it's so cold here i couldn't take any pictures, and thought these residents of cold country could impress more than me. in honor of nw taking the time to bring calliope home i've included members of the Adelie family (and the Gentoo tribe) with evidence of the only flying penguin recorded..... pretty impressive if i do say so.. oh, and a cute too!
Donovan, back in the sixties, wrote a song called Season of the Witch. it is appropriate for what i feel today. winter is a tough enough time with holidays without losing friends. this am i picked up the paper and found a friend's picture and obituary listed and added his name to two other classmates from high school that had died in the past week. three friends leaving at the same time.... it makes you stop and think about life more as you grow older, and consider how you can make the best of each day.... to see the beauty in everything and everyone..... and to decide how you can continue to make a difference in this world...... if only answers came easier.... we'll just say a prayer for those remaining and wish these three Godspeed in their next endeavors.
many would say that some animals aren't "cute" but even the pelican's parents would say he is the cutest thing in the world.... of course much cuter than "geese". it's raining on our Christmas parade this week, but it looks like a white Christmas ahead... the tree is up and decorated; the nutcrackers guard the mantel, and the nativity is assembled (complete with the Christmas Lyndon B. Johnson figure). Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...
many cute things are hidden from the "normal" eye, but the watchful observer of nature finds them blending into those inbetween colors. like friend jp i'm finding that being quiet, and listening through the ringing in my ears, can take me further than the empty chatter...
how quickly everything goes from one thing to the next. the tree that had beautiful green leaves and blossoms became a shock of color and then quickly with the winter winds shed its burdens and went to sleep.... see you in the spring lovely thoughts...
even though we are almost snowbound here the wildlife continue to seek sustenance. now there is nothing outwardly "cute" about a bald eagle, with sharp talons and beak, but if you get really close they have a bit of a smirk and will give you the "eagle eye". i wonder if their nests are covered with 14" of snow too.
during certain times my hebephrenic mind takes off on tangents and visits places i've never used for decades. the consideration of figuring i've been here before and will be here again begs verification from some higher source. until the sixth century the church believed in resurrection/renewed life and even spoke to the reappearance of john the baptist/elijah, whatever that means. then the roman emperor justinian issued an edict that you couldn't think that way. i know that i'm not given to sacred thoughts much but getting older makes one think about what comes next... are we really able to think independently or must we lockstep everything with political winds?
what's cuter than babies at Christmas? even when they grow up and move away they are still our babies. all we have to do is close our eyes and those we love are there, but with whom will we share the chocolate chip batter? missing those not with us this year...
holding onto the last remnants of fall entails waiting for that one great moment when the elements are ideal....... rather like taking a picture. if you are patient things will work out. now the sky is falling sooner and getting off work in the dark requires a lot more willpower to load up the boat, and go...... under a full moon perhaps it will all seem irrelevant...
sometimes "cute" doesn't really cut it..... doesn't really describe something we strive for in making this a better world, but cute takes our minds off of the day to day struggles. this weeks counter-cute is about Julie Brock-Garcia, a relative of one of my therapists. Julie has a rare heart/lung disorder that has led to a heart warming story i have to share. check out the kansas city article and the accompanying letter from california gov arnold schwartzenegger. it will make thanksgiving more meaningful and probably bring tears to your eyes... it did me.
last night was a double feature at the fleur and my chance to become a jedi knight, for at least an hour. it is so ironic that "men who stare at goats" featured a spoonbending member of the "first earth battalion". it paralleled my past meeting with a "remote viewer" during the days when i did hypnosis online and a brief stint realigning the molecules of silverware. i'm sure that finding lost objects is only the start toward walking through walls......
and how many would like to break from this working world and walk through the streets of paris listening to gypsy music. life is indeed "an education" and a long way to oxford...
thursdays never had so much meaning for me before, but now i know that there is a day for me out there somewhere... a bargain in disguise.
my only encounter with creatures of cute this past week was with slowly friendly "gracie", a resident of northern virginia, and her friend Scott who delights in antagonizing helpless individuals...... especially the ancient inhabitants of this fair planet celebrating birthdays.
i didn't think i had a handy counter-cute this week, so i surreptitiously slipped in a substitute, but found an interesting addition. this fin or finback whale (greyhound of the deep) and calf became the game partners of those two rowers nearing the golden gate bridge. they reported that these fast whales would charge directly to the side of the boat and at the last minute swim underneath or turn to splash the crew. the magic of the ocean must be mesmerizing to someone who has rowed over 6,000 miles in six months..
if the bridge is red why do they call it the "golden gate"? it would probably look golden to me too if i was rowing/paddling under it... i wish i could be standing on it when "Bojangles" passes under!
since i'm headed to DC to assemble our family (beats having them come here to see me in a box) i thought i'd still include an early counter-cute, even if it's not so cute as funny. monday/tuesday nights are time for "dancing with the stars" and us wantabes sit with great anticipation of that day when they call to ask us to fill in for someone sick or injured... já, right - sure... this night i think was 'disco samba' without partners... just keep stayin´ alive..
last night, while paddling west on calm water, i was treated to rare reflections at sunset and a rare fall day on red rock..... a far cry from ocean rowers Chris Martin and Mick Dawson nearing completion of a journey across the north pacific (http://www.goldengateendeavour.com/) . i am so inspired by feats of such bravado and physical impossibility. our potential is so much greater than our imaginations.
finishing up using pics from island i couldn´t help but include some of the scrumptious treats offered for tea time and dessert. having a budding gourmet in the family leaves a bit of pressure to sample those offered.
max has been patiently waiting for his turn at the counter-cute and still sits by the door at the northern light inn in ísland. his penetrating gaze checks to see who has snacks and who will let him out the entrance to check on the weather. it´s almost always hvass and intermittently rígning.
"for small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." -Carl Sagan
in everyplace we go, in everything we do or say there lies an imprint of emotion that holds a pattern. places and people come and go from our lives daily and we need to say "takk fyrir" for each moment that provides an opportunity to see ourselves better in their mirrors...
“Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm, look for me all around you.”
my friend, Jim H., was supposed to carry on in my absence, and compete in the annual golf tournament, but it seems that he has grown tired of the overflowing galleries following him. i was impressed with the icelandic golf courses perched on windswept cliffs and tucked into craggy volcanic lava beds, but it appears that the elements at pine knolls were even more daunting. maybe next year....
i almost jumped the gun this week and sent a counter-cute out from iceland, before the miðvikudagur (wednesday) cute arrived, but knew that the ísland ponies needed more exposure. the white one probably used to have a single horn and could fly! if you have ever heard of the contented cows of ireland, living on the cliffs along the ocean, then you would appreciate the life of these sure-footed even-gaited residents. 
not having a pic to go with the last heading encouraged me to download the rest of my shots and share a remote beautiful place on this earth... seaside next to the mountains with a view of snæfellsjökull, the glacier. the hotel búðir, in the midst of a nature preserve, bordered on enchanting yellow sand beaches and winding trails with breathtaking views of the tidal changes and sounds of crashing waves. if only i´d have had my kayak.......(sigh). 
if calliope wants an original picture of the blue lagoon here in iceland guess i've got to produce one. i haven't downloaded a pic of the hotel búðir where we are staying tonight but i'd have to say it a six-star hotel in it's own magical right. the trip here to iceland has exceeded our expectations and the week working in the blue lagoon was once again special. it is a privilege to see people regain a sense of life and self-love.... maybe it will spill over to the world....
the circle song, one of my favorite songs, was from harry chapin, and i've quoted it often. it basically says that things keep coming around again so be careful what you initiate. some things are definitely worth starting and last night as the full moon rose up in the east - and the sun set in the west concurrently- i was thankful to be able to enjoy another day paddling away in paradise. 
i know i'm scooping the tired working girl of kirkland again, but couldn't resist offering my counter-cute of the week before she blogged. this tired but content fellow rested outside a store in saugatuck waiting patiently for his master and shows that big can be cute too... and we've had enough of my ducks for the year. i'll have to go out and get more pics now...
everyone needs guidance once in a while and this Light house at the end of the kalamazoo river reminded me that, no matter how dark it gets, there is always something to Light the way... oh, our friend stripbuilder finished the race, in two days, with high winds and dangerous conditions. congratulations to a brave soul! i'm sure he had some divine guidance.
as of this moment our friend "stripbuilder" has started the north carolina challenge, a 100 mile race along the atlantic coast. the course is counterclockwise from cedar point to beaufort, running inland first and then along the intercoastal waterway back to the start/finish. he hopes to complete the distance in 24 hours. he is running with a "spot" locator to identify how far he has progressed. he can be tracked at: http://www.watertribe.com/Events/ChallengeMapper.aspx
on a trip to saugatuck, michigan we found a man pulling these two characters down the street on an evening jaunt. an artist's colony gave us the opportunity to see leisure at it's finest moments. i'm sure these two would agree! click on their picture for the close-up they deserved.
this "saugaduck" was eagerly waiting for a little boy's generous pieces of bread.
this "saugagull" was just sure that i was not a reliable supplier of an evening meal.
for years i've photographed sunsets on red rock lake and others and neglected to capture sunrises. perhaps it's because at my advanced age i'm always looking back and not forward. this morning at 6 am JC brought my boat back from repairs and we shared a beautiful sunrise with a stunning orange sun lifting itself up from the eastern horizon. i love fall in iowa.....
stripbuilder is headed for north carolina next week to compete in a 100 mile race along the outer banks, starting at cedar and making a loop down to beaufort and back. he hopes to finish the entire race in 24 hours. paddling the 40 mile "sprint" seems doable to me but coastal waters in the dark is a different matter. good thoughts go out to speed him on his way and a safe return.
some subjects are reserved and blend into the background easily, but when seen from a closer perspective are indeed "cute". this is hardly a pacific sea otter on canvas, yet they are artistic in their own right and worthy of consideration. they are probably looking for some shrimp cakes...
while exploring hickory ridge campground, now in the corps' project of clearing buildings and trash, i came upon a reminder of how long it has been since this old rv park was created. it will be a sentinel for campers paddling across to this paddle-in/hike-in primitive campground destination.
a ramp will be constructed hopefully for paddlers to access the water/campground or the frozen lake in the winter. this arm of competine creek will be a quiet place to explore without powerboats intruding... it was a pleasant afternoon away from work to paddle over from whitebreast boat ramp, and explore the trails.
in honor of nw taking the time to come home with calliope i decided to continue the countercute with another of our tuxedoed friends and this super cute offspring... i'll scoop the weary travelers again as they are almost back to sea-tac in an hour. thanks Cats for all your help with the bd party! we miss you already.
it was time to finally charge the battery, air up the tires, and take the top down on the miata before enjoying early sunny fall weather. the cool temps have been unseasonable but welcome. now if i could just get the body work done and plan a road trip.... i wonder if there is a way to get the kayak on top or a trailer hitch installed? guess it'll be the trusty van for the 500 miles to oakwood for the next comprehensive program...
sometimes cute is a misnomer, but indicates something interesting and unique. on closer introspection this red-tail hawk is just plain interesting..... watching you to see if you are paying attention. oh, to be free to take flight with such grace....
