Play time is required

I got a nice reminder the other day in the comment section from DeniseinVA regarding my toy photography which looks like I had abandoned lately. 

I sort of had in a way as my mind has been hyper-focused on taking care of business at our place and hunting for spring plants. I decided that even though the day was cold and overcast that I'd leave things for a little while and take some items out for 'play time'.

The dogs and I ended up in one of the dry runs exploring what the latest heavy rainfalls had done to the area.
The water had rushed down from the ridge so hard that it removed all the fallen leaves and cleaned some moss off the rocks.

The creek and this spot are some of my favorite places on our land.

I really wanted to try some shots in the creek with toys. I enjoy trying to get reflections in the water.

The ducks kept floating away too quickly. There is actually some flowing water in the creek this spring!

Oh hello.

Shark Duck?

To do some of my playful toy photography, I generally load up a backpack and ... well, you guessed it, the dogs come along. They like inspecting my work. 

I had to stand in the creek [rubber boots on!] and stack tiny rocks up in the water to set the Lego kayak on. I must have done it a dozen times or so. The kayak kept tipping over or sinking. [It doesn't float]

Twice, Hannah jumped in the water and knocked them over. 
Patience is the key. Hannah will learn to just observe.

I didn't have the best light and I didn't have the best angles, but I shot these anyway. Just to enjoy the challenge of it.

There is mini-me in the middle and the two dogs. My Life in Legos.

This is the final shot. It is okayish, but at least I have the reflections in the creek.

The fun shot I took of the day was the one below of the Titan 13 'action' figure and his robot dog jumping the creek.

Hannah is starting to figure out I don't want her to knock my toys down.

She will get it eventually. Charlie was the same way when we started doing things like this together.

The difference between these two dogs is that Charlie is focused on everything else going on in the forest.

Hannah is always watching me.

I often wonder what Hannah is thinking. 

We spent the early chilly morning exploring and the afternoon doing yard work.

The Big Adventure

I generally take some things with me wherever I go. This trip was no different.

I put the small Mickey Mouse Lego Car in my stuff along with a few of my favorite Lego Females.

I imagined a road trip. I imagined some different scenes in my head and let the ideas percolate. 

While I was setting up a shot on my son's boardwalk, Twila came bounding through and jumped over me. I was crouched on the walk with camera in hand. I hit the shutter as she ran by and leaped.

I thought, "Well crap, that shot is ruined now isn't it?" I figured I'd get another chance later on to do another or different shot.

However when going through the photos once more on my laptop, I decided that this shot was a keeper for sure. I imagine a story line something like this...

Driving can be dangerous!
Hobby and the gang decide to take Mickey's car and drive to a Big Lake where they heard there was cooler weather. Cooler weather and lots of water? This they had to see!

They encountered some wildlife. Due to Hobby's excellent driving and evasive maneuvers, all was well...

Mirth asked for a rest stop so she could stretch her legs and inspect the area they were travelling through.

Hobby decided that the huge exotic flowers were a must to add to her album of wild plants. While taking photos, an elfin gal came out of the brush.

Hobby was stunned. The elfin gal introduced herself as Fern. Fern had a sad story of being the only wood elf in these Kenosha woodlands. She was so lonely.

Did Hobby know of any other wood elves?

Hobby said she knew of one other wood elf just like her and maybe she'd like to meet him? However the wood elf was back home hours away.

Fern said she like to meet this wood elf could she meet up with them later the forest that humans called Peoria Park? After a short hike, she could take them to the Big Lake called Michigan.

They meet up at the Big Mushroom in the Park.

Fern takes them for a short hike.

She explains that they are in her forest, people and dogs also like to visit to enjoy nature. The people aren't dangerous and sometimes the dogs just knock her over. But Fern felt quite lonely being the only little person in the whole forest.

Fern takes the gals to see Lake Michigan.

And they are all in awe.

None of the humans even notice all the little people, it seems they were interested in other things like bird watching and a kit flying festival.

Hobby and the gang were fascinated, they'd never seen so many people and the the lake was incredible. So much larger than their creek back at home.

Fern then said that sometimes the human people actually built homes for little people like them.

No Way!

Fern decided to show them one of the homes that had been abandoned by other little people when they left the forest. Human children must have built it and then left it out in the woodlands Fern tells the others.

Hobby asked Fern if she'd like to come and visit their forest and meet Acorn the other wood elf that lived not far from them.

Fern agreed and...

well,

we'll just have to see what happens next.

Ahhhh.

One just cannot have too many Lego People.

:)

Can I say this?

 Love thy neighbor.

It happens here in my little rural area. On our 1 mile ridge road, I have 3 neighbors. 

Yesterday I cancelled my gym workout. I can't see clearly past 20 or so feet. Let's add blowing snow and roads that are not defined well on the ridge and are hard to see on good winter days. Add snow, ice, drifts, and poor vision.

You get that right? 

However, I also know how folks that can't see well do get around. If you have traveled the same roads for 30 years, you know exactly where the signs are and intersections are. Actually, you can fake it pretty well. I told that to the eye doctor. But I won't risk that behavior as I am the only driver left in our house.

A few days ago one of the neighbors walked down the driveway. I was outside and I was totally startled when I realized that the only way I knew who they were was by how they walked and the size of the little human with the taller human.

Olive texted me again to ask where I got my Feed and was there a closer place to get it? I told her where and then she asked if I wanted to go with, she knew I was running low but cancelled my driving today because of the blowing snow and poor back roads.

She said she'd pick me up and we'd go get feed for the old mule and she could get chicken feed and bedding.

Wow, was that a trip! She is a brave woman to drive through the bad weather. However she was our rural mail person for a couple of years, so she has some great experience with bad roads and weather.

We took the back roads which were the only way to the closest feed store. We actually laughed and ohhhed and ahhhed at the little drifts and icy patches we found. 

My driveway had been plowed and in the time we went and came back the hill was nearly all ice. Olive giggled and said..."Hey, we are okay! We are sledding down your hill!" And yep, her ABS's were cranking away as we drifted down.

She was able to drive right up and out. Thank goodness for her Subaru. 

I took Charlie out for a walk in the afternoon in the woods as the winds were whipping on the ridges and causing lots of drifting snow.

Charlie loved the snow.

I watched him hunt mice for about 15 minutes. He is so funny!

Must be mice in there!

Dig dig dig!

Sniff sniff, dig, shake...

and then...

What????

I headed back out to go check fences and found two trees down across the summer pasture fence from the heavy snow. The plastic insulators broke so it will be easy enough to fix come spring. A hand saw should do the rest.

Last night I got a text from the brand new neighbors on the ridge.

You are invited! Sledding party at our house at 10AM. Bring your own sled or we will provide you with one.

Gosh! How much more fun can it be? 

Lucky me -- to have such good people on our ridge. My two new neighbors include me even though I don't have kids and I am old enough to be their parents. How cool is that?