19th Adoption Day Anniversary

On November 17, 2003, we adopted Olivia at the age of ten months old. She was born in Dianjing, China. It is hard to believe it has been 19 years already. 

I had the opportunity to do a quick photo session with her at Bethel University where she is majoring in Art and minoring in Photojournalism. The chair was in the photo studio, so we used that. 

The first photo is the one Olivia liked the best. The second and third photos are ones that make me smile because they capture Olivia's personality and mannerisms. The laugh with her eyes closed, and the hand covering her mouth when she laughs are very typical of her. I'm glad I was able to get these two shots because they are meaningful to me. 

Cooper is 10 Years Old

Cooper turned ten years old today. He was adopted when he was about six months old. He is a cross between a German Wirehaired Pointer and a Golden Retriever. He is looking out the window as the snow falls hoping to spot a squirrel or a rabbit. He ended up seeing more blue jays, cardinals, and finches than what he truly wanted to see. 

Swedish Doll

This is one of about 150 dolls made by Charlotte Weibull, a Swedish artist, that is at Gammelgarden Museum. Each doll shows a different folk drakt (folk dress/folk costume) from a region of Sweden. 

Resourcefulness

This artifact - a copper tea kettle - is at Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia. The director of the museum told me that the kettle was so valued by the family that they hired a tinker (a person who traveled from place to place to mend metal utensils as a way of making a living) to put a new base on it when it was no longer good. 

So, rather than throwing away an item, the family repaired the kettle to extend its life. How different the environment would be now if we all valued our possessions and repaired them instead of throwing them away.  

Unique Children's Book

Our World - A First Book of Geography is such a clever board book. The cover is magnetized so that it can attach to the back cover and stand upright as a globe. Written for 2-5 year olds, there is a story on the base and beautiful illustrations on the globe portion of the book.

Wood Carvings

I saw these cute little wood carvings of a gnome and tree. They are hand-carved and colored. I like that they are both in shades of blue...not a typical color you see with gnomes or trees.

Dala Horse Rotating Candle

I'm doing some photography work for Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia and one of the products in the gift shop is a Dala horse rotating candle. It reminds me of the Christmas one that my parents had that had angels on it. This one, though, is a smaller version with a single tea light.

Straw Goat

It is hard to believe it is November already. Later this month, the Christmas season will begin. This is a Yule goat which is a northern European and Scandinavian tradition and symbol. The Yule goat is typically made of straw. This one was at Gammelgarden Museum in Scandia.

Spider Web

It amazes me how quickly a spider can create a web...and how beautifully simple it can be. This was taken many years ago in the early morning in Grand Marais after an evening rain. It seemed fitting for Halloween today.

SAORI Woven Scarf

I tried some new techniques with SAORI weaving which I enjoyed including partial-row patterning. This is a departure from my more "textural" pieces that have bits or rows of wool roving from sheep in them. 

Quinceañera

My sister and I visited Incarnation Catholic Church today to see where our parents were married in 1964 and where our grandma was a parishioner for over four decades. As children, we had attended mass, but only remember the church as being dark. All of the photographs from our parents' wedding are in black and white. 

So, we were delighted to see the church with all its colorful stained glass windows plus a quinceanera that was in progress.    

Migratory and Local Birds

The Dark-Eyed Juncos have arrived from Canada! They are here to spend the winter and will stay until about April. The American Goldfinches are losing their bright summer color and will become a grayish-tan during the winter. The oddball bird on the feeder comes up on the Seek app as a Brown-Headed Cowbird. However, I thought these were larger birds. A very common bird we are seeing is the Black-Capped Chickadees. 

All the feeders - seed and suet - are full now. There are 15 feeders in the front- and backyards. It is hard to keep up with the seed feeders with so many birds visiting us each day.

Halloween Window Stars

The Halloween origami stars that I made are up on the windows now. These are in the family room. As the sun rises and there is more light, the window stars will become brighter. I like how nature and art coincide.

More Birds

The migratory birds now have flown south and we are seeing those that will stay with us during the winter. New this year to us is the Red-Breasted Nuthatch. We have seen the White-Breasted Nuthatch often, so this is a pleasant surprise to see another type of nuthatch. There are Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, and plenty of True Sparrows. The sparrows love playing in the birdbath, especially on warmer days.

Waterlogue - Sunset Over Lake Superior

Waterlogue continues to be something fun to experiment with as I try different photographs I've taken in it. The original photograph that I used was of the sun setting behind the forested hill overlooking the rocky shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais.

Osceola Parade

My sister and I went to our favorite parade again this year. Held in Osceola (Wisconsin), the parade this year was over 1 1/2 hours. There were so many handouts in addition to candy: hotdogs, popsicles, pop, rulers, and more. Even the dogs got dressed up and walked in the parade.

Waterlogue - Monarch on Milkweed

The original photograph is of a migrating monarch on one of many swamp milkweed plants that are blooming in the west pasture near the seasonal pond. By using the Waterlogue app, I can change the image into a watercolor image. 

Eagles and Osprey

The one thing that I wish I had was a better camera with a longer lens. I wouldn't have to crop the image so much which would result in a better image.

Nonetheless, for me, sometimes photographs - even if they aren't ideal in all respects - remind me of exciting experiences, like these do from being on the St. Croix River yesterday. Seeing such majestic birds - like the eagle and the osprey - was such a highlight of my day. The eagle flew slightly above eye level by the pontoon boat. It was unexpected and exhilarating for everyone on the boat to see! 

This month, there were more ospreys along the St. Croix River between Stillwater and Bayport. (Last month, when we were on the pontoon boat ride with the Scandia-Marine Lions and Let's Go Fishing, there were many more eagles and cormorants.)

Seniors Enjoying a Boat Ride

Last month I coordinated a pontoon boat ride through Let's Go Fishing for members of the Scandia-Marine Lions Club. One of the things I enjoy doing is taking photos of the Lions so that they have current photos of themselves. I do this not only for the club's membership directory, but at their meetings and events. When I post the images on the club's Facebook page, their friends, family, and neighbors see them and comment. They like seeing their friends and loved ones having fun and living life to the fullest.

Rescued Dogs

All four of our dogs have been adopted from Northwoods Humane Society in Wyoming (Minnesota), and each comes with his or her own story. Briefly (and in the order of the photographs):

- Aspen - rescued at only six weeks from a high-kill shelter in the south and brought to Northwoods. We adopted her at eight weeks - very early in a puppy's life. She is a Siberian Husky-American Staffordshire Terrier mix.

- Cooper - adopted at six months old. As a German Wirehaired Pointer-Golden Retriever mix, he has a tremendous amount of energy. He thrived when doing obedience and agility training, and still enjoys showing what he remembers.

- Scooby - adopted at ten years old with his brother, Danny. Both lived with a woman and her abusive boyfriend. The woman fled the situation, leaving Scooby and Danny behind. The boyfriend threatened to kill the dogs. The police got involved, rescued the dogs, and brought them to Northwoods. Scooby is a Terrier-Pug mix.

- Danny - adopted at six years old with his brother, Scooby. Both he and Scooby were overweight and had not been receiving proper medical or dental care. Since being adopted, both are at a healthy weight and have had the dental and medical care they needed which have included surgeries. Danny is a Terrier-Chihuahua mix.