weekly counter-cute11

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...

Light house

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.

into the night

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
our thoughts and energy go out to him as he paddles all night in foreign water...

the voice of your eyes

"the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses"

weekly counter-cute 10

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.

to-see-a sunrise/ show me the monet

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.

weekly counter-cute 9

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...

dawn's early Light

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.

early countercute

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.

cool temps

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...