Indian Pipes

 

 

These are such interesting plants. I see them rarely & get excited when I do. Also known as Ghost Pipe.

According to one reference it is in the blueberry family. Really?! I thought they were a fungus, but no.   They are parasitic & feed on fungus. 

They don't last long. I found these on the trail I walk several times a week just down the hill from my home. Above is when I first spotted them. These are from a couple years ago & I haven't seen them since. Glad I took lots of pictures over a several day period. I am always on the look out as I walk by the spot later in the summer. 

The first time I saw them i was about 11 at a summer camp on the opposite side of Michigan.                 I have been fascinated with them ever since.

Hiking for Sanity

 H is for Hiking

Last summer my hubby & I made a point to hike trails in our area we had never been to before.

As you can imagine there were lots of visitors to the trails. That's a good thing. Get yourself & family outside to move, breathe , observe. 

 

Fun shot of the park down the hill from me. 

A local author published a book detailing many trails in Leelanau County.

 

         

 The Leelanau Conservancy purchases land for trails. 

     Many new trails have been added the past few years.

 Gives you an idea of all the options we have. Lake Michigan is a wonder.

The teeny dot of an island just below Beaver Island is North Fox which I mention so often.

The shadows at the bottom of the dune on this sunny day caught my attention.

Looking North along the lake shore in fall.

Then there is South of town. The Boardman River Valley.

Above is a view of the newly restored river a few years ago. 

There were damns, now there are not. The work to restore natural habitat is amazing.

Have you gotten outside enough this past year? Where do you go?  What do  you see? 

T is for Teresa Meier A to Z Challenge

 I love what can be done these days with digital photography. 

Manipulation creates amazing stories.

 Say hello to Teresa Meier. I've been a fan for several years.
 

Teresa Meier

Artist | Educator

I'm great. I'm an artist, teacher, native Oregonian, beer drinker, cat lover, wayfarer and wanderer. My left eye is lazy, I stick my tongue out when I smile, and I cannot for the life of me figure out the stove top diagrams. I love summer, miss the rain when it's gone and am transfixed by the quietness of snow...

 

 

 Her dream like images pull me in. 

Some of them are quirky & funny. 

Her website is a delight for the eyes. If you have an opportunity to
poke around I highly recommend it.  Her process is so layered.
Must take a large amount of time & thought.

 

Over the past few years I have signed up for, & dabbled in, a few on demand e courses on manipulating digital photos. I have yet to complete any of these classes. Well maybe one. My goal is to dedicate a span of time & focus on learning from them before I get sucked into another. They seem to be very time consuming. That could be because I am not familiar enough with the apps & programs to do things smoothly without struggle. The learning curve is steep.

What's in your garden?

It's the time of year when everything in the garden looks wonderful. 

This guy was on the side of our home the other day. Stick bugs are

such a strange product of evolution.  

My two pots of basil have been great this year. 

I've made several batches of my "pesto pucks" already.
The link to my post with the recipe & process I use.

Another pot holds a mass of herbs that have made it for a few years.

The Sage had gotten quite large so I decided to try some preserving techniques.
The Kitchn had some ideas. I hung some to dry,
did some in the microwave, froze some in water & did some sage butter.
Next clipping I want to try the sage honey.
 Should be great in home made dressing as the sweetener.

Tid Bits on Thursday

Summer is in full swing and I am drawn to the textures & colors in the garden.

Had to bring this teeny floral arrangement inside after the bush got a pruning.

Got this sweet ceramic frog at an art fair last summer. Time to put it to good use. 

Hosta leaves make such a great statement on their own.

Dunno, just had to take picture of these eggs.

 

One of my recent creations now graces the fabric table with one of my favorite tools,

 the everyday clothes pin.

 So here's the real reason for all the above photos and noticing tiny details in everyday things. 

Here goes, transparency time. 

Above is all the "stuff" I took to the art fair last week end. I sold one piece. 

Despondency ensued the next day. After a bit of a pity party, a good walk in the park, 

and some time in the studio looking at inspirational ideas saved over time, I'm ready to move on. 

 I figure all this experimentation with fabric, paint, stencils, stitching was 

a learning experience that  can be applied to bigger things.

 The rest of the summer will be spent just playing around in the studio to uncover old & new ideas, some sketching, going back to playing with photography...

& some great travel coming up for us in a few weeks. 

Not to mention lots of music & visit from friends on the calendar. 

Lots of the storage items I've made are being put to use in my own home.

 That was plan B all along.There is still areas I can add more bins to, & I will. 

When all else fails, there is always beer. Love these corn hole boards at Right Brain Brewery. 

It could be my self portrait from last weekend.  Thanks for "listening". 

T is for Tarnish #AtoZChallenge

tarnish

1. to lose or cause to lose the shine, esp by exposure to air or moisture 

resulting in surface oxidation; discolour: silver tarnishes quickly

2. to stain or become stained; taint or spoil: a fraud that tarnished his reputation

3. a tarnished condition, surface, or film

 I prefer an aged look to a polished one. More interesting to my eye.

I have a collection of old family pieces displayed in my home that I leave to tarnish.

This should have been in my background stories post. 

I often use it for small things I want to photograph.

Do you prefer polished or tarnished?  

Background Stories #AtoZChallenge

Pictures of our art is an important part of sharing what we love to make.  Enter the roll of the background. Everyday items you find around the house can work wonders.

 Guess what this is.

It's one of my favorites. An old, well used cookie sheet. 

When you zoom in you see this great texture.

Next, a black background. 

Left over vinyl upholstery fabric I stole from the man cave.

 Hang it vertically and I have an instant large backdrop. It's fun to play with the light.

 

 A friend gave me this big piece of cut up lace. I use it often.

 

Pegboard & cardboard play a role as well. 

Add some bead board and you have an all white background.

Nature A to Z Challenge

Of course N had to be Nature. I am so fortunate to live in an area that is bursting with natural creative inspiration. The fact that the Great Lakes are...great is a big part of it. We have 4 seasons, and there is a reason to look forward to each one. 

Winter gets a bit old, but that's another topic.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore was named one of the most beautiful places in the world a couple years ago. My shot of that area above. All the images in this post are my own.

 Poppies have to be one of my favorite flowers. Short lived but they pack a punch.

Fall is my favorite season, until it's time for Spring. 

 This will be happening very soon, Trillium, then morel mushrooms!

 Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a step back in time & an amazing place to explore. 

Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore is another gem. Hiking, kayaking, 

cross country skiing, it can all happen there.

 

Critters. Another opportunity. 

This is the only image not from my home, but I was so enthralled by these bugs 

I  had to include them. On the Island of Vieques. Just off Puerto Rico.

Between water, Flora, moss, critters, sky, rock formations, the everyday scenes that present creative inspiration are non stop.

The sky's the limit. I couldn't resit.