July 31, 2008

what lies beneath

What mountain bike ride would be complete without a little... spelunking??

Check out what Ali and I discovered on our ride a week ago from TC to Suttons Bay.

July 27, 2008

one hair-raising garage sale

Stay tuned for more photos from my Friday morning/afternoon ride with Ali up to Suttons Bay...

These photos couldn't wait-- 2 incredibly creepy items at one of the garage sales we visited! (See Ali's post for another interesting trend.)

July 24, 2008

new cat tree



Well, we have inherited a winner. Heather from down the road got a new cat tree and gave us her old one... and the girls LOVE it. It's the prime spot for lounging, playing, and hiding. I'll post more pics once I get them off my camera. At first Zoey and Lucy ruled the tree, but finally, after picking Dory up and placing her on it a few times, she too is comfortable enough to rule the roost. :) Currently we've positioned the tree in a prime viewing area, and I must say, I hate the thought of it being anywhere else.

July 23, 2008

chimes in the breeze


Yesterday's sky filled quickly with storm clouds. Here is a photo taken by me trying to be a bit artsier than normal! :)

July 22, 2008

smile!


To end my day of non-production, I thought I'd share with you the latest 'look' sported by our dear garden friend...

My, how he has grown.

woo-hoo!

Once more, a link to a great post!

(for my republican readers, you'll just have to deal with my political posts...
These are promising times for progressive thinkers!)

p.s. boyne photo

balancing act


It always makes me chuckle when Zoey attempts to "lay" on the back of my office chair. Bryce's office chair is thick and comfy for her, but when she gets on mine, she spends most of the time tearing it up with her claws in order to stay balanced. Here is a photo of Zoey in a supposedly relaxed position (note her paw grasping the chair).

July 21, 2008

ha ha ha

From the Daily Kos blog today...
"LOL! McCain Versus Obama in Today's Images"


I've gotta say; that's the 2nd time today I've found something incredibly worth a look on the Daily Kos... perhaps I need to spend even MORE time procrastinating on a daily basis through online shenanigans. Classics.

July 20, 2008

Pure

Our bellydancing group, Pure, did the Procession yesterday in Traverse City. This photo is from the dress rehearsal, and I'll put another up from the real thing once they are posted online.

Pure is a nation-wide bellydance troupe, so it was kind of exciting to be a part of something done all across the country (the pure procession is one that everyone does).

I don't know that I will do a lot more with the group, as I am not as talented or *into* it as many of the others, but it sure has been a fun experience. And I think I'm going to take tribal bellydance lessons in the fall!

July 16, 2008

this land is your land...

Death

Destruction

Doomsday arrived

Mourning

Madness

Masochistic pride

Fear

Fallacy

Fleeting unity

Self

Silence

Stifled democracy

I wonder why it takes tragedy to bring people together here in the United States. And even then, tragedy does not always lead to unity, at least not to the extent you’d expect. Society’s selfish way of life, the consequence of technology and all the *wonderful* things that have been created over time, tends to get in the way of societal harmony.

Imagine for a moment our love of space… dreams of the bigger home, the big yard, the storage areas, the shed, the attic, the extra-roomy SUV. While we define space as a luxury, it truly is a safety feature for our minds, a barrier from the outside world. The more space we have surrounding us, the harder it is for anyone to infiltrate or break through, and so we experience a feeling of security.

Of course space also gives us pleasure because it’s more space to fill. To fill with all the goodies that come along with our culture, material goods that clutter our minds with anxieties and perpetuate our world of wants. Ah yes, the good ol’ US of A.

(http://www.americanframe.com/gallery/artgallery/itemthumbnails/AS0002449.jpg... artwork entitled "Liberty's Children"; our prompt for Sacred Writing today)

July 15, 2008

boyne biking


On Saturday, I raced in my first Boyne Marathon mountain bike race. That's 2 loops of their course, with what felt like 75% of my time spent climbing hills. I finished in 2 hrs 46 min... It was an awesome trail-- I really loved it. I loved the aching-leg climbs, the rolling singletrack, the fast downhills. I felt good at the end, and I actually wondered if I could have survived 3 loops like the sport women completed (I raced beginner). I only had one ugly fall, right near the end. Flowing trail, followed by a sharp right turn into a downhill-- The right side was a washout, so the left was the preferred route. I remembered it too late and was thrown from my bike. My brake cables somehow wrapped around a log, so it involved some maneuvering to free my bike from the post-fall position. I ended up with minor bruising and scraping, and I was just relieved my bike was still in good shape to ride to the finish! Ah, how fun.

The cool part was that Josh and Bryce both had decent rides as well. Josh took 1st in his sport category, I got 1st out of the 3 beginner women :), and Bryce took 2nd in his sport group. Woo-hoo! Once I'm back up north, I'll post a pre-race photo of the three of us.

July 11, 2008

camping at the big house

Last weekend was a busy one... Fife Lake 5K, Cadillac Pathways ride, Lake City Greatest 4th in the North, Boyne pre-ride, disc golf, and finally, our relaxing evening/night/morning camping at the big house. Campfire, gourmet cooking, sing-alongs, night hike-- with great friends Kris, Ali, Glen, Moe, and Eric.

July 9, 2008

contemplations of a grown up mind

(just a random storystart, probably the beginning of a fictional piece told from a middle-aged perspective...any ideas on how i can manuever into an actual story?)

I miss the days when reality was something abstract; when I didn’t contemplate what could go wrong, or what would go wrong, or what had already gone wrong. I miss the blind naïveté that led me through life, when I could play games in the backseat of the car unaware that it was going twenty miles over the speed limit or I could say goodbye without worrying I wouldn’t be back. I can’t name the exact moment when maturity overtook me, so I have the feeling it was a gradual process, slowly eating away at the innocence of youth. My smile used to be the light at the end of the tunnel, the bright spot in others’ cloudy days, the optimistic glow settling on the horizon. And it would be accompanied by raucous laughter, as I childishly entertained the masses. Or maybe my memories have created this surreal existence of a positive me, filled with infectious happiness.

Damn the passage of time. Common sense and worldly knowledge make a damaging combination. I feel guilty to be wishing ignorance into my life, but it would certainly make things easier. I guess that’s why people say, “Ignorance is bliss.” Sometimes I try to pretend that I’m back in my old mind, and it will work for a weekend or a party night, but I always end up with my more mature mind wrestling for control.

July 3, 2008

summer lovin'


Miss Squawker Lucy couldn't handle me being outside on this loveliest of summer days. :) I was out taking photos of...




our garden





my grapevine, sugar snap peas, sunflowers, etc.




+ Cossy-moto