Mouse Tales

2012-02-18T21:51:00.001-05:00

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New roommates!

2012-01-11T00:13:00.006-05:00

May I introduce you to Sir Roland Rarebit?

And his Lady Linda, the ruby-eyed?

Rollie and Lin, the newlyweds.

2 Things Challenge: Forsaken/Empty

2012-01-08T14:28:00.008-05:00

FORSAKEN/EMPTY: These photos were taken back in October, at an open space a few miles down the road. I'm not sure who's home this was, but I don't think they've lived here for sometime. I don't think these are abandoned prairie dog holes, but I could be wrong.

2 Things Challenge: Holiday Challenge! Soft/Brilliant

2011-12-22T12:53:00.021-05:00

SOFT: This is Glacier. She is a Jersey Wooley bunny who resides at the Bunny Barn where I do volunteer work. She was part of a large confiscation from an animal hoarder this past summer. Here she is snoozing after a big meal of pellets and veggies. She's still a little spooked by human hands coming into her space, but I moved slowly and she let me pet her after I took this photo. Soooo soft!

BRILLIANT: This photo is from The Butterfly Pavilion. I love this scarlet orange color. But I'm not sure what this fellow is. CLICK HERE and check out the different kinds. What do you think it is?

2 Things Challenge: Apples/Art

2011-12-19T00:17:00.009-05:00

APPLES: Mm, pink lady apples.

ART: My parents are visiting this weekend from Ohio. We spent Saturday afternoon checking out the Denver Art Museum. I hadn't been there since we went to see the King Tut exhibit last year.

Mouse in Wonderland

2011-12-11T16:42:00.037-05:00

For our official one year anniversary, Shaun the Bearcat surprised me with a weekend getaway to a cottage in the mountains at Estes Park. And Romeo got to come too! Perfect gift. I barely put my camera down the whole weekend!

2 Things Challenge: Full/Feminine

2011-12-10T23:28:00.015-05:00

FULL: The house and yard were overflowing with friends and family on my wedding day in September.

The amphitheater at Red Rocks was FULL of people the day after Thanksgiving.

FEMININE: I felt very feminine at my wedding...

...with fresh fall flowers in my hair.

*Both photos of the wedding ceremony were taken by my friend, Megan Blymiller.

2 Things Challenge: Card/Blue

2011-11-25T23:40:00.012-05:00

CARD: A Halloween card from my best friend.

BLUE: Found this pic of a cute time traveller with his ship over at MARTY'S place.

2 Things Challenge: Wet/Hot

2011-11-13T10:53:00.007-05:00

WET: Romeo and I stopped at the pond of an open space park in Thornton. Romeo wanted to go for a dip, but I thought there was too much algae for puppy swimming.

HOT: The paper weight Shaun brought me back from Phoenix reminds me of our visit there. Only the scorpions seemed unaffected by the intense desert heat.

A Leaf-footed bug?

2011-11-12T15:00:00.011-05:00

Wonder who my visitor is. A Western Conifer Seed bug? It's a windy, hazy mid-November day. I put him/her outside in a flower pot, out of the wind.

Pond Pictures +

2011-11-12T12:22:00.024-05:00

The Sunday after our wedding in Ohio, this past September. The weather was fine and after brunch, some of us wandered over to the old cow pond to enjoy the breeze and the peace of early fall.

The dogs came too, of course. Romeo's farm dog personality is very outgoing.

In mid-gallop, tail flying.

Podunk came too, although his age is catching up with him and he prefers a walking pace.

That guy I married, and his dog.

From left to right: Meredith (my brother's squeeze), my brother Jesse, my cousin Will and my cousin Greg, fishing.

Cousin Hannah, catching up with us.

After an afternoon in the breeze and sun, it was naptime. There was considerable getting up and moving around, snacking on leftovers, and more napping. Elfine takes advantage of Shaun snoozing to cuddle with him.

Play hard, sleep hard.

Maggie passes out while I'm rubbing her tummy.

Benny is so sleepy, he decides to try and take over the chair from my Aunt Sue but then decides her lap makes a great pillow.

"YAAAAAAAWN"

"Nayum, num, num"

A Sparrowhawk!

2011-11-04T21:50:00.012-04:00

I was in the right place at the right time to see a beautiful native bird stopping for a rest in a tree. I'm no expert and not sure, but I think this is an American Kestral, or Sparrowhawk. (Ironic that I'm rereading A Wizard of Earthsea...)

Home Soil

2011-11-02T09:20:00.002-04:00

More images from Blackberry Farm, September 13th. I was so happy to be on the farm, I was snapping pictures before I'd even said hello to everyone!

The pine trees on the east side of the property.

The deck on the north side of the house.

Cheddar has caught a rodent.

The law of the jungle translates to the law of the farm....

...and Pigpen has no moral dilemma with relieving Cheddar of his afternoon snack.

Eddie comes to check things out...

...but then he becomes more interested in what I'm doing kneeling on the deck. "Megan, what are you doing here?"

Sam says, "Megan! I didn't know you were in town!"

Elsa: "Hi Megan! Are you going to sit down? Mind if I sit on your lap?"

Elfine: "Megan, is that you? Hello!"

I stood at the door of my mother's wool studio on the second story of the garage to take some farm shots. The north side of the barn.

Facing north; the back pasture and the chicken coop on the right.

The back yard, with the garden on the far side, herb garden in the middle.

Later that night, I sit on the deck...

...and watch a harvest moon rise. I used the flash with this shot. Isn't that color beautiful?

And this was without the flash.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:25:00.001-04:00

Nothing I tried in the way of a costume worked out this year. Sigh, oh well. So instead, I focused on food. I made mulled cider and Spooky Witch Finger cookies. Nothing too fancy, I took a basic butter cookie recipe, formed them into "fingers" and used blanched whole almonds as fingernails. I had to make two batches and in the second batch I used green food coloring. Fun to make!

Summer Digs

2011-10-30T13:31:00.004-04:00

In Ohio, a month and a half ago. My brother picked me up from the airport. On the drive home, we stopped down the street at the summer barn my parents rent from a neighbor for the horses. It's a pretty little hollow with a pond.

The two horse sized building is well ventilated.

Bradley and Nimue were the lucky ones currently on turn out.

They are wearing grazing muzzles, which are taken off when they come in for the night. A horse can drink and breath perfectly well with these on, and they allow the horses to be out on pasture for long periods of time without being able to gobble too much green grass.

There are windows on 3 sides, letting in plenty of fresh air.

These two have been inseparable barn-mates for years.

I smooched Bradley's nose a lot. Nimue doesn't have the patience to let me give her smooches, she prefers having her neck scratched. Look at that smoochable schnoz. In a couple of months, his moustache will have grown in.

Bradley wants to sniff the camera and check it out.

General Bradley, retired Paso Fino show horse and elderly gentleman. He had the fastest largo of any horse in the show ring.

We take off their muzzles and let them graze for a few minutes before we bring them in for their dinner.

They are such sweet, gentle souls. You can see Nimue's dappled coat and leg stripes pretty well in this pic.

2 Things Challenge: Sky/Plus

2011-10-29T17:36:00.015-04:00

SKY: Colorado morning sky. The moon is getting ready for bed.

The Rocky Mountains, on a fall afternoon.

Northeast Ohio sunset, in late September.

PLUS: We went to hear Ziggy Marley earlier this month!

2 Things Challenge: Value/Abstract

2011-10-16T10:12:00.001-04:00

Value:

Abstract:

Crossed Over

2011-10-15T19:07:00.009-04:00

Sadie "Dee Dee" Bunny, 1999/2000-September 23, 2011. I miss you very much, little friend.

"They taste like little cakes made of heaven..."

2011-10-03T00:01:00.003-04:00

Our first wedding present arrived about a month and a half ago. AN ELECTRIC WAFFLE IRON! Yaaaaaaay!

This recipe makes a lot, but they freeze great so the extra effort is worth it. I didn't alter this at all for high altitude, but they turned out great. I'm looking forward to trying chocolate brownie waffles next time! *drool*

BASIC WAFFLE BATTER (yields about 16 waffles)

6 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup, plus two tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie or apple pie spice optional

3 1/2 cups milk

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir them together; then add the milk, oil, and eggs and whisk it all together until there are no big lumps. Let it stand for about 5 minutes to activate the baking powder before adding to your iron. Each waffle for my iron was about a half a cup of batter.

My mom has an awesome old fashioned cast iron waffle grill that you can use in the campfire or the stovetop. This one isn't cast iron, but much easier to use with 5 heat settings and an indicator light/sound for when it's ready for the batter and also when it's finished cooking. I made a big batch and took the leftovers in to work the next day. Made the Monday morning more cheerful than usual at the office.

Ta da!

With real maple syrup and cinnamon butter apples. Deelish and FILLING!

In Ten Years Time

2011-09-11T14:10:00.016-04:00

The towers fell ten years ago. I'm seeing and hearing sentimental, "I know where I was ten years ago" stories all over the place today. I don't want to talk about that. But I would like to share an experience I had visiting New York City earlier this year.

During our visit to New York City in May this past spring, we got to visit the Ground Zero Museum. Click on the article below to read about the official Ground Zero photographer, Gary Marlon Suson, and how he's shared his experience. He was inspired after visiting the Anne Frank house. I was there in the fall of 2000, wish I'd had a good camera then. Sigh...

The Museum is located...

...in the meat packing district.

The museum is 1,000 square feet, on the second floor of the building that Suson took rooftop photographs on September 11, 2001.

The space is full of photographs, dioramas, artifacts, quotes, and other images, all numbered. First we watched a short film about the museum...

...then we explored the room and listened to additional information on headphones by entering an artifact's number.

Some artifacts recovered from the south tower. The reflection gives you an idea of the size of the space.

A clock from the south tower...

...that stopped at 10:02 and 14 seconds, when the plane hit.

A 3D image, with rubble from the pit.

"Let Us Understand Each Other"

"Genesis 11 - The Tower of Babylon"

We're all looking for meanings in this. So...why? Why do things like this happen? A massive failure of communication? A massive lack of understanding each other? Where do you go for the answers? Some people choose to address God with these questions.

It wasn't only two legged people involved.

Sirius, along with other dogs and humans, died from exposure to breathing the Ground Zero ash.

This dog was in a lower section of the south tower with her handler when the building collapsed.

There were a lot of images and stories to take in. We had 3 hours. It was intense.

Here are some photos from Ground Zero itself, May, 2011.

The preview site, on the corner.

St. Paul's Chapel.

Vegetarian Crab Cakes

2011-09-10T14:29:00.022-04:00

Last night's dinner was yummy. I made a batch of pan sauteed swiss chard, with lots of pot liquor to soak up with garlic toast. (And little Dee Dee had some fresh chard for dinner too.) Mmm.

I also tried my hand at The Vegan Ronin's crab cake recipe. I tinkered with it, adding a little more old bay seasoning than called for and a dash of Frank's Hot Sauce. Because of the way the last two batches of bean burgers I've made turned out (mushy, refried beans), I also altered the recipe to be vegetarian instead by adding two eggs to help hold them together, just in case. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl first, then add them to the mix. Very awesome and super easy. Thanks Jhenn!

I picked up this saucepan at a garage sale for 25 cents. It doesn't like to stand up by itself, so I had to prop it up to make the garlic butter.

Served with Veganaise and homemade garlic toast. Healthy and taaaasty!

2 Things Challenge: Satisfaction/Old

2011-09-09T11:46:00.018-04:00

Satisfaction: Romeo enjoys a pigskin chew that I got him. At first, he took it and stashed it under his blanket in his crate. But 20 minutes later, he unburied it and started munching.

I love my fur-stepchild.

Old: There's quite a view from the old cemetery in Erie. This 137 year old plot is on the old dirt road that I took photos of for last week's challenge.

2 Things Challenge: Door/Road

2011-09-03T14:39:00.010-04:00

This week's challenge is Door/Road. Romeo and I found a break in the foliage, that makes a natural doorway into the little field on the other side.

The library I frequent is 15 miles north, in Erie. I can't hear that name without thinking of the Great Lakes I used to hike next to and swim in on family vacations back east, once upon a time.

The area is mostly fields and wide open spaces. It's very peaceful to go for walks here if the wind is being friendly, with just the occasional hawk for company.

Late Summer Storm

2011-09-02T18:47:00.027-04:00

More late summer photos. Romeo and I went for a walk earlier today. We were out back enjoying the breeze...

...just as a mild storm started coming in.

We were exploring the wooded grassy area back behind the K-Mart next door...

...and made a couple of discoveries before the weather made us turn around. I wish my home blended into the landscape as naturally as this.

We found a tree,

bleeding sap...

like amber jewels. Something about this color makes my mouth water.

We booked it home when the clouds started to get dark and the wind picked up.

Romeo was brave about the thunder and we made it home just as the rain and wind got serious.

More of Our "Backyard"

2011-08-27T15:40:00.028-04:00

Late summer in central Colorado. The sidewalks are covered with low growing, low moisture plants that make small, pretty patterns for no one in particular.

So many shades of green.

The air smells like brown earth....

....and green water.

An abandoned shopping cart....

....makes an interesting underwater skeleton.

I try to watch my step; some of my neighbors build their homes in the grass.

A view of our neighborhood, facing east.

I love to watch and listen to moving water, but I'm not a fan of being ON the water.

Sunlight on the meadow.

2 Things Challenge: Venture/Night

2011-08-27T15:38:00.017-04:00

These photos are from the night of July 4th. We took a walk (venture) around the apartment complex to the hill at the back and watched the Adams county fireworks from about a mile away.

Some of the pics look a little like underwater creatures to me.

This image looks kind of like thistles, doesn't it?

Little pieces of light, like tadpoles in the dark sky.

NYC, May 19

2011-08-26T19:06:00.002-04:00

What time is it?

2011-08-20T20:13:00.004-04:00

Amazing what my brain will come up with to procrastinate, but...

It's time to play....NAME THAT BEARDED GUY! See if you can put names to the bearded faces of these three men I admire. (Check back for answers.)

NYC, May 18

2011-08-16T19:37:00.002-04:00

NYC, May 17

2011-08-14T17:51:00.002-04:00

2 Things Challenge: Peaceful/Patterns

2011-08-13T19:51:00.011-04:00

NYC, May 16

2011-08-12T21:20:00.002-04:00

Blackberry Farm, May 8

2011-08-11T00:27:00.002-04:00

Blackberry Farm, May 6

2011-08-09T21:23:00.002-04:00

The only shade of pink I really like: crabapple!

Hawthorn!

Daffodil!

The willow tree is waking up slowly.

Orange Juice, lost in thought.

Forsythia!

Jesse and his Juice Dog.

Darn it, I couldn't get the camera in focus in the barn. Tomi got impatient with me; he wanted carrots and his back scratched!

My dad's band, Rock Salt & Nails, playing for a benefit at the Canton Art Museum. They're playing at our wedding in Ohio next month!

Blackberry Farm, May 5

2011-08-08T22:17:00.011-04:00

Spring on the farm back east. Crabapple blossoms.

Podunk Dog, under one of the flowering dogwoods.

More Po Po.

One of the old old apple trees in the old old orchard.

Sarah, in a spring garden.

Nom nom!

2011-08-07T22:38:00.006-04:00

2 Things Challenge: Music/Control

2011-08-07T14:11:00.015-04:00

Earlier this week, my hubby took me to Red Rocks Amphitheater to hear A Perfect Circle. Although I've been a fan for years, it was the first time I've heard them live. It was intense and emotional, especially when they played Blue, from the Thirteenth Step album. I cried, I'm not ashamed to admit it. This song has history for me.

And a few months ago he also surprised me with a replacement remote control for my Mac, which I lost ages ago.

2 Things Challenge: Cloud/Up

2011-07-25T23:06:00.014-04:00

Clouds from summer storms coming through Colorado, in early July.

Here is a young Pigpen, up a tree on Blackberry Farm. My Aunt Sue took this photo of Piggy.

And at this site, I found pictures of a life-size replica of the little old couples' house from the movie Up. I saw it in the theater with a friend, it was a cute story. Can't believe someone liked it THIS much though!

2 Things Challenge: Bubbly/Flat

2011-07-23T19:59:00.015-04:00

My sparkling beverage of choice this evening.

My hubby's bubbly.

My favorite flatbread crackers EVER. Add some hummus, a wedge of brie cheese, carrot and celery sticks, and you've got the perfect bento lunch.

Newman, my Newman

2011-07-18T22:36:00.037-04:00

No, not this Newman.

Not that Newman.

This was my Newman. Reading about Grey German Giant buns for the last 2 Things Challenge got me thinking about him. He was a chinchilla gray Flemish Giant rabbit. And an adorable goofball. He loved to have fun. The first night I let him stay outside his pen all night long, I woke up with a giant bun face in mine. He was so pleased with himself, he did a giant binky right off the bed.

This is the face Newman made the first and last time he tasted kiwi.

Here he is passed out under the covers...

...after stealing my seat.

Little Bean and Newman almost became housemates. Look how much smaller she is!

Aw, shy on a first date!

Newbs and his Dumboesque ears.

Chillin'.

Newbie enjoying a good meal.

Zonked.

Still zonked.

Snoozin' Newbs.

2 Things Challenge: French/German

2011-07-17T03:45:00.005-04:00

For this week's challenge theme I choose....bunnies. I found this adorable little cutie over at the French lop page on the Petscharm blog.

And here is a Grey German Giant bunny. Found this clydesdale sized lagamorph over at the interesting Creepy Animals site. For the record, giant bunnies are NOT creepy, just more to love! My first bun, Newman, was a Flemish Giant. He was a decent size, but nowhere near as big as this rabbit!

African Stew

2011-07-16T20:29:00.044-04:00

Dinner tonight was my version of African Stew. I used three chopped chicken breasts which I poached in broth, added two tomatillas and a ripe mango that have been sitting in my fruit bowl all week, used organic creamy PB, and skipped the chickpeas cuz I thought the chicken and PB sauce was plenty of protein. Pretty simple and easy to tinker with. This would work great with chunky diced seitan or firm tofu for a vegetarian version. Soooooo yummy! And I stopped by The Denver Bread Company (on my way to the print shop to finalize the wedding invitations) so there was fresh fantastic locally made bread to go with it.

2nd photo taken from The Denver Bread Company's home page.

Sea or sky?

2011-07-11T19:39:00.005-04:00

2 Things Challenge: Art/Graffiti

2011-07-10T00:55:00.003-04:00

ART: This is one of the Helga Pictures, entitled Farm Road, painted by Andrew Wyeth in 1979. Look at the use of light, and the sharp and blended images. My folks took us to see the Helga Pictures at the Canton Art Museum years ago. I was haunted by the images for a long time after seeing them. I remember wondering what it would be like to be a painter's muse, to be preserved the way a particular person sees you, during a particular moment. To be interpreted. Immortality of a kind.

"Popular art is the dream of society; it does not examine itself." - Margaret Atwood

GRAFFITI: I found these photos from Denver by graffiti artist Emit, on Fatcap.

Oatmeal Experiments

2011-07-05T21:43:00.000-04:00

I'm going to have to come back to this, recipe-wise. I was throwing this and that in the blender earlier (frozen mangoes, some leftover ripe banana, the last of the Alder's strawberry ice cream, a couple big spoonfuls of nonfat vanilla yogurt, some milk, some ice, and oat bran) and wasn't paying attention to measurements. My brother made me a blueberry smoothie with oats when I was visiting Ohio last November and it was the best breakfast I'd had in a long time. Hit the spot and filled me up. So I decided to use up the last of the oat bran in this batch. And guess what? Manbearcat, husband of Mouse, has approved it! FINALLY a way to get my husband to eat oatmeal! Make it drinkable!

AND as a second experiment: Frozen Oatmeal! Fruit and Oatmealsicles. Oat Pops. Whatever. I used my washable popsicle mold. Ta da! Really yummy and a great way to use leftover smoothie.

You can go HERE for more popsicle recipes at About.com. Popsicle with the mold still on.

They peel off very easily, they're durable and are dishwasher safe. I read some reviews about this popsicle mold before I bought it and was warned it can cause giggle fits in adults with a certain sense of humor. You be the judge.

Used popsicle mold:

Independence Day

2011-07-04T16:36:00.016-04:00

2 Things Challenge: Hoof/Paw

2011-06-25T14:48:00.010-04:00

Oh boy, I knew right away I would get carried away with this challenge. I know a lot of people with hooves and paws! I pulled these pics at random from various digital albums. A lot of these pics have faces attached to the hooves and paws.

Here is Mielita last summer about to go on a trailride. She grew up at Blackberry Farm and is the little sister...

...of Corey. Here are Jesse and Corey going for a trail ride around the farm last fall. Corey is very sturdy, but petite, even for a Paso Fino. (So is her Mom, Chiquita = so named for her small stature, NOT after the bananas.) Sure isn't far to the ground if you happen to come off! She's so darn cute.

Here is an old photo of Mielita and I going for a light summer ride around the farm, back in 2003. That face she's making looks like she's about to sneeze, hee hee.

Here are some bunny paws, complete with cottontail.

Bun paws from the front.

Here is Ganoush, peering back at me under the fenceline.

Here is Freya, striking an adorable pose. She really is a natural...

Cheddar catches me spying while he's washing his backside, paw fully extended.

Little Benny, the schnoodle from Fort Wayne, enjoying the late afternoon sun. His paws are small and covered in curls. My Aunt Sue took this pic of her little gray guy and shared it with me.

Buddy lives in Arizona. Here he is, putting his elderly paws up in the living room.

Romeo's back paws, in mid-stretch.

Romeo is sleeping in

2011-06-24T23:45:00.011-04:00

"Megan, get that camera out of my face."

"I know I'm adorable, but it's way too early!"

Sim Sala Bim

2011-06-21T22:49:00.002-04:00

I borrowed this video from Cloudtifa's Youtube page.

He was so kind, such a gentleman tied to the oceanside

Lighting a match on the suitcase's latch in the fading of night.

Ruffle the fur of the collie 'neath the table
Ran out the door through the dark
Carved out his initials in the bar.

Then the Earth shook, that was all that it took for the dream to break
All the loose ends would surround me again in the shape of your face.

What makes me love you despite the reservations?
What do I see in your eyes
Besides my reflection hanging high?

Are you off somewhere reciting incantations,
Sim sala bim on your tongue?
Carving off the hair of someone's young.

Remember when you had me cut your hair?
Call me Delilah then I wouldn't care.

2 Things Challenge: Single/Double

2011-06-18T16:32:00.009-04:00

A scene from the park down the street, last October.

Spring Fling at the Bunny Barn

2011-06-05T17:15:00.005-04:00

We made it back from a visit to NYC just in time for me to make it to the Colorado House Rabbit Society's Spring Fling in May. I helped to run the silent auction.

My donation to the auction was a Japanese bento lunch box. With bunnies, of course.

I threw in a little Happy Planet bag so it would be easy to carry...

...and also a copy of the Vegan Lunch Box cookbook, to go with it. I'm not sure how much it finally went for, but as I was getting ready to leave, it was up to $55! I paid $25 for the lot, so that ain't bad!

I decided not to bring Dee, it would have been nice for her to get a pedicure and you could even get your bunny an acupuncture or massage session.

But she really is elderly and I knew it wouldn't be her bag of chips. Oh well, there was plenty to see and do, games, food, interesting people and buns. Lots of buns.

Prizes full of bunny stuff!

Little Gertrude, one of the shelter buns, was just fine with not crossing the finish line.

No amount of treats or coaxing was going to change her mind either. Bunnies can be very stubborn little people when they feel like it.

I met a very outgoing rabbit named Cornflake. She was perfectly at home in the crowd, hopping around on her extendable leash. Her owner had to untangle her several times from human, chair, and table legs. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it tangled the bunny.

It was a windy day, but sunny and cool out. Most of my time running the auction was spent making sure everything was weighted down and safe from wind. When I got home, you could feel the spring day ending like a long sigh, with the mountains' breath on your neck.

P.S. = You can see more pics from the Bunny Barn here!

2 Things Challenge: Seed/Sprout

2011-06-05T12:59:00.011-04:00

Two recent purchases I made at the local Natural Grocer made great fodder for this week's challenge. I got some alfalfa seeds from the bulk section.

Hopefully this is as easy as it sounds and at the end of the week, we'll have fresh sprouts for salads and sandwiches. And of course, I'll share with Dee Dee Rabbit, who always loves her some yummy alfalfa shoots.

Discovered Xavier Rudd

2011-05-28T15:28:00.009-04:00

And I love him! I especially like that he plays the digereedoo!! I found this vid over at actime101's Channel.

Hey now

I'm speaking once again

Oh yeah

My name is in your head.

So strange

These people that you have

That's right my friend

It's all just where you're at.

This is how I like to play

This is how I feel these days

This is how I like to play

This is how I feel these days

Take me

Conceal me where you like

You will see it open

From within I will rise.

Like the seasons

Your flavor will die

On and on these people

They'll listen every time.

This is how I like to play

This is how I feel these days

This is how I like to play

This is how I feel these days.

Neopolitan Skyline

2011-05-26T00:15:00.004-04:00

2 Things Challenge: Earth/Damp

2011-05-21T22:28:00.016-04:00

EARTH: The earth under a tree in the old apple orchard, on Blackberry Farm.

The fungus growing in the damp earth of the manure pile looks like underwater creatures.

My mother's hoop house is almost completed. She's looking forward to having a winter garden.

DAMP: I took these images outside of a clothing store in NYC during a visit this past week. Ironic, because it rained the whole time we were there and the air was damp enough to swim in.

At around midnight the air felt thick and chilly. Buildings disappeared up, up into the gloom.

Times Square on a damp, drizzly Tuesday night in mid-May.

Black Beauty or Hercule Poirot?

2011-05-10T00:48:00.011-04:00

General Bradley the Paso Fino will be 22 years old this month, on the 16th. This is the Bradlums a week before his b-day, modeling his moustache. For as long as I can remember, and I've known him since he was 2 and a half, his moustache grows in over the winter and sheds out during the early summer. This year, he was especially....moustachey. Love you, old man.

2 Things Challenge: Green/Fresh

2011-05-10T00:14:00.019-04:00

Ah, I'm over a day late on this post and it's too late to count for the collage. Poop, I'm sorry! We had a fantastic weekend in Ohio, just chilling on the farm, enjoying the spring weather and being out of the city. But this is the first chance I've had to sit down and organize photos. The forecast said to expect rain all weekend in northeast Ohio, but we lucked out and it was really nice for the most part. Jesse and I went for a walk around the farm on Friday and took in the midwest spring. Every shade of fresh, spring green was everywhere! My mom's cold frame on the corner of the porch:

The crab apple tree behind the house was in full bloom.

Out in the woods, there was soft moss growing under the trees in the old, wild orchard.

And dogtooth violets were growing happily in the damp loam.

The osage orange trees that border the back of the property take their time putting out leaves.

The ferns that have taken over the kitchen garden will make a thick, shady forest for sleepy cats and hens that sneak out of the coop in early summer.

I found a baby maple tree.

Our "Backyard"

2011-05-03T01:19:00.003-04:00

Romeo and I take walks behind our apartment complex. Some walks are better than others; we have to walk past a small swing set and jungle gym to get to the lake and sometimes there are kids. And kids scare the bejeebus out of poor Romeo. I don't blame him. Kids are loud, smelly, and obnoxious. Anyway, these are from back in October.

2 Things Challenge: Eyes/Hands

2011-04-30T16:17:00.015-04:00

Eyes and hands:

Wise and disapproving Dee Dee Rabbit.

Sensitive Romeo Dog.

Artwork from the NYTimes article on the latest Margaret Atwood novel I finished, The Year of the Flood.

One of our engagement photos.

CHOW time!

2011-04-14T22:34:00.023-04:00

Cheese and rice. It was a come home, put on your fuzzy socks, and eat some chocolate kind of day. I could have sworn I had an Endangered Species chocolate bar stashed in the fridge. But no. I was starting to panic as the chocolate mania took over, but then I remembered coming across this recipe for a microwave brownie from CHOW. I didn't have any vanilla, just almond flavor. My vote is almond and chocolate together are even better than peanut butter and chocolate. Takes all of three minutes to mix and nuke and makes the perfect molten chocolate snack after a long day.

2 Things Challenge: Stranger/Friend

2011-04-10T01:32:00.017-04:00

Have you ever seen a stranger cucumber? Pretty, but strange. And tasty.

Romeo and a stranger stop and sniff.

My rabbit gets along with my husband. Dee sleeps on the floor next to Shaun's side of the bed at night.

That Pigpen of mine is also a good friend of mine.

My brother Jesse and his pooch friend, Orange Juice.

Pigpen and Maggie Dog are pals. Pig gives Mags relaxing licks on the ear.

***The photos of my cat and I, and my brother and his dog, were taken my aunt, Susan McMahon.***

A Full Face

2011-03-20T14:49:00.012-04:00

I'm disappointed that the weather was pretty overcast here last night. I didn't get to see the biggest, brightest moonrise in 20 years. But the moon did show me her face later in the night. And she was beautiful.

Space Porn!

2011-03-19T19:06:00.000-04:00

Watch for the moon tonight, it's going to be extra big and beautiful. I hope the sky will stay clear here, at least until dusk. Hopefully I'll have some sweet pics to share later.

2 Things Challenge: Wet/Dry

2011-03-18T18:42:00.006-04:00

Wet/Dry: The park off Colorado Blvd., in late winter.

Romeo has fun running next to the creek.

2 Things Challenge: Sneak/Peak

2011-03-12T20:09:00.010-05:00

Sneak: Elfine moves silently, a feline in the Ohio fall.

Peak: Arizona in early September.

Last Sunday

2011-02-17T23:16:00.016-05:00

Last Sunday, I visited the Colorado House Rabbit Society headquarters. You can see photos here, Dee Dee too. Romeo and I went and enjoyed the gorgeous, out of season, springlike weather. It's scary how unpredictable the weather is all over the planet and the rapid changes taking place. I was listening to NPR on the way to work this morning, thinking how it must be to live on Carrabas. The climate changes and the land recedes like a hairline on the head of the world.

Sadie's Facilities

2011-02-12T15:10:00.020-05:00

Dee Dee does NOT approve of my taking pics of her private time. I have a feeling if she had a middle finger, we'd be seeing it in this photo.

Whiskers were ruffled in indignation.

But she does approve of multitasking.

2 Things Challenge: Shadow/Play

2011-02-09T20:55:00.015-05:00

Self portrait in SHADOW.

This is the carcass of Romeo's latest stuffed victim. Romeo plays rough.

Dee Dee's favorite play things include her chewable wicker ball with peanuts,

her plastic keys that she likes to throw around to express herself,

and just about anything stackable that she can knock down.

Vision Quest in the Jungle

2011-02-06T15:34:00.002-05:00

2 Things Challenge: Minus/Plus

2011-02-05T19:19:00.037-05:00

I thought this week's challenge fit right into my weekend. We can see the snowstorms come in from the mountains in the west, not that we can do anything about it!

The weather's been warmer, but snowing almost constantly, which is a minus if you're planning to travel anywhere.

On the "plus" side, I wasn't going to let a little bad weather get me down and keep me in. I've got things to do, including finally visiting the Colfax Guitar Shop downtown. I met a fellow southpaw player named Christian, who took my Washburn in to give it some TLC. I'll pick it up in a couple of weeks and it'll have the bridge fixed, the top knob for my strap put on, and brand new strings. Yay, can't wait! It was really snowing hard when I took this photo...

Also on the plus side, right down the street from the Guitar Shop is the Tattered Cover Book Store! The weather was really coming down while I was there and I had to park on the roof of the garage, so no pics. (They also run a blog I follow, Between the Covers.) I finally got myself a copy of Marc Bekoff's The Animal Manifesto. I'm currently devouring Hal Herzog's Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat. But this one is going to the top of my "to read" pile.

Sleepy Soul

2011-02-02T22:57:00.017-05:00

Feline Folk

2011-01-30T22:49:00.009-05:00

Kafka.

Doogie.
Bronte.
Pigpen.
Cheddar.
Elsa.
Arthur Jones.
Samwise.
Elfine.
C.K. Dexter Haven. ("Dexter".)

2 Things Challenge: Flimsy/Solid

2011-01-30T12:30:00.006-05:00

Flimsy: Maggie's ears go limp and flimsy in sleep.

Solid: One of the original solid foundation stones from the large log cabin, (at the Algonquin Mill where we're having our wedding ceremony this fall), turned land marker.

Remembering November

2011-01-24T00:31:00.017-05:00

2 Things Challenge: Carve/Curve

2011-01-23T13:19:00.007-05:00

Carve/Curve Interpretation:

Carve: These are two of my father's sandstone sculptures that live in my parents' gardens in northeast Ohio.

Curve: A stream curves to the west of the Rocky mountain woods.

There is a strangely curved shadow behind Romeo.

2 Things Challenge: Paint/Corner

2011-01-16T13:00:00.011-05:00

In a corner of my living room (and my bedroom and my office), it has recently come to my attention that my elderly bunny has developed a taste for paint chips. So long, deposit.

What is with our pets being so destructive?? We can't seem to catch her in the act. Everytime we hear chewing noises coming from Dee Dee's room I check on her, and she's behaving herself and chewing on her favorite wicker toy or rearranging her cardboard bunny cottage. She has plenty of safe, chewable objects and toys to choose from. But this is still happening.

I haven't noticed any change in her appetite or health, and her pellets are perfectly normal. So whatever she's getting out of this behavior doesn't seem to be harming her health. But I'm currently brainstorming for a way to bunny-proof baseboards, any suggestions you have are very welcome! And the wee culprit is confined to her room.

Blueberry Cake

2011-01-15T20:07:00.008-05:00

A laid back Saturday. We had a buckwheat pancake breakfast and somehow I forgot about the very ripe, fresh blueberries that were sitting in the fridge waiting to be used. They were still waiting when I'd cleaned up the breakfast mess. After staring at them for a while, I went and looked up THIS recipe. And THIS is what came out of it. Very good, but a little heavier than I expected. I'm still working on getting baked goods to turn out at this altitude. I'll get it right sometime!

Warm from the oven, with a dollop of cinnamon dough ice cream. Aaaah, simple pleasures.

2 Things Challenge: Coffee/Tea

2011-01-09T13:31:00.016-05:00

The first challenge of the new year! Yesterday, my hubby took me up to Sleepytime Drive in Boulder, to the Celestial Seasonings factory. Oh the sights and smells I wish I could share with you. But I wasn't allowed to take my camera onto the actual floor and I haven't figured out yet how to send smells electronically. And the factory itself wasn't "on" that day, all the machines were quiet and resting. But our very enthusiastic guide, Lydia, took us into "The Mint Room", where the menthol from peppermint, spearmint, and catnip overwhelmed our sinuses with it's smelly goodness. And we were introduced to all the machinery in the place that our guide Lydia had given first names to. Like I said, she was REALLY enthusiastic. ("Ruby" is the one I remember, the machine that looked like a giant yellow arm, that can suction cup a bunch of boxes and lift them onto a palate.) I learned that on a good day, they process about 10 million tea bags with a shelf life of about two years and ship them all over the world to 35 different countries. After years and years of sipping and loving this tea, I got to see where those colorful little boxes come from. So I'm not able to share images with you from INSIDE the facility, but while we were watching a ten minute C.S. film outside the entrance, I snapped a pic of.....the Sleepytime Bear! Looks like he's had one cup too many.

Here is the original sewing machine they used to make muslin tea bags, when the company was first starting out.

And for those of you into haute couture, here is an outfit made out of packaged tea bags. Some creative artistic type has a little too much time on their hands. It was behind glass and hard to get a decent shot of. I'd wear it!

And lastly, one of my favorite caffeinated C.S. teas is Bengal Spice. So when I noticed the artwork painted on the walls of the building, I just had to take this shot.

And as the final part of the challenge, here is a shot of my coffee cup this morning. Not very creative I know, but Shaun and I aren't big coffee drinkers. Usually when he wants a cup of coffee, I'm already halfway through my first cup of tea or vice versa. So instead of using a machine, we bust out my simple little one cupper. Mm, fair trade french roast.

Museums, Muffin Pans, and Midwinter Blues

2011-01-05T00:00:00.053-05:00

Good gravy, it's been a rough few days into the new year. To keep the blues from settling, I decided to break in my new dough tamper and mini muffin pans, and try a new recipe. Ta da, jam tarts!

Some time ago, I came across this recipe over at Evil Shenanigans. I'm a little nervous anytime I'm doing anything with pastry dough, I end up with a lot of disasters. But these were a snap! This dough bakes into a buttery shortbread. Very good & VERY RICH. I experimented with the filling, using a generic strawberry jelly, some Crofter's organic blueberry jam I've been hoarding, and a seedless organic mixed berry conserve. They're going fast, I hope there are some left in the morning to take in to work. I used Earth Balance and soy milk to make it vegan for my co-worker, Ritch.

We went to see the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum on Sunday. I don't regret going but it was a little disappointing. The artifacts themselves were fascinating, but it was overcrowded and poorly organized. And of course there were a lot of thoughtless, self absorbed twits in the crowd. And the cheesy icing on the cake was being forced to have to exit through the tiny gift shop, which was a nightmare of merchandising and way too many small children running around. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures once we were let inside. There were sentries standing on every corner, like agents from The Matrix with their little earpieces. The security was understandable; there were some pretty cool artifacts and a lot of them were gold. There were statues of course, furniture the king used, gorgeous jewelry, a tiny carved set of traveling games, even a marble toilet seat! The sandals that his mummy wore were very thin pounded gold, I almost sobbed out loud wanting to take a picture! But this was the best I could do.

You can look here for more info about King Tut's cartouche.

Cold Snap

2010-12-30T17:45:00.020-05:00

The first snow of the season showed up today and it's really coming down. We're expecting to get around ten inches overnight. Sigh, we're missing the fireplace we had at Worthington Park Blvd. in Ohio. I'm looking forward to a fantastic weekend: New Year's, possibly visiting Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, and we have tickets to the King Tut Exhibit on Sunday!

Romeo S. Dogpants is doing really well. He's got cabin fever, but his tummy is healing up just fine. He got his staples out on Tuesday. Now he's coming down off prescription painkillers, but don't worry, he's getting spoiled rotten.

These were a birthday present that got here yesterday. And they're juuuuust right. Yeah, I'm one of THOSE nerds.

A Rare Shadow

2010-12-29T23:34:00.020-05:00

I was really looking forward to the lunar eclipse back on the 20th and I wasn't disappointed. I was watching the clock and running downstairs to look at the sky every five minutes, starting around 11:00 MST. At first, the air was really damp and the moon had a halo of vapor. When I took this photo, the eclipse had actually started, but you can barely make it out.

The first time I was able to get a decent photo was at this point. Got to see the whole thing pretty well, the vapor halo was really only an issue behind the lens. I took this shot at a couple of different angles, just because.

People from everywhere were watching the same thing from different angles. And just look at all the different perspectives! It really was a religious experience for nature and astronomy enthusiasts everywhere.

I wonder how cold an eclipse's shadow is.