Monday Monday Stuff

Above are the morning views I get when I go out at dawn to check on things. This Monday morning, it was cold. Well sort of cold. I put on a jacket over my sweats while walking over to the Meadow.

This is Wisconsin on a typical old fashioned morning. Heavy dew, cool mornings, and warm afternoons in August.

I spent Sunday taking down fencing and old rotten wooden posts in an area where the Tree Cutting Dudes will be making brush piles some time later this month. I like to do things ahead of time. 

I also got my bicycle back from the shop! I was so tickled to have it tuned up. The new chain is sparkly clean and rust free as well as the new cable they put in. It sports a nifty little bike rack in back so I'm now on the hunt for a 'trunk'. 

I told hubby yesterday that Bliss will live in the house now. He was like *who the heck is Bliss?* 

I showed him the name on the bike when I parked it just inside the back door. He rolled his eyes and said he thought the shed was just fine for a bicycle. 

I gave him the price of repairing rusted through gears and cables and then he conceded that perhaps it would be prudent to let Bliss in the house. 

After all, she doesn't need potty training nor does she eat much. My son gave me a helpful hint for winter storage in our tiny basement. Hooks from the beams! Thanks!

Last year, I was all about getting a kayak as I'd discovered how fun it was. I had a reality check in the cost of getting one, getting a way to carry it, and then .... well, how often would I get a chance to go kayaking for hours? In reality? Those chances are pretty nil considering I have to get someone for back up at home each time. 

So I decided to stick with my bicycle for an alternative sport to hiking. I used to bike with a buddy of mine, but he has since abandoned his bike as no matter how many times he repaired it, it still was giving him fits. 

It makes sense. I've had the bike, I enjoy it. So I need to use it. It is also a handy way to get from point A to B with camera gear. 

And in an unrelated matter. Remember the 3D printed dragons I picked up? I had to paint eyes on them. They won't do for extreme close ups, but I do like them. They are fun.

...and as I was messing around with the one above this morning, I finally realized what Princess Sara's Unknown Quest was all about....

I'm sure it must be dragons? Right?

I mean...wow, I haven't been updated on Princess Sara's Quest since well...since this spring!

Last I saw her and and Joan of Knight, they were attempting to cross the Swamp of Sorrow [a nod to The Never Ending Story].

I really need to see if they are okay and where they are in their quest.

Enjoy your Monday. 

Monday Mondays...can't get me down...

Good Monday morning. 

[Yes, a day late but I was unplugged yesterday.]

Some mornings I get greeted by this friendly crow. Well, I'm not really sure it is the same crow each time. But there you are.

Crows often appear as

tricksters...

The light was terrible Monday. Dull and dreary. Nothing at all like Sunday which was sunny and bright.

I got things set up for the big ice/wintery event that was supposed to happen.

The birds were quite happy when I refilled the feeder.

Below is a female cardinal. I've been trying like the dickens to get birds launching off the branches and in flight. I use rapid shot mode and most of the time I fail. However it was fun to see that the cardinal launches herself willy nilly towards the ground and opens her wings to slow to a graceful landing at the last second.

Here is Charlie's nemesis eating a hickory nut he/she dug up from the base of the pine tree. Charlie can't see the squirrel unless I lift him up to a window or let him out.

He enjoys the chase.

When I do chores with him he hunts in the big shed for rabbits and chases them out. He has never caught a rabbit or squirrel but he sure tries. Voles are his specialty. He is quite good at laying like a cat next to a hole in the yard and patiently waiting for the vole to poke its head out.

The Chickadees have been absolutely crazy at the feeder. 

I had pushed the shutter speed up and still didn't get the wings of this Chickadee. It looks like a fuzzy missile.

I moved the mules to another wooded area that is not icy. It is another section of their wooded pasture and since they haven't walked on it all winter, it doesn't have compacted snow which has turned to ice in their winter area.

They took a break from eating hay and all but the 37 yr old bucked, farted, and took snow baths.

I was making breakfast so could only shoot at them out the back door.

It was a grand time that lasted about 20 minutes and then they all went back into the woods to work on their hay.

They were delighted with the change of scenery. 

Today looks like a snowy mix of stuff. Some places have reported Thunder snow and hail!

Have a great day and stay safe in whatever you are doing.
 

That old Trunk and other things

That old trunk I moved into the kitchen area happened to end up staying there. Somedays I use it for a laundry folding spot, some days I used it for...well,

this...

 I had a huge list of to-do's and some of it included the 'other' half. But just after his coffee and breakfast he went back to bed. Such can be our routine.

I thought I'd let it warm up a bit outside before I approached installing the large tank heater. If I busied myself with laundry and doing something creative, I could stay in the house and keep an eye on things.

My friend at the Farmer's Market had set aside a couple of neat gourds she thought I might like for me on Saturday. She said, "I thought of you and your pictures!"

So how could I not use them to do a bit of still life?
I admit, I don't have a studio and I don't have the fancy lighting stuff, but this will have to do for right now. I enjoyed picking out some paper to use as foreground and backround and trying to arrange things in a pleasing manner.

According to some Still Life experts, I don't follow the rules of just 3 objects, dramatic lighting, and moving from tall to short.

I have tried and tried to emulate some of those amazing and dramatic photos, but I keep coming back to just having some fun. 

I mean who can keep from smiling at Groot and a tiny wooden deer?

I have a feeling that Groot will keep showing up now and again.

Then of course, I had to clean up and organize things.

But not before just a bit more fun...

toys behaving badly....

Mice in the cupboards? 

Then I had to put things away and make lunch and tend to my mules.

The above is a sample of the odd box I found. The bottom piece is the only drawer our old kitchen had. Yes, you read that correctly. Our old kitchen had one drawer that was long and narrow. 

After tending to hubby and his lunch, I was able to find football highlights on YouTube for him to watch while I changed out the tank heater and did some in hand work with Siera. She seems a bit off in attitude with all the other mules. She is generally bossy and has been hanging out away from the others.

I have a call into the farrier for a trim anyway. He is fantastic at spotting any issues.

Finally, Charlie and I headed for the woods to collect SD cards from the cameras and have some quiet time.

Who can resist a Halloween themed photo....

Who turned the calendar page?

 ...and other funny things.

First, the weather Sunday was incredible.

And then the miracle things began to happen. I pulled everything off the bed for fresh sheets [you know, the usual things I do]. I stepped outside to toss the light blanket on a ladder on the porch for it to air out in the nice fresh air.

When I got back inside, Rich was putting the sheets on the bed.
Wait. Stop. 
I was stunned and shocked but didn't faint or fall over. 
He fed Charlie ... because feeding him would require me to bend over even though I showed him how excellent I am at squatting [Thank you CrossFit!]  

I spent part of the day messing around with crafty stuff and I even made a handmade card that I cut out of cardstock and designed. 
I'm not very good at it. However it feels nice to 'make' something while I am supposedly behaving myself. The dried flower is Fleabane and I dried it using the microwave 'method'. I sprayed it with fixative and glued it to the card.
Not the prettiest. But it was a good experiment. 

My mess. I really just got stuff out and messed around with no real plan in mind.

Drying a green dyed Queen Anne's Lace with stem intact!

The photo below is of microwaved flowers with 90% of the moisture removed.  I'll press them for another week before I figure out what I might do with them. I like Aurora's suggestion of putting them on a skull! 

These would look cool inside a clear Christmas ornament?

August 1st. Time for the Orb Weaver Spiders to appear!

And this morning Charlie and I snuck out with the super duper long lens in hopes of seeing deer or some sort of cool things right at dawn.

Doing the happy dance!

This is a non typical buck, he has 5 points. The lens is soft at 300mm, but I am not a pro, I'm just happy to be able to 'get' these shots.
I actually stood for a long time and watched him graze here and there. He looked up a few times but never spooked.

We waited until he went back into the woods to leave. Charlie was very quiet and stayed with me. He was more interested in digging a hole for some reason. 

In case you are wondering, I still have those funky brown spots floating about. Looks like someone tossed coffee grounds in my peripheral vision and a brown bubble in the center of my eye. 

I spent most of the rest of Sunday resting with my eyes closed and listening to music.

I will not be a good patient if I can't at least take walks.

One last piece of advice. Don't google a diagnosis. It could scare the shit out of you. But you know I did it.

Hopefully I will not be banned from taking photos. 

Update later, tators!