for 'good mornings' all around. Needing a break now and again, there were more visits to the coffee pot during the workday... and then..... home again.

Down to two cups a day now... those in the morning. Coffee time is still a ritual. As I awaken and rise for the day I head for the computer... turn it on... then pour my first cup and check the morning email. By the time that first cup is empty I've checked my various weblogs... are there comments? I visit the PhotoTime entries and drop off an appropriate comment or two... then... lock up the internet access with ZoneAlarm, my firewall, and pour a second cup... this time with a little bit of breakfast and with my 'partner for life.' What a glorious world... what a pampered life I live. I thank God I was born healthy and in the U.S.A.
TRIGGER 2::: I turned around and.........

PhotoTime - Amusement

PhotoTime #10..... Amusement

Due to the trauma involved when my Olympus 700UZ sank into at least 1 foot of marl and 4 feet of lake water, i'm sharing two photos this week... this first was taken while we were amusing ourselves with my little Boston Whaler Squall photographing the turtles. Granni39's oldest grandson stopped by with his dad's boat. This photo was on the card in the lake in the marl...



Olympus is in the shop... there IS hope and husband is still alive. I, however, am the temporary owner of his new Nikon CoolPix 5700. Here is one of my first attempts. Was amusing myself by 'getting familiar' with the Nikon. I call this one 'bees' although i originally thought i was just photographing the Tansy! Discovered the bees upon looking at the photo in full size!



Hmmmmm! Maybe i'll just keep the Nikon...
P.S. I used the Nikon to photograph the Tall Ships! He borrowed one!

LuLu's Lines

lulu's lines weekly suggestion...

I feel most at peace when........... it's early morning lakeside. First cup of coffee in hand, I relax... gazing at the peacefully flat watery surface. It looks like a new flavor of Jello... noisy boats have not yet ruffled her surface. If I were to visit the 'turtle place' at that time, they would all be peacefully sunning themselves on their favorite logs.... enormous invaders - nervejarring, pounding, screaming jetskiis not yet creating the almost daily... thunderous attacks against their safe little havens.

Great blue - the beautiful heron - might visit a nearby empty beach... as a few geese lazily walk up onto the cultivated lawns of my neighbors, desirous to fertilize their lawns further, causing a few 'walking hazards' for humans who meander on the lawns later. Even the noisy gulls are at bay... an occasional hummingbird stops by, sipping nectar from the yard's border of flowers. This is the lake at it's most beautiful... as God created it.

Photo Friday

Photo Friday..... Sleep



I live a simple life... don't see many homeless people. As a matter of fact the last time I saw a homeless person, they were still called bums... until last week, interestingly enough before I knew this week's theme would be 'Sleep.' Perhaps this fellow was 'just a workman taking a break' like I thought when I first saw him, but my hubby told me I was being a bit naive.

Theme Thursday..... Neon

Theme Thursday..... Neon



neon picture by Charles McGee..... displayed at Central Michigan University
I used this as one of my 26 Things... 'Light'
given a new look by enelaich

PhotoTime - Tripping

PhotoTime theme..... Tripping



The SS Badger leaves for Wisconsin
Went down by the harbor in Ludington to catch a sunset and was in wonderment - the place was crowded on a Sunday evening! The reason? ... the SS Badger heading out. Hey!... a great spectator sport... watching the mighty ferry begin her trip across Lake Michigan...

Lulu's Lines... a delightful new meme!

Lulu's Lines... Words are precious
This is one meme i must try! Lulu will offer the beginning of a sentence and..... well you go from there! This week is her second week and here is my feeble attempt, but i'm sure there will be more. Read what Pariah wrote about 'words are precious' and you'll understand what a challenge this exercise really can be.

The hazy lazy days of summer bring...........hazy lazy ways to enjoy this lovely season while we can. The sultry heat of an August afternoon is an invitation to catch those precious last rays of summer sunshine before the inconsistent days of Autumn blow into our world.

Slathering the suntan lotion with a lighter touch... the continual contact with sunshine in the summer has toughened our tender skins a bit and the sun is slowly moving further away... White skins have tanned... some more than others, from golden shades to deep browns... brown skins have become browner, some into deeper richer mahogany colors.. again in varying shades.... and then there are the freckles! Even they come in many colors, and sizes.

All these skins tones have come to be associated with a healthy lifestyle... although we know that every one of us must protect our skin from too much ultra-violet rays. As the sunshine fades further away from our side of the earth, we are revitalized... less hazy... less lazy..... until winter comes and we move briskly just to keep ourselves warm. Our skins pale and we look forward to another summertime.

Theme Thursday..... Time.....



Time waits for no man... or woman

Thank you Tracy for opening my eyes up wider to photography!

Photo Friday... Curves...



Curves and blocks... I like! You like?

Places

Places... PhotoTime's theme this week...



the perfectly old-fashioned downtown shopping center in Midland, MI

Yes, they have their malls but there's just something special about the 'small town' shopping district atmosphere that is especially charming during the winter holiday season. For those of us old enough to remember 'pre-mall' history, it's a delight to slush through the snow from store to store, each one a delightful little shop with special delights for your holiday gifting! I promise at least one holiday photo of this pretty place!

26 Things

I did it! I'm hooked! I participated in the International Scavenger Hunt during July and here are My 26 Things! By the time I got to the 26 Things site, I was already number 242!

I notice a slowdown in PhotoTime participation... is everybody busy with 26 Things and ignoring their other faves? Gee, I hope not! I'm just pushing twice as hard to keep up, myself. I have a 'Places' photo but need to resize it for the web yet! See ya.