Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Well Connected

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Updated to add answers: We were at our son's house with a group of young people, while they kept getting texts and phone calls I thought it might be neat to pile them all and snap a photo.  But it was hard to snap with the fingers flying into the shot trying to make sure the screens stayed on.  Mine's the red blackberry and my husband's is next to mine, the Touch.  Dennis didn't have his work phone with him (it was the weekend) or we would have had one more.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Chiming Macro Monday

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For our first anniversary we went to the cities and we got a moose/bear/tree wind chime, so it only seemed fitting when we went to Door County for our third anniversary (we skipped the second one) that we get another wind chime.


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I had no idea it was so dusty! Darn these macros!  This is the chime that is Tristan's favorite, it hangs in the kitchen and he loves to make it make noise.


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Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign Mr Linky. Don't forget to visit each other. :)



Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Wonderful City of Stevens Point

When a friend shared this YouTube video with me I just knew I must share it with my readers. If you have wondered if you should move a little closer to me I think this will help sway your decision. Even if you have no plans to move here, you might want to see it anyway. All photos were taken here, and although there's some exaggeration, it's pretty accurate, lol. Enjoy!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Why have just one?

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

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A few years ago, Dennis and I were vacationing in Utah, stopped for a pit stop and discovered this beer. Our brains must have been tired because at first we were puzzled by it, thinking what is Poly Gammy? Then, suddenly things clicked, “OH, Polygamy!”


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After we recovered from our laughter and picked ourselves off the floor, we bought some. Come on, you would have too!


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Polygamy Porter ~ Why have just one


What's the weirdest thing you've ever bought, just because it was weird?

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Stevens Point Swing Fling

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Last month we had the opportunity to go to the Swing Fling in Stevens Point.


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It sure looked like everyone had a great time!


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Even the band!


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I’m thinking the tongue out must help with concentration.


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And it must be easier to play without shoes.


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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Better than cream in your coffee

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Many moons ago, I waited tables for a few months in a bar and discovered that Tequila Rose in coffee is really good!  If you knew me, you would be amazed that I like this combination because I do not like the the taste of coffee, nor alcohol.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Jenner Fenner Mo Minner, Be By Bo Biner, Fe Fi Fo Finner ~ Jenner :)

Please give a warm welcome to this week's guest, Jenners of Life with a Little One & More.

When Lisa asked for guest posters, I was so excited! I had visions of a fun family project that involved my Little One and my photographer husband. Unfortunately, we could not come to a meeting of the minds about what to do for the post -- leading to marital discord and general disinterest from the Little One. (I exaggerate about the discord -- but only a little). So I decided to go it alone.

Then I came up with and scratched so many different ideas before deciding to just go with the simplest one, which is to share a little with you about my perennial garden and the visitors it attracts.

Before I continue, I must tell you I am NOT a gardener. My gardening experience before this one was a little vegetable garden (but that was primarily my husband's project; I was just the designated waterer.) But when we moved into our house, there was a perfect little space for a garden right by the entryway, and I thought I would try my hand at planting a garden. Being a bit lazy and having a black thumb, I did a little research and realized a perennial garden might be perfect for me as you didn't need to recreate it every year. So I bought a book and found a garden layout that seemed ideal for what I had in mind. The primary colors are yellow, purple and white.

The other considerations were what would work well in my neck of the woods -- New Jersey. I wanted a garden that would look good for spring, summer and fall. The plants work very well together -- as soon as one is done blooming, another takes its place on center stage. And when nothing is blooming, the plants with interesting leaves and shapes have a moment to shine. It has really been a surprise to me how much I love my little garden and how much it has thrived. So here is the story of my perennial garden and the visitors who "flock" to it!

This is what the garden looks like in May and June.


Come July, things start blooming like crazy.
One thing about perennials, they come back stronger and bigger every year, and I am constantly having to keep them under control.




Butterflies love to visit the garden...


and the place is always buzzing with bees.


The goldfinch in his bright summer colors is one of my favorite visitors. Nice to see him "dressed up" after his drab winter feathers!


But by far, our most favorite visitors are the hummingbirds!
The photo is a little grainy because they are so hard to capture in flight.


The scouts show up each year around May, and I get the feeders ready for them.
By June, we have at least 7 hummingbirds visiting our house all day long, every day.


We get so many, I put a window feeder out back on our kitchen window.
The hummies just fly right up. I love this photo because of the shadow on the house.


They've really gotten used to us and will flit around out heads when we sit out on the deck.


I'm anxiously awaiting their return this year. We are graced with their presence from May through September, and it is one of the best parts of living in our house!

Thank you, Lisa, for this opportunity to be a part of your amazing blog. Your photos blow me away every day, and I was so thrilled to be a small part of what you are doing at Lisa's Chaos.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Macro Monday Cars


Macro Monday is easy to play, snap a macro (or any close-up) photo, post it on your blog and come back here and sign Mr Linky. Don't forget to visit each other. :)


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If you can believe it, as a little girl I loved playing with cars!


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Shhhh, don’t tell Tristan where his cars are.



Saturday, March 21, 2009

Bayfield Ice Caves (Sea Caves)

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If you feel like taking a winter walk in Wisconsin, I would suggest going up to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and checking out the Bayfield Sea Caves.


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Because in the winter they become the Bayfield Ice Caves and are quite a sight to behold.


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It’s about a mile walk to the first of the caves, across the frozen Lake Superior.


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The reason that patches of them are this color is because there’s sand mixed into the ice.


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The formations really do resemble a cave, but it’s pretty incredible to think that every winter it’s a new set of caves up there.


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These icicles reminded me of those magic rocks I got as kid that would grow in water. Do they still have those?


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Some caves you can merely look into, other you can walk into.


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Bayfield Chamber of Commerce updates daily on the conditions of the ice, so be sure to check out their website before you head out.  See the report for March 12 below, as of March 19th they are closed for the year.




Ice Cave Access - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore


Report by Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: March 12, 2009
Cave Conditions: Accessible
EXTERIOR AREAS OF ICECAVES REMAIN ACCESSIBLE.
CURRENT ICE SURFACE CONDITIONS
The new snow (4-8 inch drifts) earlier this week made it more difficult to walk to the caves. However, the path to the sea caves is expected to lose snow cover over the next few days due to above freezing temperatures. Users should exercise extreme caution when crossing bare ice and patchy areas. Avoid areas with slush and water on the ice surface. Users are highly encouraged to use crampons/stabilicers on their boots to avoid slipping and falls.
Numerous wet areas will exist along Meyers Beach as running water from shoreline creeks empty into Lake Superior. Hikers need to exercise caution as flowing water will erode and undercut the ice surface and create thin ice that could collapse. New open areas of water may form along the beach with this weekends forecasted warm temperatures.
USER ALERT!
Thin ice and open water are present at the back end of several caves. DO NOT enter any caves with low ceilings that require kneeling or crawling to access. Users should exercise extreme caution when walking into any larger cave. Be on the lookout for indicators of poor ice including water on the surface, broken skim ice, cracks, open leads, and thin clear ice that has recently frozen.
ALWAYS MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE FROM OVERHANGING ICE.
Do NOT walk under or approach any large icicles hanging from the top of the cliffs. Warmer temperatures of spring are beginning the cycle of thawing and melting that will eventually weaken icicles and eliminate ice formations on and along the cliffs of the sea caves.
Users should expect to hear ice popping and cracking due to strong winds and ice movement. Cracks less than an inch are visible and users should avoid crossing any larger cracks or leads. As ice sheets move cracks and leads will fill with water and may freeze overnight leaving only thin ice
ICE CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY.
Early warning signs include cracks, slush and wet areas along the shoreline and at the base of the seacave cliffs.
REMEMBER:
This is Lake Superior and there are significant risks for anyone making the excursion-- don't ever think of this trip as "safe." Access to the sea caves is a 2-mile journey one-way by hiking, skiing or snowshoes. Be prepared for slippery conditions and watch for changes in the ice, which can happen rapidly, especially if it is windy.
Be prepared for COLD - COLD - COLD. Pets must be on a 6' (or shorter) leash at all times. PLEASE clean up after your pet.
There is a daily parking fee of $3 for most vehicles (under 20 feet in length) at Meyers Beach. A fee payment station is located at the Meyers Beach parking lot where daily fees are collected. Put $3 in the fee envelopes provided, detach the receipt and display it on the dashboard of your vehicle, and place the envelope in the fee canister. Annual passes are also available for Meyers Beach parking. They are $15 for most vehicles. Annual passes can be purchased in person at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore visitor center in Bayfield, which is generally open in the winter from 8-4:30 Monday to Friday. If you are making a special trip, you may want to call ahead at (715) 779-3398 x399 to make sure the visitor center will be open when you plan to come. Annual passes from 2008 are no longer valid; it's time to consider a 2009 pass. Vehicles associated with organizations under Commercial Use Authorizations or Special Use Permits (i.e. outfitters) are not eligible for annual Meyers Beach parking passes.
The use or operation of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or any other motor vehicle is prohibited at the ice caves and within 1/4 mile of the mainland from Saxine Creek (Meyers Beach) to Sand Point.
The most up-to-date information on ice conditions is always available on the Apostle Islands ice line: (715) 779-3398 x3.

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I didn’t have a macro lens on that day, but I couldn’t resist getting up close to a formation or two anyway.


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Dennis getting personal with the ice.  They say not to linger very long under them, pieces of ice fall off from time to time.


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This is me, Dennis snapped it while I was busy checking things out.  I had way too many photos to share, but I really do want to share them, so you will see another post soon with more photos from that day.