Where does your imagination come from?

I've always made up stories. As a kid it wasn't making up stories for attention, but we'd play we'd pretend. There was the time my sister and I got permission to wander into  Uncle Stanley's forest...

...but were told to keep an eye out for Uncle's Bull. Apparently the bull was not privy to humans. We crossed the barbed wire fence and picked berries. While we were eating, my sister and I kept a sharp eye out for the Bull. I don't think he was in the same area as we were. I really think if Uncle had a bull he'd have been be kept with the cows which were in a different section of land. I think my mom and grandmother were pulling our legs.

But as young kids, we didn't know any of that.

So my sister and I scouted out a tree or two that we could climb in case the Mad Bull [as we called him] showed up. We timed each other from the tree through the barbed wire fence to see how fast we could run it. We practiced climbing the tree quickly.

And then we sat in the tree on sticky summer days eating what berries we could find and told stories of encounters with the Mad Bull. My stories would get more elaborate with each visit to that pasture. In one story, I had the Mad Bull breathe fire and chomp down the tree we had escaped to. That ended our forays into Uncle Stanley's woods for the rest of that summer.

We built Troll Houses out of sticks stuck in the ground. Anyone recall the original trolls that were all the rage in 1960's? We had one troll each. Eventually we had a few more. But our first trolls had black hair. We loved them and I rubbed my little guy with soot from grandmother's wood stove to make him look more wild.

We played all summer with those trolls. Everywhere we went, they went with us. I'd narrate what my troll was experiencing. We preferred them naked or if we could find a piece of scrap material, we'd make them loin cloths.

The point is, even on a car drive, I'd look out the window on family car trips and imagine a story to go along with the travel. In my mind's eye I could see a unicorn, Pegasus, or dragon alongside the car racing up and down the hills and through the trees. It was a way to stay quiet and busy on long car journeys. 

As a kid in school I often got in trouble for day dreaming. I'd look out the window of the classroom and be transported to another place [much nicer! ... not doing math, history, or spelling!]

Sometime around 6th grade I started to pay more attention to school. My parents were happy and my grades went to straight A's mostly. I still played but stopped the day dreaming in classes. Doing well in school was more important than my 'daydreaming' world was.

Summers at the cottage started in June and went to Labor Day weekend. We stayed in a 2 room cottage with cold running water, no TV, and an old radio. No phone. Imagine that? My grandparents had a phone across the way at their house. 

We worked the 'truck' garden with my grandparents and mom. We visited our cousins. We read books and we learned to entertain ourselves with just a few toys [like the trolls]. We truly were 'disconnected' from the world in the summers.

My father was a huge influence in my life. I didn't think so at the time. But I recall during the school year when he'd take me to his office on school breaks, I'd get to see how HE worked. He wrote ads for television for Leo Burnett in Chicago. He wrote the fun ones. I recall one time when I was in his office after lunch. Dad said he needed a new idea for a commercial.

He shut his office door and laid out on the floor and shut his eyes. I had a drawing pad, so I just kept quiet and drew some things. [I was not much of an artist]

After about 15 minutes he opened his eyes and got up, he made some quick notes on a pad of paper and said he found his new story or idea for another 30 second spot. His method was quirky. He didn't think of anything and then suddenly some idea would pop into his head. 

When doing photography, he was very detailed with the light meter, film speed, f stop, and framing. I think that was his way of relaxing and letting his brain go on chill mode. Often he'd let me do the metering for him and I'd guess at the f stop. I didn't realize what I was learning at the time.

What I learned was that dad was spontaneous in his creativity and imagination.

On a visit to Virginia in 2000, we stopped at a pull out along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Dad pointed to a rock and we both started laughing with the same idea. Dad walked over to a huge rock and said, "Make it look like I am pushing this boulder."

I did. I shot the photo and he walked back to me brushing his hands on his pants. "Well, it was good we stopped here so I could straighten that rock out!" 

We laughed. He was a fun partner for my spontaneous adventures.

In 2001 on our final trip together, I had him ham it up for me more than once. He didn't feel silly sitting on a bench and engaging in a conversation with a statue. 

Dad said they had a very nice conversation.

Of course you did Dad!

I still find myself daydreaming. I'll be doing something important like doing chores and I'll turn my head and see something ~~ an idea pops into my head and I'll get an idea.

That's just how my brain works. 

Rocks and sticks can be fun...especially on very hot days or very cold days.

I suppose some people arrange flowers...

I arrange ... fantasy and imagination...

Maybe it is just my way of dealing with caring for my husband.

November ~ Rocks & Trolls

So, I have claimed to dislike November and sometimes I certainly do. The fading colors of October can be brilliant with the oaks showing off their colors.

I headed out with Charlie to grab another SD card and to wander about. I'd set hubby up with another football game from years past and had some time to spend in the fresh air.

I was cold when I stepped outside. The winds were WNWish. When I walked across the meadow out back, the winds cut right through my jacket.
Charlie ran ahead darting this way and that smelling where deer or other critters have traveled.

I only brought my pocket camera. I didn't have a plan in mind or a real destination either. I figured it would come to me eventually.

Neighbor's Land to the east of us. Nearly one square mile of woods, valleys and brush. One of the most remote spots in our county.

All trails are shared by all the wildlife around.

No wonder Charlie's nose is SO busy!

I decided to just follow Charlie as he took a different path from the creek to the backside of our acreage. 

I dropped down, slid down a critter trail into the dry run on east end. It is one of the more amazing places we have on our land. Huge boulders seem to have been tossed into the run. Massive trees grow on each side of this ravine.

Most of the time it is dry as the name implies. During flash floods and winter melts, it roars with water and washes rocks, logs, and leaves to the creek below.

View of an oak tree roots from above the dry run.

View of the same oak tree from the bottom of the dry run.

How on earth does this tree stay there? Erosion will topple it eventually.

We have two dry runs which catch the water overflow from the ridge above during storms and direct the water to the creek below. 

During the summer, it is nearly impossible to explore these areas. 

In the fall, winter, and spring, however, it is like entering every child's dream. It is deep, it is quiet, and it begs to be a fort or a play space.

It is out of the harsh winds of winter. It has nooks and crannies. 

With a bit of imagination

this could be a place 

where Trolls and

Dragons live?

I also like looking for unusual rocks while I am in the creek area. I can usually find neat iron concretions after a good flash flood.

I didn't expect to see this though. 

Our rocks are rough and not like those found elsewhere in our state. I stepped over this rock and glanced down. A fossil! I have no idea how old it could be or how it was formed.

I guess I could spend more time hunting our dry runs for interesting things.

Dragons

Trolls

Fossils

Lichen

Mosses

and

cool rocks.

As November progresses and winter arrives, it is time to go back to searching for those other things that interest me. Lichen, moss, and rocks.

Sunday Stills #26 ~ Light

Funny how this was on my mind when I went out to exchange SD cards on my Trail Cameras.

The low afternoon light was rather fun and it set the moss glowing on the downed logs.

I had some trolls in my pockets. I mean, doesn't everyone? I wanted to try and get some sun-flare or backlit shots of them.

This morning I walked past my kitchen trunk and saw this....

Light or lack of light

Star trails:

This shot was more messy as I was pointed right at the milky way...

Me walking through a photo with my headlamp while watching the skies for an Aurora Borealis. [Taken with the Infrared converted camera and no filter]

And last. I was trying to do a 'Stars' selfie with a head lamp.
It didn't turn out as I turned slightly because I heard a noise during the 25 second  exposure.... I like it anyway because it speaks to me of all the fun I had last night.

Light. I love it and also those days with a lack of light.

Sunday Stills #26

Not Sad, let's smile today.

I have some long time fellow bloggers out there.

Lori Skoog is one of them and this is for her.
No sadness in this post Lori!

It is safe to read without a Kleenex at your side.

These are some shots from the amazing run off from the 20th.

The last 3 shots are from what we call 'dry runs' in our area. These areas are deep crevasses in the landscape. They are filled with mossy boulders and are normally dry. During heavy rains the water rushes down from the ridge top above and creates a Run of Water that empties into the creek below.
The sound is thunderous as the water navigates over the boulders. The leaves from the fall, sticks, rocks, broken branches, all move with the water. By early spring the Dry Runs are clean again and ready to explore.

It is indeed awe inspiring to watch from a safe distance.

While it is raining or sleeting, I retreat to "The Creative Room" and mess around with some Still Life.

My Granddaughter Ariel gave me a few trolls on her last visit. I used to collect them when I was a girl.

Here are some marbles on an old table cloth along with a carnation. I used some Christmas lights behind marbles in the back round to create the 'bokeh'.

Driftwood and Pearls...
I added the cracks afterwards. It just seemed fun to do. The driftwood came from an adventure with my friends from the Kenosha area last year. I think we visited Lion's Den along Lake Michigan. I found this and brought it home. It was part of my flower garden last summer. This winter, it made for an interesting back drop.

For this shot I used some old black material and draped it on top of a plastic container. I put a painted branch I'd kept from my winter decorations on the material. I added some flat marbles to reflect the little lights and stuck my favorite blue cup in the middle.

I rarely get these things right the first time and I have to constantly rearrange the items. But it is good to practice and enjoy the challenges of something completely different.

Here is what everything looked like before the shot.

The magic ends up being what you don't see and what the camera allows you to see.

And last but not least. Hank and Stella.
This is their out door pen. It faces south. Hank gets to learn about hot wires and runs circles around mom.

...and now to go off and start my day....

Have a wonderful weekend.

A little fun in the woods

Around Christmas last year, my Grandaughter Ariel and I thought it would be fun to each take some toys and photograph them.  We'd set them up and take the photo, then send it to each other with an explanation of what was happening in the picture.

See Making Up Stories from March of this year.  Of course I began to add little toys to the My Little Ponies we both had started to use.

The one character we've had the most fun with is Doe.  Doe is always trying to find a good place to live and she is always making terrible decisions.
Like the time that Stinky was 'horrified' to find out that Doe had decided she would live in a parking lot.

Well things happened this year and I sort of dropped the ball on hiking in the woods with a pocket full of toys.
I just didn't have time.

The other day I went to get groceries in town and I decided to check out the resale shop.  I wandered around their 'new' store front  and thought to myself, boy it stinks in here and everything is crammed in.
I was looking for jeans, I like finding them for $2.  For farm work, they are just fine.

Anyway I turned around and a display amongst the clutter caught my eye. Trolls.
I hadn't had trolls since I was in Jr. High.  I'd gotten my first troll in 1965 and it had coal black hair.  They provided endless hours of play.

Well that brings me back to this display.  Everything flashed through my mind and suddenly I found myself carefully looking at the trolls.  I wanted the old ones, not the newer soft mushy ones.  I ended up... with two.   At $1.00 per troll, I was pretty tickled.

And this afternoon I thought I'd take Morris for a short walk and look for Indian Pipes.  I grabbed my camera bag and the trolls off from the table.

I paused when I put the trolls into the bag, sitting in the extra space was Doe One and Doe Two.  Doe Two filled in when I temporarily misplace Doe One for a couple of months....

Picture me carefully crouching on the forest floor and trying to figure out if the canopy of leaves will make the scene too dark, or will the breeze blow the leaves and brighten things up?
I set everything up and then....
PHOTO BOMB!

Morris who is never interested in anything I am doing in the past 11 years, decides to smell the trolls and then push them over with his nose.

I take Doe One and Doe Two and set them back up with the trolls and chastise Morris.  He blinks at me and then marks a plant to tell me what he thinks of me.

We achieve success and the lighting cooperates just fine.

I'm finally happy to say that Doe has found a home with the Wood Troll and the Wild Troll.  I don't know...does the look on the rainbow haired troll just look a bit crazier to you? Wild Troll looks like he is trippin'.  Just saying.

Wood Troll seems more sane and subdued.

I put the Trolls and the Does in my camera bag and stood up, brushing my pants off.
I smiled and zipped them up safely and began to think of what sort of adventures they may all have together.

The sun was low in the sky and it was time to go home.  I smiled to myself, half expecting to hear my mom call me in for supper.

No, I was all grown up.  Well let's think about that, who is all grown up that plays with toys in the woods?

I whistled for Morris and we started down the trail that would lead us back to the farm.  Both of us were happy.

I'd also found what I'd originally came out to find.  Indian Pipes....

It was a good afternoon after all.