Wordless Wednesday--Time Marches On

Shadow Shot Sunday #13

Ghost Garden

You can see all of my Shadow Shot Sunday entries here.

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Sky Watch Friday

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On our way to the Drive-in last weekend

Shadow Shot Sunday #12

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Pushing Up Daisies

Summer Photo Contest

5 Minutes for Mom is having a "Summer Fun" photo contest.

There were three photos.

You voted.

Now only one remains.

Rainy Day Zane

Sky Watch Friday

I thought I'd try. This is in my north central Indiana back yard.
Visit all of the Sky Watch Friday participants!


Now--click on the picture to get the full effect!

Help Me Decide (photo contest)

5 Minutes for Mom is having a "Summer Fun" photo contest.

I can't decide.

Which do you think I should enter?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Shadow Shot Sunday

You can see all of my Shadow Shot Sunday entries here.

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This was taken at the haunted Woodcarver's Building in Converse, IN. The Indiana Horror Writers held our first annual Winter Retreat in the building. What a great place for horror writers to convene.

Shadow Shot Sunday

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Should I Get A New Hairstyle?

I'm being treated to a cut and color at Vanis Salon & Day Spa next week.

Here are the most recent pictures of my hair. The first set was taken the first part of May the second set just this past weekend. My face is really round and my profile is flat. I tried to include a profile picture (even though I hate them.)

My natural color is pretty close to Zane's. I tend to like to be a redhead because it seems to bring out my facial coloring and I don't look so washed out.

I like my hair fine. But is it time for a new style or should I just get what I have touched up and get a nice color? If you think I should get a new style--wanna help me find one?

Edit (for Robin mostly) ;)

Here's my hair November 2005.

I don't keep a style long girlfriend. LOL. So the ten year rule is way out the window for me. And I'll just add the rest of my comments here. This is a new stylist I'll be seeing, but they're one of the top salons in the area. Maybe I should print this out to show her how it looked less than 3 years ago?

Letterboxing in Missouri

I told you here we'd be going Letterboxing while we were in Missouri--well, we did!

The first one we did at Beaver Creek Conservation area was a bust. We followed the excellent directions, but there was no box hidden at the location. It seemed to us that this place was well used by people who maybe don't have a lot of other things to do and possibly the box was stolen because of that. When we pulled up to park, a white car pulled in after us and parked three spots to the right. They were hot and heavy getting it on and they didn't even put their car in park. We had to cover Zane's eyes and Mike wanted to go scare them.

The second one made it all worth while. This one was located at Maramec Springs State Park.

I didn't set out to take photos of all scenic mentions in the directions, but it seems I have. So let me show you how letterboxing works in our family. Mind you, we're not typical. Sorry to disappoint.

We entered the and parked as the directions stated. Then it said, "Head east toward the bridge with a yellow sign. Read the sign and heed it. Cross the foot bridge and enjoy the trout scenery. You can buy fish food 10 or 25 cents and feed them if you wish." So of course, who can resist popping in quarters to feed the fish? Not my boys!

Next, "Follow the trail toward the green spring house, cross the bridge before the spring house."

"You will see a tunnel on your left. Take the stairs under the bridge. Continue straight on the trail." I don't think they intended Zane to take a pit stop, but what can you do?

Then, "Follow the main trail past the furnace. Up the hill you will see green and yellow equipment built for fun. No time for that now. Take the low road to the river."

"Continue North on paved path. You will hear the babbling brook in the distance & see people with fishing poles. "


Past the tiny spring you will follow the trail up the hill and continue on the trail between the two black rails. Continue trail down the trail.

A big tree once stood tall is where you’ll find it all. Take a break on the edge of the fallen tree and you’ll see a brown building with green roof at 2 o’clock. Reach where moss always grows under the tree covered by debris.

So. We looked for a fallen tree. And Phil dug with a stick. Because there might be spiders or snakes. Don't the boys look excited? But the box wasn't there. So we looked for another fallen tree. And we dug some more. And we couldn't find the box. And everyone was bummed. But the park was so amazing and beautiful that we were all glad we stopped anyway. We figured the box had been planted before the flood and it must have been washed away. You could see the flood lines and the water had covered the path the box was supposed to be hidden on. So we decided to make the best of it and enjoy the day.

But wait! What's that? We miscalculated? Or maybe the one reading the directions didn't quite "get it?" It said, " If you pass the 2nd stairs past the big rippling water you’ve gone to far. " Lord have mercy we didn't pass the 2nd stairs yet!! So we found yet another fallen tree. And Phil dug again. Don't the boys look even more excited? Well, at least Phil pretends for me.

And there it was!!! The box!! So we all stamped the book inside the box and used the stamper inside the box on our journals. Finally. Success. Now the boys at least look interested, don't you think?
The directions then read, "Continue North on the trail and enjoy the swinging bridge."

We did. But I've posted tons of pictures today so I might have to continue this tomorrow. Or because I know myself, it might be a week or a month from now. But I'll remind you where I talked about it first.

Bad Blogger Day 2 and Tackle It Tuesday--Oranizing Spree

Well, I messed up yesterday. I posted a Saturday picture when I wasn't finished with Sunday. I'm not going to take you through every moment of my life, just the ones I took pictures of that I haven't been blogging about. Pretend you care, okay. Humor me.

I guess it was a good mistake though because today is Tackle It Tuesday and while I don't have before shots, I have the after pictures of my mad organizing spree on Sunday. After I went to CVS and spent $1.50ish on $153.00 worth of stuff.

Before I get to the Tackle It Tuesday pictures, I just got word that I'm TOP MOMMA. What's that? You don't know what that means?! Have you been hidden under a rock?

Click for me again and again and again. And when you're top, I'll click for you. Well, they said I was top Momma but I don't see me. Do you?

(EDIT TO ADD: I found me. I'm the blank one. Figures, huh? Always have to be different. Guess it fits my dark fiction, eh?)

I'm a Bad Blogger

Once again, I have neglected the ten or so people who stop by here regularly. I don't mean to neglect you. Really. So in honor of your dedication despite my disregard I'll post a week's worth of photos (and captions) so you know why I've not been here paying attention to you.

Forgive me?

I think I'll work backwards. Because I want to.

Sunday April 6.

We went for a walk down our road.
I found some creepy buildings in the woods.
I have story ideas.

The Shack of Many Colors

Click on the picture. Check out the shingles.
What are those little doors for below the window?
Who lived here?
Oh the stories I have blending in my brain.

This little shack was just steps from the Shack of Many Colors.
They should have put matching shingles on it.
I was afraid.
Oh I am so not lying.
I could not. Could NOT open the door of this shed.
It was cracked open when I got there. If you click on the picture,
you can see that there's something in there.
I was too afraid to look.
Yes.
Me.
Too afraid.

This hole in the ground was steps away from the Green Door shack.
This is probably what made me afraid to open the door.
Creepy side view of the Shack of Many Colors

Still on Sunday:
$153.00 worth of stuff at CVS and I spent only $1.46!!!!!!
(here's how)

Saturday April 5.
Chicago Street Theater's Encores Musical Gala. Look for us in
Lake Magazine--we had our photo taken. I'm excited to see if we'll be in there!

Happy Valentine's Day

Mill Rock Ford

We spent a long weekend in Phil's hometown and stayed in a neighboring town's bed and breakfast, The Bluebird. (This was our room) We loved the proprietors and we loved the property. Our stay was beautiful and memorable. (More about that later this week)

We arrived in Gerald, MO, population around 1,500, at dusk and turned onto Highway H in search of the Bourbeuse (Bur-bus) River. That would be our marker. Two miles past the bridge, turn left onto Mill Rock Road.

We didn't find the B&B when we turned on Mill Rock Road. We found a sign that said "Bourbeuse River Public Access 2.4 miles" so we followed the dirt road. Sunlight faded, Phil was tired, and there was still no obvious sign marking the driveway of the B&B.

We came to the end of the road, so to speak. The river access, or the Mill Rock Ford. A ford is a crossing. In Missouri, fords are normally concrete pads that can be crossed in a vehicle when the river is low.






You can see that the water's only ankle-high on Zane, just a few inches deep, so crossing in a car would really be like going through a puddle. Missouri Fords are actually neat places, you can swim, fish, canoe, and wash your car.

We approached the ford (as you see in the first picture) and I didn't feel anything strange. However, when we got down a little farther, I saw this; my breath caught in my throat and my heart pounded with panic.




These pictures were taken two days later, just before we headed home. I didn't tell Phil that night that I was beside myself with fear. I thought he'd make fun of me, so I just sat there quiet and wanting to hurl as the evil of this place churned my stomach.

When we went back to take the pictures, I had the camera. Zane wanted his water shoes so he and Phil went back to the car to get them. I started walking to the left of the picture on the gravel bank. Returning in the daylight did nothing to calm that heavy feeling in my stomach. Once again, I found myself breathing hard, my pulse quickened and I was terrified.

What I found nearly did me in. I swear, finding a dead body wouldn't have had the effect on me that this did. As I said, I walked to the left of the ford intending to get a different angle on the picture of the scary rock formation--this angle:


See the rather large, flat rock in the bottom left of the photo? My chest is tight as I upload these photos and tell this story. Here's what I found on the rock:







(Take note of that yellow piece of paper, I'll come back to that)
I walked around the bank a bit more and found a still-smoldering fire.



As I was taking a picture of the fire, Phil was coming back from the car with Zane and the water shoes. He was yelling at me, with a slight panic in his voice, he couldn't see me. I yelled and all but ran back to him. We let Zane play in the water for maybe five minutes and we got out of there with an unspoken dread.

Many hours and miles from Mill Rock Ford, I couldn't stand it any longer. I asked Phil if anything had scared him. He said, "Well, I didn't tell you, but I was scared when I couldn't see you. I saw a lean-to built back in the woods and it gave my the creeps, so when I didn't see where you were, I got a little freaked out."

So I told him how I had been terrified the minute we drove up to the ford and even more so after taking the pictures in the daylight.

I'm still freaked out. That yellow piece of paper was a school supply list. I zoomed in on it, Googled the town it was from and the distance from the town (New Haven) to Mill Rock Ford is about 25 miles.

Sometimes my imagination gets away from me, I know, but this time, whatever evil I felt was so absolutely real, I cannot get over the feeling. The trinkets on the rock and the smoldering fire may fuel my imagination and may just be ironic little coincidences, but the feeling of evil was not coincidental. And so my mind imagines...

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday--Our Weekend Float/Camping Trip

Wordless Wednesday (with words, sorry!)

Ok, normally I refuse to put words on my Wordless Wednesday posts, but I was a little excited about this one. I received and offer this morning from an advertiser at PayPerPost to blog about their photo art website. From what I've read, they've made Oprah's O-list and have been featured on NBC's morning show as well as excellent reviews in USA Today, PC Magazine, Yahoo Tech Editor, and Better, Homes & Gardens.

What's the big deal? You upload a picture (like the first one) then you choose from 50 styles and voila! You have artwork that is produced on museum quality canvas just like an art gallery or on art print, then you hang it on your wall.

I'm excited about this because I had plans to decorate my home with my photos and now, instead of just having all prints I can have some on canvas, like the last two, that I created at PhotoFiddle. I LOVE this!

Happy Birthday Jen!!

I couldn't resist helping Kimmie plan an intimate surprise party for Jen. Kimmie is the party plan, so I just hung on for the ride! We started at Kimmie's house. When Jen walked in, she was greeted with a lot of happy kids, flowers and a bowl of wild raspberries that Sarah (Kimmie's daughter) picked just for her. As we were sitting at the table, Jen eating her berries, me snacking on a few Sun Chips, Jen spied the ass wipes on the staircase. Of course, we couldn't resist the photo op and eventual private joking about the ass wipes.



Next...Kimmie, Tracy and I took Jen out to Lucrezia's for dinner...a tiny Italian restaurant with killer Martinis and scrumptious food!

We have new nicknames because of this experience.

Jen = Pucker

Kimmie = Frenchie

Tracy = Raspberry Beret

Mich = The Temptress

We chose our favorite Martini for the night and dubbed each other with the corresponding name. Would you like recipes?


Pucker Up: Apple vodka, sour apple liqueur, sweet and sour, garnished with a cherry
French: vodka, chambord & pineapple juice
Raspberry Beret: stoli razberi , chambord, & sweet & sour
Temptress: vodka, kahlua & frangelico

Kimmie made Jen the gorgeous moonstone necklace, bracelet and earrings (shown here,) as well as a personalized inspirational ditty Kimmie wrote tucked into a beautiful frame for her desk.



Tracy (the chocolate girl) gave Jen a journal and chocolate--what more could an author want?



What did I give Jen, you ask? Why office supplies, of course!

The pictures are bad and they don't show her enthusiasm to her Post-its, index cards (colored, plain white and lined) pencils, pens, a stapler, staples, paper clips, very cool blue binder clips, notebooks, oh and the whopper--a box of copy paper, but trust me, she loved them.












More pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Fushia